Wowsa! The story had me hooked from the first chapter onward. Characters were beautifully written and the plot was out of this world amazing!

I have read a few Lynne Connolly historicals over the years, Noblesse Oblige remains a fav of mine.
I am an unapologetic gothic romance reader ;)
When I got a chance to read a new LC story, I jumped at the chance!
And Dauntless certainly has that gothic feelz that I love in my historicals.
LC does like her purple prose. In this story, she kept it more to purple phrases and a few OTT 10-cent words, which almost, almost, took away from the plot flow for me.

Oliver? Well, he was quick of temper, yet loved deeply. He felt a little wooden to me at times. And I don't think he groveled enough for his cut direct on the dance floor, Miss Dru. #shouldataughthimalesson
A lot of cut directs in this story. Felt a little slashy LOL

Dru? Naive, yes. A woman of her time. Not a silly girl really, just overprotected (even if she felt that no one was looking at her enough to care). Did she run into danger on a whim? Yup. Without her shenanigans there wouldn't have been much...shenanigans!
I do like me some shenanigans.

The romance? At times I was all in. Especially the smexy times. And those shared looks.
Yet at times it felt, again, a bit wooden and forced...even a few smexy times. Would Dru have really reacted so wantonly? Regardless of my thoughts, Oliver was not complaining.

The heart of the plot, for me, was not the love story developing, nor the manuscript/book publishing arc, but the looming tension of the secondary "mystery." The hook of the mysterious accidents befalling our hero and heroine, while easily enough to figure out, it was what kept my interest. The climax and big reveal was satisfying enough.

I'll rate this 3.5 stars.

There were quite a few references to family members off page, from previous series/books. I had not read any books in those series prior to reading Dauntless. Those references did not change my enjoyment of the story, so this could be read as a stand alone.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC for my honest review.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Dauntless is second full length title featuring the Shaw family (a spinoff of the Emperors of London series), but can easily be read as a stand alone. Dauntless was OK, but not one of my favorites in the Emperors/Shaw series. Lady Druislla Shaw was born between two sets of twins and always felt a little apart from her siblings as a result. Dru has been out for several seasons, but she remains a spinster; she indulges her creativity by writing a tale with characters based on people she meets in Society. She meets Oliver, the Duke of Mountsorrel, who is rumored to have a brother who is mad or disfigured from a carriage accident many years ago that he blames himself for. Dru and Oliver find themselves drawn together and agree to marriage. Dru quickly finds herself in love with her soon to be husband but risks losing all when her manuscript is stolen; after meeting Oliver, she added modeled the hero and villain of her tale after Oliver and his brother. Add to this a mystery over several incidents that seem to target Dru or Oliver. Dru and Oliver were very relatable, but readers looking for a story focused on romance will probably want to look for another story as the mysteries take more center stage. As always, Connolly does a wonderful job of conveying the Georgian era and the mysteries are decently done, although many readers will probably figure out what is happening before the characters. Overall, Dauntless is an enjoyable read, especially for readers looking for a change of pace from Regency and Victorian era tales.

I was fortunate to have the chance to read “Dauntless”, the second book in the series “The Shaws” and not having read the first book, I found this very easy to pick up from. However, I will now be going back to read the first in the series.
Lady Drusilla Shaw, is part of “The Emperor’s” and her family are legendary yet Dru, has managed to keep herself apart. She loves to write, and it is this ability of hers, that is the focus of the novel. At a ball, she meets the Oliver, Duke of Montissere and in trying to ruffle his arrogant nature, she tells a story, that resembles his own. Oliver is so horrified, that he walks off, leaving her in the middle of a dance. It is this slight that intrigues both Oliver and Dru, but finds Oliver returning to court Dru as a result. What follows, is a heady romance, romance and threats to both their lives. This book had it all!
The pace did not let up and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Drusilla Shaw is now pressed for time to find a husband. But she loves to write and just does not have the time to want to spend more time looking for one. Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel is looking for a wife. But he has a past he wants to keep hidden the past. When Oliver and Drusilla first meet Dru inadvertently says something that sets Oliver off and now the two are at odds. Oliver does the uncouth thing of leaving her on the dance floor and now he must make amends. I have to say throughout the book she deserved someone better than Oliver. I left the book thinking he will never deserve her no matter how high his title. Good book though with lots of twists and turns.

