3.5 🌟
First read by this author. Set in 1872 with mystery, suspense and spice. There are secret identities, nobility, banter and employer vs employee role. This book had a nice story line while giving you the steam you also want to read.

The next story in this series is about Richard and Anne. I’m not sure his character stood out enough for me to want to continue the series. Alexandra was the star for me, hopefully her story hasn’t come to an end.

I picked this one out because it was an interesting premise. I wished there were more interactions between them as the employee and boss. The buildup of their relationship was mostly lust. Which was okay but I needed more love. Also, the sister plot of the story was a bit disappointing. I needed more of what was going on and felt that part of the story was rushed. The ending was cute. Overall, it was okay. Would I buy this book, probably not but I encourage others to read it.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my arc.

James is the the most eligible bachelor but he's enchanted by Emma- a penniless nobody at a masquerade.
Will true love save all?

Love James and Emma together. Wonderful dialogue. Great characters. Love the swoon and steam.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I grew up reading Regency era romances - I actually started reading modern romances pretty recently, like within the last 3-4 years. I received an ARC copy of this book and fell right back into the era like chatting with an old friend. This had everything I loved about the Regency books I used to read - the clothes, the manners, the flowery language - and nothing I didn't. I stopped reading Regencies because of the misogyny and weirdness surrounding sex (weird for a "sex book" as my husband likes to tease me) A Touch Wicked by Katrina Kendrick had none of that. The FMC and all the female side characters had fully built personalities and had thoughts beyond finding a husband and what to wear to the next ball, and the MMC and the other men in the book loved that for them. I adored Alexandra and really want Isabel to have her own story. The reason I read romance is because I know I'm going to get a HEA - but the journey to HEA in this story was unexpected and delightful. 5/5 from me!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Although this is a prequel, some minor spoilers for the next few books are present. Unsure if this will be kept in the official publishing but always a fun read!

This is a really quick fun read. First of all - the spice is amazing. There were words I would have chosen differently but my heart definitely skipped a beat a couple times. The characters are all so well written and well fleshed out despite it being such a short book. And the women supporting women energy is amazing in this one. I do think the end was dragged out just a little longer than it needed to be but overall the pacing was also really great. Would highly recommend if you're looking for a fast adventurous romance.