For when you're vibing with... Menage romance (crossed swords included), interclass romance, a Lady Chatterley vibe perhaps, artist heroes, and lots of fucking on the page.

After her husband dies, duchess Anna is on the road with her loyal manservant Oliver. With nowhere else to go, they take shelter with scandalous painter Ezra, who gives them an offer they can't refuse--he'll give them both enough for them to get on their feet, if they pose together for one of his erotic portraits. Oliver and Anna have long suppressed their feelings for each other, and they're both intrigued by Ezra. But what starts out as a win-win gets more complicated as physical attraction gives way to actual feelings for all three.

This was a hot, intriguing menage romance, the second installment in Jess Michaels's Theirs series--and even if it didn't quite live up to Their Marchioness, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It dipped into different waters than the first book, with a different set of challenges. I'm impressed by her ability to try different things with the same basic "concept".

Quick Takes:
--If you're into interclass drama, this is the book for you. Anna and Oliver's central conflict is "even if Anna doesn't give a fuck about being a duchess anymore, Oliver sure does feel unworthy of her". It would get tired, except for the fact that both Ezra and Anna confront this in Oliver head on, and his desire to put her first (and above) goes far enough to affect his sex life. Which I found super interesting.

--This one does, I will say, feel more like a central love story between two people, with the addition of a third that just happens to fit in with them really well. Compared, that is, to the first book, in which all three partners had some kind of preexisting history with each other, and all seemed to be equally in love with each other. For sure, I could see Ezra falling in love with Anna and Oliver at a future date, and I felt they could fall for him too, but I did kinda miss the feeling that this was a solid, equal triad that I got from the first book. That could totally be a preference thing, though, and I get why it might be hard to authentically sell Ezra's connection to Anna and Oliver as having the significance of their connection to each other in the span of this book.

--I really enjoyed the total lack of struggle both Oliver and Ezra had with being bisexual. Ezra isn't titled, but he is a blue-blooded, louche sort of artist. Oliver is solidly working class and a servant. Both of them are bi, neither of them is bothered about it. While I appreciated the struggle with sexuality that one character in Their Marchioness, it was smart to not repeat that in this book.

--While Oliver coming to terms with his feelings for Anna and Ezra and his place in their world is a big part of the book, I would say this one is significantly less dramatic than Their Marchioness, and that in itself was kind of nice. This story runs on vibes in a lot of ways. In that sense, it's a really soothing and easy read, and I'd totally recommend it as a palate cleanser. It's not without angst, but it also isn't heavy.

The Sex Stuff:
Their Duchess is a quick and dirty read--I'm leaning towards it being an erotic romance based on the amount of sex in the book and its interconnection with the plot, though I'm not 100% sure. You get a little bit of everything--plenty of P in V sex, DP, all the oral and digital stuff you could possibly want (including a two-on-one BJ, huzzah!) and the ol' "mmf sandwich" maneuver, which we love to see. It's hot, it's well done, I was happy. The way that Oliver's sexual expression tied back to his self perception was one of my favorite things in the book.

If you're not open to the idea of triads and polyamory... this one won't be for you. The point of the book is three people falling in love with each other. However, if you're looking for a kind of cozy book with just bit of angst and a cute throuple, this is up your alley. And conversely, if you're ready for something a bit angstier, check out Their Marchioness. With either book, you'll have a good time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jess Michaels for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.