For the Duke’s Eyes Only audiobook

Loved this!!! Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers They are rival treasure hunters trying to find a stolen artifact but little does she know he is also a spy for the crown

If you read this like a parody, I’m sure you’ll love it!I don’t need to tell you the story, there’s the summary at GR, but let me tell you that I found many fun moments that made me laugh because they were so cliché and OTT!We met India in the previous book and we already know that she’s a very unconventional lady.But what we discover here is why she’s so unconventional! (view spoiler)[Because, when she was 16 the hero kissed another! So, she decided that she’ll never love again! (hide spoiler)]Still, as I said, being unconventional, she’s named Lady Danger. And not only because she works as archeologist…(view spoiler)[She’s also sexually experienced!!! Meaning she took one lover and since he was as inexperienced as she, she didn’t feel anything and decided that sex is not worth her time!… Right… (hide spoiler)]But she’s also very intelligent. And she discovers as soon as she sees it that the artifact is fake!The hero, Daniel, aka Raven, is astonished, but proud because he knows that he loves her and had loved her his whole life!But, since he doesn’t want her to know that he’s a spy, he cannot allow her to follow him in his search of the thieves. Because, you know, it’s dangerous! So he act like a Neanderthal! … I mean an oyster! LOLBut at the same time…Will our heroine allow him to tell her what to do? You have three guesses… And…. (view spoiler)[Of course NOT!!! (hide spoiler)]So, bickering, because they so hate each other, they also fall into sex! And guess who’s starting those interludes? Yes, our intrepid Lady Danger! LOLBut when they arrive in Paris, they have to go sleuthing to find out who’ve stole the famous artifact. They have to face shady ambassadors, evil three-fingered smuggler… you know the usual!And the lure is a priceless Wish Diamond, that, by the way is the same color as her eyes: lavender!!!So they go to this party and ... READ AT YOUR PERIL - THE END IS REVEALED! (view spoiler)[she parades the diamond and gets propositioned by every male and their uncle. And after they visit the evil three-fingered smuggler’s gaming hell where she’s propositioned again. But it’s not only her that gets propositioned: she caught him having an intimate conversation with his ex-mistress and runs away with her heart broken (again!)!!!He catches her, but they must run to visit her good friend and get mugged on the way and she gets hurt and he brings her to her friend’s house where they have sex again. In the after-sex glow, where he confesses that he loves her madly and since they were children and best friends. Also that he’s a spy, but Indy has already discovered that – she’s so very intelligent, right!?!But some screaming wakes them and they discover in the basement her friend mesmerized by her fake doctor (who think his Osiris reincarnate) and all the stolen antiquities they were after! (hide spoiler)]And so now they can be happy and keep looking for the treasures together.I loved it because it was so incredibly incredible that I couldn’t not love it!["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

3.5 stars! The first half was much better than the second half for me. I’m a total sucker for childhood friends to lovers romances and it’s even better when it’s friends to enemies to lovers. Daniel broke Indy’s heart after his father passed and he became the new Duke, even though they promised to love each other and marry someday. Now, they both work with ancient artifacts (she’s an archeologist and he’s an antiquities hunter) and they have to join forces to recover the stolen Rosetta Stone. I really loved the angst, chemistry, and tension when they reunite. There are so many unresolved feelings and hidden secrets between them. But I felt like once they fall into bed, it was all about the sex and lust. The romance fizzled out around halfway through and I sadly wasn’t as invested anymore. I wanted a big blowup and confrontation between them but they resolve things pretty easily and quickly. The heist part was also underwhelming. It was still an enjoyable read but I did expect more from it, especially after such a great start to the book.

I’m loving this series (yes I’m reading from book three to two to one) and I REALLY loved the Indiana Jones vibes her nickname is literally Indy and she’s so bad ass. Betrothed since childhood but current enemies is always a very good time and I have no complaints. The 69 was a lovely surprise god bless 😌⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶🌶🌶.25/5

