Lenora Bell is a new author to me, but I love historical romance, the cover is on point, and the series is titled “Disgraceful Dukes,”… how could I go wrong? Answer: I couldn’t.  This one caught me very quickly and didn’t let up. Let’s get into it!
The Story-

Charlene is the bastard daughter of a Lord, brought up in a whorehouse, but is not a whore.  She is smart, and wants to get herself and her younger sister out.  When her legitimate half-sister (who looks exactly like her) gets an invitation to a house party from a very available Duke, but cannot attend, Charlene is “hired” to impersonate Dorothea to win the Duke for her. Since the Duke is, indeed, disgraceful, he is drawn to Charlotte’s bold and bawdy ways.  Fun ensues.  SO. MUCH. FUN.

My Thoughts-

I loved the plot; I loved Charlene; I loved that the Duke was drawn to her, even though he didn’t want to be. This story felt entirely fresh in a very familiar setting, and Bell found unique and interesting ways to have Charlene stand out. I laughed out loud on at least two occasions, and the sex scenes were so very hot.  The writing is engaging, and I loved how there is a sense of what is going on in the rest of the world.  This is one of the only romances I have read where I really had a difficult time figuring out how the author was going to bring them together. And that is a very good thing.  

Bottom Line-

Unpredictable, funny, with excellent world-building. Like watching a historical version of “The Bachelor” with one of the contestants having grown up in a whorehouse.  (Although many episodes of The Bachelor seem that way; I digress.) Plus, there’s chocolate. If that sounds like fun to you, this is definitely a book you want to read. I’ve found a new favorite author for historical romance, and I intend to read the next book in the series very soon. 5 stars for being so much fun!