Spinster secret agent!

I laughed and smiled throughout this Regency romance.
The heroine is intelligent and active in a personal mission for the country--that she assigned herself. The hero is a hard working member of the House of Lords with a weakness for dares.

While the plot of the dare was not unique, everything related to the system of weights and measurements was a refreshing insight into the time period and made the characters stand out. The dialogue is quick, smart, and humorous. The attraction is potent.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley.

Diana is a woman who knows what she wants. And what she wants is not be be a possession of a husband. She has made herself a wallflower at society events by dressing to match the wallpaper. She dresses to make herself invisible thus able to visit establishments to check their weights and measures.
Cole is the Duke of Colehaven. He has never lost a bet and takes on his friend, Thaddeus’, wish to get his ward, Diana, married. Cole discovers that he is intrigued by Diana, but how to change her mind about marriage?
A delightful tale. I received an ARC of this book.

The Duke of Colehaven loves to make wagers, and when the Wicked Duke dares him to marry off a friend's ward, who is he to deny the challenge? A determined wallflower, Diana Middleton is not someone easily swayed into getting married off. It doesn't take long for Cole to realise that this is a wager that is near impossible to win, especially when he finds himself slowly falling in love with her.

I do hold a certain judgement against the characters included within. Diana, on first impression, is someone independent, passionate, and extremely smart. In the past when women were supposed to be demure and all things proper, it was pretty refreshing. She isn't a doormat, willing to let anyone step on her. Like a lot of heroines in historical fiction books written nowadays, Diana's character, as well as Cole's sister's character, are very common. And I'm not tired of that. As a feminist, I most definitely am not. But as I continued to read, I realised that despite Diana's intelligence, she seems to have forgotten this very fact: having made the decision to not get married, that choice has, very obviously, become a burden to her guardian. Yes, she is passionate, but she is also selfish and arrogant, in some way. How could she possibly go on to think that basically EVERYONE supports injustice? Everyone but her? For a woman her age, that seems immature. Cole, too, also has his own handful of stupid thoughts that didn't quite make sense, and I felt like slapping him the whole time he wanted to propose. I really liked how the two of them developed overtime, though, and that through the feelings they have for one another, they learnt to improve themselves, but it did happen too little too late and — did I mention how abrupt that ending is?

I found this book so-so. How everything started was pretty much how every other Regency romance does: both Cole and Diana being attracted to one another's appearance. But... I didn't see it as an event that was terribly rushed. Even though this book is a short read, the story was well-paced, in my opinion. The author had not dragged it out needlessly, and I liked that. I just hoped she had handled the ending a little better instead of closing the story in a manner that is considered abrupt.

In addition to that, this book, with its facts on weights and measurements, made me a very confused reader when Diana first spoke about it. Living a double life is really original, I admit. I learnt quite a bit as the story went on, but most of the time, I found myself ignoring the topic of both their arguments, and I think that's pretty wasted.

All in all, a book I would recommend to readers who would like a quick, romantic read. But if I were to compare it to Julia Quinn's books, this one definitely lost. There was not enough humour and just not enough feeling. I do still find myself looking forward to the next book, however, and I do hope it'll be better than this one!

London - 1817

Caleb Sutton, fifth Duke of Colehaven, has just entered the tavern known as the Wicked Duke. There, he sees his friend, Valentine Fairfax, sixth Duke of Eastleigh. Another friend. Thaddeus Middleton, is lamenting about the costs to clothe his cousin and ward, Diana Middleton, as she prepares for her season. As she is now 25-years-old, he may have a difficult time marrying her off. So, Colehaven accepts a bet to see that Diana becomes a married woman.

Diana Middleton has no interest in marriage but enjoys making sure that businesses deliver correct items to people and do not overcharge their customers. She goes by the name of Mrs. Peabody as she visits various establishments ensuring their compliance with her demands.

To please her cousin, Thaddeus, Diana agrees to participate in soirees
but manages to slip away and continue to investigate different merchants to ensure their compliance with proper standards of weights and measures. Even so, Diana cannot help but be attracted to Colehaven.

One night, Diana meets Felicity, 24, Colehaven’s sister. It turns out neither of them is anxious to marry because Felicity enjoys learning the mechanics of things. Colehaven had asked Felicity to introduce Diana around. So, both ladies set out to thwart his ideas. When Diana learns of Colehaven’s wager to marry her off, oh hell no!

But more time spent together as Colehaven tries to push Diana out into society more, ends up in the two of them sparking an attraction. Oh my goodness. What now?

This is a well written book with a really good plot. I liked the characters and when a basket of kittens is thrown in for good measure, I was hooked. Cats are my passion. Come along for the fun of this book. The humor thrown in will make you laugh at loud. Well done, Erica Ridley.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This cute Regency romance is the first in the Wicked Dukes Club series by two of my favorite romance authors, Erica Ridley and Darcy Burke. The main characters and secondary characters are likable and fun to spend time with. It is always a pleasure to read about a strong, smart heroine with agency.

There were times when I struggled to suspend disbelief, but it is a fun fantasy with frequent touches of humor. I liked that the conflict was mostly based on good people having conflicting goals. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys light historical romance or romantic comedy.

