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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kate Bateman has become one of my favorite historical romance authors and I was so thrilled to receive an advanced reader copy of her latest book, Second Duke’s the Charm!
This book was a lighthearted, spicy, funny read and I couldn’t put it down. I loved reading about these strong, sometimes bull-headed main characters and their descent into love.
Highlights
❤️ The amazing 🥵 spice
❤️ A strong FM (Tess) and her equally strong friends; I loved their ladies’ investigative agency and can’t wait for Ellie’s and Daisy’s stories.
❤️ Justin’s intelligent, dry-humored, confident character with a “lucky” streak, that included inheriting a dukedom.
❤️ The insight into historical upper-crust English society (why read a historical romance if you’re not in it for this!?)
❤️ This humor! I laughed so much throughout this book.
I loved Justin and Tess’ instant connection, the “I can’t keep my eyes off of you” vibes, and their meant-to-be relationship.
I devoured the book in a day and absolutely adored the world Kate created.
Thanks to Kate Bateman and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!
This book was a lighthearted, spicy, funny read and I couldn’t put it down. I loved reading about these strong, sometimes bull-headed main characters and their descent into love.
Highlights
❤️ The amazing 🥵 spice
❤️ A strong FM (Tess) and her equally strong friends; I loved their ladies’ investigative agency and can’t wait for Ellie’s and Daisy’s stories.
❤️ Justin’s intelligent, dry-humored, confident character with a “lucky” streak, that included inheriting a dukedom.
❤️ The insight into historical upper-crust English society (why read a historical romance if you’re not in it for this!?)
❤️ This humor! I laughed so much throughout this book.
I loved Justin and Tess’ instant connection, the “I can’t keep my eyes off of you” vibes, and their meant-to-be relationship.
I devoured the book in a day and absolutely adored the world Kate created.
Thanks to Kate Bateman and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
The thing I love most about starting a Kate Bateman's book is how I'm always hooked so fast. It always starts with a boom for me. Another thing I absolutely love is that she creates characters that you pretty much love instantly. In this one, the book started by showcasing the best friendship ever, which made me want to know more about all of these girls right away. I want their books now!
I cannot go on without mentioning the fact that I was kind of amazed to see my province shown as much in a historical romance book. I've read books that mentioned Canada but in this one it was really all about my province and I was like, omg it's us (as if I was a "draveur" in the river myself, but you never know, maybe in a past life) every time Justin talked about something from Canada hahaha!
I loved the detective side there was in this story and how it always did put Tess in the tricky situations with Justin, it was kind of funny how it always looked like the worst for her (sorry!). Our characters had amazing chemistry and great banter (but are we surprised, it's Kate Bateman and I feel like it's her superpower to write these). It was nice how they could make each other laugh and had an instant connection.
I survived the grand gesture, thank god, mainly because it was all such a failure and ended up being funny and cute instead of an awkward show in front of everyone (which makes me feel awkward as well, hence why I hate it). The only thing that was slightly missing for me in this one was a little bit of relationship development I think. For some reason it felt more physical than anything so I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that Justin switched so fast from: I don't want to love to, I'm in love and okay with it. But then, it was kind of a love at first sight so I guess it makes sense I felt something missing, I'm just not the biggest fan of that. But that's totally a ME problem and this book is in no way less good because of my dumb brain.
I did find that the attempted murder part was kind of really fast resolved, only mentioned in a chapter as if it was an afterthought. I had wished it was maybe a more important thing, but then there were other mysteries going on so I can understand it wouldn't take a bigger part. Anyways, it all ended quite beautifully and I really enjoyed my read so once again, Kate Bateman confirms she's an amazing writer and I'm so happy to read anything from her.
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I cannot go on without mentioning the fact that I was kind of amazed to see my province shown as much in a historical romance book. I've read books that mentioned Canada but in this one it was really all about my province and I was like, omg it's us (as if I was a "draveur" in the river myself, but you never know, maybe in a past life) every time Justin talked about something from Canada hahaha!
I loved the detective side there was in this story and how it always did put Tess in the tricky situations with Justin, it was kind of funny how it always looked like the worst for her (sorry!). Our characters had amazing chemistry and great banter (but are we surprised, it's Kate Bateman and I feel like it's her superpower to write these). It was nice how they could make each other laugh and had an instant connection.
