Gold, Shifters, Mystery:
3.5 Star rounded up to 4
5 Stars for the cover:
I was very much looking forward to reading this story of the lion shapeshifter, but I was a bit disappointed in the overall book.
I'm sure it would have helped if I read the previous books of the series.
It didn't take long before I was got the main idea and was into the story. My problem is the story took so many different twists with so many characters that I was missing out on the really good love story between Alwyn and Tabitha. The romance was interspersed back and forth between events and the characters in different situations that constantly changed. I found myself skimming over quite a bit to get to the romance and saving the lion. The romance was well done and sensual. I almost gave up but wanted to find out how the romance turned out and I'm glad I stuck with it enough to finish.
I am impressed with the amount of imagination it took to write a complex story like this one.
Adult Advisory:
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really loved it. It was entertaining and super engaging with ‘em relatable characters, and, good word building and a solid plot line.

Once again we get to return to a historical world where shifters exist. They are in the royal family as well as in the aristocracy. A story is a little different because the hero was captured in his animal farm and once he escaped his leave demanded that he get married. It’s a fun book with great characters and the best dialogue. Combining paranormal with romantic historical fiction is the best idea. I highly recommend the book.

There's not a lot of paranormal historical romance and I appreciated this one. Good world building and plotting, interesting and lkeable characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An enjoyable story. A Duke at the Door by Susanna Allen was a hot, fire cracker of a story! The characters were enjoyable and likeable. Cant wait to read more!

Alas for there was a really lovely story buried in this book, but it was just that - buried.

Like its predecessor, A Duke at the Door was weighed down by the overwritten nature of the language, to the point that I had trouble really ever getting into the story. Alwyn and Tabitha should have pulled me in with their romance - I love a tortured soul and the person who helps them heal from their trauma - but I felt like the book constantly held me at a distance. The shifts in emotion consistently felt sudden, with Alwyn seemingly deciding at the drop of the hat to become Tabitha's suitor without really any build-up and Tabitha never really coming across as that invested at all.

It also seemed like the book was trying to do too much. Beyond the central romance, there was the intrigue of the traveling players and the arrival of a famous shifter author with nefarious intentions, as well as the meddling of Prince George, the goings-on of Lowell Close, and Tabitha's relationship with her brother. Nothing got the attention it needed, making the book as a whole feel scattered and unfocused.

It's a shame because the setup of this series remains delightful and the pining is top notch. But ultimately, A Duke at the Door just didn't really work for me.

3/5

I have to admit I was really skeptical about this book, because I didn't know how the story was going to go with shapshifters and historical romance. But once I got a few chapters into the story I really got hooked. Alywyn spent years trapped in his Animal Farm as part of a traveling circus. When Prince George consigns the newly human Alwyn to the Lowell estate to recover both his humanity and control over his lion form he proves the patient who challenges our heroines skills. As their budding romance starts to come about I have to admit I was really rooting for them. And I really enjoyed watching their love Story form. I think anyone who reads this book is really going to enjoy it from start to finish. I got an advance copy of this book from netgalley and this is my honest review and the review is of my own opinion.

This was an interesting story Regency Romance with Shifters. After being held in captive for years, Duke Alwyn escapes and need to re-integrate into society. Tabitha is a apothecary. She is brought in to try to help him. I like the back-and-forth chemistry of the H&H. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. This book has a bit of it all, friends-lovers, family dynamics, dastardly villain and best of all ---tons of shifters. It has what can be described as PTSD aspects. How do you help someone who has been thru so much? I thought the author handled this very well. There was a lot of stuff going on in the book. I did felt at times it was too wordy and missed something and had to go back and reread a page or two. However, overall I would read this author agian and recommend this book.

**I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book , I love the twist on shifter and historical romances combined, but I just couldn’t really get absorbed by it. The beginning really had me thrown. Honestly I’d forgotten the plot line when I began and I found myself completely confused by the first few pages until I recalled the story direction. I honestly thought so,some was having a mental breakdown or telling tales about a lion turning into a man until the king showed up and I recalled what was happening, per the blurb information. I kept going but I never really loved anyone in the book. It was a fantastic premise, but I think it needs a bit more work and refinement.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and made voluntarily.

I was so excited to receive an advance copy of this book, having thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series. In this third instalment, Duke Llewellyn is recovering from a period of captivity and the resident apothecary, Tabitha, is tasked with helping him to heal.

As with the other books, the hero is tormented, the heroine is unconventional and the romance is HOT. Tabitha and Alwyn's story is both funny and passionate, as this author has a special talent for making the reader feel ALL the feels. I particularly loves Tabitha's relationship with her brother, Timothy. I have to admit I had tears in my eyes more than once when reading their conversations with each other.

I would read anything by this author any time - I can't wait for more of the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for letting me read an ARC copy of this book.

Not my normal type of reading but I thought I would give it a go and I have to say that yes, I did enjoy the story and would read more from this author.

Alwyn, Duke of Llewellyn is a Lion Shape-shifter who had been tricked and imprisoned for years. After his escape, he didn’t trust many people and found it hard to communicate with anyone.

Tabitha is a healer and was sent to help Alwyn become the Alpha he once was but Alwyn refused to shift back to his Lion form due to his imprisonment. Although Tabitha isn’t a shifter, she has a special gift, she can see each person and know what type of animal shifter they are, which is really unusual because each shifter cannot ask another what they can change into. Finding love and trust with Tabitha finally he becomes the Lion and person he is meant to be whilst foiling a plot to imprison more shifters.