Note that there is some mild swearing and one not too explicit scene of premarital sex if such things bother you.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. The ARC I received was well written, appropriately edited, and neatly formatted.

I loved this book and can't wait for the next in the series. So what do I love...I love how Erica Ridley writes. It's smart, the story flows, there is chemistry between our leads, and it's believable.

I love the history infused with the story, in this case standardizing measurements. And that our heroine Lady Diana Middleton is smart, spunky, and had a backbone. I love how our hero the Duke of Colehaven had met his match and the bet he wagers on turns on him. For love, of course. He's protective, yes, but he's also progressive got that time period.

I can't wait to read the next installment.

A light romantic funny read. I laughed so hard at times. Strong female role with a sweet smooth Duke.

I tend to fly through Ridley’s books and this was no exception. A promising start to Ridley and Burke’s new series, Wicked Dukes Club, One Night for Seduction had everything that I wanted: spunky heroine, swoony Duke, and a colorful cast of characters surrounding them.

I loved the idea of a vigilante mathematician going about thwarting unscrupulous shopkeepers and it was so much more amusing to imagine Diana and her disguises. Colehaven was a swoony, down to earth gentleman that was as intelligent as he was handsome… to hear Diana tell it anyway.

Diana and Colehaven’s romance was a whirlwind with spot-on chemistry. Watching them come to terms with having different paths to the same goal was a bit painful as you would think two brilliant minds could come to a compromise or a solution sooner, but I enjoyed the conflict all the same. Readers that prefer their love scenes on the clean side, this was a fade to black.

I wish we had a few stories to back up the nickname of “Wicked Dukes” because I just didn’t get that mischievous feel from Colehaven. He reminded me of a golden retriever, which was wonderful and I adored him but not quite what I expect from the term “wicked”. A mischievous streak is clearly in there somewhere because the banter was playful and a delight to read.

This proved to be a romantic, quick read that I would have finished in one sitting if I didn’t have a toddler to chase. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series!

We always buy Erica Ridley for our library. A great start to a new series. She has the best mix of banter, romance and plot.

Diana is a fascinating, original heroine and Cole an endearing hero. Both are brilliant people interested in reform. But what excites their passion for reformation? The lack of standardized measurements for gallons, hogsheads, etc.. Diana has a methodical, logical mind with a talent for organization, while Cole is a politician trying to acheive as much as possible. A match made in heaven? Perhaps but it takes a while for them to realize it. Their getting to know each other as well as the reader's getting to know them, is the crux of the book. And very enjoyable it is, too. Diana has decided never to marry, as no man woud ever allow her to wander into the neighborhoods she goes to, in order to advance her cause and gain information for her journals, or allow her to use her mind as she wishes.. Cole is a friend of her guardian who has agreed to a bet that he can find Diana a husband. He's honest with her from the start as to his purpose - a great change from the usual stupid deception plot. They have an immediate connection and the rest of the story is the journey to HEA.. A great read.

Caleb Sutton, fifth Duke of Colehaven (Cole) and Miss Diana Middleton are on a collision course because of a dare. Cole takes the dare that he can find a husband for his friend's "unmanageable" ward by the end of the Season. It seems simple enough, but then again if it were simple, there'd be no story. Diana is at war with society, for every vendor who cheats a customer, for every transaction that is not weighed correctly, for every injustice she thinks the common folk suffer and that Society ignores. She does it secretly posing as an inspector to make shop owners comply. It's dangerous work and when Cole discovers her ruse, he is outraged that she is putting herself in harm's way day after day.

I enjoyed this story and Ms. Ridley has written another clever story. The banter between Diana and Cole was priceless and even her set down of him felt justified. I did think that Diana's passion seems a little too modern--a crusader for the downtrodden--didn't quite ring true for me. Besides this one little complaint, the story will keep you entertained until the end.

The Wicked Dukes Club series is a collaboration by Erica Ridley and Darcy Burke and you get the best of both writers. The first book in a new series does not disappoint. It is a great story with well-developed characters, great banter and plenty of romance. I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. All views are my own.

Diana Middleton has a brilliant mind and she wants to use it to help make things better in the world. Of course this has to be done in secret, so of course she dons many disguises in order to accomplish her work. The ton and her guardian would never approve of what she is doing. That's why she has decided to remain a spinster, no one to tell her what she can and can't do.
Cole, the Duke of Coleham, is on a winning streak, a 10 year winning streak.
So when one of his friends, dares him, wagers with him, he accepts the challenge. The wager..... to find and arrange a match for the unmarriageable ward of another friend....Diana Middleton.
The story is fast moving and entertaining. I think Diana was a little too forward and independent for the time. I thought Cole a little bit too much of a pushover.
The first time they meet, she chases him from the townhouse. Then she seduces him.
I liked it but didn't love it.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

What a fun romance with two people who were made for each other but just don't see it! Cole and Diana had so many similar interests and yet they just could not figure out that they were a great match.

