Member Reviews
Publisher's Description: Robert Smithton, Duke of Roseford is known for his lusty appetites and his cold, cold heart. Still thanks to his title and his fortune, everyone wants him and he’s bored of it all. He wants something, but he cannot place what exactly that is. Until he meets Katherine, the Countess of Gainsworth. Married to an old man who died when they were making love, Katherine is just returning to Society. Although scandal follows her, so does interest, as the men of Society wonder about her prowess if it could kill a man. When Robert begins to pursue her, she is horrified. After all, she blames him for the circumstances that sent her into her loveless marriage in the first place. When Katherine ignores him, Robert only pushes harder and ultimately she begins to wonder if revenge is a dish best served through desire. What she finds when she touches him at last is pleasure unlike any she’s ever known, and a connection she does not wish to feel. Now she must decide if she wants revenge or happiness and Robert must determine if love is worth fighting for. My Thoughts: I am going to miss this series with only one more book to come after this one. It has been seriously a long time since I found a series so compelling that I could hardly wait for the next book. Jess Michaels has totally entranced me with this one. With a past between Robert and Katherine that our Duke does not recall and the animosity felt by Katherine toward Robert for that unfortunate time in her life, it would seem that our Hero and Heroine have either much or nothing to gain. Katherine can not help but to hold Robert responsible for her marriage to a much older man whom she never loved. He was after all the reason her pious father forced her to marry a man who was even older than himself. She has finally returned to society to find herself the subject of gossip and speculation. Robert is immediately attracted to Katherine but his intentions are far from honorable....at least to begin with. This second from final book in this wonderfully written series is not to be missed. Although they are much better read in the order in which they were released each book including this one can very well stand on it's own. I loved Robert the Rake's story. If anyone could tame this misbegotten rake it is surely Katherine. I gave this book 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development. We had met Robert previously in other books in the series but our heroine is new to us. The obvious attraction and heat between our couple ranks 4 of 5 flames. Katherine may not like the man to begin with but she most definitely desires him. I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the author/publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily. |
I loved Robert and Katherine's story! Robert is the reason that Katherine had to marry her husband, so now that she is a widow, there is no way she will allow him to seduce her. But what you mind wants and what your body craves can be two very different things. She soon gives into his seduction and finds pleasure that she didn't know was possible. Could this end up being more than just an affair? I loved watching these two find their way with each other and to their HEA! The next book in the series is the last. I'm excited for it to come out, but not for this series to end as I have throughly enjoyed it! |
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 💋💋💋 There is nothing better than a series , one that every time there’s a new book released you know you have to read it . The Duke Of Desire is one such book . I’ve been waiting for Robert’s story out of all of the Dukes , he is such a difficult one to imagine settling down and finding a Hea . I shouldn’t have worried, Jess Michaels has written a brilliant story with Robert and Katherine , it had me in tears and anxious at some points . It’s no spoiler but my sobbing part came with this sentence: “Please don’t revert to my title“ his voice cracked. “please don’t” A wonderful addition to this awesome series . Kits next . Time will go slowly till my next fix of the 1797 Club. I received an advance copy of this book, all thoughts are my own, and I chose to submit a review |
I am absolutely astounded at the talent of this author, once again she has written an utterly brilliant story full of love, laughter, intrigue and sin. The two main characters have lives that have been filled with so much hurt and tragedy, both never living a fulfilling life because of the actions of others. Robert Duke of Roseford and Katherine Countess of Gainsworth are enemies to lovers in this story of seduction and scandal. I was totally gripped by the back story that sets both Katherine and Robert down a path of destruction, that is until they get accidently pushed together and they get to know what lies deeper beneath the facade that they both have been forced to live behind. I absolutely love it when the hero of a story is a bad boy that gets tamed by the heroine and Robert is a libertine of the worst kind, but once we got to know more about him I just couldn't not love him and sympathise with him for all that he has suffered. Kathrin is a wonderful character, she is is a strong and passionate woman that even though she has lived a life repressed by her pious father she still has a kind and caring nature that is full of empathy for others. Together they were a great couple, and the flames of passion between them were fueled by Katherine's long time loathing of Robert that eventually you just knew that they would ignite! A brilliant story that played out so deliciously well, this is another great addition to this series that I have loved reading so much. 5 Amazing Stars! |
Robert, the rake of our Duke club, finally meets his match. Katherine is a strong heroine who has put up with a lot in her short life. Robert can’t understand her animosity towards him because he was too drunk to remember how he impacted her life. Despite wanting to hate him, Katherine still finds herself attracted toward and discovering the true nature of Robert versus what he conveys to the public. Another great romance from Jess Michaels. I couldn’t put this one down and will be sad for the series to end after Kit’s book next. Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. |
Another deeply appreciated by me book by Jess Michaels, where misunderstandings were frequent, but nevertheless the couple got their happy ending! I think there is only one more book due in this series and I am already mourning the 1797 Duke club! Un altro libro che ho apprezzato molto, soprattutto per il numero alto di fraintendimenti, nonostante i quali, ovviamente, la nostra coppia é giunta al lieto fine. Credo manchi solo un libro per concludere questa serie che giá mi manca un pochino! THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW! |
