The unapologetically Romantic, Bisexual, and Polyamorous fantasy love story I did not realize was missing from my life.

Click for Content Warnings for the Book and the spoiler section of this review

The book deals with the survival of SA, forced labor, & human sex trafficking as well as the associated trauma. There is also fantasy violence and other mature themes.

This review is #SFW but the book contains mature themes.

Spoiler Free Review

Medium Used: 75% hardcover, 25% audiobook.

Ratings out of 5

Sweetness Level:
🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫 (5/5)

Steam Level:¹
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Spice Quality:¹
🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4/5)

Spice Quantity:¹
🔥🔥🔥 (3/5)

MMC (Warrior) Likability:
🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️ (5/5)

FMC (Princess) Likability:
👸🏻👸🏻👸🏻👸🏻👸🏻 (5/5)

MMC (Assasin) Likability:
🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷 (5/5)

Plot Engagement:
💥💥💥💥 (4/5)

Was there a Bad Dad?:

💯(yes...how bad and how many TBD)

Overall Rating:
💜💜💜💜💜 (5/5)

^{1 I use Steam to refer to the tension, yearning, and/or build up to the Spice i.e. sexual intimacy}

As usual the subgenre I avoided because I did not think it would be for me (in this case regency/historical romance) does have something for me.

This review refers to the murder mystery, knife violence, gun violence, and 19th century homophobia that are in the book.

#SFW

Medium Used: 40% audiobook via Hoopla | 60% ebook via Kindle

Ratings out of 5

Overall Rating:
💜💜💜💜 (4/5)

Sweetness Level:
🍫🍫🍫 (3/5)

Spice Heat Level:
💧 (0/5)

Slow Burn Steamy Tension Quality: 🥵🥵🥵 (3/5)

FMC Likability:
👗👗👗👗👗(5/5)

MMC Likability:
🎩🎩🎩🎩 (4/5)

Plot Engagement:
🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️ (4/5)

At least 1 bad dad (pass/fail):
💯 (pass)

BONUS audiobook narration:🔉🔉🔉

Spoiler Free Review

Murder at the Seven Dials is the first book in the Bow Street Duchess Mystery series. It (presumably) begins a slow burn romance between Audrey Sinclair, the Duchess of Fournier and a Bow Street Detective, Hugh Marsden. Their paths cross when Mr. Marsden finds Her Grace's husband, The Duke of Fournier covered in the blood of a murdered opera singer Ms. Lovejoy.

This is a fun read, an intriguing mystery, and cute start of a love story. I appreciated that its pace and brevity. I loved the subtlety of the paranormal fantasy that is woven into this story. Her Grace has a gift that allows her to see other's memories when she touches objects or people. A gift that she considers a curse and keeps a secret. For me, this 'light' fantasy in an otherwise grounded world was novel. I am interested to see if the paranormal aspects of the world will grow at all as the fantasy continues.

The unique circumstances surrounding the meet (not so) cute of Her Grace and Mr. Marsden and their differences in station made their growth in admiration for each other both humorous and endearing. I look forward to seeing where this series goes. Consider me hooked.