{"id":28866,"date":"2022-10-13T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=28859"},"modified":"2022-10-13T01:50:20","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T01:50:20","slug":"review-duke-most-wicked-by-lenora-bell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/13\/review-duke-most-wicked-by-lenora-bell\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-28866\" data-postid=\"28866\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-28866 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\" width=\"316\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell.jpg?resize=316%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-28867\" title=\"duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell\" alt=\"duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell.jpg?w=316&amp;ssl=1 316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell.jpg?resize=190%2C300&amp;ssl=1 190w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell.jpg?resize=400%2C632&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px\" \/>\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;\">Scarred by a dark secret, Brandan Delamar, Duke of Westbury, must concede his misdeeds have finally caught up with him. With five younger sisters to support, he must marry for money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Sunny and steadfast, Viola Beaton is no heiress. As music instructor to the duke\u2019s sisters, she\u2019s developed a genuine affection for the bright young ladies. Unfortunately, she\u2019s also developed a forbidden passion for her wildly attractive employer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">It must be the way he inspires her to compose sonatas about moonlight and kisses. Or how his gaze smolders and lingers on her skin. Or because he makes her heart whisper impossible things.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">When Westbury decrees that he\u2019ll choose not only a bride, but grooms for his sisters, Viola can\u2019t allow him to curtail their freedom. She strikes a bargain: if he allows his sisters to attend the Season, Viola will chaperone them and keep them safe from scandal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Only\u2026what if Viola and the duke are the ones most likely to cause a scandal?\u00a0<\/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-16467 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg?resize=146%2C44&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Sep 27, 2022<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Hot<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Avon Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $5.99<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>A musical composer and a duke who\u2019s the worst of them all&#8230; bring on the angst.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bell\u2019s latest in her <em>Wallflowers vs. Rogues<\/em> series is good, though left me craving more. I wanted to love our wicked <strong>Duke of Westbury, Brandon Delamar<\/strong> and the music instructor\/wallflower <strong>Viola Beaton,<\/strong> but there was something that kept me from falling hard.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This book has all the right tropes, dukes, wallflowers, secrets, and potential scandals. From our heroine Viola and her desperate desire to keep her composer father\u2019s illness a secret and provide for them both to our hero, Brandon, attempting to redeem his sisters by stopping his penchant for gambling and whoring. Except, there\u2019s a few issues. One, Viola is employed by Brandon as a music instructor for his sisters. Two, Viola has somehow fallen into a deep fantasy about wishing Brandon would see her as a woman. Three, Brandon is infuriatingly attracted to Viola. Four, he needs to marry an heiress if he\u2019s ever going to provide dowries and a solid future for his sisters.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">What ensures is this dance between balls, musicales, ill-fated calls, and late-night rendezvous that certainly stoked passion and want. Deep down I felt disconnected from both Viola and Brandon. I wanted to smack Brandon around a lot. He\u2019s the worst brother and his redemption is half-hearted at best. Even in ruin, he still pursues whatever he wants to the detriment of all around him. For once I am not enamored with the duke.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Viola is&#8230; adorable and ridiculous. Of the two main characters, I liked her more. She\u2019s the one with the most to lose no matter what path she chooses, and I do love how the story resolves for her externally. She gets the most reward. In ways, she\u2019s the true hero of this book.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Overall, if you\u2019re looking for a quick escape Bell delivers. Though it\u2019s easy to walk away from this one versus previous entries to the series. For readers who enjoy Sophia Jordan or Christi Caldwell.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Landra<\/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\/3TejDU7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3VrAYLk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell\/1141222798?ean=9780062993373\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/duke-most-wicked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Lenora_Bell_Duke_Most_Wicked?id=Y-pWEAAAQBAJ\" 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>Scarred by a dark secret, Brandan Delamar, Duke of Westbury, must concede his misdeeds have finally caught up with him. With five younger sisters to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28867,"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":[79,106,112,48],"tags":[148,183,305,307,406],"class_list":["post-28866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avon-books","category-harpercollins","category-landra","category-reviews","tag-3-5-stars","tag-avon","tag-historical-romance","tag-historicals","tag-regency"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \u2764\ufe0f Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/13\/review-duke-most-wicked-by-lenora-bell\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell - Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scarred by a dark secret, Brandan Delamar, Duke of Westbury, must concede his misdeeds have finally caught up with him. 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With five younger sisters to support, he must marry for money.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sunny and steadfast, Viola Beaton is no heiress. As music instructor to the duke\u2019s sisters, she\u2019s developed a genuine affection for the bright young ladies. Unfortunately, she\u2019s also developed a forbidden passion for her wildly attractive employer.\u00a0<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It must be the way he inspires her to compose sonatas about moonlight and kisses. Or how his gaze smolders and lingers on her skin. Or because he makes her heart whisper impossible things.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Westbury decrees that he\u2019ll choose not only a bride, but grooms for his sisters, Viola can\u2019t allow him to curtail their freedom. She strikes a bargain: if he allows his sisters to attend the Season, Viola will chaperone them and keep them safe from scandal.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Only\u2026what if Viola and the duke are the ones most likely to cause a scandal?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p> <hr \/> <p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Sep 27, 2022<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Hot<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Avon Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $5.99<\/p> <hr \/> <p>\u00a0<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>A musical composer and a duke who\u2019s the worst of them all... bring on the angst.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bell\u2019s latest in her <em>Wallflowers vs. Rogues<\/em> series is good, though left me craving more. I wanted to love our wicked <strong>Duke of Westbury, Brandon Delamar<\/strong> and the music instructor\/wallflower <strong>Viola Beaton,<\/strong> but there was something that kept me from falling hard.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This book has all the right tropes, dukes, wallflowers, secrets, and potential scandals. From our heroine Viola and her desperate desire to keep her composer father\u2019s illness a secret and provide for them both to our hero, Brandon, attempting to redeem his sisters by stopping his penchant for gambling and whoring. Except, there\u2019s a few issues. One, Viola is employed by Brandon as a music instructor for his sisters. Two, Viola has somehow fallen into a deep fantasy about wishing Brandon would see her as a woman. Three, Brandon is infuriatingly attracted to Viola. Four, he needs to marry an heiress if he\u2019s ever going to provide dowries and a solid future for his sisters.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">What ensures is this dance between balls, musicales, ill-fated calls, and late-night rendezvous that certainly stoked passion and want. Deep down I felt disconnected from both Viola and Brandon. I wanted to smack Brandon around a lot. He\u2019s the worst brother and his redemption is half-hearted at best. Even in ruin, he still pursues whatever he wants to the detriment of all around him. For once I am not enamored with the duke.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Viola is... adorable and ridiculous. Of the two main characters, I liked her more. She\u2019s the one with the most to lose no matter what path she chooses, and I do love how the story resolves for her externally. She gets the most reward. In ways, she\u2019s the true hero of this book.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Overall, if you\u2019re looking for a quick escape Bell delivers. Though it\u2019s easy to walk away from this one versus previous entries to the series. For readers who enjoy Sophia Jordan or Christi Caldwell.<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3TejDU7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3VrAYLk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/duke-most-wicked-lenora-bell\/1141222798?ean=9780062993373\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/duke-most-wicked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Lenora_Bell_Duke_Most_Wicked?id=Y-pWEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28866","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=28866"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28870,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28866\/revisions\/28870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}