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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I've read one other book by Kate Bateman and enjoyed it. This however was a series of sex scenes held together by the thinnest of plots. Take out the sex and the book would have been about 10 pages long.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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 the Charm by Kate Bateman, book one in Her Majesty’s Rebels series, is a sweet, fun and romantic story. This close-knit group of smart, strong, intelligent women are not only close friends, but the secret owners and investigators of King & Co., one of London's most exclusive investigative agencies; working to take down criminals. It was unheard of for women to indulge in such brash behavior given the times, but Tess Townsend and her friends are good at what they do, and they enjoy the independence it affords them.
Tess Townsend, was bartered off in marriage by her father to a repulsive older man, was saved when her husband dropped dead on their wedding night; leaving her not only the Dowager Duchess, but also a virgin. Attending a masked house party, hoping for a little flirty fun, she gets more than she bargained for when her fling turns out to be the new duke. Shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom but, when the woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Duchess, Justin sees a solution: a pleasurable marriage of convenience that will suit them both. Now all they have to do is figure out how to control the fiery hot, sizzling chemistry sparking between them. Justin doesn't believe in love and trusts no one. Tess wants to keep her independence and refuses to submit to any man. It’s going to take some shrew negotiating, and a grand gesture that doesn't quite go as planned before this marriage of convenience becomes a real, loving union between these two.
Ms. Bateman managed to create the perfect balance between romance and intrigue; crafting strong characters who live life as they see fit, not for how others see them. I love how the main characters to find and fall for each other while adding the marriage of convenience trope to it too. The chemistry between Tess and Justin was off the charts, and there was just enough of the investigative story to balance the romance. I loved her friends and can’t wait to see their stories in the future. I highly recommend Second Duke the Charm to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Tess Townsend, was bartered off in marriage by her father to a repulsive older man, was saved when her husband dropped dead on their wedding night; leaving her not only the Dowager Duchess, but also a virgin. Attending a masked house party, hoping for a little flirty fun, she gets more than she bargained for when her fling turns out to be the new duke. Shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom but, when the woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Duchess, Justin sees a solution: a pleasurable marriage of convenience that will suit them both. Now all they have to do is figure out how to control the fiery hot, sizzling chemistry sparking between them. Justin doesn't believe in love and trusts no one. Tess wants to keep her independence and refuses to submit to any man. It’s going to take some shrew negotiating, and a grand gesture that doesn't quite go as planned before this marriage of convenience becomes a real, loving union between these two.
Ms. Bateman managed to create the perfect balance between romance and intrigue; crafting strong characters who live life as they see fit, not for how others see them. I love how the main characters to find and fall for each other while adding the marriage of convenience trope to it too. The chemistry between Tess and Justin was off the charts, and there was just enough of the investigative story to balance the romance. I loved her friends and can’t wait to see their stories in the future. I highly recommend Second Duke the Charm to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was so bored! I did not like at all these characters of the premise of this. I am trying to remember bits and pieces of this and I just draw a blank. That is how memorable it is.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THIS WAS SO CUTEEEEEEEEEEE, i loved both tess and justin. they were such fun characters.
⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Let me preface this with the fact that I am NOT a historical romance girl. I have a subscription to TBR and my Bibliologist recco'ed this to me because I am a huge Marriage of Convenience stan.
That said, I loved this book! Kate Bateman (and my bibliologist) nailed this vibe.
_____________
Tess Townsend, the Dowager Duchess of Wansford, is left alone after her (gross) husband dies on her wedding night. She lives in relative peace for years, solving crimes that London is too busy for with her two best friends, under the guise of being a male investigative agency. Her status as a widow leaves her with the freedom to do as she pleases, until Justin Thornton returns from Canada to find that he is now the new Duke of Wansford, and has inherited Tess along with it.
He proposes a marriage of convenience so that they BOTH may live as they please -- him going back across the ocean to grow his shipping empire and her to do whatever she pleases with no pressure to re-marry.
Obviously, they can't just keep a simple deal simple :)
_____________
Pros --
✨ I LOVED the side plot of King & Co.! A huge reason why I am usually not a fan of historical romance is because the women are helpless or stuck in the constraints of the time they live in. I am a woman who would have been burned at the stake back in the day, so I LOVE the plot of them working around the guardrails of 1800s society.
✨ I died laughing at the painting/print cover story. I love how fun Justin got after she pulled that one out and he indulged the story.
✨ Justin is a great MMC. He is personable, honest, and was a lot of fun to read.
Neutral --
✨ This is kind of a "pro/con" honestly, but the story itself takes place in a small time frame. They fall in love VERY fast. I would make this a con, but honestly-- as a woman in historical times, if you meet someone who treats you like a human being with your own desires, how can you NOT fall in love fast and want to snatch that up? So I gave some leeway on this. In a contemporary romance, this would be a DNF. But here, I am ok with it.
