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The Royals #3

Duke of Manhattan

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I was born into British aristocracy, but I’ve made my fortune in Manhattan. New York is now my kingdom.

Back in Britain my family are fighting over who’s the next Duke of Fairfax. The rules say it’s me--if I’m married. It’s not a trade-off worth making. I could never limit myself to just one woman.

Or so I thought until my world is turned upside down. Now, the only way I can save the empire I built is to inherit the title I’ve never wanted-- so I need a wife.

To take my mind off business I need a night that’s all pleasure. I need to bury myself in a stranger.

The skim of Scarlett King’s hair over my body as she bends over . . .

The scrape of her nails across my chest as she screams my name . . .

The bite of her teeth on my shoulder just as we both reach the edge . . .

It all helps me forget.

I just didn’t bargain on finding my one night stand across the boardroom table the next day.

She might be my latest conquest but I have a feeling Scarlett King might just conquer me.

A sexy, standalone romance.

First published May 16, 2017

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About the author

Louise Bay

51 books6,967 followers
International, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes contemporary romance novels that make you laugh - the kind she likes to read.

Ruined by the bonk-busters of the eighties, Louise was inspired by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, but wants to be Emily Henry when she grows up.

Louise loves the rain, RHOBH, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, hanging out with her kid, elephants and champagne (not necessarily in that order).

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,271 reviews
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews14.8k followers
November 18, 2017




⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2! Duke of Manhattan (stand-alone). A business arrangement to save a company & protect a legacy is sweetened by mind-blowing sex courtesy Ryder Westbury!

“But she tasted so good. And she was behaving so well. Her hands exactly where I told her to put them.”

Duke of Manhattan (stand-alone) opens up to business owner Scarlett King in need of a one-night-stand following a divorce. Investor Ryder Westbury heir to the title Duke of Fairfax is not one to turn down flirtation when there is an opportunity for sex.

A night filled with wild sex and endless orgasms…

Needless to say Ryder and Scarlett are shocked to come face-to-face across the conference room table. But Scarlett has a company to save and Ryder has a title and legacy to protect. They could address both with a temporary sham marriage.

While villains stir, Ryder and Scarlett fuck like rabbits…



Seven words to describe Ryder Westbury: Charming, commanding, confident, non-committal, loyal, blunt and horny.



Seven words to describe Scarlett King: Reflective, apprehensive, lonely, determined, meek, strong and reserved.

Duke of Manhattan, told from dual POVs, is fast-paced, sexy, seemed-like-a-good-idea, with French benefits, business arrangement complicated by greed, jealousy, misunderstandings, fears, broken promises and that scary thing called lust-to-love.

“Keep the heels on.” Blood rushed to my cock as I said it. I’d enjoy fucking her in those things.”

***
Hero: ★★★★1/2
Heroine: ★★★★1/2
Plot: ★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★1/2
Sexual tension: ★★★★1/2
Sex scenes: ★★★★★
Story ending: ★★★★
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | LOW FOCUS |
Humor: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | HIGH FOCUS |
Suspense: | LOW FOCUS |



ARC provided to me by author Louise Bay in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Mo.
1,380 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2017
I was bored witless. Saw all the rave reviews. Premise sounded good enough. Wanted something a bit lighter than some of my usual reads. I need some substance and depth in my books. Not just he meets her, he fucks her, she has about fifteen orgasms in one night. They go to work. They meet. They fuck. He has the most powerful orgams of his life ... and he can get it up again 2 seconds later! They have lunch. They fuck. They fly to England. They fuck. They fly back to Manhattan. They fuck. I am sorry but where was the real storyline here. It is my first time reading this author and doubt I will pick up any other book by her.


"I fuck you here. You sleep here ... my come belongs here. In your pussy, dripping down your legs. You understand?"

"See how quickly you come. How fast I make you come?"


Ah, well, ya can't win 'em all.
Profile Image for Cristiina♡Reads.
578 reviews3,436 followers
May 16, 2017
➳Having one taste to the Manhattan series is something that will have you diving for more in this compelling and enticing love story…



➳As a member to inherit a position that requires certain aspects of your life to alter, Ryder has managed to captivate all of them in this enamoring love story, along side Scarlett, the bombshell beauty that captivated him the moment they first met. However, before he encounters with Scarlett, his problems take into an appreciation that he must not only become the Duke of Fairfax, but he needs to find a Duchess to be next to him. At first, it was all about a one night moment, however, things get matched together when it comes down to work, and Ryder and Scarlett are bound to come to an agreement of some sorts that benefits both of them in scenarios that make this story seem cliche, but at the same time unique with the way Louise Bay goes around it with her catalysts.

