Full disclosure, this is my first experience with Kelly Bowen. I haven't read any of her books, including the three books in The Devils of Dover series prior to this novella.

I admit that I feel a little lost in the beginning -- because I wasn't familiar with King and other characters that seemed to be very close to the man. However, I was immersed to the story soon enough. I was swept away with the emotion, when King saw the man he thought was dead. The man from his past. And how King asked for Adeline to help him.

I loved Adeline immediately. She was able to stand head-to-toe against King -- outsmarted him, even. But she also able to give King what he needed the most, to deal with needs and wants, to let someone in, to share the truth about his past. I got teary eyed a little bit near the end. I thought King and Adeline were good for each other, and even if this is only a novella length, I feel satisfied.

Based on several reviews I read about the other books, I think King is quite a character, that readers are looking forward to read his stories soon. I'm not sure if they will be as satisfied as I am because his story is only a novella. But I hope they do...



The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

Night of the Scoundrel by Kelly Bowen is officially listed as being a Devils of Dover novella, which makes zero sense to me. I have no clue why the publisher decided to do that. This novella belongs to the Season for Scandal series and readers who read this series would agree with me on that assessment. I don’t care if the hero, King, appeared in A Rogue by Night. King was introduced in the Season for Scandal series and his arc began there and now ends in Night of the Scoundrel. The supporting characters from the Season for Scandal series also appeared in this novella. Furthermore, many important events from that series are briefly mentioned here. So if you haven’t read the Season for Scandal series, you will have no idea what the characters are referring to and you will be missing important pieces of information that are essential to King’s character growth. So…in my personal opinion, this novella does not stand alone. I would recommend that you read the Season for Scandal series first.

When I first found out that King’s story was only going to be a novella, I was disappointed. He is an antihero who had a strong presence in the Season for Scandal series and the buildup for his character arc was exceedingly well-done. So I was worried that he would not get kind of fully-fleshed out story that he deserves. Do I still think that King deserved a full-length novel? Hell yes. You can’t build a character like that and just give him a short novella. That’s equivalent to Lisa Kleypas giving Sebastian a novella or Elizabeth Hoyt giving Val a novella. It boggles the mind! That being said, I think Kelly Bowen manages to do justice to his character as best as she could. Despite being a novella, Night of the Scoundrel has a meaty storyline and King is paired up with the kind of heroine who is his perfect counterpart in every way. Night of the Scoundrel answers the questions I had about King, especially about his motivations for doing certain things in the Season for Scandal series. Ultimately, I enjoyed his character arc. Do I wish it was longer? Of course. If King was given a full-length story, he could have given other popular antiheroes a run for their money. But I’m satisfied with the novella that Kelly Bowen gave us.

King’s story and what a fabulous story it is. I know everyone has been waiting on his story and it does not disappoint. King needed a love who was not the normal lady of society. Along comes Adeline who stands toe to toe with him. King is his usual standoffish self but with Adeline he comes alive. Their back and forth dialog and his, and her, emotional story really touched me. I have not cried while reading Ms. Bowen’s books but this one I could not see the page for the tears. Takeaway, it was great! A wonderful love story that I could have continued reading. Thank you Ms. Bowen.

Kelly Bowen has done it again! I’d been anxious to know the enigmatic King’s story ever since Bowen’s Seasons of Scandal series. He’d seemed so merciless, ruthless, and unfeeling. I just knew there had to be more to him than what he allowed others to see. Boy, was there ever!
King was a bad boy. One of those dark and dangerous men that you know will be trouble. The kind of man you know you should avoid but he has the ability to make the mercury rise from within the pages of his story. Who could blame Adeline for falling for him and getting caught up in his world? Adeline was perfect for King. She was a survivor just like him. Both had lived among aristocrats and criminals. Both had survived brutal pasts. Pasts that made them into the people they were. Alone and weary of “surviving in a world where honor was scarce and trust scarcer still”. They saw each other for who they were and they understood and accepted each other. When a demon from King’s past, a past he’d never healed from, emerges, King and Adeline work together to destroy the man. But in doing so, layers of their own lives are peeled back and exposed. Secrets revealed. Where each had thought that would make them weak, they learned that those secrets and grief lose their power when exposed. That needing someone can only make you stronger. And help you to find healing and peace.
This entire series is masterfully written with a mesmerizing plot and characters that come alive. King was such a complex character. One you didn’t know whether to love or hate. But Kelly Bowen exposed the man behind the myth he’d carefully constructed. He became a hero I could root for. Adeline helped him to let all that pain go. She was the only woman strong enough to challenge someone so powerful and threatening.
This story may have been short on length but it’s jam packed with the passion, intrigue, and danger of a full length novel. Such an emotional yet satisfying story! Fans of Bowen’s The Devils of Dover series will be absolutely thrilled with King’s story.

This was a great ending to Kelly Bowen’s a Season for Scandal series. King is a high priced goods (art, jewelry, etc) wheeler dealer who doesn’t care where the goods come from. He’s dangerous and mysterious. Adelene is also dangerous and mysterious. Her profession is getting revenge for her clients. The characters are well written, the dialogue sharp, and the back stories make the romance believable.

Although this book is a stand alone, I suggest reading one or more books in the series before this one. King is introduced in the previous books which builds up to the anticipation of learning his story. Also the other books are great reads.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

From the opening page I knew I'd be in for a fun ride. I welcomed the relief from the usual historical fare, I loved the swashbuckling heroine and that the hero knew to stand back and not jump in to assist her when she clearly did not need it.

I have conflicting feelings about this novella because the author created King's idk if you can call it legend, aura, maybe? during a lot of her books and I think his redemption needed more than one sentences of "I didn't really mean it, i was protecting her,lol" and the amount of times he called her angel on his mind in the first chapter made me feel really annoyed. I was expecting way more of King's story, and I don't think I got it. And I feel really cruel saying this, but it is my honest opinion. And, anyways, I'm sure other people will like it, I just couldn't.

When he meets a woman who can stand by him, which road will he choose ...

I felt like I had slipped in a spy tale with the heroine as a feminine version of The Saint. She is skilled and determined, she needs no one’s help.
Adeline like many has lost everything due to the French Revolution, and it shaped her future, to become an avenger for those whom are left behind by justice.
And sure for her time, she is an anomaly, but never felt as if she was out of place. Even more she is justified.
King, as it is my second read by Mrs Kelly Bowen, I do not remember him but behind the mask, he is just WOWWWW, my heart beat faster at each of his appearance.
While I immediately knew what was driving Adeline, King is like his name, a mystery, he is so multi-layered, I did not know who I faced, a gentleman, a vigilante, a criminal. He is a chameleon, with many purposes and adapting to every new situations.
Why they were perfect for each other, despite she having to hide to reach her goals, and his flirting with the sunlight to attract his preys, she is the diamond to his gloom, if he chooses to step fully into the light to claim her.
It is a very emotional read Mrs Kelly Bowen offers us, and one definitively to not miss as it will make you sense the tragedy but also the love hiding in both these resilient and shrewd souls.
5 stars

I was provided through Netgalley by the publisher an advance copy, I purchased my own too.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Finally! King’s story. The crime lord has stolen every scene he was in during this series so I was thrilled when he got his own story. King needed a strong heroine and he definitely got that in Adelaide. We finally find out about King’s past and who he really is. It was a lovely little novella that had excellent character growth. I usually find character growth hard to achieve in novellas but not so with this book. I think that’s the mark of a great writer, being able to convey so much with so little.

I have been WAITING for this book for so long. Like so long. Why do I so adore these irredeemable bad boys? This is the story all Kelly Bowen fans have been waiting for since the first time we encountered King, I believe in Duke of My Heart. King is such an intriguing character. His back story was such a mystery and his motivations even more so.

Here he meets his true match in Adeline Archambault. Adeline is equally as fascinating and mysterious as King. They are such a matched pair - in skills, life, and experience. They both fully accept each other as they are - without seeking to change each other. Their instant attraction and love - is utterly believable and maybe understandable because of their backgrounds. Like recognizing like.

