I loved the "bucket list" of things to learn before getting married. Very fun! This book held things that were predictable while holding many surprises as well. I look forward to more by this author. Keep them coming.

In this book, we read a fairly usual plot of little sister crushes on big brothers' best friend, but, the way it is delivered, makes it unique. London's Wicked Affair is a must-read for anyone who enjoy a delightful romance with spunk and passion. I really. enjoyed the heroine in this book. Her dimensional and strong mentality is refreshing and welcomed! Can't wait to read more from Bryant!

I liked this book but I didn’t love it. It took a while to get into the plot, and I almost gave up. Also, the author has some odd writing tics, such as her tendency to leave out articles and prepositions. I had to keep rereading sentences to try to understand what she meant. At first I thought maybe she was writing in the style of a 19th century novelist to match the setting, but I don’t think that was it.

She also kept writing in plot-moving lists and letters that the characters received but we never got to see, but they would make reference to later as though we readers knew the contents. Once in a while is okay if it’s going to be dramatically revealed later, but it’s annoying as a regular occurrence. Just tell me what the letter said!

I struggled a bit with this book--I thought the premise was a lot of fun, with a lot of potential, but ultimately, the angst dragged on a bit too long and Amelia ended up too caught up in pining for Lunden to feel like she had her own agency. I *am* however super psyched for the next book because the premise seems very intriguing...

I'm deliberately being hard on Ms. Bryant with a four star rating because I can see she has so much to give us in this series. It is a wonderful opening book to a series. London's Wicked Affair has fun and heart and family I think many readers will enjoy and close the book smiling after reading. I know I did. It isn't too deep and I loved being right about Lunden's brother's death.

Ms. Bryant gives us a hero and heroine I can sympathize with throughout their journey. Amelia is more modern and worried about problems I'd like to believe if I lived in those times would be concerns for me too.

Nope, didn't feel it. My first by the author and the writing's not bad, but the plot was a bit unconvincing. Heroine's brother needs to find a spouse for his rebellious sister before their father succumbs to illness, not an easy feat to accomplished when she has already set fire to one suitor and spurned several others. To assist in this impossible task, her brother recruits his old friend aka our tortured ducal hero, Lunden Beckford, Duke of Scarsdale, just returned back in London following his self-imposed decade long exile in his country estate, his heart and mind still weighed down heavily by his guilt over his older brother's death 10 years early. It would've been more convincing was he not a youth of 15 then, and could and should not be held culpable by himself nor anyone else for the tragedy. The book would've been even better if Amelia was not such an annoying, impetuous termagant. The premise of the book, that he has to acquiesce to her 3 requests, before she agrees to settle down and marry a man of her brother's choosing, was also completely unconvincing. Learning to ride astride (he didn't really teach her as she just jumped on the horse and off she went), shooting a gun, swimming were somehow going to allow her to escape an unwanted husband, a concept both naive and simplistic at the same time.

Then there were the inconsistencies, my pet hate. Nilworth declared that he was of an age to consider family and need to produce heirs, but then we met his middle aged son and heir later in the book. WTH? Why was there a need for Lunden to search her brother's study and betray his friend that way and why didn't she question why he was ransacking the study? He later on in the book mentioned that Amelia's kiss was the cause he'd returned to London, and "her love the reason why he hadn't perished under a mountain of self-loathing years ago", but she was 12 when he went into exile and there was no love affair until he returned to London to settle an estate business. He didn't want to taint her with his love, so he deflowered her and then would rather she be forced into a loveless marriage with another man. And the speedy resolution, when everyone made up within the last few pages were just entirely too neat and unsatisfying.

Great story, and first book that I have read from Anabelle Bryant.
Lady Amelia is being forced to find a husband, or her family will find one for her. Lunden Beckford, Duke of Scarsdale, a good friend of Amelia's brother, has been recruited to help her find a husband. Only problem is that the little hoyden Lunden remembers from childhood has grown into a stunning beauty, but no less a hoyden, lol. An attraction quickly develops between the two, but will they have the courage to follow their hearts? I would say London's Wicked Affair is for sure a buy. It was a fun read, that I didn't want to put down, and I cant wait for the next in the series.

