[Skye’s Review]: After Dark with the Duke (Palace of Rogues #4) by Julie Anne Long

After Dark with the Duke
by Julie Anne Long
Series: Palace of Rogues #4
Pages: 384
Published by Avon
Release Date: November 30th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC
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Sparks fly when a daring diva clashes with an ice-cold war hero in the newest thrilling romance in USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s Palace of Rogues series.

She arrives in the dead of night, a mob out for blood at her heels: Mariana Wylde, the “Harlot of Haywood Street,” an opera diva brought low by a duel fought for her favors. But the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames think they can make a silk purse from scandal: They’ll restore her reputation and share in her triumph...provided they can keep her apart from that other guest.

Coldly brilliant, fiercely honorable, General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, is revered, feared, desired...but nobody truly knows him. Until a clash with a fiery, vulnerable beauty who stands for everything he scorns lays him bare. It’s too clear the only cure for consuming desire is conquest, but their only chance at happiness could lead to their destruction.

The legendary duke never dreamed love would be his last battleground. Valkirk would lay down his life for Mariana, but his choice is stark: risk losing her forever, or do the one thing he vowed he never would...surrender.

I am relatively new to Julie Anne Long’s books, but I intend to rectify that immediately! After Dark with the Duke was such a fun, entertaining read! It was hard to put it down. I never wanted to stop reading!

From the moment the two main characters meet, sparks fly. First, the sparks are due to annoyance. These two rub each other the wrong way and clash immediately. Prepare yourself for witty barbs and interactions. Mariana and James are endlessly entertaining. Soon, their relationship changes from adversaries to friends, and then it changes to so much more. Let me tell you this, Julie Anne Long knows how to write an incredible slow-burn romance.  Something I want to note is that this is an age-gap romance. The main characters have an 18 year age gap. Mariana is 25, and James is 43. Personally, this didn’t bother me since it was well-written. I didn’t think about their ages much at all, honestly. But, I wanted to mention it in case this trope isn’t for you. 

If you’re a fan of character-driven stories, slow-burn romance, and witty banter, then I think this book will be perfect for you! I enjoyed this book from start to end. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for the next installment!