Olivia and the Masked Duke - Grace Callaway

Olivia and the Masked Duke

By Grace Callaway

  • Release Date: 2021-02-18
  • Genre: Historical Romance
Score: 4
4
From 405 Ratings
Buy on Amazon

Description

An exciting new historical romance series from USA Today Bestseller Grace Callaway "A very hot and perfectly paced page turner, all the way to happily ever after." -NPR Winner of the 2022 Daphne du Maurier Award & the 2022 Passionate Plume He saved her life when she was a girl. Now she is a woman determined to heal his heart… Spirited debutante Lady Olivia McLeod, cherished daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Strathaven, has two interests: solving mysteries and winning the love of her rescuer and secret crush, the infamous Duke of Hadleigh. When Livy joins Lady Charlotte Fayne’s charity for young ladies and discovers that it is a front for a covert investigative agency, she is thrilled. Livy dedicates herself to solving a deadly case; little does she realize that the path to danger will also lead to her heart’s deepest desire. Notorious widower Ben Wodehouse, the Duke of Hadleigh, has only one goal in mind: redemption. After his tortured past, he channels his demons toward helping others, and the last thing he wants or deserves is innocence. Yet temptation taunts him by transforming the little girl he once saved into an alluring young woman. A dozen years younger than him and the daughter of his friend, Livy is everything he cannot have…and everything he needs. Will perilous secrets, past and present, tear Livy and Ben apart? Will succumbing to their forbidden desires lead to their happily ever after? Find out in this steamy age gap friends-to-lovers romance filled with mystery and adventure! Grace's books feature sizzling hot historical romance, fun and feel-good happily ever afters, and exciting mystery and adventure. Her books are standalones which can also be enjoyed as part of her interconnected series. LADY CHARLOTTE’S SOCIETY OF ANGELS (hot Victorian romance) #1 Olivia and the Masked Duke (Olivia & Ben) #2 Pippa and the Prince of Secrets (Pippa & Cull) #3 Fiona and the Enigmatic Earl (Fiona & Thomas) #4 Glory and the Master of Shadows (Glory & Wei) #5 Charlotte and the Seductive Spymaster (Preorder) GAME OF DUKES (hot Victorian romance) #1 The Duke Identity (Tessa & Harry) #2 Enter the Duke (Maggie & Ransom) #3 Regarding the Duke (Gabby & Garrity) #4 The Duke Redemption (Beatrice & Wick) #5 The Return of the Duke (Fancy & Severin) #6 Steamy Winter Wishes: A Hot Historical Romance Short Story (featuring characters from all of Grace's series) HEART OF ENQUIRY (The Kents)(hot Regency romance Prequel novella: The Widow Vanishes (Will & Annabel) #1 The Duke Who Knew Too Much (Alaric & Emma) #2 M is for Marquess (Gabriel & Thea) #3 The Lady Who Came in from the Cold (Marcus & Penny) #4 The Viscount Always Knocks Twice (Richard & Violet) #5 Never Say Never to an Earl (Sinjin & Polly) #6 The Gentleman Who Loved Me (Andrew & Rosie) MAYHEM IN MAYFAIR (hot Regency romance) #1 Her Husband’s Harlot (Helena & Nicholas) #2 Her Wanton Wager (Percy & Gavin) #3 Her Protector’s Pleasure (Marianne & Ambrose) #4 Her Prodigal Passion (Charity & Paul)

Reviews

  • Olivia and the Masked Duke

    4
    By stresstomax
    I really enjoyed the characters and the story except for the very explicit sex.

  • Exceptional!!

    5
    By teddidrake
    Loved this!!! Great story and great characters . I’m sort of sad that it had to end, it’s that good!

  • Good Feminist story but too much sex for me

    4
    By PstfromMe
    This book promoted women being about to do anything which is good. I found the domination sex scenes a bit long but that’s just me.

  • Love

    5
    By Mommylonglegs
    I love the development of their relationship. Her love, so sweet and strong. He feels so undeserving but deserves it nonetheless. I’ve read some of the other reviews, all I have to say is it’s a FICTIONAL story about two FICTION characters. If you enjoy romance and great sex scenes Grace Callaway is the best author for you to read.

  • I was worried.

    5
    By j21969
    I had read anther review that had me a little concerned. There is nothing wrong with this book. It seems everyone is looking for secret despicable hidden meanings. Grow up! Sometimes a story is just a story. I also think yellow may be this authors favorite color. What do you think that might mean? In all seriousness this is a good story. A little tongue in cheek. Certain references you might get. I thought it was cute.

  • Bizarre

    1
    By 🍀🏖
    I am usually a big fan of this author but this one just did not work. The choice of creating a relationship between these two characters struck me as odd. When they first meet, the female protagonist is twelve and the male is twenty-four; they strike up a “friendship” that turns romantic pretty soon after she turns eighteen. I know this is “historical fiction” and that age differences were common, but the decision to have an adult develop a “friendship” with a child like this is enough to make a lot of people uneasy. Especially where the author talks about how this adult in his twenties feels like this twelve year old is the only one who understands him/that he can trust/that has stood by him-it is just so uncomfortable. There’s also a lot of language that the author uses to justify the switch in perspective that just adds to the problematic nature of it; at some points she talks about the female’s “women’s body” or “adult body masking the same heart” or something along those lines. There’s also the weirdly paternalistic and sometimes controlling nature of the male for much of the story. And calling her “little one” or “my little angel” given how they started is just bizarre. I know there are people who will read this review and think I’m making too much of a fictional story, but it bothers me that this book normalizes and glorifies a relationship that anyone looking at it today would be horrified by. I also doubt there are many younger girls reading this author, but if there are, why put this out there as ok? Who is this book trying to cater to by deliberately using language that emphasizes their past power imbalance when she was a child and he was a fully grown adult? There are times it feels like the author wants you to revel in what she knows is problematic while excusing it with “oh well but she’s an adult now.” This unrelated adult who feels this type of “we’re the only ones who understand” level of connection with a child is a creep, and any relationship between them the second she becomes an adult is not normal or heroic or beautiful. It asks for too much suspension of disbelief to portray it a such.

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