4.5/5Lenora Bell will not stop impressing me with her releases. With every new book of hers, I seem to be falling harder and harder in love with her books. For the Duke's Eyes Only is my favorite book from her so far. Fans of historical romance will gobble this up!Lenora Bell always writes fierce and independent young women who have aspirations beyond finding a wealthy husband. I know it was quite uncommon given the time period her books are set in, but it's always fun to read these stories about unconventional ladies. India, known as Lady Danger in society, was a character I immediately fell in love with. With her intelligence and enthusiasm for archaeology, she was a breath of fresh air. Her interest in the subject was contagious. I loved that she had no qualms for defying every etiquette and was absolutely confident about her abilities. Her childhood friend and current rival, Raven, was another fabulous romantic lead from the author. He was a stubborn mule who I constantly wanted to shake by the shoulders, but his reasons and his constant secrecy are revealed throughout For the Duke's Eyes Only. Even with his hard-headedness, I found it effortless to crush on his character. You see, despite the uncaring persona he showed India, he had a soft spot for her and was constantly supportive of her achievements.As children, India and Raven were betrothed, but Raven broke her heart years later and India has nothing but spite for him. Whenever they are in the same room together, they bicker and argue. Of course, this is a romance novel, so underneath all those quarrels were just an outlet for that sexy tension between them. They obviously never stopped loving each other, but they were both quite bullheaded, so they never really talked it out. When a stolen antiquity forces the two of them to be partners, a stronger understanding of each other began to grow. The chemistry between Raven and India was just flawless. It was steamy and passionate and I could not get enough of them together. I truly think that Lenora Bell has written one of the most heartwarming and memorable romances that I have read this year because I shipped these two so hard. What I also love about Lenora's books is the focus on the plot. Here we have an adventurous journey as India and Raven navigate Paris to find the stolen artifact. It was entertaining, humorous and also an opportunity for Bell to teach readers a thing or two about history. I loved it all!For the Duke's Eyes Only was an outstanding read. Honestly, everything that Lenora Bell has written has been brilliant, so if you have yet to pick up her books, I urge you to do so! You won't regret it, especially if you're a fan of historical romance.

When Lady India Rochester and Daniel Bonds were children, they knew that they would become archaeologists, that they would marry, and travel the world together. But a dreadful incident derailed their plans, and the once best friends became bitter rivals over the years. India is a serious scholar; Daniel, now the Duke of Ravenhood – known as Raven – is a rogue and an antiquities hunter with questionable tactics, and they often step on each other’s professional toes. But when the Rosetta Stone is stolen from the British Museum and replaced with a forgery, they must unite their efforts to find the missing artefact. Although FOR THE DUKE’S EYES ONLY stands entirely on its own, those of us who have read the previous instalment in this brilliant series knew that India and Raven’s story would be explosive, and I’m not even sure if it’s the right word to describe their highly combustible chemistry, which is an inferno waiting to happen. It was a brilliant idea to begin the book by showing us how India and Raven were as children: we witnessed their affection, their common love of archaeology, and that they were destined to be together. India is highly intelligent, and I loved how Ms. Bell showed us how clever she was without even a whisper of telling, but with glorious demonstrations of India’s superior mind. Raven readily admits that she is more clever than he is, he admires her, respects her, even though she is always in his way. I also very much appreciated that the characters remained true to themselves, from the previous book, from how they were as children, and throughout FOR THE DUKE’S EYES ONLY. The quest for the Rosetta Stone is positively riveting, and it was the perfect setting for India and Raven’s romance. The story is meticulously crafted, with several splendid plot twists; the sparkling dialogues are sharp and witty, the writing vibrant and loveliness itself, the descriptions are lush and vivid, and the epilogue is sheer bliss. I adored the numerous winks to James Bond, and I hope that Mina, a minor but pivotal character, figures somewhere in Lenora Bell’s further literary endeavours. Both India and Raven are superb characters, grow immeasurably – and in my book, they form an ideal couple. The love, between them is so overwhelmingly strong that you know that nothing or no one could ever keep them apart. I felt enveloped in their all-consuming passion, and I don’t think I have ever felt true love emanating from a character as I have from Raven. The joyous, sensuous, humorous, gorgeous, and wildly entertaining FOR THE DUKE’S EYES ONLY is utterly sublime, and Lenora Bell’s best book to date. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Real rating: 4.5 stars!!!This was another fun read from Lenora! I didn't expect it be so hot but it was. It's a childhood friends to lover romance turned enemies to lovers after she sees him makeout with another girl at a ball instead of dancing with her. She's heartbroken and doesn't care for his playboy ways because she really likes her profession which is looking for artifacts. Our hero has a dark past but he also has a big secret and now he and her are on a mission to find a missing artifact.