A splendid historical romance by Ms. Connolly. I liked how the characters were described. Solid all around book.

I really enjoyed Dru and Oliver's story!

Dru has spent most of her time sitting back and watching others. She uses what she sees in a novel that she writes just for herself. Just as she is getting to know Oliver, her book is stolen and someone has printed it. Since the main characters in her story are Oliver, his brother and herself, she is devastated that someone got their hands on the book.

Dru is still keeping her secret when she gets engaged to Oliver, but right before the wedding, he learns that she is the author. He is determined that they still wed, but their are conditions. Can they get through their troubles to find their HEA?

This was a great addition to the Shaws series and I'm excited for Livia's story which comes out in Dec.

That's a lot of kids.

She burns them?! Someone get this girl a publisher!

Sheesh, he's harsh.

Ooh, now what are his secrets?

So her options are a widower who needs a free nanny, a gay guy who needs a beard, and a gambler who needs a purse? Ugh.

Well. That was a bit of excitement to start the day, wasn't it?

Oh the times of wigs for men. They thought they'd never end.

Did this idiot just call her house a "den of iniquity"?

Hey douchebag, whether or not you have a mistress is her concern, if she's going to marry you!

If her life is in danger, shouldn't she be informed?

She is entirely too trusting.

I bet Charles is the bad guy.

I hope she gets back those pearls.

This was part of a series but I did not know that, however this can be read as a standalone, I will pick up the previous books because I have been tempted with some tidbits in this book about it. So we have Drusilla that is now considered a spinster in her era even though she is only 26. She and her sister Liv are on still required to make the rounds in the necessary parties since she is part of "The Emperor's" her family name and importance. Drusilla tends to write in her spare time even though back then it was frowned upon. While at a a soiree she bumps into The Duke of Montissere (Oliver) and he was not very nice but he was instantly attracted to her and he could not figure out why. Her book which resembles his family life is published after being stolen from her and he is furious but he knows someone is trying to kill him, Who? You need to read..

An enjoyable period romance that pairs a realistically unusual spinster with a mysterious duke. Despite misunderstanding and betrayals, the two manage to communicate fairly well. Connolly deserves credit for writing love scenes that are mutually consenting, even when the protagonists are unhappy with each other. Recommended for fans of family dramas and period romance.

I enjoyed this read. I liked both the characters of Dru and Oliver, although there were times they annoyed me. I was able to quickly figure out who the villain was but I was still interested in the how and why so knowing the villain's identity didn't spoil anything for me. I liked the chemistry between our H and h. I liked the author's style of writing and looked into her previous books in the series. I definitely think I will buy the first book in the series to see where everything started. That bring said, this was a read I'd recommend!

I received this novel from net galley and the publisher for an honest review. Thank you!!
This novel was a good read. I enjoyed the first novel in the series and this was just as good. There is romance and mystery, with evil intentions. Lady Drusilla Shaw enjoys writing and does not have a desire to marry. However, her parents decided if she does not choose a husband by the end of the season, they will pick one of their choosing. Though Dru feels they will not force her, but she wants to love in her marriage. Oliver, Duke of Mountsorrel, has been putting off marriage. He carries a great burden from his past, which influences him greatly. When he meets Dru, he desires her, which is something he did not want, but he cannot stay away from her. The thought of her with another man bothers him. Oliver proposes marriage to Dru after two incidents where she could have been hurt. Dru wants to marry Oliver since she has fallen in love with him, but is concerned how he will react to her book being mysteriously published, since it has to do with his family. She was angry at Oliver when she wrote it but changed her story when she got to know him. Oliver feels betrayed and believes Dru sent it to the publisher. He becomes cold towards her and Dru will do anything to get Oliver to trust her again. When Dru's plan gets her in danger, Oliver will do anything to save the woman he loves, but will it be enough to repair the damage and in time?

There are times Oliver just can't say no to his lady, "with a groan, he shucked the robe and got back into bed, reaching for her. “Dru, you’ll be the death of me.” I iked this book, I thought Oliver needed to have some faith in his woman, and I did not see that plot twist coming.