{"id":27846,"date":"2021-11-30T08:02:18","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T13:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=27846"},"modified":"2022-10-16T03:46:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T03:46:21","slug":"review-after-dark-with-the-duke-by-julie-anne-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/30\/review-after-dark-with-the-duke-by-julie-anne-long\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f After Dark With the Duke by Julie Anne Long"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-27846\" data-postid=\"27846\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-27846 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_bbbcac8 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner gutter-narrow col_align_top tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_49667e8 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_7036296 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/after-dark-with-the-duke-julie-anne-long.jpg?resize=339%2C500\" width=\"339\" height=\"500\" title=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f After Dark With the Duke by Julie Anne Long\" alt=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f After Dark With the Duke by Julie Anne Long\">\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_a1982ef customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">She arrives in the dead of night, a mob out for blood at her heels: Mariana Wylde, the \u201cHarlot of Haywood Street,\u201d an opera diva brought low by a duel fought for her favors. But the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames think they can make a silk purse from scandal: They\u2019ll restore her reputation and share in her triumph&#8230;provided they can keep her apart from that\u00a0<em>other<\/em>\u00a0guest.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Coldly brilliant, fiercely honorable, General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, is revered, feared, desired&#8230;but nobody truly knows him. Until a clash with a fiery, vulnerable beauty who stands for everything he scorns lays him bare. It\u2019s too clear the only cure for consuming desire is conquest, but their only chance at happiness could lead to their destruction.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">The legendary duke never dreamed love would be his last battleground. Valkirk would lay down his life for Mariana, but his choice is stark: risk losing her forever, or do the one thing he vowed he never would&#8230;surrender.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_23787e9 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_2d1ea91  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16466 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts.jpg?resize=135%2C44\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong><br \/>Release Date:<\/strong> Nov 30, 2021<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Palace of Rogues<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>4<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Avon Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $5.99<\/p><hr \/><p><br \/><br \/><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Mariana Wylde<\/strong>, known as the \u201cHarlot of Haywood Street,\u201d is an opera diva ruined by a duel fought for her favors. \u00a0She takes refuge with the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames, and quickly gets off to a poor start with another guest: war hero General <strong>James Duncan Blackmore,<\/strong> the Duke of Valkirk, who is staying at the Grand Palace while he writes his memoir.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is the fourth book in <em>The Palace of Rogues<\/em> series, which centers around the Grand Palace on the Thames boardinghouse.\u00a0 This is my first time reading Julie Anne Long, so I don\u2019t know if this book would have been better read in order.\u00a0 There are clearly secondary and background characters who have appeared in the previous books.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The story begins with Mariana fleeing her lodgings while being hunted by an angry mob and arriving at the Grand Palace.\u00a0 She doesn\u2019t have much money so she trades her talent for room and board, agreeing to a ticketed singing performance. Judgmental James has read all about Mariana\u2019s notorious reputation and immediately snubs her.\u00a0 In turn, she is nasty right back and things escalate until he takes the insults too far and is forced to apologize.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I thought the story hit a good stride when James agrees to give Mariana Italian lessons.\u00a0 They begin to let down their guard and reveal personal details that help them understand more about each other.\u00a0 But the story lost momentum for me, and I struggled to connect to their romance.\u00a0 Overall, a decent read, but not one that will be memorable for me.\u00a0 I think fans of <em><strong>Sophie Jordan\u2019s<\/strong> <\/em><strong>The Duke Goes Down<\/strong> may enjoy this book.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Leslie<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_eb0616c customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3D5xSSD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/after-dark-with-the-duke\/id1555687144?itsct=books_box_link&amp;itscg=30200&amp;ls=1&amp;at=11l88k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/after-dark-with-the-duke-julie-anne-long\/1140051156?ean=9780063044159\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/after-dark-with-the-duke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Julie_Anne_Long_After_Dark_with_the_Duke?id=UXwgEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>She arrives in the dead of night, a mob out for blood at her heels: Mariana Wylde, the \u201cHarlot of Haywood Street,\u201d an opera diva [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,106,113,48],"tags":[146,305,406],"class_list":["post-27846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avon-books","category-harpercollins","category-leslie","category-reviews","tag-3-stars","tag-historical-romance","tag-regency"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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But the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames think they can make a silk purse from scandal: They\u2019ll restore her reputation and share in her triumph...provided they can keep her apart from that\u00a0<em>other<\/em>\u00a0guest.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coldly brilliant, fiercely honorable, General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, is revered, feared, desired...but nobody truly knows him. Until a clash with a fiery, vulnerable beauty who stands for everything he scorns lays him bare. It\u2019s too clear the only cure for consuming desire is conquest, but their only chance at happiness could lead to their destruction.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The legendary duke never dreamed love would be his last battleground. Valkirk would lay down his life for Mariana, but his choice is stark: risk losing her forever, or do the one thing he vowed he never would...surrender.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong><br \/>Release Date:<\/strong> Nov 30, 2021<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Palace of Rogues<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>4<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Avon Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $5.99<\/p><hr \/><p><br \/><br \/><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Mariana Wylde<\/strong>, known as the \u201cHarlot of Haywood Street,\u201d is an opera diva ruined by a duel fought for her favors. \u00a0She takes refuge with the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames, and quickly gets off to a poor start with another guest: war hero General <strong>James Duncan Blackmore,<\/strong> the Duke of Valkirk, who is staying at the Grand Palace while he writes his memoir.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is the fourth book in <em>The Palace of Rogues<\/em> series, which centers around the Grand Palace on the Thames boardinghouse.\u00a0 This is my first time reading Julie Anne Long, so I don\u2019t know if this book would have been better read in order.\u00a0 There are clearly secondary and background characters who have appeared in the previous books.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The story begins with Mariana fleeing her lodgings while being hunted by an angry mob and arriving at the Grand Palace.\u00a0 She doesn\u2019t have much money so she trades her talent for room and board, agreeing to a ticketed singing performance. Judgmental James has read all about Mariana\u2019s notorious reputation and immediately snubs her.\u00a0 In turn, she is nasty right back and things escalate until he takes the insults too far and is forced to apologize.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I thought the story hit a good stride when James agrees to give Mariana Italian lessons.\u00a0 They begin to let down their guard and reveal personal details that help them understand more about each other.\u00a0 But the story lost momentum for me, and I struggled to connect to their romance.\u00a0 Overall, a decent read, but not one that will be memorable for me.\u00a0 I think fans of <em><strong>Sophie Jordan\u2019s<\/strong> <\/em><strong>The Duke Goes Down<\/strong> may enjoy this book.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Leslie<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3D5xSSD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/after-dark-with-the-duke\/id1555687144?itsct=books_box_link&amp;itscg=30200&amp;ls=1&amp;at=11l88k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/after-dark-with-the-duke-julie-anne-long\/1140051156?ean=9780063044159\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/after-dark-with-the-duke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Julie_Anne_Long_After_Dark_with_the_Duke?id=UXwgEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27846"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29086,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27846\/revisions\/29086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}