Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
This book started strong but the last 15% went off the rails. Too many silly side plots.
For the young Dowager Duchess of Wansford, the second duke is indeed the charm in this first book in a new series from Kate Bateman.
When Tess Townsend’s much older husband passes away on their wedding night before any joining can take place, she’s relieved. Tess is left to run his household and estate until the next duke in line takes her deceased husband’s place. Maintenance and improvements, along with the investigations she and her friends undertake at their private detective agency, keep her busy, but she feels like she is missing out on some of the more physical aspects of life.
Imagine her surprise when, shortly after she dons a mask and seeks out one of those more physical experiences, she discovers that her very eager partner from that encounter is none other than the new Duke of Wansford.
Justin Thornton never expected to be a duke. He has a prominent shipping business and is only distantly related to the former Duke of Wansford. When he inherits the title and discovers the Dowager Duchess is the masked lady in red that he recently kissed at a party, he proposes an arrangement of sorts: a marriage of convenience with a physical component that has an expiration date. He will no longer be prey to be circled by the mothers of the ton; his needs will be met; and with a change in their living arrangements scheduled after three months together, neither will fall in love.
Oh, dear readers, we know how that will turn out. I just adore it when an MMC falls head-over-heels in love and is shocked by the outcome.
Bateman’s books are always fun, and this one kept me grinning.
I loved how strong, intelligent, and capable Tess is. I loved how Justin recognizes and praises her for her accomplishments. She is not just a pretty face to him.
I loved the female friendships and look forward to reading more books centered around the ladies from the private detective agency.
I liked the meddling servants.
And I adored the chemistry between Tess and Justin. Their attraction is on fire and cannot be contained to a bedroom.
Although at the end, I wasn’t completely sold on the grand gesture, I did enjoy the accompanying grovel.
All in all, this is a fun start to a new series.
I received an advance copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.
When Tess Townsend’s much older husband passes away on their wedding night before any joining can take place, she’s relieved. Tess is left to run his household and estate until the next duke in line takes her deceased husband’s place. Maintenance and improvements, along with the investigations she and her friends undertake at their private detective agency, keep her busy, but she feels like she is missing out on some of the more physical aspects of life.
Imagine her surprise when, shortly after she dons a mask and seeks out one of those more physical experiences, she discovers that her very eager partner from that encounter is none other than the new Duke of Wansford.
Justin Thornton never expected to be a duke. He has a prominent shipping business and is only distantly related to the former Duke of Wansford. When he inherits the title and discovers the Dowager Duchess is the masked lady in red that he recently kissed at a party, he proposes an arrangement of sorts: a marriage of convenience with a physical component that has an expiration date. He will no longer be prey to be circled by the mothers of the ton; his needs will be met; and with a change in their living arrangements scheduled after three months together, neither will fall in love.
Oh, dear readers, we know how that will turn out. I just adore it when an MMC falls head-over-heels in love and is shocked by the outcome.
Bateman’s books are always fun, and this one kept me grinning.
I loved how strong, intelligent, and capable Tess is. I loved how Justin recognizes and praises her for her accomplishments. She is not just a pretty face to him.
I loved the female friendships and look forward to reading more books centered around the ladies from the private detective agency.
I liked the meddling servants.
And I adored the chemistry between Tess and Justin. Their attraction is on fire and cannot be contained to a bedroom.
Although at the end, I wasn’t completely sold on the grand gesture, I did enjoy the accompanying grovel.
All in all, this is a fun start to a new series.
I received an advance copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.
I knew I would really enjoy this book from the very first page when Tess's much older husband drops dead on their wedding night, saving her from a forced marriage to someone she hates. Now free to do what she likes, Tess and her two best friends open a detective agency and successively solve mysteries to help noble women avoid scandal. But when the new duke turns out to be the handsome man she had shared a secret passionate kiss with, she debates whether she can trust him with her independence and her heart. The main characters have such a great dynamic! Their constant banter is very engaging, and their genuine support for each other throughout the book, even when they were fighting, was very sweet! I absolutely adored the friendship dynamic between Tess and her two best friends! They were so fun, and I really hope the rest of the series follows their relationships! This was such a fun romance, and I can't wait to read the next books in the series!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
was this particularly good... not really. was it ridiculous and horny... absolutely!
