Review: I truly LOVED it...am anxious to delve into the rest of the series.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 3, 2014
I love Regency romances, and have read (or listened to Audible) many, many in the past years.  This one was true to form, very suitable for the genre.  I admit I didn't read the end matter (introduction to the next book in the series)...but that doesn't change the fact that I'm interested in tracking down, buying, and reading it!  This prequel did its job.This short novella worked on so very many levels:~ The cover is RIGHT; this is *not* a sweet romance, a huge turning point is the significant sexual play between Alex and Charlotte.  The cover let me know right away that I could not expect "sweet" standards.~ Alex and Charlotte have known each other since they were children, and spent so much time in the same household, "Charlotte was an honorary family member."  This allowed the very few pages to develop the romance, which was completely believable.~ This short novella covers 2+ months.  It's very understandable that time passes between key scenes.  Suzanna Medeiros did a great job showing us only those key scenes.  The pacing rocked!~ The end had a fabulous, satisfying conclusion.  The emotional trappings (for both of them!) at the end was so rewarding!  While in only Charlotte's point-of-view, I could FEEL Alex's pain.  Beautiful!~ Ms. Medeiros presented this short work with an economy of words.  I'm pleased the story was told without wordiness, without superfluous scenes or dialogue or 'telling' what happened.  Very well crafted.  Kudos, Ms. Medeiros!~ Alex, the Duke, was so darn yummy!  I couldn't help but love him.  And I found Charlotte's affectations of a confident, self-assured woman to be incredibly endearing.  Likeable characters I was rooting for from the very beginning.A tidbit that caught me off guard:~ Zero mention that THE catch of the season, the Duke (in question; Alex, of course) was courting and then commits to MISS Charlotte Grant.  I fully expected her lack of a titled father would play a role in this story.  After all, it's a given in the genre.  I would've loved to have heard Alex's statement that (I'm paraphrasing) 'Dukes can do whatever they want' came earlier, or that he was completely unconcerned that her dowry was only 'adequate' and her father untitled.  Maybe this 'blip' is just in my own somewhat tainted-by-fiction-and-several-other-Regency-writers understanding of the Rules of Society.Highly recommended to fans of spicy Regency Romance.