Good book. Jake is one of the owners of the gentlemen's club. His life was recently upended when both his father and older brother died in an accident, leaving Jake as the duke. It is a position that he never expected to have and feels woefully unprepared for. He is also carrying a boatload of guilt, as he blames himself for their deaths. Haunted by his feelings, he finds the only place he gets any peace is at the club, until the day he steals a kiss from an unknown woman.

Rose was a foundling, raised in an orphanage and trained to work as a maid or housekeeper. She had been working at the club for a few months and earned a little extra money by repairing gowns for some of the working girls. On this particular day, she gave in to the urge to try on one of the dresses and masks, only to be accosted by a gentleman who steals a kiss.

There was no question about the sparks between Rose and Jake from the very beginning. But Rose has been very careful all her life not to give in to the passions that she believed got her mother into trouble (or else why would Rose have been given up by her mother). I liked the practical side to Rose and how she tried to resist Jake's advances. I was a bit disappointed in Jake at first, as a nobleman making advances to someone who worked for him. But I quickly came to realize that what Jake saw in Rose was someone who wanted him for himself, not his title. I also liked that he saw that she had potential to be more than a maid, and set her up as a companion for his grandmother. I ached a bit for Rose as she felt unprepared for the role because of her lack of education, but loved how she was such a quick learner.

The development of the relationship between Jake and Rose was full of obstacles. First and foremost was the difference in their stations. He's a duke and she's a maid. That just isn't done. There was also the promise that Jake had made to his dying father to give up his "wild ways" and do the right thing for the title. As they gave in to the passion between them, they also had to be careful not to be discovered. The more time they spent together, the more their attraction deepened into stronger feelings. But Jake still tried to deny those feelings, believing that he had to follow his father's dictates as the only way to alleviate his guilt. I shook my head at his plans for Rose as I really thought he knew her better. Rose's feelings for Jake had grown into love. Even though she knew that it was impossible, she had allowed herself to dream a little of what might be. I loved seeing her stand up to him. I thought his turnaround was a little fast, but in the end, he did the right thing and let love win the day.

I think my favorite character was Jake's grandmother. Her love for Jake was obvious, and she did her best to help him accept his future as the duke. I enjoyed her interactions with the people around her. She had a pretty discerning eye when it came to people, and I loved her comments on some of them. I got the feeling that she saw a lot more than Jake gave her credit for, and that she was doing her best to push him and Rose together. ( )

.Yes I liked this story, yes there was a huge power imbalance between the characters and occasionally it did feel a little awkward, but at the same time the author pointed these things out and amde the characters very firmly strong, I was rooting for the characters.

When scullery maid, Rose Nightingale, mended a red dress in the Gentlemen's Club Vitium et Virtus from one of the entertainers there, she couldn't resist trying it on, and dancing. Her dancing attracts the attention of one of the owners of the club, Jacob "Jake" Duke of Westmoor, who has inherited a title and guilt about his inheritance. The two share a kiss and he's entranced and she's interested but the power dynamic...

He finds out who she is and offers her a job as his grandmother's companion, living under the same roof leads to more complications.

It's a nice romance, some minor issues, but mostly the author addresses them. The ending felt a little rushed. ( )