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Second Duke's the Charm
by Kate Bateman
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