I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting take with lots of action and drama. The writing was sadly lacking as it was very basic at times which was disappointing. There could have been so much more done with writing and character development.
An OK read.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a cut above a lot of his imprint’s releases, and Lara Temple is fast becoming a writer I put on my must read lists.

This book had a different setting from her recent books which have been set in Scotland/England. The setting is Egypt, and it is reminiscent in mood of one of Loretta Chase’s lovely books set here, from the Carsington series, that I temporarily cannot remember the name of.

Rafe, the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Greybourne, ran away to fight as a teenager, escaping his mad and violent Father, and the plans his mother held for him.

Now masquerading as a scarred mercenary with his faithful batman Birdie, Rafe knows he has to return to England to face up to his responsibilities, even though he is tempted to let his younger brother assume the dukedom.

When the unconventional and desperate Cleopatra Osborne bursts into his life needing protection from the enemies of her dead and dishonourable father, and desperate to find out if her younger brother Dare has managed to escape to England, Rafe is compelled to help her.

As her cajoles, bullies and deceives her into escaping her captors and staying safe, he also has to fight his immediate and growing attraction to her, and his rising anger at how she has been treated and neglected by her father since her mother died.

When Cleo -Pat reciprocates his feelings, can they both decide whether their feelings are lust or love, and when will Rafe confess his real background to Cleo. Can they both let go of their past pain to find their way to a happy ever after?

The longing and the angst were beautifully done, the high handedness of Rafe was a little infuriating nearing the end of their journey, but the grovelling at the end almost made up for it. I really enjoyed the characterisation of the heroine Cleo, who was resourceful with great fortitude.

The time in the desert with Gamal and his camels, and their well drawn personalities and the delightful Birdie was very vividly portrayed, and made me feel that same sense of wonder and adventurousness I felt reading the Loretta Chase or Meredith Duran books in this setting.

Excellent read.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

The Return Of The Disappearing Duke has an interesting and action packed plot. Characters who create sparks with not just each other as their chemistry sizzles but with the reader who can't help but invest in their individual stories.

I liked the story about Egypt, antiquities and fakes! I wonder how many items in people’s special collection are good fakes? More than they care to admit I’m sure.
This was the time when the rich made collections of the strange and wonderful from plants to china to mummies to… and is the reason we find Roman leaded sarcophagi being used as plant troughs in many Ducal gardens now. And Italianate looking buildings and ‘ruins’ dotting their gardens - as a systematic looting of ancient monuments was undertaken by the young men undertaking their Grand Tours post the Wars.
There were a few intrepid women around exploring the world at this time - Hester Stanhope comes to mind - but mostly a little later in the 19th century.
Wikipedia says “Egyptomania was the renewed interest of Europeans in ancient Egypt during the nineteenth century as a result of Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign (1798–1801) and, in particular, as a result of the extensive scientific study of ancient Egyptian remains and culture inspired by this campaign. In addition to its aesthetic impact on literature, art, and architecture,”
Now as for John Soan’s house – it is real – a must see visit and is now a Museum that I have visited. Really a strange place with collections of all sorts. Very interesting but not so easy to visit (when I went) as a disabled person – too many stairs…
Egypt was all the rage after the Napoleanic Wars and the great victories of Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, and Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria.
And as for Cleopatra’s Needle this was donated to London in 1819 (slightly out of timeline for this book) in commemoration of the battles.

I liked the writing style and the use of the ‘real’ English language without being too prissy as so many novels about this era are. They are inclined to pretend that everyone spoke in such proper style without using any cuss words. Which we all know would not have been the real case…

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine#

I really enjoyed this
I was action packed and a great fun read

This book was really good and an action packed read!

There was action and romance and it was a fabulous read.
The plot was excellent and it flowed really well too

The characters were great and really well developed too.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a well written story that was easy to read - highly recommended!

Rafe ran away from home & his zealot of a father when he was sixteen & has spent years running from his true identity. Then over twenty years later unconventional Cleopatra Osbourne requests his protection as she crosses the Egyptian desert. In Cleo he discovers a fellow outcast – and a fierce desire! Cleo must return to London, and here lies Rafe’s dilemma – because following his heart means claiming the title he’s avoided for so long!
The first in a new series, a well written page turning read but the icing on the cake was its link to the Sinclair series – I love it when an author builds their world & characters from previous books & series appear. I loved Rafe who is now a mercenary, he’s been wounded over the years but is still honourable & caring. Cleo-Pat is delightful, she’s trying to find her brother Dash & although she’s asked for Rafe’s help she doesn’t trust him & at times this nearly leads them into trouble. A fast paced story & strong characters all made for a fun entertaining read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

New author to me and a great discovery!! I loved this one. Great characters, fabulous setting, and brilliant plotting. I am now looking forward to reading more except they are mostly not available on Amazon UK!!!

Feeling frustrated that I've discovered a new author but can't read her books unless I import them from the USA