The Palace of Rogues, Book 2
From the publisher:
From USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long comes the second book in an exciting new historical romance series, the first since her beloved Pennyroyal Green series.
He has devil’s blood in his veins. At least, that’s always been the legend. How else could the Duke of Brexford’s notorious bastard son return from the dead? The brutal decade since Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, allegedly drowned in the Thames forged him into a man who always gets what—and who—he wants. And what he wants is vengeance for his stolen birthright . . . and one wild night in Angelique Breedlove’s bed.
Angelique recognizes heartbreak when the enigmatic Lord Bolt walks into The Grand Palace on the Thames, and not even his devastating charm can tempt her to risk her own ever again. One scorching kiss drives home the danger.
But in the space between them springs a trust that feels anything but safe. And the passion—explosive, consuming—drives Lucien to his knees. Now his whole life depends on proving his love to a woman who doesn’t believe in it . . . because his true birthright, he now knows, is guardian of Angelique Breedlove’s heart.
I really liked the first book in this series, Lady Derring Takes a Lover, which ended on a cliffhanger and still, I somehow missed this next book! But as the third book just came out (and the last book is due in November) I decided to catch up.
I think it is helpful to have read the first book, but probably enough explanations are given to make this an easy read for someone new to the series. The story is set at The Grand Palace on the Thames, a boarding house near the docks in London, so not the best neighborhood. But the two women who run it, Angelique and Delilah, have something in common – Delilah is the widow of an earl, and Angelique was her husband’s mistress. The first book explains how they end up living and working together, but all you really need to know is they are as close as sisters. Delilah met her husband in the first book, and now it is Angelique’s turn.
The first book ended with a mysterious stranger reserving the best room in the boarding house. In this book, he turns up. He is Lord Bolt, who has long been thought dead. He was thrown into the river ten years earlier, and when a body was found, it was assumed to be him. Instead, he was rescued by a passing ship and he worked on that ship for ten years, learning a lot and earning a lot. Now he’s back in London for revenge.
The characters who live in the boarding house are the source of much of the humor. Bolt doesn’t quite seem to fit in, yet he makes it his business to do so. Meanwhile, he and Angelique have some sizzling chemistry. He is looking for one and done, she is not. Eventually they find their way to one another and their happily ever after.
This was a fine sequel to the first book and there is definitely some heat here along with the humor and the drama. All in all, I really enjoyed it and went right for the next book in this series – review to follow!
9/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
ANGEL IN A DEVIL’S ARMS by Julie Anne Long. Avon (October 29, 2019). ISBN: 978-0062867490. 368 pages.
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