Diana really was an unusual woman for that time period as she cared more about keeping the weights and measures constant than what the latest fashions were. It is somewhat hard to realize that women during that time period had no rights when they were married so Diana really could lose all that she cared for if she should choose the wrong man to marry.

I liked this start of a new series and enjoyed their HEA!

I really enjoyed this book. These are great characters and I cheered and laughed out loud at times. The Wicked Duke is a tavern owned by several late blooming Dukes. Colehaven was so far down the line to inherit he and his sister had practically been on the streets when he found out he was the new Duke. As part owner of the tavern this was a regular meeting place for his friends who were both titled and not titled. On this day he may have met his match. A friend is moaning about being unable to find a viable suitor for his cousin Diana, who he is guardian for. Dianna puts the term wallflower to a whole new level. As a educated women skilled in mathematics she has extensive ledgers and journals and her entire wardrobe is designed to allow her to blend into the walls of the various homes and sites of balls, sorrees. But she has a double life and has no intention of marrying. When she finds out about his bet she refuses but her heart and body have different ideas and while she has no intention of marrying as a 25 year old spinster she sees other options.

First book in a new series, and it does not disappoint.

Both main characters have strong personalities and the chemistry between them is palpable. It was a pleasure to see them lock horns; the dialogues were snarky.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Erica Ridley has become my go-to author when I don’t feel like reading. Not only her books are short, so it won’t take much of my time, they’re also sure good, heartwarming reads. And in ‘One Night for Seduction’, once again the author didn’t disappoint me. I love it from the beginning to end.

The MCs, Diana and Cole, were introduced in a way the reader can’t say no to read further to know them better. And their first meeting is really, really good. I like it so much. It was so much fun to read. I like it that there’s not much friction between the characters, there were banters but they’re more like healthy discussions with each of them presenting their thoughts and opinions especially about Math and measurements. These two have such fascinating discussions, I tell you. The side characters are okay too, and I’m excited to see the other Wicked Dukes in the next books in the series. That said, I think this book is a fair start of a series.

The plot wasn’t that complicated, but it’s enough for a 100+ pages book. And the wrap up of the story is also mild but I’m not complaining. I like this book for what it is. One thing though, I just hoped that some of the paragraphs used for describing about the MCs’ backgrounds, works and what they want to attain were intended for more romance. The subplot is almost stealing the show from the romance.

But overall, this book is a good read.

I love Erica Ridley books. This book is about the Duke of Colehaven, who is dared by the Wicked Duke to find a suitor for his ward and Cole accepts. Diana Middleton lives a double life by bringing dishonest businessmen to justice. Cole bit off more than he could chew. I really enjoyed the story line and the characters.

One Night for Seduction by Erica Ripley

One Night for Seduction by Erica Ripley is the first book in a new series called the Wicked Duke’s Club. The book a fun read populated with Erica’s interesting main characters. The story was short, as most of hers are, but fun romps with the Ton and their arbitrary rules and women who can think!

The Wicked Dukes Club is a bar that people of all walks of life hang out at, including Dukes. As a matter fact, it is even owned by a duke. Duke of Colehaven takes a bet that he can find a suitor for his friend’s cousin, Diana Middleton. The problem is that Diana is not interested in getting married. She is not interested in having to follow someone else’s dictates. She knows what she wants and is going forward. The more the Duke of Colehaven tries to find out about Diana, the more he is fascinated by her. Diana is not a weak knee know nothing. She is a mathematical genius who can see patterns and ways to make things work better. She is interesting and he is very interested, but he feels he knows what is best for her - big mistake!

One Night for Seduction by Erica Ripley is a fun read with hot romance.

An escalating wickedly romantic read!

The Duke of Colehaven, Caleb Sutton (or Cole), has never last a bet over his 10 years winning streak. When presented with dare to find a suitor for his friend’s cousin - who is a five-and-twenty year old female, considered a wallflower and “unmarriageable” -, he accepts the bet.

Cole and his sister grew up poor and a distant relative to a duke. In a series of incidents he inherited the title. Due to this he worked harder than everyone so that he and his sister were not looked down upon. He also treated everyone fairly and with respect, no matter their status in society.

Diana Middeton is no ordinary proper “young” lady. She is extremely intelligent and harbors a secret second life. In the latter she hopes to make normal people’s lives better by secretly posing as another person (aka Mrs Peabody) to stop the corruption of businessman on the forefront. To do this she makes herself (in both areas of her life) forgettable - blending into the background of society.

In his haste to complete the bet, he rushes off to his friend’s household to assess his assignment. Upon meeting, Diana places Cole in a compromising position and threatens to expose Cole if he proposes marriage. This sparks Coles curiosity of this elusive wallflower.

This was an exceptionally well written, quirky “wicked”-ly romantic book. Her writing style is a fun, easy and delightful read.

Many a time I wished for an evening reading session with a cosy blanket over my knees, hot tea and a fire place with a lovely fire... in reality I lay on the couch with my daughter sleeping on top of me and her Winnie the Pooh blanket over the both of us.

Star rating: 4

** I was incredibly fortunate to be chosen to received a copy of “One Night for Seduction” by Erica Ridley via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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