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Cassius Ramsay is Lord Chief Justice and king of his world. He has made it his mission to rid the world of the blight called Miss Henrietta’s School for Cultured Young Ladies. Ramsay is convinced this front for a gambling establishment is hiding more nefarious deeds within their walls. He has always considered himself to be beyond reproach, and incorruptible. That was until he met the luscious Cecilia Teague. She challenged all of his notions of propriety and sparked life in him, something that he never considered to be missing in the first place. But the intriguing Cecilia is hiding a secret from him and from her friends.

I loved the opening scene between Ramsay and Cecilia. The temptation that Ramsay felt in her presence was so palpable. It also set the tone for the interactions between the two of them. I enjoyed the banter between them.

The school masquerading as a gambling place, which came into Cecilia’s possession after her aunt passed away, remained a mystery to me. I was never exactly sure what the purpose of the place was, and what exactly went on there. Ramsay’s single-minded quest to unmask the Scarlet Lady and rid the world of her influence, wasn’t very rational at all. I understand that the accusations against the place is indeed very despicable, but his behaviour would have made more sense if he somehow had some personal stake in what is purported to have happened there. The Crimson Council and Gemma’s involvement with them also didn’t find traction for me.

The plot was a bit all over the place, with a lot of things happening, and it was sometimes hard to make the connections between everything.

I did enjoy reading the book, despite all that, and will continue with the series.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was I hooked by this book? Yes, somewhat.

Genre: Historical Romance