For the Duke's Eyes Only

July 30, 2018
A kiss lands lovers-turned-rivals on the same quest to recover a stolen artifact in this flirty, fast-paced historical romantic thriller, the second in Bell’s School for Dukes Regency series (after What a Difference a Duke Makes). Leaving Lady India Rochester was heartbreaking for Daniel, Duke of Ravenwood, but duty to the Crown called. Unbeknownst to her, he became a spy to clear his deceased father’s name. Indy despises the man Daniel seems to have become, but when a piece of the Rosetta Stone is stolen, she sets her animosity aside to assist in recovering the artifact, which is imperative to her next quest. The two spend as much time bickering and “hate-kissing” as they do searching for clues, but their undeniable attraction and emotional connection is too much to ignore. There are plenty of suspects and action-packed moments, but some of the thrills fall short for such a large adventure. Readers will applaud the intelligence and bravery of the duo and anticipate their union. Their verbal sparring is excellent, but the lovemaking often starts abruptly with little transition, and the book’s conclusion doesn’t live up to the intriguing premise. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM.

Starred review from September 1, 2018
Once upon a time when they were both quite young, Daniel stole India Rochester's heart and broke it. Now Daniel, the Duke of Ravenwood, is trying to steal archaeologist India's one chance to prove herself professionally, but she isn't about to let him get away with it. India needs the Rosetta Stone in order to help her locate Cleopatra's Tomb, but the artifact has been replaced with a fake. Ravenwood insists that India let him handle the dangerous job of locating and retrieving the genuine item, but India knows the real danger is in trusting him. Fortunately, India has one ace up her sleeve. Since their betrothal was never formally broken, India and Ravenwood are still technically engaged. So, if Ravenwood thinks he is just going to slip away to Paris to find the real Rosetta Stone, he had better plan on bringing his fianc�e with him! RITA-nominated Bell proves she is in fine literary fettle with the latest marvelously creative addition to her School of Dukes series (What a Difference a Duke Makes?, 2018) by serving up another small-scale romantic masterpiece, whose beguiling combination of winsome writing, wicked wit, and steamy sensuality is simply too good to miss.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)