Annabelle is a great story teller. Love and intrigue , suspense and passion. Great book. Finished quickly . I could not put it down! Thanks! Loved it

An interesting but flawed historical romance. While the premise and story are interesting, it is ruined by the childish heroine and typical “wound” hero. It is also evident that this is a debut to a series. Based on the author’s skillful writing, I may try other novel but the leads, despite the rest of the novel, just didn’t do it for me.

After his older brother passed away in a tragic accident Lunden Beckford, Duke of Scarsdale exiled himself far from London, with its painful memories and cruel gossip. His best friend, Matthew Strathmore, the Earl of Whittingham asks him to help find a husband for his little sister, he promises to find a suitable husband. He feels like he owes Matthew who took a bullet in the leg the night his brother died. Amelia Strathmore the little hoyden he remembers has turned has grown into a stunning, statuesque beauty. Amelia is enjoying the freedoms she’s been allowed, but her father’s health is declining and her brother is going to find her a husband if she can’t decide on a husband. She’s makes a deal with Lunden if he helps her accomplish her three top things she’ll accept his help and get serious about finding a husband. As they two closer it becomes harder for Amelia to find a husband to match up to Ludden, and her list of qualifications. Lunden believes he isn’t husband material and denies his new-found feelings. I lived this story of two strong people, one troubled by his past and one looking for a love in her marriage, a man she can respect and love forever, read this captivating book to see how they overcome their obstacles and find their happy ever after. This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. London’s Wicked Affair is the first book in Annabelle Bryant’s Midnight Secrets series. Lunden Beckford, Duke of Scarsdale has returned to London after a self imposed exile because of his brothers tragic death. The purpose of his visit is to solve a mystery tied to his brothers will, while there he stays with his friend Matthew and is requested to help find a husband for his sister. Amelia Strathmore is beautiful, intelligent and does not suffer fools gladly. She is very aware how a bad marriage could ruin her life and refuses to accept the suitors being paraded before her. Lots of angst and drama before these two achieve their HEA. Fairly steamy Publishing Date August 28, 2019 #NetGalley #Londons Wicked Affair

Terrific story! Lady Amelia, is being pushed by her brother and parents, after a few years on the marriage mart, to take the plunge and choose a spouse. They wish to see her “settled” before her father’s failing health takes a turn for the worse. Amelia’s brother asks a friend, a reclusive duke, Lunden, to assist him in finding his sister an appropriate match.
While this plot may sound familiar, the writing pulled me in to a tale of longing, intrigue, secrets, and lust. Does Amelia’s brother have her best interests in mind, or his own? Why does Lunden keep his distance from the ton, he IS a duke after all. What does Amelia’s best friend Charlotte have hiding in her marriage?
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next.
This is definitely for readers of historical romance who enjoy a tale with depth and feeling.

This looks to be a promising series. Forced to accept her brother's attempts to marry her off, Amelia Strathmore, has a few demands of her own before choosing a groom. Lunden Beckford, Duke of Scarsdale, and her brother's best friend, might have arrived out of a self imposed exile at just the right time to help her through her list.

Family business has brought Lunden reluctantly back to London. Seeing his best friends sister throws a wrench into his plans to leave London quickly. Amelia tempts him as no one else ever has but his past must make him unworthy of her, or so he believes. Will her list of demands before choosing a husband be Lunden's torture or redemption?

I enjoyed this story but Lunden was the pot calling the kettle black when he referred to Amelia as a coward. He exemplified this to a tee by remaining firm in his decision to leave London once again. Luckily Amelia was nothing close to a coward and it was her determination that led Lunden to accept someone's love. I wish Lunden would have had any ro!e in their HEA. He deserved to do some groveling.

I hope Amelia continues to play a large part in the next series as she attempts to ensure that her best friend Charlotte, finds a love match with Lord Dearling.

