Amanda
Bloggers are the best. I adored this book. So much so that I bought the next book in the series AND the novella that follows. I've seen Kelly Bowen described as for fans of Sarah MacLean and Julia Quinn, and while I normally ignore comparisons, in this case, it was 100% true.
We don't know much about Gisele or the "job" she has for Jamie to do at the beginning, and it took a while before we got some much needed information, but I appreciated the time to learn who Gisele was before we learn about her past.
I also liked that when we meet Jamie Montcrief, he's no one's hero. Gisele drags him out of a bad spot, and through her and what she connects to in him, we see his true potential. Those two got far more than they bargained for when Gisele hired Jamie. But that's the way we like it, right?
There's also an element of... suspense?... in I've Got My Duke to Keep Me Warm, where we get to learn how Gisele intends to use Jamie to stop a wedding. And what they plot to do is not easy, by any means, and it holds the potential to be very dangerous. Because Gisele's husband is not a nice man.
But Gisele and Jamie aren't alone, and the side characters here, the Dowager Duchess and Sebastian (for starters), were just as intriguing as our hero and heroine. The Dowager Duchess, in particular is the type of character whose page time might be minimal, but who has a story all her own. I hope book 2 gives us more of that.
I think I'll have to keep my eye on Kelly Bowen. She has the potential of fast becoming a favorite.