➳To Ryder’s eyes, Scarlett is not only a woman with beautiful physical assets that attract him much so, but, she is also a women with a smart head that breaks the wall of any sort of women he has interacted in the past. Being a man who travels from New York to Europe and vise versa, he has found a way to captivate himself with her knowledge and beauty;
“New York was full of user-sophisticated women. Scarlett looked like one of them but she was fresh and unsullied somehow. She just said exactly what she was thinking, without second guesses. I liked it.”



➳To make things believable to the the outside world that does not know the truth about their relationship, is something that both Ryder and Scarlett do not have a problem with. That is how strong their chemistry is, both physically and emotionally. They compel each other and enamor each other with knowledge of any sorts that bring a huge contributing factor of attraction as well. Their physical attraction is indeed a huge factor that brings some sort of problem and is shaky in the beginning. However, they both learn that they cannot fight it. Ryder learns her kinks, and Scarlett learns his likings on and off the bedroom.

➳Overall, Louise Bay has once again brought a story that will keep you wanting more and more to this series. I hope the next book is the love story of Violet, since she needs a hubby as well along side with this group of Manhattan peeps!

➳ Order Links:
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➳Hero rating: 5.0
➳Heroine rating: 5.0
➳Sexual tension rating: 5.0
➳Sex scenes rating: 5.0
➳Sex scenes frequency: 5.0
➳Plot rating: 5.0
➳Dialogue rating: 5.0
➳Storytelling rating: 5.0
➳Story ending rating: 5.0

➳ARC kindly provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Profile Image for Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦.
662 reviews2,700 followers
July 13, 2017

➦This, hands down, was my favorite by Louise Bay. I always listen to her audiobooks and this time I was very very pleased with the male narration. Because who doesn't love a sexy accent?


➦And, of course, the arranged marriage trope will NEVER GET OLD. I can't help it, I love it and I'm really glad Louise Bay finally wrote a book with such a premise. This... this GUY needs a wife so he can keep his company. And he might just find a fake wife in a woman who he had a one night stand with.


➦Anywhooooo. I think this is all you need to know. If you like sexy contemporary reads with a bit of humor and angst then give this one a try! And you do know this has a DUKE in it, right?

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Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,667 reviews3,274 followers
February 19, 2021
4.5 Understanding When It's Real Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-By Royal Proclamation, It Is FREE!
Oh, this was good.....No, Really this was fantastically good. Louise Bay has nailed sexy, caring, sweet without the man knowing he is... and everything else that could make you swoon. You will fall hard for these two characters because they are evenly matched...

In Business ...
And in Bed!

This has all the making from the start of another marriage of convenience tale... with all the touchstones of how they go...
But...
There are layers and layers of more...


You have a woman divorced.... who thought her marriage had been working...only to hear from her husband "she was boring...complaisant".. but not in a good way... Told her she would never "put herself out there... risk anything or have an adventure..."

Well, Scarlett was going to have none of that...She packed up her life from Connecticut and moved to New York City. She left her steady job in Finance and started her own Fragrance Company with her dear friend, Cecily. She devoted every waking hour to getting the business off the ground and they soon began to take off...

The company was doing so well, it grew too fast... causing the dilemma of having the start-up loans being due while all the profits needing to make more product not pay off the loans...A recipe for disaster for new, fast-growing companies.

Ryder Westbury has made his own way in life. Although born to British Aristocracy, Ryder decided early, he wouldn't let it rule him. He and his sister had absentee parents; the ones who raised them were their grandparents. Both children grew up strong because of these extraordinary people... and they absorbed everything...manners, traditions and the ways of the wealthy but with none of the "airs".

Now Ole Time Aristocracy was not always fair...especially to women...and Ryder's family estate was tied up tight with conditions regarding who can inherit and how. Although the grandfather tried to change the rules of the trust... nothing could be done to allow Darcey, Ryder's sister, to be given the estate, even though she was the eldest, ran it for decades, and loved it dearly.

Nope, the trust handed down from generation to generation was very clear...The Male Child would inherit but only if he was married...If not then it would be turned over to Ryder's sour, jealous cousin Fredrick and his scheming wife. The grandfather was ailing; he wanted Ryder to head up the family home... and due to a minor acquisition with the trust and Ryder's company, Ryder must decide if he is going to do something he never intended...

Ryder must marry to save everything he has worked for...
Ryder must marry to make sure his sister is able to have the life she has devoted herself to...the one she deserves.

