The Love of a Libertine

The Love of a Libertine by Jess Michaels The Duke’s Bastards #1 What if your father was a selfish lord that took what he wanted when he wanted to and ended up with children that are half siblings but don’t know one another all that well? And, what if the lord’s son, now a duke, has decided to become friends with his half siblings and those half siblings are less than impressed with the idea? Well, if that were to happen then you might have the makings of an interesting series and that is just what I believe this series will be. Robert has bailed Morgan out again and this time suggests he work as a man of affairs for a friend of his. So, Morgan agrees and heads off to start his job. The first person he notices…REALLY notices…is Elizabeth, his employer’s sister. Morgan is taken with Lizzie but is there any way the two can or should be together with the gap in social status and the back stories they carry…that is the question. What I liked: *Elizabeth: a good woman that made a mistake and has lived with it for four years. She fears gossip, is shy and sometimes referred to as a mouse but if that is so then she is one of the mice that roared. * Morgan: a man who has a checkered past. He is intelligent, musical, artistic, and perfect for Lizzie. * Hugh: Elizabeth’s brother who is there for her no matter what. He seems to have forgotten she is an adult and tries to wrap her in cotton * Robert: Morgan’s brother is a rake that settled down with the right woman. He cares about his half siblings and wants the best life for them. * Ewan: Loved seeing him again along with the three wives of the dukes in this story * The idea of how one’s past can have such a huge impact on people * The way Morgan and Lizzie were there for one another. REALLY liked their story! What I did not like: * Aaron…the man in Lizzie’s past. It was so easy to dislike him! * Having to say goodbye to the characters in the book and having to wait to find out who will star in book two of the series. Did I enjoy this book? Definitely Would I read more in this series? Without a doubt Thank you to NetGalley and The Passionate Pen, LLC for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

Can the past be overcome? Jess Michaels at her best with her wounded characters that always draw me in to see how they achieve their redemption. A perfect combination of angst, past hurts and resentments, with amazing characters that are etched out of their experiences, truly only wanting love and acceptance. This is Morgan's story, one of the bastard sons of the prolific Duke of Roseford, as he seems to have inherited his sire's wastrel ways and how Robert, the true heir and his half brother helping him get free and put his life together. But even more, it is also Lizzie's story, who had a heart wrenching experience when she was only sixteen and has no use for libertines or rakes and ends up having Morgan working as the steward to her brother. The two seem to be paired together and begin to form a friendship and realizing they have a lot in common. Can Morgan come to be the man he should and Lizzie trust again? A truly magnificent story and a wonderful beginning to this new series that I eagerly await to read. A story of the heart. I read this through NetGallery and the Publisher.

Jess Michaels sure knows how to write stories that will have you not wanting to stop reading until you reach the last page! Be prepared to fall in love with Morgan, a bad boy with a tortured soul. At first all you want to do is give him a good shake but once you learn why he acts the way he does, you'll just want to hold him tight. When Morgan finds himself working as a Man of Affairs for his half-brother's friend, he meets Lizzie, his employer's sister. It's instant attraction but Lizzie is keeping a secret and holds him at bay while he thinks he's not good enough for her because of his past and lack of title. Even as they try to ignore each other, though, hot passionate kisses happen and the struggle is real.... Morgan is also being threatened, his past catching up to him. Very well written with characters that are believable and friends that have each other's backs. I thoroughly enjoyed this new book by Jess Michaels and give it a solid 5 star rating. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.