Both Alwyn and Tabitha find an everlasting love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alwyn is a Duke and a Lion Shapeshifter. He has been trapped in his lion shape for a long time by some nefarious people. He was able to escape by a combination of luck and a moment of more awareness than usual. He is now trying to adjust to life as a shifter in regency England. His friends(?) are conspiring to help him by giving him a place to stay and finding non-traditional healthcare provider to sort him out. Tabitha is a female apothecary who has been abroad for many years with her younger brother. Her brother left England to find safety abroad after his romantic relationship with a man ended very badly. Tabitha went with him in an effort to protect him and give herself broader horizons.

Tabitha and Alwyn definite suit each other. Even with Alwyn still hurting significantly from his imprisonment. Tabitha has her own scars - and has a major case of being toxically independent. Alwyn, for his part, seems to understand Tabitha in a way that she doesn't understand herself. Their relationship is complicated and multifaceted as they get to know each other and grow together towards a place where they can each find healing and a way forward.

All that being said - I had a hard time staying invested in this book and focused on it. I liked the story and was interested in what was happening but at times I felt like I was reading a text book above my reading comprehension level. I was also left with a lot of questions and uncertainty when it came to the overall storyline. Questions I was left with - I am still not really certain why the evildoer wanted to keep Alwyn as a lion - but maybe I needed to read more carefully? What the heck happened with O'Mara and what were her weird powers. Why did all the characters have to have similar sounding names so I continually got them confused? or maybe that was just me? Oy.

Anyway, I definitely would not recommend reading this as a starting point in the series. I was pretty lost for a good portion of the book - and I think that contributed to my overall rating here. I am guessing if you have read and loved the other books - this one would be a must read for you.

I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.

Duke Alwyn LLewellyn has been caged in his Lion shifter form by a traveling actor troupe. He has just escaped and is recuperating at the estate of another Duke. But he can no longer change into his beast and he’s not doing well in his human form, either.

Tabitha Barrington is an unconventional woman apothecary who has roamed the Continent and is full of medicines and tinctures and herbs. She is being asked to help Alwyn and she can’t imagine that any of her potions will aid him. From her journeys abroad, though, she does have more behavioral ideas to nurse him back to health and to help him Change.
They are brought together because of her medical knowledge… or perhaps it is because of some mating foresight?

As a Regency paranormal even “Georgie” has a role in the novel!It is gratifying to have an older heroine and one with such an unusual occupation. Alwyn, though somewhat vulnerable at first, comes out as quite a strong hero. There are some nice steamy scenes as well.

All the characters are delightful both in their ‘manskin’ and animal form. It is especially fun to visit with the secondary characters to see how their animal form also informs their ‘manskin’, especially the ones who try to court Tabitha. She can see both forms- a trait that appears only once a generation. It helps her to winkle out shapeshifters, a useful thing for finding those who’ve been trapped and held captive!

This is the third book of the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series by Susanna Allen. And I do think it would be best enjoyed if it is read in series order. There are some confusing bits if you’ve not read the others.

I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book it was awesome to read, the author has done a brilliant job writing this story and the characters were fantastic.

Alwyn is a lion shifter who trapped in his lion form in a menagerie show. He finally escapes and finds his king. The king says he needs to recover and be useful again. The king has Tabitha, a healer come to help him. They become very close.

The story is very interesting and entertaining.

I haven’t read the previous books in this series but since it’s historical, I figured it wasn’t necessary. Well.. oops. I was so confused in the beginning. I kept putting it down and ended up skimming the majority of it.

“She suspected she had no idea what to do. That had never stopped her before”
“Do you enjoy kissing?”
“As though you were the first and now have ruined me for anyone else”
A regency romance book with Bridgerton vibes but make it with shape-shifters … WOW this book was nothing like I was expecting !! And the fact that the main love interest is a LION shifter ?? Wow again !!!!
This book is the “Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde” series and I would recommend you to read the first two so you can have a full view of this world building and dynamics.
But even just reading this one was really good!!!
And the main character being an apothecary ??? Yes, please !!!!
I really enjoyed reading this book and the spicy scenes , though short , we’re good to read.
But most of all I loved the feeling of determination and independence that the main female lead gave me. She is a strong woman and she gives her opinion exactly when needed !!!
Check this one out and I hope that there’s still more to come !!
“He is not my Grace”
“And time. Time head all wounds”
“Does he know you love him?”

I really liked the premise, but I had to DNF. The beginning was SO wordy, it was hard to understand what was going on. There were too many flashbacks to then introduce what happened, and I felt like the author was "telling" me instead of "showing" me. It made the beginning so confusing and hard to pick up

Tabitha is a female apothecary brought into the world of shapeshifters to help Alwyn Ap Lewin, Duke of Llewellyn, find his lion again after he is released from many years of captivity. He is resistant to assistance but cannot fully put away dreams of finding his fated mate.

I enjoyed this book, the third in Ms. Allen's Shapeshifters series. The h is unapologetically smart and strong. She is also older than most h, which I really liked. Her interactions with the H and others were funny and engaging. I especially liked the interplay between her and her brother. The steam level was high (though only in the second half of the book) if you like that sort of thing (and I do!). Readers looking for period perfect regency romance may not find what they are looking for here. Setting aside the paranormal aspect, the book reads as if it could be taking place in modern times. Occasional references to carriages or corsets was not enough to keep me centered in the idea of this being a historical novel. The conclusion of the story was a bit rushed but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book.

I also liked seeing the characters from the previous books in the series be part of this story, though there were a couple times where Ms. Allen shifted into one of their POV that did not seem to flow, though it did advance certain plot points. I will definitely read future books in the series and would read other books by Ms. Allen as well.

**I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest review.**