But there is just one problem...
Who in the hell is he going to marry...He can't marry any of the women who would want to marry him... they want his title, status wealth, and heart...

As Ryder is contemplating his horrific quandary over strong drinks at the bar, Scarlett is being harassed by her sister Violet. Violet is telling Scarlett to get her ass out there and just have a one-night stand... to purge the idea of Relationship Sex and have some good old-fashioned Dirty Sex.
Because Scarlett has been having a terrible time relating to anyone she has dated "that way". She still has been stuck with the ideas from her ex that she was boring and predictable... and all of it was a shock as she thought her marriage was on the right track...

Not one to take all of this lying down, though, Scarlett asks Violet who she should approach if she were to approach a guy...and Violet has the perfect one... She points to Ryder at the end of the bar.

Scarlett approaches... goes to the bar for "drinks for the table" and somehow as rusty as she is...Ryder and her start flirting. She cannot believe it...Flustered and a little proud of herself... she stumbles back to Violet's table...As she relays what happened and how sexy and hot the guy was, etc... Scarlett hears Ryder respond right behind her that she was the one who was intriguing and sexy!

Well, Violet scrams out of there...leaving these two to banter some more... and Scarlett lets it be known she is "up to the challenge" and says let's go...

Now we all know the Sex was off the charts... and it was something more than a quickie, cleansing one-night stand...It was Earth Shattering for the both of them... (Yup, Readers... IT WAS!)

In the AM she is gone...Ryder is a bit disappointed...and both have business meetings scheduled.

His is to close the deal with a company he and his partner want to acquire. The owners have their backs to the wall and need to make a deal but they want to stay with the company and be involved. Ryder doesn't work that way. He plans on sweetening the deal with cash...but no seats on the board.

Scarlett and Cecily need to find a way to infuse cash to their company... they have loans due and if they cannot get a handle on this... the successful company they started will fail. Cecily has been handling all of the negotiations and Scarlett thinks she is being over-powered and ready to cave to the best offer... one that has no seats on the board. They lose their holdings and become employees.
Scarlett has birthed this company after being told she wasn't adventurous...that she would never do more than count other people's finances...She would not allow anyone to take this away from her and Cecily...

Scarlett attends the meeting instead of Cecily and there plain as day is Ryder across the table.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
How is she supposed to negotiate with him... he saw her naked and gave her multiple dirty orgasms.

Both are professional in front of the others involved but no deal is made.
Both cannot stop thinking about each other naked and in the sheets...
And then it dawns on Ryder what the deal should be...

He has what she needs-
She is who he wants to be his marriage of convenience...
A Win-Win for both...
People this could have been run of the mill...BUT it was spectacular for me.

Ryder was a fish out of water not knowing anything about relationships or real love for another other than family love...like for his grandparents and sister...
Scarlett had experienced relationship love... she had loved her ex-husband... and was shattered when her marriage fell apart... she was afraid of what that type of pain felt like and never wanted to experience it again...

But these two together... the chemistry was off the charts and oh, so good.... and they both developed this special bond and friendship which sneaked upon them both...blooming into this rare thing called love.

Louise Bay can write...she writes sexy times, caring times, and humorous times... What she doesn't write is Boring Times...This is a winning series and I want more.

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~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Let me see...
There are a number of things that are Enticing...

We have a For Real not Fake - Possible British Duke...
He has made his own fortune and Manhattan is where He Rules...
He has his choice of Pleasures...
An array of women, all vying for attention...

There is this other Quandary, though...
He thought he was free of Obligations and Titles...
But Fate has laughed and dictated he needs to Marry...

With a need so strong to block all of these complications...
A release is needed...

A Beautiful Stranger...
One who will listen...
One who will serve...
One who will be just as passionate as him...

Oh, Fate has had her laugh...
For the Passionate Beauty is now staring at him...
The tables are turned and she is all Corporate Business...

Louise Bay is at it again...
Royalty, Power, Wealth and Charm...


Duke of Manhattan - May 16th 2017

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

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Profile Image for The Sassy Bookworm.
3,610 reviews2,772 followers
May 10, 2017
description

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descriptionThis author always has fantastic covers for her books and this one is no different. Great representation of the hero. Great use of graphics. Good composition and simple yet effective typography.description

descriptionWhat can I say about this one other than it was an incredibly good read. It was well written and nicely paced. It was sweet. It had angst. It had no OW/OM drama. It had great secondary characters (even a few glimpses of characters from past books). It had smokin' sex scenes. It had a sweet and totally charming heroine. It had an equally likable and hot hero. All wrapped up with a cherry on top epilogue.

description

It was ALMOST a 5-Star read for me. Alas, it did suffer (a lot) from one of my pet peeves. The constant comparisons to other women or exes. This book was RIFE with that. I don't think we could go more than a few pages without Ryder making a comparison to how it was with OW or Scarlett comparing it to her ex-husband. I thought to myself if this had been one of those drinking games where someone had to take a shot every time one of them compared something to one of his OW or her EX I would have been drunk under the table half way through this book!

