Judging duke by Alex J Adams

My review

4.5 rounded to 5 stars 🍩

One night will forever change the course of these once friends to years of heartache from a past they can't move from. Duke left for a fear he couldn't move past. This event left him to become one of the Liverpool Boys. Simon blames Duke for the accident that hurt his brother and caused him to take a path to support his crumbling family. When they meet again, the tension is palpable, but Barbara, a dear friend of Dukes, sees something more. The lovely lady causes them to have to see who they are now, not who they once were. They don't have an easy journey, but once it clicks the way, it should be they are beautiful together. An enemies to lovers romance that you can see the change as it happens, making it all the more believable. My only issue was some of the early interactions of them finding each other again, which is why I dropped half a star, but the later parts more than made up with this minor annoyance in the beginning.

Book overview

Duke

Life is good.

It didn’t used to be.

Shame, prostitution, abuse - you name it, I knew about it.

I finally felt I could move on, and get my life back on track. I had a stable job and a very healthy sex life. Then he sauntered in, large as life, and everything went to the wall.

Old feelings reared their head and I couldn’t forget him, no matter how hard I tried.

I hated him. Loathed him. So why did I want him so badly?

Simon

Life is good.

It didn’t used to be.

Guilt, depression, anxiety - I knew all about it.

I was doing well. A thriving business, bucketloads of cash, and finally, a light at the end of the tunnel.

But a chance meeting and he’s back in my life again, sending everything into a tailspin.

I hated him. Loathed him. So why was that kiss all I could think about?

When Duke and Simon meet again sparks fly. First hate, then lust. Can they finally put the past behind them and move on together? Will Simon ever stop judging Duke for the mistake he made?

Judging Duke is the fourth and final book in the Liverpool Boys series. Enemies to lovers, this is a darker romance with a HEA. Can be read as a standalone.

Judging Duke (Liverpool Boys Series Book 4) https://a.co/d/5bP8JE5