The Lady in Red by Kelly Bowen

For a novella, this was quite a full story. We get Lady Charlotte Beaumont who cannot be considered a good painter because of her gender. Then there is Flynn Rutledge who has not been considered for the Royal Academy because of his background. When these two each get a chance to work on a job together, Charlotte is first brought in as Charlie. Yes, the method of getting her on the job are a little overly complicated and, yes, there is a bit of an overused plot-line but this was a fast read and very enjoyable.

This novella comes out December 5
Three and a half stars
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Between the Devil and the Duke by Kelly Bowen

Angelique Archer is trying to support her family in the only way she knows how, by counting cards at the only club open to women, LaVoie's. She revels in the knowledge that she can feel safe because she is unnoticeable and completely forgettable.
Except someone has noticed her, Alexander LaVoie, club owner and rumored assassin. He is curious about this woman who comes in and always wins... but never extravagantly, never drawing attention to herself. And then he finds out how truly wonderful she is at mathematics. Between her brains and her wit, he feels himself start to slide into love.  He's just convinced her to become a dealer in his nightclub (she wants to know how much his customers should win, she's worked out the probabilities and is prepared to keep it to whatever level Alex likes), when her brother, a marquess, is arrested for murder.
Angelique is going to need not only the help of Alex to get her brother out, but the Chegarre Agency as well.
Angelique was a little annoying just because she was SO SMART and Ms. Bowen kept showing us HOW SMART she was but I really liked that she created her own agency, even when it seemed like it should have been unavailable as an unmarried woman of that time.

Four stars
This book comes out January 31

A Duke to Remember by Kelly Bowen

The book opens with Elise, dressed as a (male, of course) doctor in the bowels of Bedlam. She's examining the Duchess of Ashland. The elderly woman has been declared insane and is now being held captive and kept under heavy sedation. Chegarre and Associates have been hired by the duchess's daughter to find out where her mother has gone. Elise has discovered that the woman's nephew has had her declared insane. Why? Is it perhaps that the duchess is correct when she says that her son is still alive (meaning that the nephew will be unable to inherit the duchy and the fabulous wealth that comes with it)? When the enigmatic crime lord King comes to tell Elise that he will pay for her to discover the whereabouts of the presumptive duke, she becomes even more curious.
But when she meets Noah (miraculously quickly, her own words), she finds that he is not a dimwit nor even a haughty duke but a man very much to be admired. Not only physically but because of his spirit.
Of course, there are issues. Mainly, the duke's cousin very much wants him dead. But the two work through and also manage to fall in love.
What? A heroine who isn't a virgin? And has actually enjoyed a man's bed before? Love it. A man who can admit that a woman might be better at him than something? In a manner that isn't overwhelmingly preachy from the author? Also loved. Would have liked a bit more build up to the end but overall an enjoyable book.

Four stars
This book comes out July 26