First time reading this author and really enjoyed the book. Looking forward to reading more of her work!

During this time, women had a specific place and purpose in society. Performing on stage would be considered scandalous for a woman, but that’s exactly what Susannah wants to do and Rafe Winters plans to help me do just that. Susannah becomes the Red Duchess, an amazing woman with a beautiful voice who performs in a red cloak to conceal her identity. Tate is considered the Wolf of Mayfair and is using Susannah to try and gain respect among his peers. While Rafe is trying to grow the popularity of his club in hopes of expanding, he finds himself falling in love with Susannah. This book is a beautiful and steamy classical romance. It shows two people who are true sole mates that grew up and lived very different lives but found the can help one another to accomplish their own dreams. Definitely worth the read!

This was a fun and fast paced historical romance. I do not usually read for this genre but this one really called to me and I had a great time! I loves Susanna and Rafe and their chemistry was top tier! I would be interested in reading more from this author/in this series because I had such a nice time!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

It has been awhile since I have read a historical romance and Lydia Drake reminded me how much I enjoy them. This was easily a 3.5 star read. It was a sweet, fun book. The characters were real developed and you could sense the tension and chemistry between the two main characters. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

This was a great historical fiction romance! It had spice which we love and very well written characters! I overall really enjoyed this book and would reccomend to friends! I learned after I read it that soe characters had crossed over from the authors other books and now I am excited to read the rest of her books!

I love when the hero is a little wild or on the wild side! I can't get enough of these books. The whole series is amazing and can't wait for the next one.

An entertaining read full of wit and chemistry betwwen the main characters. I loved the musical theme.
Many thanks to Entangled and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

There is something magical on women following her dreams in more than one way and this one did it. also there is a kiss scene when i had to put down my kindle a couple of times.

I must confess that I found this book entertaining, I liked the writing and the characters enough to finish the book and be pleased by the happy ending, but I didn’t love it as much as I hoped. I had great expectations after having loved Drake’s debut novel to distraction, but this one lacked something, in my opinion. There was some humor now and then, but mostly in the end, and it felt forced, as well as the angst. I didn’t feel the connection between the characters at all and I really think that Rafe’s character is a wasted opportunity. He could have been just the type of character I love, the rookery guy, the self-made man, scarred and afraid to love, but he fell flat for me. And Susannah didn’t really know what she wanted from life. To rebel? To conform? To be loved by her mother?
I really hope I’ll love the third book of the series, even if the Duke was a self-righteous A-hole in this one.

I enjoyed reading this second story in this series. It did seem a little short on detail, but still was very enjoyable. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys historical romance.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Lydia Drake's The Duchess and the Wolf is a deliciously delightful and sensual historical romance. Drake's writing is clear and engaging, her character's shine with intention, and the romance blooms with tension and chemistry. Drake cleverly draws inspiration from the fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood, and beautifully updates this tale for the modern day romance reader. There is a wonderful layering of heart to this story, that opens up the core romance to grow with truth and understanding. I was really charmed and swept away into Drake's world and felt like she has given us a really solid historical romance that will easily delight any reader.

This interesting story starts with our protagonist attending a masked party at what would be considered a den of iniquity. While there, she reveals her talent as a pianist and is offered a job by the establishment's owner. She is put in the difficult situation of hiding her identity to keep her reputation while trying to earn money to achieve her desired future. On the path to that, though, she realizes that maybe she did not desire that future and that sometimes there is more to life than the right match.

I really liked this book, about a Lady and a Commoner that became a business owner, as long as they were keeping their ruse of the Red Duchess, the mysterious woman who plays the piano so beautifully. Towards the end, though, both Susannah and Rafe doubted each other and their love so much that it became to bother me.

Add this to your fairy tale histrom shelves!

I am always on the hunt for the next fairy tale historical romance, and I’d never seen one riffing off Little Red Riding Hood. That got me excited for this book!
Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book in this series, this one was better because it’s innovative and intriguing. There is a lot of character depth, especially with Susanna. She was the “evil stepsister” in the first book in the series and it was interesting to watch her grow and overcome the challenges set out. She and Rafe grow into a beautiful, intense romance that is a pleasure to watch.
It felt fresh and new, so even though it wasn’t a stand out stunner for me, I would recommend it!

Star Rating: 3.5/5
Tropes: Heiress, gaming hell, musician
CW: Toxic relationship

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Duchess and the Wolf was an excellent read featuring a romance between a club owner and a woman with a dream to perform her music on stage.

Susannah Fletcher seemingly has it all: wealth, the attention of a duke, and a spotless reputation in society. But all Susannah wants is to play her music on stage and she's willing to give up everything to do it. So when the Wolf of Mayfair offers her the chance to have the one thing she's always wanted, she can't say no. Rafe Winters started from nothing and he's determined to have it all. But in order to acquire the property he needs to further his goals, he needs to bring some respectability to his club and Susannah is the answer to his prayers. As Susannah performs as the cloaked “Red Duchess”, Rafe finds himself falling for her along with the rest of London.

Susannah and Rafe have a great connection right from the start. There's a lot of great banter and they challenge each other in ways they haven't been before. It's also clear they're obviously attracted to one another but it does take a bit for them to act on that attraction. The fact the two are from such different worlds is the biggest obstacle to their relationship. Rafe finds it hard to believe someone of Susannah's caliber would be interested in him and Susannah struggles with the decision to blow up her life to go after what she wants. I was so happy when Susannah finally came clean to her family and loved the scene where she goes and professes her love to Rafe.

I was intrigued by the premise of this one, Susannah agrees to play as the "Red Duchess" for one month, and I was curious to see how the pair would manage to keep Susannah's identity a secret. The reason behind Rafe needing to bring respectability to his club is that he wants to expand his business but the owner of the building doesn't want to sell to Rafe with his current reputation. I thought his idea to have Susannah play classical music was a good one but I loved that she really began to be appreciated after she began playing her own pieces.

Overall The Duchess and the Wolf was fantastic and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a great historical romance.

This is a steamy historical romance with music. Susannah is being seriously courted by a duke, and he's a good man! But her real desire is to play the piano for audiences all over Europe. When she is offered a temporary job by Rafe Winters at his nightclub, she sees a way to get enough money to live her dream.
I liked that setup, and the main characters. I also liked the Duke a lot, which made me worried about a love triangle, but that was handled well. And it was nice to see communication about problems/misunderstandings.

Second in Lydia Drake’s Renegade Dukes series, The Duchess And The Wolf brings readers back to 1816, where the London Season is in full swing. Heiress Susannah Fletcher is being pressured by her mother to marry the Duke of Huntington, something she is far from inclined to do. Susannah loves the piano and plays exquisitely. She also longs to travel and do as she pleases, free from society’s strictures. Securing a piano-playing engagement as the Red Duchess is her ticket to that freedom. I admired her and loved watching her grow emotionally as her story unfolded. Rafe Winters, owns the Wolf’s Den gentlemen’s club. He is about as far from a suitable match as Susannah’s mother could imagine. I fell for him instantly and could understand why Susannah felt the same way. I loved watching these two get to know each other intellectually and as friends, while the attraction between them simmered away. There is plenty of passion there too and those scenes are beautifully written. This book has been a pleasure to read and while it is part of a series, it does work fine as a stand-alone.

Susannah and Rafe were two characters drawn to each other by similar wants. That they fell in love during their adventure made for an excellent read.

This was a very frustrating read - the lead heroine was insufferable and naive, her friends are lascivious drunks (I won’t be reading the pre books about them), and I wanted to ring the neck of the hero Rafe bc he was just so damn changeable! I made it all the way through, but the last chapter before the epilogue was saccharine and too damn long. Not sure how I made it all the way through. Too bad bc the romance scenes were written well.

The romance of Rafe & Susannah was exciting, scandalous and absolutely wonderful. Susannah has it all. A diamond of the ton, a lavish dowry and the most eligible Duke practically on the hook but she is not like other society girls. She wants more, she wants to perform, travel and be independent. When club owner Rafe Winters offers her a healthy payment to perform at this club in disguise, she leaps at the chance. What she receives is far more than money. The chemistry between Susannah and Rafe is electric, is it any wonder she thinks to toss over the Duke for this man. Rafe is rough & tumble, but honourable and good at the core. You simply can’t help but love him. I loved the parallel to Julia’s story in the end. These sisters are so very different and yet apparently not. I am excited for the Duke of Huntington’s story next, he really is too good of a guy to settle. This story was a delight!