Like I said though that is just a personal annoyance for me and it just made me roll my eyes more than anything. It was still an amazingly good book despite that. So two thumbs up from yours truly.description

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Profile Image for ⊱✿⊰ Alicia ⊱✿⊰ .
552 reviews451 followers
May 9, 2017
5 Second Time's The Charm, Stars

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Divorced, having terrible luck trying to get back into the dating scene. She misses her ex-husband and can't understand why he left her, is she boring?
At least she has her work, Scarlett partnered up with her college roommate Cecily and opened a fragrance business Cecily Fragrance. She loves her job and doesn't want to do anything else.

Ryder has grown up being part of british aristocracy but wanted to make something of himself without being under the umbrella of his family name. He started and owns an investment company in Manhattan that has made him very independently wealthy. Ryder's grandfather the 'Duke' has a bad fall so Ryder jumps on a plane to England, while there his sister reminds him of his grandfather's will. Which stipulates all titles will go to the eldest living married male, which if Ryder does not marry will be his cousin Frederick. Let me tell you Frederick is an:
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Anyway for reasons I won't go into, Ryder has to get married to stop Frederick inheriting. he just needs to find a willing woman to marry him for money.

Scarlett finds herself in desperate need of an investor for her beloved company. Trying to pitch her worth to this incredibly attractive investor when he comes out with the most ridiculous plan she's ever heard or is it?

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I really liked this book, it read like a really good rom-com movie except with really hot sex thrown in. I loved when Ryder and Scarlett where in England and they had to try and convince everyone of their love, mainly Frederick and his wife. I really enjoyed the banter, sarcasm and how strong Scarlett was considering the situation.

I loved reading how Scarlett and Ryders relationship develops and how they come to terms with their feelings for each other.

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I highly recommend this book for lovers of a good romance it has dashes of comedy, angst and drama it was well written and left me wanting more.



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Profile Image for Nissa | Of Pens and Pages Book Blog.
337 reviews1,020 followers
September 30, 2017
4.5 stars!

Review at Of Pens and Pages.



Duke of Manhattan was my first Louise Bay novel, and wow. What a way to dive into her books! Amazing chemistry, great characters, and hot hot hot sex! And y’all know how crazy I am for fake relationship/engagement/marriage of convenience stories. (I am fascinated with British aristocracy.)

Sometimes, the most unusual circumstances can throw two people together—that doesn’t mean they’re not perfect for each other.”


Ryder Westbury made his fortune in New York and has no intention of inheriting the dukedom from his grandfather. He needs a wife for that, and Ryder loves women too much to give that up. But when something threatens the stability of Ryder’s position in his company, he finds the perfect wife of convenience in the beautiful and irresistible Scarlett King… who not only happens to be half of the duo who owned the business he wants to buy but is also the same woman he had a one-night-stand with a day before he met her in the boardroom.

Scarlett has come a long way since her divorce with her high school sweetheart. She and her best friend have built Cecily Fragrance into a success, but now they need an investor to help them fund money for the overwhelming demand. Westbury Group has the best offer, but they want to take over the company and keep them as employees. She wants to renegotiate, but when she meets the man behind Westbury group, she is surprised to come face to face with Ryder, the man who blew her mind the night before. The first man she slept with since her divorce.

Ryder offers to help the company without taking it from them, but he has to help her get the dukedom by marrying him. No big deal. She wants to have a successful marriage, but since she wants to save her company, she says yes.



I loved this book! Duke of Manhattan had the perfect pace for its story, amazing sexual tension, and great banter between Ryder and Scarlett. The story was compelling and was a definite page-turner. Plus, the sex scenes were hot!



It had the perfect balance of humor, steam, and a little angst to keep a reader interested and fully invested. And both of the characters had nice character developments. Ryder started as this playboy who couldn’t be tied down, and Scarlett a little scarred because of her previous marriage. Their time together helped them grow into better people—Ryder a committed and loyal man, and Scarlett a more confident woman who’s completely moved on.

