The newest entry in her The Palace of Rogues series is a lovely enemies to lovers story of Mariana, an opera singer caught in a scandal only marginally of her making, and James Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, a straight-arrow war hero who initially views her as only another lightskirt. How the two of them develop a liking and respect for each other makes for a very enjoyable read. And then there's the chemistry that builds between them, which both of them try to ignore because of the seeming impossibility of it all. And yet it's not, which is handled in a pretty believable way, with a slow burn that turns into a raging fire. A number of characters from previous books in the series also make an appearance and adds to the satisfaction of reading this book. I definitely recommend it.

100% full disclosure: I love Julie Anne Long. Even adequate Julie Anne Long is better than 97% of what I read in historical romance. In After Dark with the Duke, there is an opposite attracts theme between Mariana Wylde, the “Harlot of Haywood Street,” who escapes scandal and her reputation to the loftily named Grand Palace on the Thames and the renowned General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk. Valkirk has taken up residence because he is struggling to write his memoirs. Fourth in a series of five (so far), the growing cast of characters are all here, who I enjoy revisiting. This somewhat obscured the fact that this felt like a very, very slow burn between the two protagnonists. But it couldn't quite obscure that Valkirk was really, really quite a jerk. It is eventually his acting like a jerk that forces the proprietresses to box him into making amends, and that is when Mariana and he are forced together, finally getting the story going. There is a lovely romantic gesture at the end, but after letting the story sit for awhile, I'm not quite sure I believed in these two characters truly being for each other. However, still recommended.

4.5 stars

An ARC was provided by Netgalley for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

I received an advanced reader's copy of After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long.

I enjoyed the setting of a boarding house along the docks of the Thames. Valkirk's character as a decorated war hero was portrayed well. Mariana had a need to be the center of attention and needled Valkirk to get it. The trait appears to be a part of her personality and it fits with her being a performer. Some of the exchanges between Mariana and Valkirk were so tense that you wondered why they would want to be around each other much less want to be together. Even though they're opposite, they need each other to grow and become more well-rounded characters. There was a good amount of conflict between the two throughout the story due to their opposing character traits.

The scenes between Valkirk and his son were heartwarming.

The HEA moment was sweet and brought the story to a satisfying end.

My first book for Netgalley November and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! Chloe Liese put this one on my radar and I’m so glad she did because WOW!

After Dark with the Duke is a historical romance with a grumpy older hero and a younger sunshine heroine. It’s forced proximity, enemies to lovers with some of the very best verbal sparring I’ve ever read. One of my most favorite ways to write enemies to lovers is when one harshly misjudges the other based on assumptions they’ve made while the other (who knows they’re innocent) puts up a brave front while enduring the judgment. Then as they get to know each other, the truth is revealed and the reckoning is always SO GOOD! Millla Vane does my favorite example of this in A Heart of Blood and Ashes and I couldn’t help but think of that one while reading this.

In the case of this book, it’s James, the Duke of Valkirk who was so wrong about Mariana. He’s a stoic, buttoned up war hero known to and revered by all for his life of honor. When he reads that Mariana instigated a dual between her two lovers resulting in one of them almost dying, he assumes she is the worst most frivolous kind of person. Mariana is an opera singer finally catching her big break when the gossip rags attempt to utterly destroy her character. The article incites a mob that drives her from her current place of residence and to the home where James happens to also be renting a room while he attempts to write his memoirs.

One of the rules of staying in the house is that guests must have dinner together and socialize a few nights a week and the rising tensions between them come to a head after several nights of this. After being unforgivably rude to Mariana, James agrees to give her Italian lessons to help with her career. These lessons go from his study to his bedroom and OH MY GOODNESS they are hot. If you enjoyed Feyra and Rhysand’s reading lessons, you will highly enjoy this.

Thanks so much to Avon for this arc of After Dark with the Duke which comes out at the end of this month. It’s the 4th in a series that I have not read the previous books from and it worked out fine. I will definitely go back and read the others now though, and anything else I can find by Julie Anne Long.

Mariana Wylde, known as the “Harlot of Haywood Street,” is an opera diva ruined by a duel fought for her favors. She takes refuge with the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames, and quickly gets off to a poor start with another guest: war hero General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, who is staying at the Grand Palace while he writes his memoir.

This is the fourth book in The Palace of Rogues series, which centers around the Grand Palace on the Thames boardinghouse. This is my first time reading Julie Anne Long, so I don’t know if this book would have been better read in order. There are clearly secondary and background characters who have appeared in the previous books.

The story begins with Mariana fleeing her lodgings while being hunted by an angry mob and arriving at the Grand Palace. She doesn’t have much money so she trades her talent for room and board, agreeing to a ticketed singing performance. Judgmental James has read all about Mariana’s notorious reputation and immediately snubs her. In turn, she is nasty right back and things escalate until he takes the insults too far and is forced to apologize.

I thought the story hit a good stride when James agrees to give Mariana Italian lessons. They begin to let down their guard and reveal personal details that help them understand more about each other. But the story lost momentum for me, and I struggled to connect to their romance. Overall, a decent read, but not one that will be memorable for me.

Tropes: Class Difference, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Lessons (Italian), Age Gap Romance

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

I DNF'd this at the 19% mark, and while this was not for me I think there is plenty there for those who like this type of historical romance.

Where I think others may enjoy this book: it is sweet and the antics of the visitors seemed right out of Pride & Prejudice (Mr. Delacourt is the absolute best).

I really liked Mariana, especially that she was an opera singer (yay, something different for a historical romance!), but Valkirk was the typical cold duke and I got quite bored with his holier-than-thou attitude. I found their constant clashing tedious.

There is also a supporting cast, but I felt that they were not fully realized even though they had their own books or appeared in those previous books. Notably, the proprietors of the Grand Palace on the Thames were so interchangeable and did things together so often that they felt like a single character. I still can't figure out who was who, especially when the author would bounce back and forth with their first names and Mrs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

This is an entertaining, well-written, steamy historical romance novel, which is written with wit and a touch of humor. It is fast paced with likable, engaging, and well-developed characters. The slow burn romance between a war hero and an opera singer sizzles, there is a magical performance, and a perfect, happily ever after ending. This is the fourth entry in Ms. Long's outstanding Palace of Rogues series, and can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series with great anticipation.
I won an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Avon, as part of their From the Heart newsletter giveaway, and this is my honest opinion. Many thanks to Ms. Long, Avon, and NetGalley, who kindly provided a copy of this novel to me.

I must alway remember that Julie Anne Long takes the long road to developing her characters and setting up their love story. But while she takes longer than I expect, it always pays off. This story of Mariana, an opera singer chased from her home by scandal, and James, a famous general hiding away to write his memoir, is filled with smart banter, tension that snaps with heat and wit, and a hotel filled with characters that we have grown to love through this series. You do not have to read them in order, but I do love how we get a little bit more of the characters in each book.

James Blackmore, Duke of Valkirk, rents a room at The Grand Palace on the Thames to have a quiet place to write his memoirs. At 43, he’s an accomplished man, a war hero of great wealth, and the model of valour. Mariana Wylde is a renowned leading soprano, whose fame extends from the stage to Dot’s favorite page 6 gossip columns. She arrives at the Grand Palace with her reputation in tatters and no money for a room. Our proprietresses Angelique and Delilah arrange to have Mariana put on a performance in exchange for her stay. Very little pleases the Duke less than this interruption to his peaceful writing retreat, especially when, as punishment for an impunity, Angelique and Delilah insist that Valkirk give Miss Wylde Italian lessons. Of course, the lessons provide an opportunity for our starchy hero Duke and vivacious soprano to see past the barriers they’ve each constructed to protect their hearts from the rest of the world. With her trademark wit, humor, and beautiful writing, Julie Anne Long, brings us another heartfelt and steamy stay at The Grand Palace on the Thames.

After starting Palace of Rogues this past summer, After Dark With the Duke was my most anticipated fiction for the fall, and it did not disappoint me. I generally don’t care for age gap romances because too often there is a power imbalance, but as with all of JAL’s couples in this series, Mariana and James fit together so well. Their dynamic banter makes you fall in love right alongside them. James may be a Duke, but he has humbler origins, and Mariana grew up as a tradesman’s daughter, so once each are able to see past the others’ current stations, the playing field of power levels. Unlike book 3 which felt more focused on Lillias and Hugh, book 4 brings back even more of our other TGPOTT residents as they prepare for the Night of the Nightingale performance and as Tristan and Lucien exhibit behavioral tendencies that are as protective as their wives’ are towards their guests. Ultimately, most of all, I love how fiercely the main characters become *more* true to themselves when they find their match.

You could probably enjoy After Dark With the Duke without reading books 1-3, but you won’t feel like as much of a guest at The Grand Palace yourself if you skip them.