King has had one heck of a difficult life. He is patently not a good person. But he isn't bad either. He has been portrayed as ruthless and utterly disinterested in anything that doesn't directly benefit himself. In this book, we see that while he certainly is a ruthless businessman, he is also a protector. While he keeps most at a distance, of those he is close to he protects with fierceness and loyalty that they themselves may not recognize.

Adeline is somewhat of a robin hood - or justice-bringer. She has not had an easy time of it either. She encounters King for the first time as she is trying to bring justice to someone else. King is utterly at ease with her skills and persona. She, in turn, is totally secure in herself and her past.

You can see that being together brings Adeline and King so much peace. Even there temporary separation at the end isn't overly dramatic - there is no begging or pleading. Just sadness and acceptance and a lot of regret on King's part.

Overall - I loved this mostly bittersweet and ultimately happy story.

I received an ARC of this story - but these opinions are my own. This one goes on the keeper shelf for sure. LOVED it. As a side note - it could certainly be read as a standalone - but you won't get the full level of awesomeness if you haven't read some of Kelly Bowen's other stories.

Night of the Scoundrel by Kelly Bowen (Devils of Dover novella) 5 stars

It's a Devils of Dover crossover with A Season of Scandals. Background character King, criminal?, fence, information broker gets his own story in this terrific novella. If you have always wondered what is behind the calm and cold facade, you will get some answers in this story. What could cause a tremor in his world, a woman of daring, courage and skill - meet Adeline Archambault (aka Adrestia). Their initial meeting starts with Adeline beating up three men in an alley who thought she was easy prey. Their next meeting is at his mansion library. What follows is a wonderful love story about courage, resilience, and understanding. If this is the end to the Devils of Dover series, it's a magnificent finale. I look forward to Ms. Bowen's next book.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC

Thanks to Netgalley for my complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions provided are my own.

The stars aligned earlier this week and I was gifted a copy of Kelly Bowen’s novella Night of the Scoundrel when I needed it most. Featuring her long-mysterious character King as lead, Scoundrel starts with a rush as he watches a beautiful woman expertly take down her foes with a rapier and a knife in an alleyway. The woman is known as Adrestia (real name: Adeline), and she’s come to achieve justice for one of her clients. That’s what she does.

Shortly thereafter King is confronted with the worst part of his awful past and he hires Adeline to get justice for him. Easy enough, right?, especially since he knows who deserves the justice coming for him and where the man is. But to King’s dismay/discomfort/fear, though he’s done everything he can to bury his past none of those skeletons want to stay buried when Adeline starts her investigation. Suddenly the hard-won control he has over his life seems threatened from every angle.

This novella is just wonderful. Scoundrel gave me all the warm fuzzies on a day when I really needed them, and as I followed the magnetic story of King and Adeline I was reminded again of how lovely a writer Kelly Bowen is. Both King and Adeline are impenetrable, unfathomable forces of nature to others, and the most exquisite moments of Scoundrel are when they let down their guard for one another. The passion that circuits between them is so well done, but even more hit-you-in-the-heart is a beautiful moment when King holds her while they sleep. Do you see the potential for loveliness, here?

Scoundrel had that enviable balance of strength and sweetness—the skirmishes and the kisses—the pain and the hope—that I adore in a story working its way to a HEA, and I loved it.

4.5 ⭐️

This book sneakily grabbed my heart and didn't let go. The characters just were warm and you wanted to give them a hug - thoroughly enjoyed and will be hand selling!

Night of the Scoundrel, is a different side of regency romance. A darker side. Adeline and King are perfect for each other because they both fit in so well with the dark side as well as the Ton. There were some turns that I did not see coming at all. Well done!

I received a copy of this novella from the publisher via NetGalley.

At last... King's story. I had been waiting for this and it did not disappoint. King and Adeline were sweet together, and it brought in various familiar characters from the Season for Scandal series (to which this beings, far more than to the Devils of Dover series). The plot was outlandish as usual (the strength of these series), the banter entertaining, and it brought completeness to King's story, which has been teased throughout other novels.

Highly recommended, but read the Season for Scandal novels first.