Duke of Pleasure

Could not put it down!

This is book number "I've lost count" in the maiden lane series. It is a wonderful, amazing and well written set of books. If you haven't read book one, Wicked Intentions, go find it and start today!!! Alf as the ghost!!! A plucky young lady hiding her sex as a boy informant in the worst part of London. She's had a part in several of the previous books. I loved this idea when I first heard it and so glad that she got her own story and her very own brooding aristocrat. She is so honestly honest and loyal and doesn't know how to be anything other than Alf. Hugh is awesome as the hero. Dark past and a singular life that sets him apart from the usual uppity dukes. Ssshhhh, he's a spy for the crown. This story made me cry a little and laugh out loud and just smile a lot. I am already excited about the next and final (sniff sniff) book. Thank you, Mrs Hoyt for wonderful characters, adventures, mysteries and swashbuckling fights.

Wonderful addition to the Maiden Lane series! So great that Alf got a story. The book was swoon worthy and heartwarming at the same time. Now I'll have to go back and read about Ned.

Wow, kudos to the author on such a great book. This was fascinating, mysterious, dark, romantic and such a wonderful dream. I really liked that the Ghost was a female this time and so very different from the other characters who played the St Giles ghost. This story was tied in but stood out in its own way from the other stories. Can't wait for the last one.

Duke of Pleasure is a captivating, well-written, historical fiction romance. Alf never lived anywhere beyond the stinking streets of St. Giles. The crime-infested area was home to Alf until she met and fell in love with the Duke of Kyle. The Duke hired her as an informant and brought her under his protection and into his home. He didn’t know, however, that Alf was not a male because that’s how Alf presented herself. During the day Alf dressed as a boy and worked the streets for her employers. Aristocrats, like the Duke of Kyle, hired her to spy and gather information. At night; however, Alf disguised herself as the mysterious Ghost of St. Giles and fought murderers, rapists, and thieves. She was fast on her feet and proficient with a sword. The Duke informed Alf that someone was trying to kill him. She knew this, of course, because she had fought his assailants, alongside him, dressed as the Ghost of St. Giles. All had gone well, that night, until the Duke kissed her. Alf hid her heart. She knew that falling in love with anyone, especially a Duke would only bring her pain. If the Duke ever discovered that the woman he kissed, the Ghost of St. Giles, was the same person he hired as his male informant, he would be livid, and Alf’s heart would break into a million pieces. Secrets, however, have a way of becoming unearthed at the worse possible moments. The Duke of Pleasure is an emotionally charged, character-driven, engrossing novel. It has a well-thought-out plot and realistic dialogue. I loved the story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction romance. Many thanks to the publisher, and NetGalley, for my complimentary advanced review copy.