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jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
iskanderjonesiv's review against another edition
4.0
Impatient with the strictures of polite British society, Miss Abigail Harewood has decided to live life on her own terms—and the first thing she requires is a lover. When the commanding Duke of Wallingford arrives on the doorstep of her leased holiday castle, she thinks she’s found the perfect candidate: handsome, dashing, and experienced in the art of love.
But tempting Wallingford into her bed proves more difficult than she imagined. Restless and dissatisfied with his debauched life in London, the formerly rakish duke is determined to spend a year chaste. But as Abigail tries her best to seduce him, Wallingford finds his resolve crumbling in the face of her irresistible charm…and her alluring secrets.
**
From Booklist
Starred Review If the Duke of Olympia thinks that his grandson, the Duke of Wallingford, would be willing to spend a year in the Italian countryside without the benefit of female companionship, he must be crazy. But when he hears about his grandson’s latest scandalous exploit with one of the many ladies of London willing to give him their favor, he immediately begins plotting a campaign to see his grandson married before the year is through. Suddenly, a year in Italy doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. Of course, Wallingford’s little philosophical sojourn at Castel sant’Agata doesn’t take into account the fact that he will be sharing his new abode with three Englishwomen, including Miss Abigail Harewood, who decides it is high time for her to take a lover and believes Wallingford is just the man for the job. With this deliciously romantic, wickedly witty confection linked to the splendidly entertaining A Lady Never Lies and A Gentleman Never Tells (both 2012), Gray makes one of the best trilogy debuts in years, proving she is a literary force to be reckoned with. Readers will shout, Bravissima! --John Charles
Review
Praise for Juliana Gray:
“Juliana Gray has a stupendously lyrical voice.”—Meredith Duran, New York Times bestselling author
“Juliana Gray is on my auto buy list.”—Elizabeth Hoyt, New York Times bestselling author
leenmachine's review against another edition
msmattoon's review against another edition
4.0
The seduction scene turned the trope of the "virgin loves sex the first time" upside down. The hero rushes to the act and then when it's over the heroine yells at him and tells him how awful it was. Loved that bit.
daysed's review against another edition
2.0
akmargie's review against another edition
4.0
amshofner's review against another edition
4.0
So I'm going to get my thoughts out and then stop thinking about it. Especially the ending.
Despite my desire to read series in order---even with series whose books can technically be read as stand alones---I skipped book 2. Partly because my library only had the third book and partly because after reading A Lady Never Lies, I had little desire to read about the couple in book 2. I have no regret about that.
Because this series is partly simultaneous---events that happen in previous books are told from a different perspective here---I kind of knew some of what was going on and going to happen. Which was, honestly, reason to read faster and reason to get distracted with the desire to skip ahead.
Still. Abigail was fun. Wallingford looks like a typical rake, and he's not and that makes him intriguing, though not always particularly likable (until he becomes likable-ish again). This was the perfect book to spend a Saturday afternoon with, and I'll definitely be seeking out more Juliana Gray books in the future.
wendylalala's review against another edition
5.0