Duke Manhattan is a standalone novel told in alternating POVs. If you want a hot, fast-paced book with amazing sexual chemistry and great characters, you might enjoy Duke of Manhattan. I sure did.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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Profile Image for Natalie  ~ The Biblioholic.
2,627 reviews1,359 followers
September 13, 2019
4.5 "Fall in love with your fake wife/husband" stars!!

I'm loving this cover and I found it fitting for the depiction of Ryder and his story. Scarlett's been divorced for two years from her high school sweetheart and her hearts still floundering. Finding the entire dating scene a total nightmare, she has thrown herself into the company she founded with her old college roommate, Cecily. Although they're amazingly successful, their loans are due and they need an investor ASAP. Ryder is the heir to a dukedom but he started his own investment company without cashing in on the family estate. He's incredibly close to his sister and grandfather, but with his grandfather being up in age and with a bad heart, his inheritance, his sister's way of life, and the company he's built are in jeopardy if he doesn't find the last thing he ever wanted - a wife.

I loved Ryder. LOVED HIM!! He had no shame to his game, he was a known womanizer, AND he was intrinsically a good person. Go figure. He was obviously insanely hot, honest, honorable, etc. His character never let me down. The same cannot be said for Scarlett. I also loved her, for the most part, but there were times that she frustrated the heck out of me. However, I do understand that insecurity can make people behave irrationally so her actions were easy to forgive. Scarlett was beautiful, generous, and stringently independent and I absolutely respected the heck out of her. I really liked how the author showed her progression as a newly single woman with all of its pitfalls and the loneliness she suffered as a result of the divorce, but never made her ex out to be a monster. Thank you for that! I wavered between giving this story 4 and 5 stars because I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, despite the epilogue, so I had to settle with 4.5 because overall the story of Ryder and Scarlett was just that steamy, just that delightful, and just that awesome.

Release Date: May 16, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 1st person
Steam: 4 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone
Profile Image for Stacey.
1,446 reviews1,143 followers
November 6, 2020
Not giving up at the first hurdle...

The Royals Collection has been so easy to listen to. In this instalment, we have a change in the narrators and I'm so glad they chose Shane East to play this Duke. Saskia Maarleveld does a fantastic job too, but Mr East's swoony English accent really is quite beautiful to listen to.

I absolutely love this storyline and re-reading/listening reminded me of that love. I am an absolute SUCKER for the dedicated bachelor falling in love. I'm also a fan of the 'putting the wedding before the love' (I was thinking - putting the horse before the cart...I crack myself up) aka 'marriage of convenience' storyline.

I will definitely be coming back for more in this series soon. After all, there's a Knight (and Shane East) to fall in love with ... again.

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I love it when the "Dedicated Bachelor" falls...

I knew that Scarlett's book was going to be good even before I met Ryder. Funny thing is that I kind of read Scarlett wrong when I met her previously. I thought she was a serial dater who liked variety in her men. I may have even been a bit mean and thought she got sick of her husband, so divorced him. Holy heck, I got her SOOOO wrong. She was almost the complete opposite of that. Imagine my surprise when she decides to have her first one night stand in front of me...WITH THE DUKE OF MANHATTAN!!

Ok, well it wasn't as dramatic as all that. She was just deciding it was time to spread her wings (with a firm nudge from her sister, Violet) and Ryder was the man who caught her eye. Without sharing a lot of details, they then go on to have the best sex of their lives. Both Scarlett and Ryder had a lot on their minds when they hook up, but decided a good distraction will help them sleep better. Of course, neither expect to see each other again and make the most of their night.

I love it when a hookup pops up when you least expect it.

The Duke of Manhattan is definitely my favourite of the series. A confirmed bachelor (manwhore) bamboozled by love is one of my favourite romantic storylines. Their first intimate scene had my heart pumping BIG TIME!! Boy, Ryder sure knows how to talk dirty. I loved that he read Scarlett so well. Ryder knew that in Scarlett's everyday life she liked to be in control and independent. He also knew that she liked to hand over control in the bedroom. It was really sexy.

The storyline was amazing, the characters fantastic and the sexy times were definitely the hottest I've read from Louise Bay so far. I loved that both Scarlett and Ryder learned to depend on each other and share their weaknesses. They weren't stupid about what they meant to each other, so didn't give up at the first hurdle. I loved their lunch dates.

If you love romance, I definitely recommend it. If you don't mind stepping back in time (like a historical romance) and watching the British Aristocracy fight for titles, I definitely recommend. If you can't help but fall for a hero who grovels with the best of them, I definitely recommend Duke of Manhattan.

Profile Image for Viri.
1,205 reviews438 followers
December 23, 2017
¡ME ENCANTÓ!
MUCHO
MUCHO
MUCHO.

