December 1, 2023
In this final installment in the "Designing Debutantes" trilogy (following (What Happens in the Ballroom), Verity Harper finally finds her Phantom. After several undercover adventures as an English spy, Rafe Wolfford realizes that the only way to foil his most recent foe is to portray the person he least likes to be--himself. Assuming his role as heir to a viscountcy, he must infiltrate society and uncover a traitor, one who is somehow entangled with the Harper sisters and their matchmaking business, Elegant Occasions. When he goes courting, he finds there is also more to Lady Verity than meets the eye. Jeffries completes her trilogy with a heartwarming historical romance full of intrigue, wit, and independent women. The fast pace and playful banter perfectly balance the steamy love scenes and exhilarating espionage. It is manageable, though not ideal, as a stand-alone, due to the amount of backstory it references. VERDICT This novel will appeal to readers seeking an engaging Regency romance that pairs spirited socialites with swashbuckling excitement. Recommended for fans of Grace Burrowes, Sophie Irwin, and Cathy Maxwell.--Lauren Hackert
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December 18, 2023
Sparks fly between Lady Verity Harper and Col. Rafe Wolfford in Jeffries’s scintillating third Designing Debutantes Regency romance (after What Happens in the Ballroom). The pair meet at a charity auction that Verity organized with Elegant Occasions, the party planning business she and her sisters started after their parents’ scandalous divorce made them social pariahs. Rafe attends the event in hopes of insinuating himself into Verity’s inner circle and rooting out if someone in her family is a spy for the French. Intrigued, Verity invites Rafe to a seaside house party. Also in attendance is Verity’s slimy former beau, Lord Minton, who takes her into a bedroom and kisses her against her will. Though Rafe has a longtime aversion to marriage, he steps in to protect Verity’s reputation by claiming that they are already engaged. Though Rafe is reluctant to surrender his heart to Verity, he can’t deny his attraction to her and sets out to be a good husband. But what will happen when Verity learns the truth about why they met? Verity is a formidable heroine whose refusal to be cowed by anyone is sure to endear her to readers. The hint of espionage and mystery adds allure to the romance. It’s hard to put this down. Agent: Pam Ahearn, Ahearn Agency.
February 1, 2024
Rafe Wolfford's Uncle Constantine taught him everything he knows about intelligence work. So if Constantine believes there is a treasonous traitor hidden among the Harper clan, he must be right. However, Rafe's efforts so far to surreptitiously insert himself among the Harpers have failed to produce any evidence. Then the opportunity to court Lady Verity Harper, who operates a party-planning service called Elegant Occasions with her two sisters, presents itself. But finding the proof he needs won't be easy for Rafe, especially since Verity seems to have some suspicions of her own as to exactly who Rafe might really be. The third marvelously clever entry in Jeffries' Designing Debutantes series, following A Duke for Diana (2022) and What Happens in the Ballroom (2023), is another successful marriage of captivating characters, potent sexual chemistry, and ingenious plotting enlivened with just the right dollop of dangerous intrigue.
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