Handsome Duke with questionable pst comes to town to take care of some dangling legal matters, agrees to help friend with finding a groom for his beautiful but troublesome sister. Said sister is beautiful and an attraction develops, but the Duke has a past which makes him not worthy of happiness. The friend, wounded and crippled in the secret past, is obsessed with puzzles and his intellectual society, and pawns his sisters off on one of his cronies in exchange for a leadership role in the society, so really, the whole plot is moot. Secrets are revealed, and eventually there is a HEA, but honestly, the marriage of our heroine’s best friend sounds more interesting. Honestly, looking forward to the next book! Kind of tired of “undeserving “ aristocracy. No one cares if an Earl or Duke has a scandal in his past!
I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another fabulous Regency series from the equally fabulous Anabelle Bryant! I fell in love with Amelia and Lunden straightway; however,.I wanted to smack Matthew quite a few times! I thoroughly enjoyed this book -- the thoughtful and thought-provoking story line, the characters and the dialogue. This is my favorite Anabelle book so far...okay, until the next one!! No spoilers...if you love Regency romance with interesting heroines who have minds of their own along with funny little quirks, heroes with a dash of angst but who are truly kind with hearts to match, and some steamy sexiness to flavor it all...then Anabelle's new series is for you!!! Check out her other series/titles as well! I've loved every one of them!!

A terrific Regency romance that will steal your heart and take your breath away, London’s Wicked Affair is an enchanting historical tale by a fast rising star destined for stardom: Anabelle Bryant.

Lunden Beckford, Duke of Scarsdale, is the disgraced aristocrat who had had no choice but to flee London after he’d been caught up in a scandalous incident that had blackened his name among the Ton and made him a pariah in polite society. Force into exile, Lunden had vowed never to set foot in London ever again. Still haunted by the tragic events of that fateful night, Lunden refuses to ever return to the capital and prefers to keep himself to himself. However, when he is called back to London on business, he finds himself with no other choice but to reluctantly return back to the city that holds so many painful memories and regrets for him. Reconnecting with one of the few friends he still has, Lunden finds himself agreeing to the unthinkable: finding a husband for his friend’s little sister, Amelia Strathmore, a hellion who does not know the meaning of the word biddable!

Amelia is well aware that she is duty-bound to make a suitable match. However, Amelia insists that if she is to marry, then she will not make her friend’s Charlotte’s mistake and marry for convenience, but make a love-match. She will not marry a man unless she is head over heels in love with him – but it’s just a shame that the suitors which her brother parades in front of her are insufferable bores as old as her father who only manage to arouse in her revulsion and boredom! If only she could meet a man as dangerous, charismatic or as handsome as her brother’s friend, Lunden Beckford. It’s such a shame that her brother has made it abundantly clear that Lunden is off limits! However, Amelia soon realise that keeping her distance from Lunden is easier said than done…

Lunden knows that he must give Amelia as wide a berth as possible. An innocent like her deserves to be with somebody who is honorable, respectable and steadfast – three words which certainly cannot be used to describe him! However, with fate conspiring to throw the two of them together at every available opportunity, Lunden soon finds himself unable – and unwilling – to keep his hands off his friend’s sister! As wicked seduction gives way to something deeper that Lunden never expected, he soon realises that he’s fallen in love with a woman he can never have!

Amelia knows that Lunden is the man she was meant to marry, but can she convince him that the only way he can vanquish his demons is if he takes a chance on love and embraces this unexpected chance of happiness?

London’s Wicked Affair is an irresistible romantic tale that I simply couldn’t put down. Anabelle Bryant writes like an absolute virtuoso and has penned a poignant, enthralling and enchanting historical romance about second chances, facing up to the past, redemption and the healing power of love that made me laugh and cry.

I thought Amelia was a great heroine who reminded me of Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse. Although at the beginning, she was stubborn and selfish at times, she matured into a woman of principle who was courageous, resourceful and fiercely intelligent whilst Lunden was a sexy, brooding, charismatic and valiant hero you are sure to fall head over heels in love with.