Wow. For my first Kate Bateman, I was blown away with everything I’ve been missing in my historical romance reading. I say FIRST Kate Bateman, because this definitely will not be my last.
This book has everything I love in a romance: -solid best friends who are just as lovely as the heroine,
-A++ banter between the hero and heroine, -beautifully intimate and super sexy love scenes, -an original plot (which let’s be honest, is really hard to do!),
-a hero who says what he wants and then acts on it
-top notch chemistry
Need I say more? When we first meet Tess, her husband, the Duke of Wansford, has just dropped dead on their wedding night, no less. If Tess is to reap the benefits of maintaining her status as Duchess of Wansford, it’s important to keep up the appearance that she was intimate with her husband. And of course she’s curious about physical intimacy, so what better way to educate herself than to attend a masquerade? Tess never expects to meet someone as exciting as Justin Thornton at the masquerade. When she encounters him again and he assumes (wrongly so) that she is a woman who takes her pleasures as she wants, it makes sense to enter into a marriage of pleasurable convenience. This book was so good and had the best dialogue. The friends openly discuss sex and ask all the questions you would expect of an accidental virgin. I can’t wait to see if Daisy gets her own story—she always had the best one-liners (so many highlighted sections in my e-reader!). To add to this, there’s a secondary plotline involving stolen love letters from Princess Charlotte, and the three friends have a Charlie’s Angels style agency that helps her get them back. If you like female empowerment written into your romance, I’d highly suggest Second Duke’s the Charm. Trust me, this isn’t one you want to miss! I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This book has everything I love in a romance: -solid best friends who are just as lovely as the heroine,
-A++ banter between the hero and heroine, -beautifully intimate and super sexy love scenes, -an original plot (which let’s be honest, is really hard to do!),
-a hero who says what he wants and then acts on it
-top notch chemistry
Need I say more? When we first meet Tess, her husband, the Duke of Wansford, has just dropped dead on their wedding night, no less. If Tess is to reap the benefits of maintaining her status as Duchess of Wansford, it’s important to keep up the appearance that she was intimate with her husband. And of course she’s curious about physical intimacy, so what better way to educate herself than to attend a masquerade? Tess never expects to meet someone as exciting as Justin Thornton at the masquerade. When she encounters him again and he assumes (wrongly so) that she is a woman who takes her pleasures as she wants, it makes sense to enter into a marriage of pleasurable convenience. This book was so good and had the best dialogue. The friends openly discuss sex and ask all the questions you would expect of an accidental virgin. I can’t wait to see if Daisy gets her own story—she always had the best one-liners (so many highlighted sections in my e-reader!). To add to this, there’s a secondary plotline involving stolen love letters from Princess Charlotte, and the three friends have a Charlie’s Angels style agency that helps her get them back. If you like female empowerment written into your romance, I’d highly suggest Second Duke’s the Charm. Trust me, this isn’t one you want to miss! I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Second Duke's the Charm is a story about a hero who doesn't think he's capable of love completely losing his heart. It is a plot I always enjoy and Kate Bateman does it well!
I liked Tess and Justin as a couple. They both admired the other for their intelligence and they had good banter. I also liked that Tess was the one familiar with the estate. It was a nice reverse from most historicals.
For readers who like a mystery subplot this story had that as well. I am more interested in the romance but I think this would be perfect for fans of Manda Collins or other writers who combine mystery and romance!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an arc of this book in order to review it. All opinions are my own.
I liked Tess and Justin as a couple. They both admired the other for their intelligence and they had good banter. I also liked that Tess was the one familiar with the estate. It was a nice reverse from most historicals.
For readers who like a mystery subplot this story had that as well. I am more interested in the romance but I think this would be perfect for fans of Manda Collins or other writers who combine mystery and romance!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an arc of this book in order to review it. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No