I survived the grand gesture, thank god, mainly because it was all such a failure and ended up being funny and cute instead of an awkward show in front of everyone (which makes me feel awkward as well, hence why I hate it). The only thing that was slightly missing for me in this one was a little bit of relationship development I think. For some reason it felt more physical than anything so I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that Justin switched so fast from: I don't want to love to, I'm in love and okay with it. But then, it was kind of a love at first sight so I guess it makes sense I felt something missing, I'm just not the biggest fan of that. But that's totally a ME problem and this book is in no way less good because of my dumb brain.
I did find that the attempted murder part was kind of really fast resolved, only mentioned in a chapter as if it was an afterthought. I had wished it was maybe a more important thing, but then there were other mysteries going on so I can understand it wouldn't take a bigger part. Anyways, it all ended quite beautifully and I really enjoyed my read so once again, Kate Bateman confirms she's an amazing writer and I'm so happy to read anything from her.
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
emotional
funny
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
*I was able to read this book early via NetGalley thanks to St. Martin's Press!*
Sometimes to be enjoyable, a historical romance doesn't need to be exceptional. It just needs to be a little fun and a little different. Second Duke's the Charm is basically that. It wasn't a perfect book, but it did feature a secret mission from Queen Charlotte, a lively group of female friends, a handsome man who's cynical about love, and a few murder attempts.
Tess Townsend was married off to the Duke of Wansford, only to be lucky enough to have him die on their wedding night before anything could even happen. These days, she uses her money and influence to run an investigation agency with her two best friends. The only problem is that the distant heir to the dukedom has finally been tracked down, and while she fears whoever he is might displace her or try to shut down the agency, it's almost worse - he's hot and he's proposing a marriage of convenience between the two of them. To Justin Thornton, it seems like a perfectly reasonable deal. Until, of course, feelings get involved.
Tess and Justin are a strong central couple with good chemistry, and I do love a marriage of convenience plot. But to me, the most fun elements were the investigation bits, when Tess and her friends were sneaking around balls and gardens to find answers about a blackmailing scheme. Meanwhile, the murder attempts on Justin's life added an extra level of action - at least until the extremely underwhelming reveal of who was behind them.
Basically, this book was fun, if nothing special, and it made for a great travel read!
3.75/5
Sometimes to be enjoyable, a historical romance doesn't need to be exceptional. It just needs to be a little fun and a little different. Second Duke's the Charm is basically that. It wasn't a perfect book, but it did feature a secret mission from Queen Charlotte, a lively group of female friends, a handsome man who's cynical about love, and a few murder attempts.
Tess Townsend was married off to the Duke of Wansford, only to be lucky enough to have him die on their wedding night before anything could even happen. These days, she uses her money and influence to run an investigation agency with her two best friends. The only problem is that the distant heir to the dukedom has finally been tracked down, and while she fears whoever he is might displace her or try to shut down the agency, it's almost worse - he's hot and he's proposing a marriage of convenience between the two of them. To Justin Thornton, it seems like a perfectly reasonable deal. Until, of course, feelings get involved.
Tess and Justin are a strong central couple with good chemistry, and I do love a marriage of convenience plot. But to me, the most fun elements were the investigation bits, when Tess and her friends were sneaking around balls and gardens to find answers about a blackmailing scheme. Meanwhile, the murder attempts on Justin's life added an extra level of action - at least until the extremely underwhelming reveal of who was behind them.
Basically, this book was fun, if nothing special, and it made for a great travel read!
3.75/5
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-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:
No
4.25/5 stars
2.5/5 spice
First time author for me, and I wasn't disappointed. Steamy, romantic, and eventful, I really enjoyed reading this book.
Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Strangers to lovers
Secret identity
Businessman turned Duke
Widow FMC
Secret businesswoman
Insta-lust
He falls first
Dual POV
This one had a lot of fun elements that had me giggling and gasping. I loved how logical Justin was about love because you just know that he's going to be the first one to fall. I was just waiting for him to get over himself, and it was adorable when he realized how hard he had fallen. I also loved Tess, who was able to stand on her own two feet and be so successful running the duchy and a business. She was inspiring and very easy to like. The trio of friends was also a great thing to see, and I hope to read about their adventures soon, too.