London’s Wicked Affair is an outstanding historical romance that is simply spellbinding! A wonderful historical romance that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, London’s Wicked Affair is a compulsively readable Regency tale that is absolutely fantastic.

I liked this book. I enjoyed the story between Amelia and Lunden.
He is a lost soul in need of guidance and forgiveness.
She is a very strong minded woman who knows what she wants. And what she wants is a love match. Not a wedding that is formed to gain wealth or alliances.
Her brother, Matthew, feels she has had 3 seasons to find her own husband and now it's his turn. He does everything in his power to aggravate his sister, including asking for help from his friend, Lunden, the Duke of Scarsdale.
When Amelia finds out, she asks Lunden to help her learn how to do 3 things. Then she will agree to cooperate.
This leads to many adventures and challenges.
What I didn't like about this book was Matthew. I know it was customary back then for brothers to arrange marriage for their sisters for any reason but love. But I thought he was a bastard for a brother. He does make up for it in the end, so maybe there's hope for him yet.

I fell in love with Lunden (though I wanted to shake him at times). Story kept me interested, with several twists. So many secrets!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book by Anabelle Bryant that I have read and, I can honestly say, I am not inclined to read another. The description of the book drew me, and the characters had some promise; however, the execution and writing style were lacking.

Bryant introduces us to Lunden, Duke of Scarsdale, and his long-time friend, Matthew, Earl of Whittingham. Lunden returns to London from a self-imposed exile and goes to see Matthew, who invites him to stay at his home. Matthew's sister, Amelia, lives with him.

Now mind you, the book is set in Regency England, a time of manners and etiquette where propriety and reputation were paramount. Living in a household with two bachelors and no chaperone would have set the rumor mill ablaze and ruined Amelia's reputation. As if that is not enough, the list of demands that Amelia gives to Lunden (i.e., learning to ride astride, shoot and swim), along with their evening at Vauxhall Gardens, would have definitely finished the task.

In addition, Matthew is supposedly the Earl of Whittingham; however, his father is still living. When Amelia goes to visit her parents, they are referred to only as Mother and Father. They have asked Matthew to find a suitable spouse for Amelia, and he pawns the task off to Lunden. Later, he negotiates and signs a supposed betrothal agreement between his sister and Lord Collins that I believe would be his father's purview.

Bryant reveals much of the story in long stretches of prose that had me skimming sections. I also noted many instances of poor sentence structure and wrong or unusual word usage, which made it difficult to finish the book.

Here are only a few of the wrong or unusual word choices I highlighted in the book.

the "unsuspected" soul (should be unsuspecting)
he would not be "amendable" (should be amenable)
the words rolled "languid" from his tongue (should be languorously)
blinked away the "dank" memory (should be dark)
she didn't wish to "bring pallor to" their conversation (should be cast a pall over)
I fear I can't "breech" the subject again (should be broach)

And one of the worst......

reminding Lunden of his late-night appointment and "eviscerating" further deliberation (should be forestalling)

Another captivating read from Annabelle Bryant!

Angst, disillusionment and a lady's desire to choose her own path bring to bear on this charming story.
Lunden Beckford, Duke of Scarsdale, is all one can hope for as the embittered, yet honorable, man who will return to the London and all he loathes to respect the promise he made his friend years ago to have his little sister settled when the time came.
Amelia Strathmore, that little sister is no longer a duckling but has blossomed into the proverbial swan. And this swan is determined to see something of life before being married off.
So our disenchanted, glowering specimen of masculinity, finds himself in charge of an outspoken and determined, attractive young woman, who sets conditions upon her doing her duty to marry. And all the responsibility falls squarely on Lunden's shoulders. Are those shoulders strong enough to fight the beckoning call of attraction and rapport that the two experience?
A rather delicious conundrum. And the solving draws both parties into a wickedly, heady dance.

A NetGalley ARC