Fue justo lo que no sabía que necesitaba. Venía de lecturas desastrosas y esta además de ser sumamente refrescante... también es de mis clichés preferidos así que mejor les dejo en gif mi opinión sobre el libro.

Cuando se encuentran:


Y luego:




¿Les dije que el es duque? ¡Me derriten los duques! de la época que sea...


Yo durante tooooodo el libro:


Y cuando le llevaba el desayuno y hablaba con su British Accent!!!!




Y pues me gustó... sí, es súper cliché, y síp tiene muuuuuuucho sexo pero a mi ME ENCANTÓ cada segundo del libro. Además es de mis tópicos favoritos. ¡Qué viva el FAKE-ROMANCE!
Profile Image for TJ *Book Twins Reviews*.
1,096 reviews2,547 followers
October 20, 2017
I'm going to level with you guys.  I loved everything about this book.  From the cover to the last word, I was enraptured.  Ryder is sheer romance perfection and I miss him terribly, since finishing this read!  Before him, Max was King.  However, I'm shouting, "All Hail The Duke!"  Louise Bay writes some of the absolute swoony heros and Ryder just rode to the top of my list as all time favorite.
Here's what I loved:  The trope is one of my favorites.  It's brilliantly executed with just enough drama and emotional turmoil to make it believable, and most importantly...entertaining!  I'm all for fake relationships, especially when they're as smoking hot as this one turns out to be.
The main and secondary characters. They are detailed, and jump off the page.  They're sexy, funny, and flirty.  The emotional aspect of the story really shines through.  There's a level of connection and chemistry that's so enjoyable.  I loved watching these strong characters fall in love. 
The conflict and resolution were perfection.  It's not often I say this, so we'll note it in the record books!  However, the climax and resolution were properly timed, realistic, and most satisfying. 
Overall, it's utterly perfect for me!  I would wager it's perfect for all romance readers as well.  Highly recommended.

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Profile Image for Tim.
2,271 reviews233 followers
July 24, 2021
Louise Bay and her interesting stories provide reliable and excellent sexual escapes. 8 of 10 stars
Profile Image for Alba and Her Secrets..♥.
857 reviews1,143 followers
May 19, 2017
4.5 'The Right Duchess' Stars!
ARC provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.
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As always, Louise Bay comes back with a great love story and a great list of characters (those swoony heroes and sassy heroines!!). This series of standalones have stolen my heart and Duke of Manhattan was quite a special one too. Let's see why!

So, Duke of Manhattan can be read as a standalone novel but I highly recommend reading King of Wall Street and Park Avenue Prince to enjoy this even more because all the characters there appear in this book. Now it's time for Scarlett King (Max's sister) and how she falls completely in love with a British playboy duke (Ryder Westbury).

“You think you’re funny?”
“Sometimes,” she said with a laugh.
“Well, I’m going to fuck the funny right out of you.”

We were bonded together in desperation. Soon to be wedded in matrimony.


I really enjoyed this story. Duke of Manhattan has a little different of a storyline and I have to say, I always love some originality! The whole one night stand followed by marriage was a journey, for sure! Ryder and Scarlett have an awesome chemistry between them (especially after they marry!) and they gave us amazing moments.

“Sometimes, the most unusual circumstances can throw two people together—that doesn’t mean they’re not perfect for each other.”

I do have to confess one thing though. I did not feel such a strong connection with the main characters at the beggining. Maybe their one night stand was a little cold way to start their relationship. Or maybe it was because, to me, Ryder was a bit TOO cocky at the start. Thank God, that changed and it got so emotional towards the end. I loved it!

“I’m scared.”
“Whatever it is that you’re afraid of, I’ll stand between you and it my whole life.”


Therefore, my rating for Duke of Manhattan with 4.5 STARS because it was an enjoyable love story! It was funny, hot and pretty emotional towards the end (I always love that!). Definitely, I recommend this book, especially if you read the other books and you are curious to know how Scarlett gets her happy ending!

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Profile Image for Sabrina.
3,630 reviews2,292 followers
December 28, 2017
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK



Somehow I skipped reading Duke of Manhattan even though it's been sitting on my Kindle since it released. I'm really glad I finally went back and read it though because I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters. Ryder and Scarlett had some amazing chemistry and I thought they just worked really well together.

The story was actually low on the angst, which surprised me but I was happy with that because it left more room for their relationship without too much drama separating them. I also felt like it was sexier than other books I've read by this author and that was definitely a plus for me. A sexy, suit wearing duke? Sign me up!
Profile Image for Grecia Robles.
1,591 reviews407 followers
October 21, 2019
British
Duke
Sexy as hell
YAAS GURL!!!