4.5Betrothed since birth by their parents, India and Daniel were the best of friends and spent a lot of time excavating the woodland fields around his family estate, dreaming of traveling, finding treasures and following adventures. "This is only the beginning, Indy," Daniel said dreamily. He rolled onto his side to face her. "After I return from my schooling we'll be married and then we will travel the world and become famous archaeologists." Until the day a scandal occurred in his family, when Daniel was twelve. Life changed for both of them, making them not quite enemies, but fifteen years later, they're more like rivals in the archaeology field and can often be heard exchanging verbal sparring. Even as a young girl, India was already a spirited one. She became a fearless woman who's not afraid to voice her opinions and does what she wants. The ton even nicknamed her Lady Danger. Her former friend Daniel, the Duke of Ravenwood, he became a fortune hunter and an arrogant rogue. But she can't help still reacting to him, whether it's anger or lust. And maybe there's more than meets the eyes about the man. Teaming up with him to find a stolen relic from the British Museum will certainly give her the opportunity to uncover the truth. "She was alone most of the time by choice; because she was mistrustful of opening herself to anyone, and wary of being hurt."I know that India was maybe too bold for the time but I couldn't care less because with the prologue, I immediately connected with her and her eleven-year-old broken heart. She was different and she didn't see anything wrong with it and I like that she didn't let her friend's desertion make her think that something was wrong with her. She didn't understand why he stopped answering her correspondence but she knew it didn't have to do with something she said or did. She could have been too proud that she didn't give Daniel a second chance or act bitter toward him, but even despite her apprehensions, she always had an open heart. It was easy to understand why the hero kept his distance and he was so captivated with Indy that I could only fall for him too. I'll admit I expected more from the resolution of the mystery but I'm so not disappointed by my first time reading this author. A wonderful romance and a great adventure made me want to read Lenora Bell's other books.

I loved Raven and India from the glimpses we got of them in What a Difference a Duke Makes and their love story did not disappoint. From the opening sequence of India cross-dressing to infiltrate a men's society with the sole purpose of getting a closer look at the Rosetta Stone--the woman is an archaeologist and she won't stop until she has unearthed the artifacts of history's greatest women--I knew I was in for a treat. India, our headstrong heroine whom the papers label "Lady Danger," is brave and brash, unwilling to conform to society's standards of womanhood and smarting from the rejection of her childhood best friend, Lord Ravenwood. India and Raven have a long history--once playmates as children, and even betrothed, the two are now cast as enemies, often found arguing in public. But For the Duke's Eyes Only peels back the layers of these two leads, enabling the reader to see both sides of the coin and how, after such a happy childhood together, everything went so wrong. While the plot, a thrilling journey to retrieve a stolen artifact, is certainly entertaining, I've come to love Lenora Bell's novels for her characters, more than anything else. India is too easy to love, simply from the opening pages, but Ravenwood takes a little more time. From India's perspective, he's absolutely incorrigible but the man beneath the fake exterior is the same boy India once knew. The back-and-forth between Raven and India was the perfect foreplay and I was waiting with bated breath as every interaction brought these two closer and closer to love. Yet another thoroughly satisfying romance from Bell--if she isn't one of your favorite historical romance authors, you've been missing out!

4.5 stars Lady India "Indy" Rochester and Daniel "Raven", the Duke of Ravenwood were once the best of friends and betrothed. But a tragedy torn them apart and a betrayal years later solidified their break.Now years later, the hurt and betrayal still linger, but Indy has moved on, she is an adventuress, she has made her mark in archeology and lives unrepentant and unconventionally. Raven is a rogue and a treasure seeker, but that is a front to hide his true purpose. He is a spy and on a quest to clear his father's name. Indy is his biggest sacrifice and regret, but his life has no room for attachments.When Indy infiltrates an archeologist society meeting dressed as a man, she makes a startling discovery - the Rosetta Stone has been stolen. Raven catches her and is shocked that he didn't recognize her right away - because he might act like a jerk, but she is never far from his thoughts and dreams. When Sir Malcolm finds them, he admits the stone was taken. Raven says he will find it and Indy insists on being included. Much to Raven's dismay, Sir Malcolm agrees.He tries to dissuade her, but they are caught "hate-kissing" by a reporter and Indy declares that they have finally set a wedding date - they give the reporter outrageous details of their upcoming wedding and she says they are going to France to shop - neatly backing Raven in a corner.They set out and will have to work together and it is clear that her trust is not easily restored, his deception doesn't lie easy and their love never truly died. Can they find more than just the missing stone? Can they find their way back to each other?This was an amazing story and I loved it. Indy and Daniel are so perfect for each other. I appreciated that India was true to herself and pursued her dreams, even though she never imagined doing it alone. My heart broke for Raven and the choices that he had to make. The story was quick paced, steamy, witty, adventurous and entertaining. My only complaint would be that I didn't feel like their story was finished, it ended a bit abruptly without certain things being cleared up - but maybe those things will be addressed in the next book (fingers crossed). This is the second book in the series, but it can definitely be read as a stand alone title.*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*

So I did enjoy this, but not as much as I expected. I wanted more hate! Also, (view spoiler)[him being a spy is WAY less fun than them being rival archeologists. (hide spoiler)]