Olivia and the Masked Duke

Lady Charlotte's Society of Angels, Book 1

By: Grace Callaway

Narrated by: Marian Hussey

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A new historical romance series from USA Today best seller Grace Callaway.

He saved her life when she was a girl. Now she is a woman determined to heal his heart...

Spirited debutante Lady Olivia McLeod, cherished daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Strathaven, has two interests: solving mysteries and winning the love of her rescuer and secret crush, the infamous Duke of Hadleigh. When Livy joins Lady Charlotte Fayne's charity for young ladies and discovers that it is a front for a covert investigative agency, she is thrilled. Livy dedicates herself to solving a deadly case. Little does she realize that the path to danger will also lead to her heart's deepest desire.

Notorious widower Ben Wodehouse, the Duke of Hadleigh, has only one goal in mind: redemption. After his tortured past, he channels his demons toward helping others, and the last thing he wants or deserves is innocence. Yet temptation taunts him by transforming the little girl he once saved into an alluring young woman. A dozen years younger than him and the daughter of his friend, Livy is everything he cannot have...and everything he needs.

Will perilous secrets, past and present, tear Livy and Ben apart? Will succumbing to their forbidden desires lead to their happily ever after? Find out in this steamy, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance filled with mystery and adventure!

Grace's books feature sizzling-hot historical romance, fun and feel-good happily ever afters, and exciting mystery and adventure. Her books are stand-alones that can also be enjoyed as part of her interconnected series.

©2021 Grace Callaway (P)2022 Grace Callaway

Critic reviews

"A very hot and perfectly paced page turner, all the way to happily ever after." (NPR)

When will the others be released

I am a big Grace Calloway fan. I have read all the other series thus far and excited for this one.
I read this book as well as Pippa and the Prince already, but audible adds another dimension to the story. Grace writes the best sex scenes. The characters are all interesting, eager to hear more about Fiona and Glory. I already know what happens with Pippa 😉

Listeners beware

It is a good story but some of the romance scenes get a bit over the top so you will have to speed true them.

Amazing start to a new series!! Loved it!!

Steamy, exciting, fun, heartwarming, swoonworthy!! All the frippery of regency romances with the intrigue of James Bond, or rather, ahem, Charlie's Angels.

I think some of the other reviews are from readers who don't like any steam in the HRs. If you don't want to hear passionate lovemaking, this isn't the book, series, or author for you.

Grace Calloway writes delicious, sweet, titillating, incredibly passionate and very tasteful sex scenes that truly capture the magic of the intimacy in joining two people meant for one another. The steam is plentiful without being gratuitous.

Olivia is not insipid!! She is bold, brave, clever, and lives life with a heart full of childlike excitement and a spirit that refuses to be dulled by the confines of polite society. She was voted most stubborn, I mean determined, debutante after all.

The Duke is a tender-hearted Dominant who's been wounded soul deep by his past. He is reluctant, but he is also strong enough to fight for what he can't deny he wants.

The Society of Angels is a brilliant premise for the series and I cannot wait for more books to come to audio!!

Marian Hussey is an excellent narrator. Her unique voices for the various characters, male and female alike, and her stellar pronunciation bring the story to vivid life.

Overall, excellent!!!

Disjointed

First, the narrator was very good, nice pleasant voice. The beginning of the book was well done, explaining how the protagonists met, catching my attention immediately. As the story developed the plot lines didn’t connect well and the transitions between them were disjointed.
The relationship between Ben and Livy was a bit odd and Ben’s motivation for his sexual proclivities was not well explained. Livy in her interactions with Ben, was presented as a nice, young, naive girl exhibiting “little girl” decision making and behaviors. Ben almost always referred to her as sweet, young, inexperienced and needing someone to take charge of her while concurrently becoming sexually aroused.
Livy’s sexually suggestive behavior was oddly aggressive given her experience, thus, giving the appearance of a young girl trying to seduce an older experienced man. Her parents, friends, and Charlotte, leader of The Society of Angles, viewed Livy as aggressively independent, bold, having a mind of her own, and set on getting what she wants. This was at odds with her interactions with Ben where she behaved young, dependent, and obedient.
My long winded point here is that “dominance” bedroom games can be fun when between consenting adults. However, Ben and Livy’s sexual relationship was inappropriate for two reasons: 1) Ben set the rules that had to be obeyed or he would not be involved with Livy inside or outside the bedroom, i.e. coercing her to “obey me or forget me.” 2) Livy was too young, inexperienced, and dependent on Ben for familial support (he had been there for her throughout her adolescence) and she felt she owed him since he had saved her life, consciously or subconsciously all of this affected her ability to make an adult to adult choice about being in love and/or in a dominant sexual relationship with Ben.
Their developing relationship was the primary focus of the story, Ben’s need for dominance and Livy’s acquiescence to and support of his proclivities.
I was somewhat disturbed by the focus for the afore mentioned plot and character behaviors mainly because these were not resolved - Ben and Livy did not experience self discovery and personal growth. Because their relationship was based, in my opinion, on preconceived notions, obligations, age differences, and experiences that put Ben in a position of power over Livy and was not satisfactorily resolved, I found the book difficult to enjoy.
I am not fully recommending it, however, Ms. Callaway’s writing is very good and makes for a relaxing way to spend an afternoon reading.

Yuck!!! Terrible ... skip this one

The hero is an overbearing bully who thinks that someone being like a disciplined child for him is love ! It made me feel Ill There is not one character in this book that is either believable or endearing. I can't even talk about the heroine She was just completely a door mat and even her "spunk" was childish and desperate I'm going to try to get my credit back If you use a credit on this book you will want to do the same

Not for me

I like a story with substance and character background. And I like a more romantic and classy way of writing.
Hearing, “I’m going to f*** that p****” does nothing for me. Hearing it over and over, at every “romantic moment” just ruins any thread of a story this had. Plus, those “steamy” scenes didn’t even match up with the characters! I didn’t even finish it.
I’ll just stick with a more classy style of reading.