This is the first book I've read in the series and I enjoyed so much I'll be going back to the beginning to read all the books in the 1797 Club series. In this book, Katherine, the Countess of Gainsworth, wants nothing more than to be accepted back into Society after her husbands shocking death and to lead a quiet life. Unfortunately, scandal has followed her and there's nothing she can do about it. When the Duke of Roseford pursues her, Katherine pushes back against even being in the same room with him. After all, it was Roseford who ruined her life when she was an innocent. Ms. Michaels has a talent for creating characters that are complicated and likable all at the same time. I felt for both Robert and Katherine as they became closer and began to share their secrets. Both of them had hard a time in their early lives and it has shaped the people they are today. The attraction that grows between them is believable and I was routing for them to find the happiness so long denied them. Fans of regency romance will definitely enjoy this book. |
I have wanted to read Robert’s story since I first started this series. He was such a rogue that I didn’t know if he could be redeemed. It took a special someone to make that happen, Katherine, the Countess of Gainsworth. These two were perfect for each other. I loved how there was some backstory between the two, that shaped the future, especially hers. You do not have to read the rest of the books to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend that you do because they are all great! They are full of love, lust, romance, conflict, steamy sex, and HEA! They are also very quick reads, which is nice, because they are hard to put down! Dive in with Robert’s story, then go back and read the rest! I received a free copy for my review and here it is! Get it, read it, love it! |
Chelle N, Reviewer
I have loved this series by Jess Michaels and this instalment definitely in keeping. It’s a beautifully sensual romance and I loved the conflict the heroine faced. Which heroine doesn’t fight her attraction to suc a wicked Duke? Great story and I loved how interwoven all the other Dukes and a Duchesses were. |
She's working to live down her reputation. He's intent on living up to his. The world seems to have them all figured out, but not everything is as it seems. The Duke of Desire is a tale of redemption for two misunderstood hearts. Robert and Katherine are victims of circumstance. Prisoners of their own past hurts. Yet for some reason fate refuses to give up on these broken souls. Jess Michaels proves that even the most jaded of hearts is worth saving in the end. How can you not love a reformed rake? |
First off, I loved this book. Robert is a notorious rake and Katherine is a scandalized widow who holds him responsible for destroying her life in the first place. Robert learns to trust Katherine not to leave him and Katherine learns to be herself without fear of reprisal or worry about what others will say. This book is hot, but it's also a beautiful story of learning to risk your heart to another. |
love this series. wish it never had to end. beautiful courtship between two very different people and watching them come alive with each other is breathtaking. |
The duke of desire is about a duke who uses pleasure to keep real life away. Thanks to his qctions, life has lead him on quite a different path than he ever thought. For Robert nothing meant more than his next foray into pleasure... until Katherine. Shes by scandal but who could understand that more that Robert? Her relationships in life have been horrible and the people who should have cared just didnt. Now shes on her own and independent..... the problem? She cant get Robert out of her mind. These two will have a lot to overcome and it wont be easy. It was a good read and i enjoyed every minute of it. |
The ninth duke to tell his story is one I’ve wondered about since the very beginning of this series. Robert Smithton, Duke of Roseford, was shown to be the most lusty rake in all of England and certainly the biggest one of The 1797 Club. In the first eight novels, several of his exploits are revealed. One being sharing a lover with another member of the club at the same time. Another was dragging his brother duke, Matthew, to a masquerade where sexual favors were traded like candy. I didn’t have a very good impression of him until his involvement in Matthew and Isabel’s story, The Duke of Hearts. He finally showed what a loyal friend he was and that there was more beneath the lusty exterior. I was excited to finally get to the story that describes what actually makes Robert tick. It is more tragic than one might imagine. As it turns out, he needed to stumble over and over and over again to find love in a place he never expected. Katherine, the Countess of Gainsworth, is just coming out of mourning from a husband who died while they were in bed. She was forced to marry Gainsworth, twenty-five years her senior, when her pious father caught her in a barely compromising position. After her father’s hateful words about her wanton nature and the circumstances of her husband’s death, she fears everything about returning to society. With her late mother’s sister by her side, Katherine is brought into the circle of Duchesses. The wives of The 1797 Club embrace her into their lives and we get a chance to see her form lasting friendships with Isabel, Emma, Charlotte, Meg, Adelaide, and Helena. I loved seeing so many of the dukes and duchesses in this story! Both Robert and Katherine’s interactions with the rest of the club was an integral element to their love story. This was no ordinary love story by far. While Katherine is not the first widow to be pursued by one of the club, she is the first to want revenge on a club member. Michaels takes this new angle of a heroine and unrepentant rake and pulls their strings to make them create a new dance only they could perform. If you are a fan of this series, you need to read this novel as soon as possible. If you thought the other novels were passionate, this one burns the pages over and over again. I’m sad that only one duke remains, but I adore this series so much that I will continue re-read each and every one of them for years to come. I anxiously await to hear how Kit falls in love and Michaels brings this fantastic series to a close. I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. |
Angela D, Reviewer
Embrace who you are and who cares what others think…easier said that done, right? Throughout the story I could not help feeling sorry for both Katherine and Robert. She cannot embrace her inner self and he cannot believe love exists. Trusting, caring and sharing embodies the story. Again, I love how the members of the 1797 Club are not judgmental, they care about their friends even if it means harsh love. I think each new story is my favorite and even though Robert would not have been on my list to be as a favorite, he definitely is now on the list. |




