Between the Devil and the Duke

Lady Angelique Archer has been trying to hold her family together since her parents died and their family fortune had gone missing. Her eldest newly titled brother is no help whatsoever since he spends his time and money on drinks and whores. Her affinity with numbers has given her the opportunity to make some money which her family desperately needed. And things were going well until she caught the attention of Mr. Lavoie. But instead of throwing her out of his gaming club he offers her a job.

Lady Angelique Archer has been trying to hold her family together since her parents died and their family fortune had gone missing. Her eldest newly titled brother is no help whatsoever since he spends his time and money on drinks and whores. Her affinity with numbers has given her the opportunity to make some money which her family desperately needed. And things were going well until she caught the attention of Mr. Lavoie. But instead of throwing her out of his gaming club he offers her a job. A job she can’t refuse. But how does she keep her professional distance from the delicious and protective Alex?

Alexander Lavoie has been intrigued by the mysterious blonde since the first moment she came into his club. And when he realises that her winning streak is due to more than mere luck, he knows he wants her as an employee and a lot more.

“But survival has made me who I am. I learned to rely on myself because there was no one else. To understand that my strengths were not failures. There are many things that I regret in my life, but I cannot regret that.”

I loved Angelique and how smart, strong and brave she was. Instead of crying in despair over her circumstances she did what was necessary to keep her family from starving. She’s always tried to hide how smart she was, but circumstances forced her to embrace her gift and to finally be herself.

The moment he had gazed into her intelligent blue eyes, he’d been smitten. The moment she’d stepped between him and two warders’ blades, he’d been lost. And the moment she’d trusted him with her body, gifted him with her raw vulnerability and demanded the same from him, he’d fallen in love.

I have been intrigued by sexy club owner Alexander Lavoie since the first book. And I absolutely adored him in this book. I loved that he desired Angelique since the first moment he saw her, and that her intelligence just made him crave her more. It was awesome how totally smitten he was with her, how he wanted to protect her and give her the opportunity to excel at numbers, doing what she loves most. And his scar across his face just added to his sexy appeal.

“Please stay. Stay with me.” They were mumbled words, rough and urgent against her lips.
She pulled back from him, an overwhelming surfeit of joy and love making her entire body shake. “There is nowhere else I want to be,” she whispered. “There is nowhere else I belong.”

I loved the chemistry between Angelique and Alex, how they worked together at his club and at finding out who the villain was. The slow-burn of their romance was amazing, how hard they tried not to give into their desire but with every look, every touch it became inevitable. And when they finally came together it was so hot and sexy!

I loved how intriguing and suspenseful the plot was with trying to figure out what really happened to the Archer family fortune and who the bad guys were. I even had my suspicions about who the villain was, and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out I was wrong ;-D

Kelly Bowen is fast becoming one of my top HR authors. I love her smart and unconventional heroines, her sexy and interesting heroes, the passionate romance and the extremely intriguing plot. Her books are always winners and I always look forward to reading them. And next is the very interesting and mysterious Gisele Whitby’s book. I cannot wait to read it!! And hopefully King’s book will be the fifth book…. Pretty please?? This series is a must read for all HR fans. Highly recommended.

“You have impressed me immeasurably, Lady Angelique.”
He was rewarded with a smile, one that actually reached her eyes, and the first one he had seen all night. “Good,” was all she said.”

“You have impressed me immeasurably, Lady Angelique.”
He was rewarded with a smile, one that actually reached her eyes, and the first one he had seen all night. “Good,” was all she said.”

“When she stood in front of that mirror, with a man who had never treated her as anything less than his equal, a man to whom she’d revealed more of her true self than she’d ever done with any other, she had witnessed just how much he had wanted her.
And whether he knew it or not, Alexander Lavoie had gifted Angelique with a knowledge that she hadn’t possessed when she’d first here tonight. She finally understood beauty and the power that came with it. And she finally understood that it had nothing to do with how she looked.”

“Truly, I’ve endured worse and survived,” she hastened to assure him.
“Yes. You survived.” It sounded flat. “You shouldn’t have to just survive.” Now his words had an edge to them
“But survival has made me who I am. I learned to rely on myself because there was no one else. To understand that my strengths were not failures. There are many things that I regret in my life, but I cannot regret that.”

“The moment he had gazed into her intelligent blue eyes, he’d been smitten. The moment she’d stepped between him and two warders’ blades, he’d been lost. And the moment she’d trusted him with her body, gifted him with her raw vulnerability and demanded the same from him, he’d fallen in love.”