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.

Ashford McNab displays the full gamut of emotions while narrating the third title in Bowen's Season for Scandal series. McNab's theater training allows her to create a believable cast of characters spanning from the haut ton to lords of the criminal underworld. Angelique Archer has had enough of being passive and decides to take fate into her own hands, using Alexander Lavoie's club to make the money her family so desperately needs. But when Lavoie unexpectedly catches her, all bets are off. While the final reveal of the villain is not really all that surprising to anyone paying attention, McNab's complete commitment to the text more than makes up for it. Another recommended title for those who prefer their romances unabashedly feminist. K.M.P. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine