A very hot and romantic tale of a love affair about the aristocracy mixing with the servant class. Laurel is the housekeeper of Blakely Manor and Dare is the Duke of Dareford and the owner of Blakely Manor. After they travel together to London in an attempt to locate Dare's sister, Briar, who has been kidnapped, they give in to the attraction they have for each other. Laurel tries to hide the fact that she was innocent prior to their one night of passion and Dare is determined to marry Laurel to make things right between them. A HEA with a pleasant surprise for the H in the end.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

What an absolute cracker of a book!!!… sucked me straight in… absolutely addictive page turner… absolutely absorbed me… compelling, page-turning… will keep you up late at night

Kiss Me, My Duke
#2 The Blakeley Manor Series by Fenna Edgewood Is A Tale Of One Edmund "Dare" Blakeley, the Duke of Dareford…Who Is Searching For His Missing Younger Sister…Engaging The Assistance Of His Housekeeper…The Lovely Miss Laurel Spencer…Who Only Agrees To Help The Duke Because Her Elder Brother Is Missing As Well. As The Hunt Uncovers A Past Better Off Hidden .. The Duke Is More Interested In His Mysterious Housekeeper Than His Errant Sister. Are The Missing Ever Found?!? Does The Duke Secure All The Answers He Seeks?!? Read and See. Much Enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I Voluntarily Reviewed An Advanced Copy Of This Book.

Romance and mystery. This story was very well written and captivating.
Many thanks to Wolf Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I will have to go back and read the first book. I did feel a little lost. I didnt really understand the unhurried action to find the siblings.

I liked this book a lot and it's my favorite in the series so far. I like the cast of characters and the family marrying across class lines.

I enjoyed this historical romance story with all of the characters. The two main characters were Miss Laurel Spencer and Edmund " Dare" Blakeley.


Miss Laurel Spencer has had an interesting life to far. She is a housekeeper that woks in the home of a duke. The duke is also her brother in law. One day the duke needs something from her because his sister is missing.

Edmund " Dare" Blakeley is the Duke of Dareford. He is on a mission to find his younger sister that was abducted. He needs more information and decided to ask his housekeeper since her brother want look for his sister a while back. He want to find out if she heard anything. After talking to her he decides to go to London to look for his sister.

This was a fun story to read. It had action, adventure, suspense and secrets twisted throughout. It had a few giggles within.

I received a complimentary copy via Booksprout and Netgalley.  This is my honest unbiased opinions.

Duke plus housekeeper can be an utter minefield, this one was handled fairly well. I found this better than the first book in the series, but it was interesting reading it knowing the other book is Halle emigrated at the same time, and the plots intersect so much. Laurels objections to marrying the duke seemed a little bit too forced, but I enjoyed the romp through the underworld and the little girl Cassie was great fun.

What a story! When I look overall at the entirety of this book, I do believe this was one of the most well-rounded stories I have read recently.
While you need not have read the book prior, it does help to have done so as the story paraells this one and then meets up.
With the disappearance of his sister, Edmund, Duke of Dareford is desperate to begin his search for her. But also missing is Laurel Spencer's brother, the duke's housekeeper. So they begin their quest together and encounter all sorts of twists and turns, colorful characters, and even hidden love.

I really enjoyed reading this story. This series is very unique and kudos to Ms. Edgewood for penning such an excellent and entertaining saga. The characters have depth and meaning to them. I loved little Cassie and appreciated that she was actually written with mannerisms and spoke as a child would. Dare and Laurel not only had a mutual and growing attraction to each other, but there was also respect which was subtly done throughout the book and grew as the relationship did.
Really I cannot say enough about this book, it was so very well done and polished.
I highly recommend this read and cannot wait for more from these unique families.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is a really nice story of what happens in the rather nastier - then and maybe still now?- parts of London, and what 'men' want on a night out. In this story, it was the Viper'sDen, where they could drink, gamble and generally carouse with women - or boys, if that was where their interests lay. and the man who ran it, and his family.
And then there was the Ragamuffin- the Imp as they called her - or sometimes him. It all depended on what Cassie wanted to be at that time. And for an 8 years old she was very savvy and mostly ran about the seedier parts of London as a dirty, scruffy, threadbare boy. Much safer. But nonetheless, Cass had made quite a number of friends and aquaintances in her travels, which turned out to be useful later in the story.
This book runs parallel in time to Lady Blair Weds her Scot and concerns the same families, which turn out to be closer than they ever realised.
So no spoilers but I'm waiting for the final fourth of the siblings to have their story - and clearly romance will occur. As well as adventure and more.
What fun. Loved the Imp, though I did think they shouldn't have given Cass quite that much freedom to roam in London but then this was an age when the children of the poorer classses were often unsupervised as their parents were working, or they were intended to bring in money themselves, often through begging or thievery.

This was not at all what I was expecting after reading the first book. This lacked the adventure and chemistry that the first had in spades. I couldn’t care less about the romance and it’s such a shame because the first book had me swooning!! This one was dry? Dull? Boring?? Cassie was adorable but I wish the FMC was more of a full-time mother while working. I’m too uninterested in the mystery to finish the book even if I miss out on a twist at the end, but I don’t feel the romance at all so I’m out.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance reader copy via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

I had not read the first book in this series before reading this one so I was a bit lost in the beginning, but it did not take me long to get things sorted out and up to speed abut what was going on, who was who, and the relationships that came into play. I like Laurel and Dare's story. Laurel is Dare's ( Edmund Blakely, the Duke of Dareford's ) housekeeper. When Laurel's brother and Dare's sister are kidnapped, Dare and Laurel set off to London to try to find them. Also Laurel has another reason to go to London, but I will leave that side of the story for you to discover by reading the story!!
This is a fun, fast paced regency romance that doesn't lack for a bit of adventure and intrigue, also a couple of super hot and sexy scenes between Laurel and the dashing Duke, making for a well rounded regency romp.
I recommend the entire series. After reading this I went back and read the first and am now eagerly anticipating Marigold's story in the next installment.
Thank you to Wolf Publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.
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Meara Platt always does a wonderful way of story telling. Another great book in the series. A reluctant lover and an innocent, but lovely young woman. Both in love, neither recognize it. He is busy trying to save her from being kidnapped in retribution for something her father and half-brother did. And you know, well you'll have to read it. Amazing as always

Edmund "Dare" Blakeley, the Duke of Dareford, needs to find his sister but he is relying on his housekeeper Miss Laurel Spencer. Laurel, however, does not wish to get involved, even if he is her brother-in-law. However, her brother has also gone missing, and she needs to head to London for other reasons, that she would like to keep secret from Dare. So when Laurel calls on some friends in dubious places, Dare begins to realise that he knows very little about Laurel, but that will not stop him from holding onto her. After one night together, he knows that Laurel is the person that he wishes to have a future with, he just has to convince her about it.
A great continuation of the first book in the series, but this is still a standalone read. Two great main characters, with plenty of twist to the storyline to keep me entertained. I also enjoyed the character of Cassie, who almost stole the limelight from Laurel and Dare!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an original story with plot twists and turns that a jaded reader like me never expected. Please be aware, there may be spoilers.
The story starts as our heroine is about 17 years old. She is attending the birth room of her friend, who was brought up in the slums, but is co-owner of a famous gaming hell. Her brother, about 40, is waiting to hear from the doctor. The baby made it, but the heroine's friend did not. The heroine's friend was an older woman in her twenties who was not married, but had helped the heroine out. The heroine took the baby back to the country to raise her because the friend's brother could not raise the baby in the gaming hell.
About 8 years later, we are at the hero's estate. His younger sister has been kidnapped along with his gardner, who happens to be the sister of his housekeeper who is also the heroine. A lot has happens in 8 years and the hero's oldest sister has married her second husband, the brother of his housekeeper. At this time, since they are all of the serving class, it is assumed they are commoners. So the heroine and hero are brother- and sister-in-law and the hero is the heroine's employer. The heroine had been working at the gaming hell as a housemaid and the secretary knew this. He is a predator that takes advantage of all the women of the village. He is a younger son and dependent on the hero, a duke. The secretary tries to blackmail the heroine, saying her and the gardener planned the kidnapping. This did not happen and the duke came upon the secretary man-handling the heroine. He was quickly fired and the duke insisted the housekeeper go with him to London to search for his sister. The baby that the heroine was raising had ran off to London to visit her uncle because there were not any rules in the gaming hell and she could dress as a boy. So the hero and heroine travel to London.
Where everything goes down.
What I liked about this story and the plot twists and turns is that I knew how this was going to end. My years-of-reading-romance intuition knew the end. In my head, I kept saying, yeah it is not mentioned but I can connect these loose threads and predict the story.
I was wrong! I was so much more than wrong. And it was a great ending. It made sense. And there were parts that as I read them didn't make sense at the time, but I remembered them as the story started to end. And, it was quite simply, brilliant and stunning. I read it again to make sure and yep, it was brilliant and stunning. Definitely a book for the keeper shelf and worth every bit of 5 stars!! I definitely recommend reading this book.

THE REVIEW
This was a wonderful continuation of Wren and Briar’s story! The storylines run along side each other as Edmund, the Duke of Dareford, Briar’s brother and Laurel Spencer, Wren’s half sister search for the missing couple. Laurel has had a crush on the Duke for sometime but she knows that’s all it can be. Laurel is a fascinating character and I truly loved getting to know her. We learned more about the Spencer family and their time before working at the Dareford home. Laurel was a nearly famous singer at a club in London. While working there, she befriended the owners sister. Unfortunately, the woman died during childbirth and Laurel agreed to care for the child and take her to Dareford’s with her. Little Cassie knows her uncle lives in London and often will sneak away to visit him so she has become quite accustomed to the underbelly of London. When Dareford meets Cassie, who is dressed as a little boy, she agrees to assist him with his search for his sister in exchange for some special outings…ices at Gunther’s for example!

All of this gets more complicated as Laurel is asked to sing again and her friends brother declares his love for her. She agrees to one night as she feels obliged to help boost the clubs business. But, this adventure is opening Dare’s eyes to see Laurel for the first time and their connection develops into something more than housekeeper-Duke.

I am loving this series! The plot was so interesting and twists kept me on my toes! Laurel and Dare were perfect for each other and I’m so glad he didn’t play the whole ‘different classes’ card to strongly. The little ward Cassie added such a great dynamic to the story and was really the key that brought the story together. Now I need to wait until March to read Leigh and Marigold’s story!

TROPES
Historical Romance, Regency Era, Gaming Hell, East End London, Gamma Hero, Orphan Hero, Titled Hero, Independent Heroine, Musician Heroine, Orphan Heroine, Performer Heroine, Single Mother Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Working Heroine, Class Difference, Unexpected Virgin, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity, Mystery Romance, Five Star, Two Flame

The story is well written. The characters and the cover are amazing and wonderful. The story was has you want to live in the time period to enjoy the wonders of the time

This is the 2nd in the Blakely Manor series, but can be read as a stand-alone book. The 1st (Lady Briar Weds A Scott) was excellent, and is written in such a way that it can actually be read after this one without any spoilers. Laurel (Wren's younger sister) and Dare (Lady Briar's big brother) are perfect for each other. Thy fight their rising passion for one another, but when they give in...fireworks. And it has my favorite trope - meddleing dowager that adds humor to the mix. There was a plot to this story I did not expect, but loved.

I loved this book, and Fenna Edgewood may be my new favorote author in 2023. Ready for Marigold's story next

An enjoyable installment in an enjoyable series. I love when a stuffy hero gets a breath of fresh air. Dare, the hero, is so busy taking care of his siblings that he doesn't notice much, including his alluring housekeeper who also happens to be his sister-in-law. I don't normally like upstairs/downstairs romances because of the snobbery involved, but that's not an issue in this story. Seeing Dare and Laurel's romance develop is lovely. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

Edmund Blakeley, the Duke of Dareford, (Dare) is searching for his younger sister Briar who has been abducted, along side the gardener, Wren, who is also Lauren’s brother. Lauren Spencer is Dare’s housekeeper, and to complicate things further, she is also his sister-in-law, because her other brother married his other sister.
After some persuasion Lauren agrees to accompany Dare to London to search for Briar and Wren. She reluctantly takes Dare to the Viper’s Den, a gaming hell owned by Caleb Bryce, to get information and the retrieve her 8 year old ward, Cassie. It turns out Lauren took care of Cassie since her mother died, the sister of Bryce. What follows is a wild search where numerous situations take place that raise more questions than answers.
I have to say, the star in this book is definitely Cassie. She’s very smart, witty, and can hold her own everywhere in London, no matter the people or the ofter dangerous situations. I enjoyed everything about her and hope there will be a separate book about her in the future!
The book is essentially a detective, the mystery about what happened to the couple and everything surrounding that mystery. The romance is a bit overshadowed by the whodunnit, and when the focus is on Dare and Lauren, it is mostly them being annoyed with each other. There was a lot of them being angry or annoyed, lots of huffing, and I cannot count the number of times the word ‘stiffly’ is used. I missed chemistry between them; I didn’t quite felt like I saw them falling in love.
I did like the mystery in the book, but not everything is explained, like why were Briar and Wren ‘abducted’ anyway, and why couldn’t they not let Dare know about their situation sooner? The search is not that much concluded as it is solved, but other surprising things and twists come up along the way that are resolved in a nice way in the end. The romance ends with Lauren being angry with Dare again, but in the end they get their HEA. All in all a nice read.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.