Sammy’s review of From Duke Till Dawn (The London Underground, Book 1) by Eva Leigh
Historical Romance published by Avon 30 May 17
This was my very first Eva Leigh book, and it won’t be my last. This book popped up on Twitter, and I read the blurb and I knew I needed it in my life. I was not disappointed. We have a duke, a scheming pick-pocket swindler for a heroine, and Eva Leigh hit all my heroine-loving buttons. The characters were multi-layered, and add in an impossible love match, it was a story that stole my heart. It wasn’t lost on me about the duke’s name being Greyland. Because as we all know, nothing is ever just black and white. There is always that pesky gray area. It’s those areas that the duke must learn to walk.
Alexander Lewis, Duke of Greyland, has been laid low since his betrothed ditched him for another man. While he is doing his duty and needing to marry the right woman for money and power, the truth is he can’t wipe away the memory of his ‘Lost Queen’ from two years ago. A night that lingers in the back of his mind. You see, Alex is gracious and kind, but above all he takes his dukedom very seriously. That’s his father’s teachings hanging around his neck like a weight. Alex won’t let the gossip mongers have a field day, he makes sure he’s out and about in London and not licking his wounds in private. While out, his very good friends Thomas Powell, the Earl of Langdon and heir to his own dukedom, with Lord Christopher Ellingsworth, third son and all-around rake, decide to ambush Alex and give him some hell for not letting them know what happened. Ribbing ensues, and the men have Alex on his way to a new gaming hell.
When Alex walks in, he is in shock because there she is, his “Lost Queen,” Cassandra Blair, the woman who ripped his heart out two years previously. When their eyes meet, so many emotions are happening between the two. Cassie never forgot Alex either, but she’s also scared, because if there is one thing Cassandra always tries to accomplish, it is never run into someone you have swindled. Now, of course, the duke thinks she’s a widow and her evil cousin took off with all her money, and for Alex he’s struck by what she made him feel that night. Like a man and not a title. Of course, he gave her money before he left, but the truth two years ago was that Cassandra slept with him because of his kindness, not because of the con.
Cassie has a bleak life since early childhood. Her mother up and left, and they threw her father in debtor’s prison. She lived with him there until he died when she was around eight years of age and she found herself on the street. When you are trying to survive, you don’t think about any ramifications of dubious action. Depending on how you look at Cassie’s circumstance, she meets a man named Martin, who takes her under his wing and teaches her how to read and act like a lady. This is their last scam before both of them go after their own dreams. They have thirty days to make a killing, pay back their partners and start anew. Alex hates that she’s working in a gaming hell and tries to get her to do anything else, even using his clout to get her out of there. Alex goes home and he finds he can’t sleep and he can’t stop thinking about Cassandra. He has his footman bring his horse around and finds himself back at the gaming hell. It’s there that he overhears Cassie and Martin talking about the duke and what really went down that night two years ago.
Now we have one pissed off duke, and Cassandra is devastated. Even though he was a mark, she truly has feelings for him. The next day Cassie comes into the gaming hell knowing they have twelve days left and she can get out of London, leaving her skeletons buried. When she arrives, Martin is gone – like all his clothes and personal items along with all the cash. Cassie is crushed because, not only does she think of Martin as a father, but she also knows that there are staff to be paid as well as their partners, and these are not the people you want to cross. Cassandra really has no choice but go to the Duke of Greyland and beg for his help. Things are strained between them, and the duke is thinking all kinds of things about Cassie (which, of course, are untrue), but the trust is broken and he’s walking a fine line with her. What he won’t tolerate is anyone hurting her. They come to terms about him helping her, and that’s when the adventure begins for both of them. From the dirty, poor streets of London to a secret society sex club. The chemistry between them is off the charts. As they try to track down Martin, Alex and Cassandra grow closer and some things are not what they appear to be. They are both closed off and leery of each other, but they both have strong feelings that go way past the sex.
This book was fast paced with terrific characters, and the secondary characters have me waiting on bated breath for their books. Langdon and Amina? Intrigued. Gritty, sexy opposites and, despite their standing in society, love wins the day. What a wonderful book. I hope you take a chance and give it a read.
Grade:B+
Summary:
Years ago, the Duke of Greyland gave his heart—and a princely sum of money—to a charming, destitute widow with unparalleled beauty. But after one passionate night, she slipped from his bed and vanished without a trace. And just when he’s given up hope of ever seeing her again, Greyland finds her managing a gaming hell. He’s desperate to have her… until he discovers everything about his long-lost lover was a lie.
In truth, Cassandra Blake grew up on the streets, picking pockets to survive. Greyland was a mark—to be fleeced and forgotten—but her feelings for the duke became all too real. Once he learns of her deception, however, the heat in his eyes turns to ice. When her business partner absconds with the gaming hell proceeds—leaving unsavory investors out for blood—Cassandra must beg the man she betrayed for help.
Greyland wants compensation, too, and he’ll assist her under one condition: she doesn’t leave his sight until her debts are paid. But it’s not long before the real Cassandra—the smart, streetwise criminal—is stealing his heart all over again.
Read an excerpt.
