5 appearances can be deceiving stars!!
I love discovering new authors that can make me sigh with happiness while reading their books. This book had everything and more! I cannot believe how much was packed into this book yet it didn’t feel overdone. Also, can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is??? The colors are perfect and that dress *sigh* gorgeous!! The character on the cover actually looks like Elise would! Okay onto the book itself!!
I went into this book very hesitantly. I was unsure what to expect from the characters. Elise is my kind of heroine, strong, determined, loveable, and kind. Elise is a part time actor in a theater. When she is not working at the theater she works with her brother at Chegarre & Associates. This is the an elite company that handles scandalous things very discreetly. The fact that Elise can blend into any character so flawlessly makes her invaluable to the company. Elise is sent to find the real Duke of Ashland. His evil cousin has tossed the Duke’s mother into an insane asylum where she is being tortured. This cousin also won’t let his sister anywhere near the estate. I love how Elise is so forgiving and patient with the Duke. She understands his reasons for not going back but won’t leave him without protection. Might I also say that I loved how she met him in the beginning. It was such a vivid scene in my mind with the boys and etc.
The Duke of Ashland has been in hiding for years. His name is Noah, he ran away from the horrible place his family stowed him away. Noah’s father felt that he could change the quiet bumbling young man into a man worthy of Ashland. This backfires on his father when Noah flees to the country side. Only his sister Abigail know’s he’s alive. Then he runs into Elise and she eventually reveals why she actually came to town. I knew he had to go back in order for this book to work but honestly for a while I wasn’t sure if Noah would. I really enjoyed how he flat out admitted his faults to Elise and she admitted her’s right back. Noah’s character is strong and loving… He is so funny while he is trying to figure Elise out. She is such a contradiction this woman who is so beautiful yet knows how to creep through the forest like a ghost.
I have to say both of these characters got under my skin (in a good way). I also thoroughly enjoyed the side characters in this book. The characters banter throughout the book especially the main characters was very enjoyable. I wasn’t bored or skimming any paragraphs, I was hooked from the beginning. Even though it is the second book I didn’t feel left out at all, this could be read as a standalone. Here’s a little tidbit…
“Good.” She was smiling at him again. “I’ll happily lose at a lot of things if it’s required, but shooting cannot be one of them. I have some pride, you know.”
“You are…” He trailed off, unable to choose the right word. Incredible, Incomparable.
With me.
Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me this egalley for my honest review off of Netgalley. I honestly loved it!
This book is set to be published July 26th, 2016 (subject to change)
Goodreads link here.
book blurb….
Elise deVries is not what she seems. By night, the actress captivates London theatergoers with her chameleon-like ability to slip inside her characters. By day, she uses her mastery of disguise to work undercover for Chegarre & Associates, an elite agency known for its discreet handling of indelicate scandals. But when Elise is tasked with locating the missing Duke of Ashland, she finds herself center stage in a real-life drama.
Noah Ellery left the glamour of the London aristocracy to pursue a simpler life in the country. He’s managed to avoid any complications or entanglements—that is, until he lays eyes on Elise and realizes there’s more to this beautiful woman than meets the eye. But when Elise reveals her real identity—and her true feelings for him—the runaway duke must confront the past he left behind . . . to keep the woman he loves forever
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