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Julie Anne Long is one of my favorite romance authors, and books like this are exactly why. After Dark with the Duke is a classic Long – she has paired two interesting, disparate characters, added loads of chemistry and just enough conflict to keep things interesting but not outrageous. As another standalone in the Palace of Rogues series, it should be easy to pick up even if you’re new to the author.
Mariana Wylde is a bit of a damsel in distress when she arrives at The Grand Palace On The Thames. A budding opera singer who’s been dogged by scandal since two gentlemen fought a duel over her, Mariana fled her flat when an angry mob formed outside and is in desperate need of a place to stay. Angelique and Delilah (the owners of the Grand Palace), sensing an opportunity to help while also making a name for themselves, offer Mariana a room in exchange for a performance. Despite her fears that people will avoid the event due to the scandal surrounding her, Mariana agrees and quickly settles into life at the Grand Palace, enjoying its charming rules and interesting array of guests.
Well, Mariana enjoys most of the other guests. One of the rules set by the owners is that all guests should gather for meals regularly, which proves trying for Mariana whenever the “Valorous Duke of Valkirk” appears.
James Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, was granted his title in recognition of his military service, and is renowned for his upstanding character and wisdom – British schoolboys everywhere study his book Honor as a guide to living a moral life. In other words, James is about as opposite a person to Mariana as you could find in the British Isles. Or so he thinks upon meeting her. Convinced by the scandal sheets that Mariana is a reckless diva who has little care for the men who fought over her, James is openly disdainful of the singer when forced into her company.
Rather than give in to any hurt at his obvious dislike, Mariana engages in a battle of wits with the duke, exchanging thinly veiled barbs each time their paths cross. After all the ways that people have misunderstood or misrepresented her, she’s determined not to take anything lying down, and it’s easy to like her for it. Mariana has a humble background and often doesn’t understand the complex words or foreign languages used in her presence. In this too, she is brave enough to ask for definitions and explanations from friends rather than dissembling. Despite her various disadvantages, Mariana is a courageous woman who keeps fighting for respect and a better life – and once James sees that, he’s a goner for her.
Their dynamic takes an abrupt turn when James takes an insult a little too far one night after dinner. Undaunted by his title, Angelique and Delilah kindly suggest (read: demand) that he apologize to Mariana and offer her lessons in Italian as a gesture of goodwill. Over afternoons spent together, James and Mariana slowly learn about each other. Misconceptions are corrected, and they tumble headlong into love with one another.
While Mariana is easy to like from the start, James is a more interesting case. When first described as the Valorous Duke of Valkirk, he seems almost annoyingly perfect, but the author deftly humanizes him with his quick judgment of Mariana based on gossip. This flaw allows Mariana to spar with him rather than sit in awe, and has the two of them throwing off quite a few sparks. Even once James has apologized and redeemed himself, he proves an interesting foil for Mariana. He may be the general, but she comes off as the more reckless fighter compared to his steady and determined approach to life. (One might almost call it plodding.) Together they strike a lovely balance.
Aside from these two interesting, opposite, yet well-matched main characters, the book is rounded out with a set of entertaining secondary characters who readers of the series will recognize. For example, the amusing Mr. Delacorte is still a long-term resident of the Grand Palace, enjoying the civilizing influence of the proprietresses and their rules. Long infuses this book with her characteristic good humor and light-hearted style, which fans of her work are sure to recognize and enjoy.
Whether you’re new to the series or a long-time fan, I would heartily recommend After Dark with the Duke as a fun opposites-attract romance to curl up with this winter.
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Grade: A
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 02/12/21
Publication Date: 11/2021
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
College student by day. Book enthusiast around the clock. With any luck I'll eventually be able to afford food AND books. But I've got my priorities straight.
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I’ve been on the fence about reading this one because the previous book was so poor… this review and all the comments are making me want to pick it up – thanks!
You’ll have to come back and say what you thought. I felt the same way—I’d gotten tired of some of JAL’s affectations in her writing, but the review and the comments are amazing, so maybe try? So I just dove into the sample on Amazon and I’m sort of halfway down, climbing back off the fence. There’s some sort of weirdness going on with the voice, especially when the two proprietors first meet the MC. Is it omniscient? I don’t know that I’ve ever seen omniscient showing the viewpoint of multiple characters within the same scene in consecutive paragraphs. I kind of got whiplash: Who’s thinking and feeling now? Oh it’s her, wait, now it’s her! Maybe I need to read more widely. Anyway, that popped me out of the story. But it sounds like it wasn’t an issue for lots of people, so could just be a niggle.
I agree with all the other comments. Lovely book full of witty repartee. I also enjoyed the character of Dot, the maid. So funny and sweet.
I’d love for Dot to have her own love story as a secondary plot.
From your lips to JAL’s ears!
I finished this last night, tearfully, as it was very easy to be emotionally invested in these two. It was one of the best historical romances I’ve read for awhile. Mariana is not silly or flighty but she is lonely. She’s extraordinarily talented and generally happy but she’s not all lightness. There are shadows in her life. James is the quintessential hero. Honorable to a fault and recognizes that his war effort may have been Britain’s best chance without a hint of pomposity. He was destined to be who he was and do what must be done but that destiny also isolated him from his family. They were long in love with each before either of them thought or declared it and it was lovely to read. Also Miss Long’s language is evocative in a really beautiful way. This one definitely deserves 5 stars.
When JAL is on her game, she is ON HER GAME.
This is getting amazing reviews down the board; am excited to read it!
Oh, I love Mr. Delacorte! Seriously, he’s one of my favorite recurring side characters ever.
MINE TOO!!
This sounds adorable and has been getting great reviews everywhere… but I didn’t read the first two. Is this the kind of series where a reader could just hop in the middle and easily get the gist of what happened before, or does it really not work as a standalone? Thanks!!
Yes but the long term characters who populate the inn will make more sense to you if you start at book one, Lady Derring Takes a Lover. This is actually book four in the series.
I liked this one far better than the one before it. Mariana and James are grownups and the plot is grounded in their choices rather than in a big mis or some external threat. As usual, Long’s writing is sublime and witty. She’s gotten 14 DIKs here at AAR for a reason!