I received this book as an ARC. I really enjoyed this book. The bickering between the Duke and Marianna at the beginning and his teaching her Italian and falling in love with her and changing his opinion of what society thought of her was wonderful. The surprise ending was touching. I would highly recommend reading.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This is , in my humble opinion, the best of the series. I liked the previous book as well but it was much slower paced and while I enjoyed the clever conversations and banter, I needed more. This book delivered. The characters reminded me a bit of my all-time favorites : Christine and Wulfric Bedwyn (from Mary Balogh's Slightly Dangerous) but they were their own people and absolutely delightful. You have an icicle of a Duke (a self-made one, nonetheless) and a highly successful opera singer who finds herself in a pickle but has all intentions to get herself out of it. The story has an enemies to lovers vibe (I think JAL loves this trope and writes it very well) but it's not because of a personal feud but because of what each of the characters stands for. It's truly delightful to see those two come together in a delicious HEA. And I even enjoyed the Duke's faux-pas (not going to mention it here to avoid spoilers) that ultimately lead to some good old-fashioned groveling on his part.

I had a hard time getting into this book. There was so much information thrown at the reader in the beginning and I stopped reading a number of times. Each time I came back to the book, I was not drawn into the story. Stopped reading at 30%.

I always forget in between books how brilliant Julie Anne Long is. Her writing feels effortless, her characters are so clever and hilarious and loveable and multifaceted. The Duke started off on the wrongest of feet with the heroine in After Dark, and I honestly wasn't sure he was going to be able to un-arsehole himself enough to win this reader over. I should never have doubted Ms. Long. I adore this book, and all the others in this series. I hope to share the sitting room at the Palace of Rogues...erm, The Grand Palace on the Thames...with Julie Anne Long's delightful characters for a decade at least.

Big thanks to Avon Publishing for the e-ARC of this book. I won the NetGalley widget through a giveaway they included in their newsletter. This is being given honestly and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

*this gave me similar vibes to Ice Princess by Elizabeth Hoyt, in the sense of opposites attract and mutual pining with a Hint of 'how can we truly be together?' SO if you enjoyed that book you'll love this one

5 big fat stars because this book was SO good. I feel like I say this all the time but this book shocked me big time with how much I loved it. I honestly wasn't exactly sure what to expect in this book based on the synopsis but this book exceeded any expectations I had. I also feel like the synopsis doesn't really do the book itself justice.

I'll be very upfront about why I was so shocked by how much I loved this book. The first ~30% of the book was not that fun for me. I felt that our hero was very misogynistic and assumptious towards our heroine and because of his mindset he treated her poorly to the point where I was SO mad on her behalf and hated that the heroine felt (and eventually did) have to prove herself/ explain things to the hero for him to properly understand. I hate when people say 'just ignore X amount of this bio because I promise you it's worth it' but I guess I'm people now.

Literally after this issue was resolved everything was great for me! I could really feel the tension between the characters and loved how the author was able to really make me feel the chemistry between our MCs without having to tell me every 5 pages because their attraction was very much 'read between the lines' and subtle hints and looks between themselves. I did feel like this was a mild slow-burn because of the way they both tried to keep their feelings at bay and eventually admitted it to each other.

This book was also pretty angsty (angstier than what I usually read at least) in my opinion but I thought it fit so well with this book and these characters. I really loved the Author's writing style and how seamlessly the book flows as well as how organic the romance felt.

I highly recommend this book and can't wait for it to be published later this month!

4.25 stars (so close to rounding up, but not quite there). As always, this series continues to be such a pleasure to read. There is less action in this one compared to past books in the series, but that did not make it any less compelling. After Dark with the Duke has an excellent enemies-to-lovers/age-gap romance, though both of those tropes are presented in a wonderfully nuanced way. As Mariana and James (the Duke of Valkirk) bond over Italian lessons at the Grand Palace on the Thames -- which James offers to Mariana as a mea culpa after the two have a hilariously snarky showdown in the parlor -- the differences between the two fall away as they gradually fall in love.

The two protagonists are both very interesting characters in that the way they are perceived by the outside world is very much at odds with who they are as people. Mariana is an aspiring opera singer who has built up a larger than life persona in order to move up in the opera world. However, much of the reputation is the result of her going along with what others believe about her, as opposed to being "earned" -- particularly the rumors regarding her string of relationships that resulted in a nearly fatal duel. James similarly feels constrained to live up to his reputation as being the most honorable man in England and a role model to all young boys. Though his reputation was earned fairly through his victories in the war, which earned him his title, his aspirations to create a lasting legacy mean he is forced to sacrifice his own interests in order to avoid any hint of scandal.

The only factor keeping this from rounding up to 5 stars is the ending, or rather the resolution of the major issues keeping Mariana and James apart. To keep it vague enough to avoid a spoiler tag: After so much angst and longing between the two, James' solution felt too low-key and easy, considering the legitimate nature of the issues that prevented them from being together. I was hoping for something a bit more dramatic (or public, for that matter), but will say that the resolution was very romantic and sweet in its own way.