Cons --
✨ The ending felt very rushed. It's actually the one and only reason I knocked off a star. I wanted a better grovel (as hilarious as his was!). I wanted to draw it out. The entire first 3/4 of the book was so well done and a great slow burn and then it was a sprint to the end. I just wanted more. I would read a duet with Tess and Justin, honestly, this story could go on forever.
Overall, a solid 4 star. Will I keep reading HR? Idk, man. But I loved this one and I think it was a rare gem.
Let me preface this with the fact that I am NOT a historical romance girl. I have a subscription to TBR and my Bibliologist recco'ed this to me because I am a huge Marriage of Convenience stan.
That said, I loved this book! Kate Bateman (and my bibliologist) nailed this vibe.
_____________
Tess Townsend, the Dowager Duchess of Wansford, is left alone after her (gross) husband dies on her wedding night. She lives in relative peace for years, solving crimes that London is too busy for with her two best friends, under the guise of being a male investigative agency. Her status as a widow leaves her with the freedom to do as she pleases, until Justin Thornton returns from Canada to find that he is now the new Duke of Wansford, and has inherited Tess along with it.
He proposes a marriage of convenience so that they BOTH may live as they please -- him going back across the ocean to grow his shipping empire and her to do whatever she pleases with no pressure to re-marry.
Obviously, they can't just keep a simple deal simple :)
_____________
Pros --
✨ I LOVED the side plot of King & Co.! A huge reason why I am usually not a fan of historical romance is because the women are helpless or stuck in the constraints of the time they live in. I am a woman who would have been burned at the stake back in the day, so I LOVE the plot of them working around the guardrails of 1800s society.
✨ I died laughing at the painting/print cover story. I love how fun Justin got after she pulled that one out and he indulged the story.
✨ Justin is a great MMC. He is personable, honest, and was a lot of fun to read.
Neutral --
✨ This is kind of a "pro/con" honestly, but the story itself takes place in a small time frame. They fall in love VERY fast. I would make this a con, but honestly-- as a woman in historical times, if you meet someone who treats you like a human being with your own desires, how can you NOT fall in love fast and want to snatch that up? So I gave some leeway on this. In a contemporary romance, this would be a DNF. But here, I am ok with it.
Cons --
✨ The ending felt very rushed. It's actually the one and only reason I knocked off a star. I wanted a better grovel (as hilarious as his was!). I wanted to draw it out. The entire first 3/4 of the book was so well done and a great slow burn and then it was a sprint to the end. I just wanted more. I would read a duet with Tess and Justin, honestly, this story could go on forever.
Overall, a solid 4 star. Will I keep reading HR? Idk, man. But I loved this one and I think it was a rare gem.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
I love Kate Bateman’s books! This one is so fun. Tess is such a strong yet vulnerable character, and Justin doesn’t steamroll her like many romance heroes. Great plot. Love the side characters. I want books on them as well
I love Kate Bateman’s books! This one is so fun. Tess is such a strong yet vulnerable character, and Justin doesn’t steamroll her like many romance heroes. Great plot. Love the side characters. I want books on them as well
A new Kate Bateman historical romance series featuring three brilliant woman who run London's most exclusive investigative agency ? Sign me up!! On Tess's wedding night to a much older man (it was a forced marriage in which her father sold her, she was 19 and the duke was about 70+), he suddenly dies and Tess still remains a virgin... but now she has become the Dowager Duchess of Wansford and has set up an investigative agency with her two best friends. Tess knows she can't risk another marriage or getting caught in a scandal with a lover but she wants to experience it just once... so when she goes to a party in a mask the last thing she expects is to share a steamy make out session with the very man who has become the new Duke of Wansford and has come to inspect the home that she lives in. Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he'll do his duty. In order to get one last hurrah out before he is announced as a duke and swarmed by all the ladies of London he decides to go to a party to find someone to sleep with... but he finds himself wholly captivated by the stunning woman he kisses. Yet when they both meet again he immediately recognizes her as the woman of his fantasy, the woman he's had a crush on since he first saw her all the years ago. Justin isn't looking for love, he doesn't want anything to do with it, however physical lust? He's all for. So when he finds out that Tess is the Duchess to the home he is meant to take he offers her a new deal: a marriage of convenience in which they both sleep with each other for three months and in return she'll maintain her freedom and he'll pay her and allow her to continue doing as she pleases as he just wants everyone to leave him alone when they find out he's married. What started off as just physical lust turns into something more as Justin begins to fall for his mysterious new wife and can't seem to stay away from her. This was an overall cute read and I adore Kate Bateman books, it just kind of fell a bit flat at the end and I was wishing there was more groveling on Justin's part after the big breakup. I actually really loved Tess, my gripe was with Justin. He kind of just irritated me and I was hoping as the book went on I'd like him better, but it wasn't the case unfortunately. I am so interested in the next two books as Tess's two friends are adorable and I am so excited to read this new series that has a touch of mystery and investigation!
*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Paperbacks for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Paperbacks for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*