Y espérense FAKE ROMANCE, la combinación de todos esos elementos es un SÍ tienes que leer pero a la de ya mijita que estás esperando.
Pero para que los engaño no lo leí en cuanto lo descubrí, duré más de año y medio con él en mi Kindle y hasta ahora lo leí porque era el momento.

Disfrute demasiado este libro, con este hombre que OH MY GUCCI!! Me derritió a tal grado que era un charquito a sus pies es que ese acento madre mía que calor. Y es DUQUEEE!!







Y sólo basta decir que me gustó y lo disfrute y él único pero que le pongo es el drama y la actitud al final de la prota pero es todo.
Profile Image for Pilar S.C..
Author 9 books236 followers
January 31, 2021
Me ha encantado la evolución del Duque a lo largo de la novela, sus reacciones ante Scarlett, incontroladas e impredecibles. Siempre dueño de sí mismo, salvo con ella.

Me ha gustado la diferencia expresa que la autora hace de la vida personal y profesional en cada uno de los personajes principales. Si ese era el objetivo, lo ha conseguido.

En conjunto, una novela entretenida, divertida y que he disfrutado leer un sábado.por la tarde.
Profile Image for Sophia Triad.
2,240 reviews3,605 followers
September 23, 2017
I need a wife—and I think you might be the woman for the job.

I truly enjoyed this modern fairytale. It is a funny, quick-paced, sexy, and romantic story.

Obviously from the title, it is about a Duke with a pending title that he may or may not inherit it and the story takes place in New York. If you also notice the bookcover and the British flag, you will definitely understand that part of the story takes place in U.K.

Ryder Westbury is an aristocrat, a businessman, a playboy; but also deep down a really nice guy.
Scarlett King is a commoner, a business woman, a recently divorcee; but also deep down a very emotionally wounded human being.

Both Ryder and Scarlet do not want a relationship.
Ryder had a really bad childhood with parents who never cared about their children (thank god Ryder and his sister had a grandpa who knew how to show affection).
Scarlet has only recently managed to stand on her own feet and to recover from her divorce.
Ryder and Scarlet will have a one-night stand which proves that there is definitely a spark between them.

When they meet again during office hours the next day, they will be surprised.

And the fairytale begins.

Ryder will need a wife in order to claim his title and keep his business, Scarlet needs money to save her business.
A wedding proposal and a trip to UK later, Ryder and Scarlet will end up married.
Will the marriage last?
Will they admit finally that they are in love?

There will be misunderstandings and a bit of angst because there are some obvious enemies in the picture.
There will be no other woman or other man.
There will be also lots of groveling, because of the stupid misunderstandings.

If you like the royal theme, the Alpha playboy theme, stories based in England, stories that take place in New York; you will certainly enjoy this book!

He might be British aristocracy, a duke and one of the most powerful men in Manhattan—what was more important was he was the best man I knew, my lover and my best friend.
Profile Image for J. Grayland.
Author 6 books129 followers
August 15, 2017
Ahh! only in a romance novel can you find a British aristocrat living and working in Manhattan who happens to need a fake wife to help him inherit his kingdom and becoming the next Duke Of Fairfax and stopping his cousin Frederick from holding any power over his own business company. Needing to relax before he meets up with his next business take over in the morning, Ryder Westbury has a night out in search of a one night stand and there he finds the beautiful Scarlett King and they share a hot night of passion, until Ryder shows up as the new buyer for Scarlett's struggling fragrance company the next day. So how far will Scarlett go to pay off her loans? Will she become the next lady of Fairfax in a fake marriage? Or is it fake at all? Predictable story line from the first page, but all over a nice sweet romance with likable characters and very hot sex that's made much hotter when it's narrated by the sexy voice of Shane East and Saskia Maaleveld.
Profile Image for Alex ♈.
1,568 reviews1,304 followers
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 16, 2017
DNF for now.

She saw his d**k and questioned if it would fit...

Aaaaaaaaaaaa 😲

*facepalm*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for nicklein.
401 reviews77 followers
May 22, 2017
This is totes amazing! Definitely the best out of the three I've read.
Profile Image for Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover.
910 reviews575 followers
June 8, 2017
4 Stars!

I really, really liked this book! It's actually kind of surprising just how much I loved it. This was just what I needed after all the heavy, intense books I read last month. This was fun, sexy and it may be my fave book in the series so far.