I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series and getting to revisit the residents of the Grand Palace on the Thames!

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I loved this book so much that I've already read it twice.

The love story, the fact that the hero was in his forties versus Mariana in her twenties, that he was a true hero awarded by a dukedom while she is a disgraced opera singer alone in the world - I loved all of these tropes.

James, the Duke of Valkirk, is trying to write his memoirs and somehow, it is more difficult than winning battles when outgunned and outmanned. To cut down on the interruptions, he has taken rooms at the Grand Palace on the Thames. That stack of unmarred paper gets more intimidating by the day. And there is the question - will there be no more to his life? He knows he should probably remarry but has been putting that off too.

Mariana, the opera singer, didn't deserve her disgrace. Two of her admirers decided to duel, and society decided it was all her fault. Since she is likely to have trouble getting work in England, relocating to Italy seemed like a good plan ... only she doesn't speak or understand Italian. His Grace offers to tutor her, which will give him something other to do than to avoid writing his memoirs. Italian is such a romantic language ...

I received a review copy of this book from publisher Avon Books via Netgalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

After Dark with the Duke is a sizzling historical romance by Julie Anne Long. Good characters and a wonderful plot make this a winning story. Enjoyed!!!

This book was a really fun read! I really enjoyed the banter between the 2 main characters and their slowly developing relationship. It was also fun to revisit characters from previous novels. I always enjoy books by this author, and look forward to reading her upcoming books!

London - Nineteenth Century

Mariana Wylde, the talk of the ton, but not in a good way, has to hide from those who want to harm her. After a very brief fling with a young lord which she called off, he and a rival lord fight a duel over Mariana. One man is critically injured, and the entire city has put the blame on the young opera singer. With her career in shambles and unsure of where she can go, Mariana remembers a slip of paper she had about a boarding house on the docks operated by two women who may just sympathize with her situation. So, late one night Mariana A slips out of her flat, arriving at the door of The Grand Palace on the Thames.

Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Durand only accept certain people at their boarding house. And they all must agree to abide by their rules, or out they go. To Mariana, who has very little money, the rules are easily followed. An epithet jar is kept in the sitting room, all guests must gather together after dinner at least four times per week, all guests must be respectful of other guests, and curfew is at eleven p.m., which all sounded very reasonable to Mariana. Then she discovers that one of the other guests is a famous hero of the war, General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk. The duke is residing at The Grand Palace on the Thames to finish his latest book in peace, since his townhouse is being refurbished. Mariana tries to hide her awe of him as they gather in the drawing room the first night. But his coldness, and his reference to her name being mentioned in the newspapers sends her different vibrations.

James is somewhat nonplussed by the woman who caused a duel. He is used to hiding his feelings, to being strong, and ultimately unmoved by anything. This young woman, with her unflinching response to his rudeness, is maybe someone who he can understand. When that very rudeness he exhibited angers Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Durand, he agrees to appease them by giving Mariana Italian lessons so that she can understand the words in the operas.

As the lessons progress, so does a tentative friendship between Mariana and James. They both reveal some past experiences that have affected their lives. But both of them know that these new feelings can go nowhere. James is a national hero, and Mariana is a disgraced woman.

Book Four of The Palace of Rogues, AFTER DARK WITH THE DUKE opens with two people living in two different worlds, with, seemingly, nothing in common. Relaxing the norms is simply not done, and both James and Mariana know that. What could possibly go wrong?

Sparks fly when a daring diva clashes with an ice-cold war hero in the newest thrilling romance in USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s Palace of Rogues series.

She arrives in the dead of night, a mob out for blood at her heels: Mariana Wylde, the “Harlot of Haywood Street,” an opera diva brought low by a duel fought for her favors. But the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames think they can make a silk purse from scandal: They’ll restore her reputation and share in her triumph...provided they can keep her apart from that other guest.

Coldly brilliant, fiercely honorable, General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, is revered, feared, desired...but nobody truly knows him. Until a clash with a fiery, vulnerable beauty who stands for everything he scorns lays him bare. It’s too clear the only cure for consuming desire is conquest, but their only chance at happiness could lead to their destruction.

The legendary duke never dreamed love would be his last battleground. Valkirk would lay down his life for Mariana, but his choice is stark: risk losing her forever, or do the one thing he vowed he never would...surrender.

James and Mariana are enemies in this enemies to lovers title.
They clash brilliantly and love fiercely.
Julie Anne Long has done a brilliant job with this story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.