Overall, an entertaining and steamy historical romance. Highly recommend for fans of the marriage of convenience trope.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2.5/5 spice
First time author for me, and I wasn't disappointed. Steamy, romantic, and eventful, I really enjoyed reading this book.
Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Strangers to lovers
Secret identity
Businessman turned Duke
Widow FMC
Secret businesswoman
Insta-lust
He falls first
Dual POV
This one had a lot of fun elements that had me giggling and gasping. I loved how logical Justin was about love because you just know that he's going to be the first one to fall. I was just waiting for him to get over himself, and it was adorable when he realized how hard he had fallen. I also loved Tess, who was able to stand on her own two feet and be so successful running the duchy and a business. She was inspiring and very easy to like. The trio of friends was also a great thing to see, and I hope to read about their adventures soon, too.
Overall, an entertaining and steamy historical romance. Highly recommend for fans of the marriage of convenience trope.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Second Duke's the Charm was my first read by Kate Bateman and I must admit that I was charmed. Tess and Justin's story featured one of my favorite tropes in historical romance, marriage of convenience.
Tess was raised by a ruthless father who at age 19 forced her to marry an ancient duke for money, but she plans to escape her impending doom with the help of her two closest friends, Daisy and Ellie. When Tess unexpectedly becomes a widow on her wedding night, she is left with a title and money that give her the freedom to live her life on her own terms. Two years later Tessa has joined forces with her best friends to start a business helping people, specifically women, who may find themselves in similar situations to hers.
It is on one of her work adventures that she meets a handsome stranger who takes her breath away and makes her feel more than any man ever has. After sharing a passionate encounter, Tess never expects to see him again. Fate has other plans; the handsome stranger is Justin Thornton, the heir to her late husband. Justin, who has not stopped thinking about Tess since their stolen moment, boldly proposes a marriage of convenience which he claims will benefit both.
There are rules of course; all physical and no feelings and an end date, but Tessa has her own concerns; mainly that Justin will find out that she never consummated her first marriage. Still, she agrees to his proposal and the two embark on a passionate affair. Attraction leads to deeper feelings soon into their new marriage and the two must figure out whether said feelings are worth the risk.
Second Duke's the Charm was a fun and delightful read and I cannot wait to read Daisy and Ellie's books.
Tess was raised by a ruthless father who at age 19 forced her to marry an ancient duke for money, but she plans to escape her impending doom with the help of her two closest friends, Daisy and Ellie. When Tess unexpectedly becomes a widow on her wedding night, she is left with a title and money that give her the freedom to live her life on her own terms. Two years later Tessa has joined forces with her best friends to start a business helping people, specifically women, who may find themselves in similar situations to hers.
It is on one of her work adventures that she meets a handsome stranger who takes her breath away and makes her feel more than any man ever has. After sharing a passionate encounter, Tess never expects to see him again. Fate has other plans; the handsome stranger is Justin Thornton, the heir to her late husband. Justin, who has not stopped thinking about Tess since their stolen moment, boldly proposes a marriage of convenience which he claims will benefit both.
There are rules of course; all physical and no feelings and an end date, but Tessa has her own concerns; mainly that Justin will find out that she never consummated her first marriage. Still, she agrees to his proposal and the two embark on a passionate affair. Attraction leads to deeper feelings soon into their new marriage and the two must figure out whether said feelings are worth the risk.
Second Duke's the Charm was a fun and delightful read and I cannot wait to read Daisy and Ellie's books.
emotional
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
Second Duke’s the Charm is a breath of springtime air. It is a book that accomplishes what it sets out to do, and is lovely and enjoyable as it does so. Tess and Justin are interesting characters with foibles and insecurities but who are endeavoring to improve themselves. There is humor and heat and a great trio of female friends. I really liked Second Duke’s the Charm, and look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.75/5. Releases 12/26/2023.
Vibes: marriage of convenience, secret virgin, verrrry slick hero, and light mystery
Heat Level: 3/5.
