4.4/5 stars

It is a wildly engaging adult historical fiction drama with an unconventional lady highwaywoman and a rough, tough gentleman. There are bold actions, attacks, kidnappings, a marriage of convenience, steamy, intense moments, and HEA. The leading couple are society outcasts that don’t fit in anywhere yet somehow piece together beautifully.

The story is positively electric, with intriguing dialogue and flawed eccentric characters. It includes the perspective of both leading characters. The author’s descriptions and voice have a steely charm that sets the tone and stage of the narrative. There are steamy moments, so not for the faint at heart.
This was sponsored through NetGalley for an honest review.

Fun-filled pandemonium that's all heart!
Harvey sweeps you up in a tale of healing romance, that sings with this all-encompassing levity and fun. That you can't help but enjoy wallowing in, as it leaves you in awe.
Yet, beneath the humour invoking, delightful, volleys of sharpwitted banter and teasingly cheerful bravado lies this heartaching rawness of vulnerability and fragility that marks each of its admirable characters as a survivor - including our deeply protective, I-want-so-badly-to-be-by-your-side wounded hero, Roarke, and upbeat, though struggling with selfworth and a damaged reputation of suitability, heroine, Tessa - that instantly pulls you into their fate, trauma and on edge need for self-preservation. Especially as they minutely reveal their harboured secrets as they hide from those who wish to callously eliminate, ill-treat, abuse, neglect, misunderstand or vindictively judge them, while wanting so badly to admit to the connection and attraction that so keenly binds them.
A tale, captivatingly centred around Magpie House. A haven of traps, crumbling wallpaper and hideous animal statuettes, designed to secretly shield the vulnerable and abused ladies it so fiercely protects.
Tessa short on capital and ton respect but big on heart, compassion and honest to goodness, I'll-risk-my-life-or-die-trying loyalty, willingly and wholeheartedly sacrifices to help save and keep safe the ladies in her care, even at the expense of her independence. But can a marriage of convenience...to the body tingling, I can't keep my mind and yearn to put my caressing hands all over you, Roarke, in all his quiet, brooding, secretly always wanted her, hunk of a Beast of Dartmoor, kind of temptation...be the best decision she ever made or will it bring nothing but confusion - a haze of deliciously, hard to stop fantasising about sensual earth shattering intimacy, shaped confusion I grant you - or will it all lead only to heartbreak? Well damn, I loved finding out!

A romance that had this level of ingenuity, closeknit bond of support, loyalty and rebellious strikes of self administered justice that radiated from and cocooned it's characters which had me hooting and cheering them on...firmly cementing myself in their corner.
With the added joy, sass and teasing meddling of Summer, from the first book to enjoy, this tale makes for the perfect escapism, with characters that glow and hook you in emotionally as they make you laugh and hurt right there alongside them. Whooping with each victory as self worth is gradually restored to our, well matched, get under your skin, heroes as a hard dose of righteous payback is served to those who so desperately deserve it. Highly recommended good fun!

A great easy read. You will fall in love with the characters quickly, loved the adventure and the steam and the drama and the secrets. Great one day read for me. Try it, you will not regret it!

The Duke and the Highwaywoman:
Wow, this quirky romance story with an endearing heartfelt plot to help downtrodden women was so much fun to read. The writer out did herself with characters that were jumping off the pages with so much sizzling passion, adventure, mystery, laugh out loud situations, excitement full to the brim and villains that got their due rewards at the end to make this a truly thrilling story from start to finish.
💋Mature Advisory: This one calls for your lady's fan for sure. I haven't read a book in a long time that I would give out 5🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 chili peppers.
💖Tessa and Roarke were characters I think I will never forget.
5⭐ stars for the cover that gives you a bit of insight to the story and was beautiful.
👍 I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced ARC copy for my honest thoughts and opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley a copy for an honest review

I really enjoyed reading ‘ The Countess Caper’ it was really good and I would highly recommended it.

Rating 4 stars

Fun!

Packed full of starting situations that has unlikely heroes, feisty women hiding secrets, those with nothing left to lose, and some very bad villains.
I cheered for Lady Tessa Kilkenny and the man she’d come to be attached to, Roark Noble, Earl of Dartmoor—‘the Beast of Dartmoor.’
When Tessa’s dowry had been stolen by her cousin, the dastardly George Kilkenny, Viscount Raleigh, (whom Roark describes as a ‘right tosser’ and Tessa calls a ‘greedy rat b…… ’; when Tessa’s friend Deidre and her baby die abandoned in an alleyway due to the promises and then repudiation by Lord Tewksbury; well it’s no wonder Tessa lost her temper and dunked the Lord’s head into a punch bowel at a ball. This earned Tessa the nomenclature of Punch Bowl Ophelia by the ton. She’s scorned and disparaged by them, cast out.
Tessa purchases the dilapidated Magpie House to keep a roof over the heads of the women who have been abused, abandoned, sent off by their families, or need shelter from gossip.
To make ends meet Tessa takes up highway robbery. Comes a moment in time when she steals the coach of a Lord, not just any Lord but the Earl of Dartmoor’s. Her excuse is valid. Her cousin Marigold is about to give birth in a lilac bush!
I cheered at the the tale of these two well matched persons. I cheered when the villains got their comeuppance. I cheered when the abused and frightened women stood up against the more powerful persons searching for them!
A marriage of convenience trope that definitely is no inconvenience at all! The attraction between the two is palpable and leaps off the page at you.
A somewhat raunchy and amusing read !(when not serious about the perils confronted by women of all classes at these times).

A Dragonblade Flame ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I absolutely loved it! The Countess Caper is a spine tingling story about a group of women who are forced to hide in a decrepit house to avoid those who wish them harm. Alyxandra Harvey story telling has a fresh and enjoyable outlook that gives readers a well-written story, filled it with flawed characters who manage to grow and yet retain their personalities which captivates you from the beginning until the very end, sizzling passion, enjoyable banter, humorous and laugh out loud situations that keep you entertained until the very end. You just have to fall in love with Tessa and Roarke and with the way Rue protects those close to her. With setting descriptions and action sequences that are wonderfully vivid that brings the story to life and as the uncertainties escalates the suspense builds and danger abound which brings this read together perfectly.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I'm not sure if the books in this series are connected or not, but having not read the first book wasn't a problem here. The opening pages of this book draw you right in and I found that my interest in the characters and plot never wavered from that point on. The romance between Tessa and Roarke was really well done - it was clear from the first moment between them that they were perfectly suited and accepted one another quirks and all. This was especially clear toward the end when Tessa realizes that he will arm her to fight her own battles, but will also always have her back. I wished we had gotten a Roarke POV chapter (or part of a chapter) about his trip into the village to defend Tessa and put Mrs. Harris in her place. However, there was one thing I wished each of them had been open about - I wish Roarke had told Tessa more about how he had always been drawn to her and how he did worry about what had happened to her when she disappeared from society AND I wish Tessa had told Roarke more about how difficult it was for her to see others leave her behind. The parts involving George were just a little underdeveloped - was it just greed that had him keeping Tessa's inheritance from her and that led him to place a spy in Magpie House? As for the spy, I had my suspicions about them, especially after the part with the broken sheep figurines so that wasn't a total surprise (although I would have liked to have gotten to know what their motivation was in helping George). The supporting characters were equally interesting and I would have loved to have gotten to know more about Bryony.

Just love the fun and excitement that this unusual love story brings on every page.
Tessa was a rebel defending women of the ton from the neglect and abuse they suffered at the hands of men.
Roarke was quietly admiring of her for years but finally acts upon his inclinations and offers marriage.
The pages light up with sparks as they negotiate their lives with Tessa’ s dedication to the downtrodden women.
Sexy enthralling read.