Clandestine Affairs: Book 1
Release Date: September 29, 2020
Desire knows no reason…
When Lady Delilah Chambers finds herself stranded at a country inn on a rain-swept evening, she’s forced to fend off a group of ruffians with the help of a handsome gentleman. Irresistibly drawn to each other, Leela and the stranger spend one reckless night in each others’ arms—and then go their separate ways. But the very next day Leela receives the shock of her life when she meets the duke who is set on wedding her beloved stepdaughter.
When it finds two destined hearts…
One night isn’t enough with a woman as fierce, fiery, and brilliant as Leela. Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington, cannot believe his good fortune when their chance encounter leads to an unforgettable evening of passion. Yet Hunt’s luck runs out when he is introduced to his prospective mother-in-law. Dowagers aren’t supposed to look like this…
Leela and Hunt are determined to keep each other at arm’s length, which should be easy enough for two intelligent adults with reputations to uphold. The problem is all logic is lost when it comes to a passion that refuses to be ignored.
Her Night with a Duke is a wonderful Regency book by Diana Quincy. It is the first book in her new series, Clandestine Affairs. There were many things to love about it, but the strongest element is that Quincy embraces her own heritage and invites the reader to learn and enjoy.
This is a classic one-night-of-passion story with some interesting twists. The heroine, Lady Delilah (Leela) Chambers, has an unusual past. Her father, the “Mad Marquess,” married her Arab mother for love, but the marriage and children were never accepted by society. After the death of her parents, she married an older man in order to be taken care of. After being widowed she is returning to the family estate to assist her stepdaughter (who is only nine years younger than Leela). Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington, had decided it was time to marry and was traveling to meet with the girl he has chosen. Leela and Elliot were stranded overnight at an inn where they enjoyed an unforgettable one night stand. When they reached their destination, it was, of course, revealed that her stepdaughter and his potential bride are one and the same.
So many things made Her Night with the Duke a winner. Leela was secretly the author of a very popular travelogue about Arabia. I loved watching her bargain to be fairly paid for her work. As Leela embraces her mother’s culture we readers are exposed to language, food, and social practices. Elliot was rigid and principled before the encounter at the inn. Quincy used emotional role reversal as Elliot struggled with his attraction to Leela. Elliot was the highly emotional, sometimes irrational one. And he did some of the best groveling ever. Finally, the book set us up nicely for the next book about Leela’s mysterious brother. A not-to-be-missed book with solid writing and fresh content.
*ARC provided through Netgalley.