Following a very short-term marriage (as in, he had a heart attack right after seeing her naked) to a gross old man, Tess is left a widow with some degree of independence. With that, she starts a secret detective agency with her best friends. All is well until the dukedom unexpectedly falls to cynical businessman Justin Thornton, who upon meeting Tess has a risky offer–why not have a marriage of convenience? Three months together, and they’ll go their separate ways, him dodging matchmakers, her securing a stable future. Tess agrees; but doesn’t quite anticipate the full risk to her heart.
This was a fun one! While mystery plots are hit or miss for me in romance, this one was light enough to enjoy–and surprisingly (for me) the rest of it was pretty much a feelings book. I do have some quibbles, but if you’re looking for a fluffier read with some solid heat, I think you’ll like it.
Quick Takes:
–This is a very heroine-forward romance, and places a good emphasis on Tess’s friendships with her detective-coworkers and mains, Ellie and Daisy. I loved their rapport from the start (and this book does have a very evocative beginning that immediately hooked me). They were a bit bawdy, very supportive, and just fun.
I do suspect that, because this book has a bit of a modern edge (I don’t get the sense that Kate Bateman was super concerned about historical accuracy, and I honestly respect it) it might not be for the Bonnet Brigade. I expect complaints. If you actually want to have fun when reading, kindly ignore them.
–Justin and Tess have a bright chemistry from the beginning, and he’s so expressive of his attraction to her. He doesn’t hide it at all. (And sidebar: love that Tess is beautiful and just knows this. She’s not shy about her looks and using them to her advantage, which I so appreciated.) It kind of adds to the stress Tess feels about actually falling love with him, because he is very charming, and it would be so easy for her to fall despite him wanting what is essentially a no strings attached marriage.
–Like I said earlier, the mystery is on the lighter side. It also involves Queen Charlotte. I was less than enamored with this. it felt to me like an appeal to the Bridgerton crowd, and I kind of couldn’t care less. In general, I find that shoehorning real (famous) historical figures often takes away from the general experience of a historical romance. It’s kind of awkward, as they’re almost always portrayed as being much more gracious and grand than they actually are.
–One thing I did struggle with a little was that there is much more of Tess’s perspective than Justin’s. His POV is there enough for you to get a tease, but not enough to really establish his feelings for Tess, in my opinion. I knew she was falling in love, but his emotional arc felt rather rushed at the end. It kind of felt like he fell in love with her all at once, and I wanted more insight. Ultimately, this took away from what was otherwise a solid love story and a good grovel.
The Sex:
It was hot, and it started early. There is one particularly good Carriage Cunnilingus scene, as well as a bit of… he thinks it’s virgin role play? But it’s not, Tess is an actual virgin. That’s a big part of the tension, sexual and otherwise, in the first half of the book. For valid reasons, Tess has been hiding her virginity since her first husband died, and it’s kind of hilarious for her to VERY successfully convince Justin, a super experienced man, that she is also experienced. His “oh yes, you must know this from all your lovers” “my God, you are so good” is really… something.
I do have to nitpick one little thing. Before Tess and Justin marry, she has some worries about contraception. She and her friends discuss several period-accurate options and methods, and I was like “oh great, she’ll pick one that works for her”. And then she just went “well, I’ll risk it”. Despite acknowledging that Justin is going to dip and leave her in London after three months, and that, though she likes the idea of a baby, she doesn’t like the idea of raising a baby essentially fatherless… She just decides to risk it?
And this really wasn’t considered much further. There’s this vague implication that Tess perhaps likes the idea of being left with a baby (though Justin makes it clear that he’s fine with her getting pregnant by another man once he leaves, and he’ll legally claim the child, no questions asked–so she can have a baby either way) but I don’t know. I didn’t really love the sort of “fuck it” vibe to all of this. It felt weird, especially for a woman in a relatively precarious situation. Other than that, I loved the way the sex scenes in this book were handled, but that nagged me a little.
While not a perfect read, I found Second Duke’s the Charm easy and charming, with the brisk sense of fun I’ve come to expect from Kate Bateman. It’s a good read for the winter.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing