Sunny Shelly’s Review: Duke Of Manhattan, by Louise Bay

Duke of Manhattan by Louise Bay
Release Date: May 16th
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Duke of Manhattan, an all-new contemporary romance by Louise Bay is available now!!!

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.

I’m not a big fan of the fake relationship-pact trope, but Louise Bay has a winner with Duke Of Manhattan!

Newly divorced, Scarlett is having some issues finding her groove when her sister talks her into having a one night stand with a sexy British stranger she meets at a bar. The sex is off-the-charts for both of them, but Ryder and Scarlett don’t even exchange last names before she slinks away in thw middle of the night. The next morning, both of them are blown away for a very different reason when Ryder turns out to be the potential investor who could be Scarlett’s only hope of bailing out her successful fragrance company with a loan due soon. But the terms of the agreement aren’t what Scarlett and her partner want (retaining control) and the transition reaches a stalemate.

Meanwhile, playboy Ryder can’t get sexy Scarlett out of his head, which is unusual for this one-and-done guy. But…. thanks to a technicality in his family’s line of inheritance and succession, in order to keep the company he’s worked so hard to build for himself in America, away from the confines of his aristocratic upbringing, Ryder needs to be married.

And there is the marriage pact: Ryder will gift Scarlett the money she needs to save his company if she marries him and helps him gain his inheritance and retain his own company. And since the sex was so hot the first time around, Scarlett and Ryder take full advantages of the benefits of being married. So naturally, it’s not long before feelings start to develop, feelings that neither one of them ever discuss with the other, so when The Conflict arises, both feel betrayed by the other.

In many stories I’ve read in this genre, the fake relationship feels forced. But Bay crafted two deep characters in Scarlett and Ryder, and I felt like their relationship evolved organically as the story unfolded, rather than the insta-marriage being shoved at the reader.

And the words of wisdom from Ryder’s grandfather?? Priceless. The letter he sent to Scarlett made me cry. I so enjoyed Duke Of Manhattan, and loved how the epilogue ties up the future lives of the couples from Park Avenue Prince and King Of Wall Streer as well. Fans of this series will love the HEA we see for all three couples!