“The Duchess Takes a Lover” is the introductory novella to Jillian Eaton’s new series, “Ladies of Seduction.” Ambrose married Mara because she seems meek and obedient and exactly the type of woman he can abandon in the country - which he promptly does. So color him shocked when he hears she is going to be coming to London to take a lover. He goes to her first instead, setting up a second chance romance.

Except that Mara and Ambrose’s story is light on the romance and heeeeeavy on the lust. Which don’t get me wrong, I love a little lust. But here it is unclear that there is anything else. Ambrose goes from disconnected, cold, and occasionally cruel to suddenly madly in love with little to bridge the two states. I think we are supposed to infer he has always loved Mara since he has not slept with anyone else during their separation, but his treatment of her during that same separation just doesn’t bare that out. And Mara goes from deep resentment and anger at her husband to unbridled passion almost immediately. There just wasn’t enough story in this story, which is the best parallel for the characters’ inability to communicate with one another.

I did find the epilogue intriguing and likely will pick up the next book in the series, especially as I have read Jillian Eaton in the past and found other examples of her work much stronger. 2.5 stars, rounded to 3. Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.