Ryder and Scarlett's chemistry was so hot and realistic. I fell in love with these characters. This was a charming read that's perfect if you need something that's light on angst and romantic.
Profile Image for Nicola.
1,395 reviews276 followers
May 13, 2017
4.25 stars.

Well, I do believe the King may have lost his crown to the Duke.

description

I was pretty excited to read Duke of Manhattan largely down to the fact that I am a total sucker for modern day English aristocracy in a romance. In otherwords, I love me a dirty duke. And Louise Bay delivers.

"...good sex makes everything a little bit better."

Charming, wealthy and a self-confessed one-night only type of guy, Ryder Westbury is as strong willed in business as he is in the bedroom—something Scarlett King soon discovers when she faces him across the boardroom...following their night of passion. And it quickly becomes clear that Ryder is about to break that one-night only rule, because to inherit his dukedom, the single life isn't an option.

"If I was going to fake-marry someone, I could have done a lot worse."

I loved these characters. Ryder has a real presence about him: from the way he carries himself to his wit, dirtier mouth and skills in the bedroom, he was a great hero with no arrogance about him, just confidence and honesty. And Scarlett was a smart, independent lady, with perfect sarcasm and quick comebacks whilst finding her feet and navigating her way post-divorce; no one could blame her for the odd comparison to her ex.

description

Engaging, with fantastic chemistry, scorching sex scenes and humour, Duke of Manhattan was a great read treating us to visits across both sides of the pond. The only sticking point for me was the showing rather than telling—certain important events were skipped quickly over when I think they could and would have added depth and emotion to Ryder and Scarlett's relationship and the story overall. Had that been the case, then we would have been looking at 5 stars for this because Louise Bay has an enjoyable easy writing style that I've quickly come to appreciate, she creates wonderful characters and I do hope that somewhere down the line Violet King and Darcy Westbury are given a chance to find their HEA's.

Copy received courtesy of Social Butterfly PR for an honest and unbiased opinion.

description
Profile Image for Cami.
1,462 reviews75 followers
February 23, 2022
5++ Stars!

Loved everything about this story!

This could have been a normal fake marriage storyline but it was NOT. From the beginning and throughout the book as it all played out this book was different.

This trope can easily not be believable….. fun & entertaining maybe, but not really believable. Scarlett and Ryder’s journey was completely believable to me. Both characters are wonderful and together they are hot, sexy and adorable!

This is my favorite book so far in this series!!


Profile Image for Behrokh.
31 reviews13 followers
July 31, 2019
This book is very romantic ,Oh god !
i really,really liked this." MUST " read.
Profile Image for Serena Miles.
1,280 reviews49 followers
May 21, 2023
3.5 estrellas
Sigue la linea de los anteriores libros pero no ha llegado a engancharme tanto como ellos. La relación de Rider y Scarlett está bien, pero me ha faltado un poco más de algo... quizás problemas con Frederic. Por otro lado, el epílogo me ha parecido perfecto... siempre disfruto de los epílogos en los que salen los personajes de los anteriores libros.
No tardaré en continuar con la saga.
Profile Image for Monique.
409 reviews
September 29, 2022
I almost DNF'd this but it was free on Audible and I wanted something to listen to while I worked on something mundane so I kept listening and yeah it was not great.

Ryder sounded like a horny school boy who is obsessed with sex and Scarlett thinks about her ex husband in every other inner monologue and she was booooorrrring. I think coupled with her droning inner monologues plus the female narrator sounded so bored she just grated on me. Also I just couldn't believe how much Scarlett didn't know about England, like had girlfriend ever picked up a book? watched British movies? She didn't know what Pimms was and just came across as super ignorant when something she didn't understand was presented to her.



I normally love Shane East but the dialogue he had to read made him sound like Douglas Reynholm from The IT Crowd and so I often found myself laughing/cringing when he said cheesy lines that were meant to be sexy.
Profile Image for ♡ F a n n y ♡.
296 reviews162 followers
October 9, 2023
FAKE DAITING - ROYAL ROMANTASY - EL SE ENAMORA PRIMERO
Okay el anterior libro fue horrible pero este no podía dejar de leerlo, me engancho por completo y tiene unos tropes buenisimos!!!
Es mi real expectativa en esta vida, encontrarme con un duque en la calle y quiera que me haga pasar por su esposa de mentira y se enamoré completamente de mi, TRUST.

Aparte por fin tengo lo quiero!! Una protagonista fuerte que no necesita que la describan así porque con sus solas actitudes tenemos.

Es un libro bastante entretenido y es que el Fake daiting es lo mioooooo y mucho más cuando el se enamora primero
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