Between the Devil and the Duke

Starred review from December 12, 2016
Bowen’s third Season for Scandal Regency (after A Duke to Remember) is a single-sitting read whose main characters are as diverting as they are seductive. Once Lady Angelique Archer is introduced, everything else takes a backseat to her heady romance with gaming-house owner Alexander Lavoie, a reputed assassin and spy. She only frequents his establishment because her family is pressed for cash and she knows how to play cards—to win, every time. The masked and mysterious beauty finds herself in dire straits one night when she wins a little too much from a drunken opponent with no sense of humor. When her best efforts to extricate herself are unsuccessful, Lavoie has to step in. Luckily, he does have a sense of humor, confesses he’s been watching her, and is on to her uncanny ability with cards. Against her better judgment, she’s forced to accept Lavoie’s offer of a job. From there the fun, intrigue, and romance crescendo in a whopping plot twist. Bowen’s Regency romances are always delightful, and this is one of her best yet. Agent: Stefanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit.

Starred review from January 1, 2017
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Angelique Archer is nothing if not desperate. After her late father lost most of the family fortune and with her younger brother, Gerald, doing his best to drink away what little money is left, Angelique has no choice but to hit the gaming tables to keep her family financially afloat. Until now, she has managed to avoid attracting the attention of Alexander Lavoie, the owner of the club where she lightens the pockets of wealthy gentlemen at vingt-et-un (blackjack), but then one night, Angelique's luck runs out. Once Alex realizes just what kind of aptitude she has for numbers, he offers a business proposal: she will work for him, and in return, he will split the take with her. It sounds like the perfect temporary solution to Angelique's problems, but can she trust her new boss when he says he never mixes business with pleasure? Bowen (You're the Earl I Want, 2015) again delivers the goods with this exquisitely written historical romance, whose richly nuanced characters, unexpected flashes of dry wit, and superbly sensual love story will have readers sighing happily in satisfaction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)