Scan barcode
bethany78's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mdal26's review against another edition
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
3.0
webbsusa's review
4.0
This was a strong end to the series. I’ve enjoyed both Sheridan and Vanessa over the course of the series, and it was good to finally see them get together. It was also good to have the mystery finally be sewn up. This wasn’t my favorite series by Ms. Jeffries, but it was enjoyable and ended well. Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
jbskat's review
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
smartcookiesca's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
annah623's review
lighthearted
mysterious
3.0
This was the final book in a series that I haven't read. I would recommend starting at the beginning since there is a mystery running throughout. The family in this series is weirdly incestuous though. None of the couples are related by blood, but they're all relations of one of their half siblings. It's just weird that they can all be found on the same family tree.
Like the other book I've read from Jeffries, this is light, quick, and easy. It's fine. I might come back to her books if I'm bored because they take little effort to read and are passably entertaining.
Like the other book I've read from Jeffries, this is light, quick, and easy. It's fine. I might come back to her books if I'm bored because they take little effort to read and are passably entertaining.
mhmissey's review
3.0
Nice end to the series but weird how they all married people semi-related to them
amym84's review
4.0
Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined to once and for all find out who was behind the suspicious deaths of his uncle and father - along with his mother's other two previous husbands. With the help of his siblings, and their significant others, they know that events in the past play a key part in figuring out who is behind the murders. They each have their own person to question. Sheridan is tasked with questioning Lady Eustace, and the best way to do that is to get close to her daughter Vanessa. With Vanessa's affections caught up with a local poet, Sheridan feels like they can both benefit from a fake courtship: Sheridan will have ample opportunity to question Vanessa's mother, and Vanessa can make her unrequited love jealous enough to actually commit to her.
But Vanessa has a secret. She's not really in love with the poet. She's actually quite taken with Sheridan himself, but he's never seemed to notice her before. Vanessa hopes that being in constant close proximity with one another will force Sheridan to finally see her. But will they ever be able to reach one another with all the secrets floating around?
I've rather enjoyed this series. The big draw for me was following the murder mystery throughout each book. I liked how it linked each story together. If I'm being honest, I wish that it was more prevalent. I know that this series is romance first and the mystery is something extra, but I wish that we could have seen more cohesion in regards to putting the pieces together at the end. I think this is especially highlighted because we're at the end and readers are figuring on things getting solved. There was just still so much for the siblings to piece together that I would have appreciated some scenes from other characters' points of view as they question their respective suspects. Since each book focuses on a different sibling though, I understand why Sheridan / Vanessa were the focus. Sabrina Jeffries would have had to setup the flow of the story differently from the onset for it to have made sense at the end.
I won't say that the reveal was super shocking, but I always enjoy how the past ultimately influences the present / future and oftentimes revisiting the past will give us the insight we're looking for.
As it stands, Vanessa and Sheridan's road to happiness was a tangled web indeed. There were quite a few times I had to stop and remind myself why they were pretending to be together. Who it was supposed to benefit and what secrets were still being kept. I think, for the most part, Sabrina Jeffries handles the various points of their fake relationship rather well. I mean that if you take both Vanessa and Sheridan's parts and view them separately it makes a certain sense. It's also speaks a lot to things that we leave unsaid. To see the points where Sheridan and Vanessa's feelings for one another actually converge yet they've set their own roadblocks in between what they could have together, it's almost a bit comical dare I say. But I like them together and I like how well they kind of play off of one another.
The highlight for me is the family interaction. I think with this being the last book we get a good view of all the siblings and their significant others together quite a few times and I love seeing that connection especially given the fact that they are such a large blended family.
Overall, I've found this series to be enjoyable. I'd say you could definitely read these as standalones but you might miss the build up of the mystery that runs throughout.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
But Vanessa has a secret. She's not really in love with the poet. She's actually quite taken with Sheridan himself, but he's never seemed to notice her before. Vanessa hopes that being in constant close proximity with one another will force Sheridan to finally see her. But will they ever be able to reach one another with all the secrets floating around?
I've rather enjoyed this series. The big draw for me was following the murder mystery throughout each book. I liked how it linked each story together. If I'm being honest, I wish that it was more prevalent. I know that this series is romance first and the mystery is something extra, but I wish that we could have seen more cohesion in regards to putting the pieces together at the end. I think this is especially highlighted because we're at the end and readers are figuring on things getting solved. There was just still so much for the siblings to piece together that I would have appreciated some scenes from other characters' points of view as they question their respective suspects. Since each book focuses on a different sibling though, I understand why Sheridan / Vanessa were the focus. Sabrina Jeffries would have had to setup the flow of the story differently from the onset for it to have made sense at the end.
I won't say that the reveal was super shocking, but I always enjoy how the past ultimately influences the present / future and oftentimes revisiting the past will give us the insight we're looking for.
As it stands, Vanessa and Sheridan's road to happiness was a tangled web indeed. There were quite a few times I had to stop and remind myself why they were pretending to be together. Who it was supposed to benefit and what secrets were still being kept. I think, for the most part, Sabrina Jeffries handles the various points of their fake relationship rather well. I mean that if you take both Vanessa and Sheridan's parts and view them separately it makes a certain sense. It's also speaks a lot to things that we leave unsaid. To see the points where Sheridan and Vanessa's feelings for one another actually converge yet they've set their own roadblocks in between what they could have together, it's almost a bit comical dare I say. But I like them together and I like how well they kind of play off of one another.
The highlight for me is the family interaction. I think with this being the last book we get a good view of all the siblings and their significant others together quite a few times and I love seeing that connection especially given the fact that they are such a large blended family.
Overall, I've found this series to be enjoyable. I'd say you could definitely read these as standalones but you might miss the build up of the mystery that runs throughout.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
sarah_moynihan's review
3.0
'Along with his stepsiblings, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined to finally solve the mysteries behind the suspicious deaths of their mother’s three husbands. Tasked with investigating a possible suspect, Sheridan finds himself in dangerous proximity to her captivating daughter, Vanessa Pryde. But still haunted by a tragically lost love, the duke is resolved to resist the attraction—and avoid any “scheming” husband-hunters. Besides, lovely Miss Pryde seems utterly smitten with a roguish London playwright...
Vanessa thinks a little scheming may be in order—for it’s Sheridan she truly has her sights, and her heart, set on. Her theatrical flirtation is intended only to break through his business-like demeanor and guarded emotions. And as Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two soon find themselves propelled into a scheme of an altogether different kind, involving a pretend engagement, a secret inquiry—and a perhaps not-so-secret leap into true love...'
_______________________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
Undercover Duke is the fourth book in Sabrina Jefferies Duke Dynasty series and is a historical romance with a touch of murder mystery.
I'm always happy to read an added mystery plotline and this one has been building over these four books and I am looking forward to getting some answers and see how things will play out. I liked both main characters and thought that they had a good dynamic together. I loved how Vanessa got herself into a bit of a sticky spot trying to cover her crush and so was made to invent a crush on someone else. Everyone around her has been made aware of it and now she's forced to keep up this façade. It was just silly enough that I found it really charming.
Sheridan really screwed things up by not sharing any details about the mystery his family has been investigating and Vanessa is obviously hurt when she learns the truth, especially walking in on a big family meeting and learning that everyone knows what is going on except her. And honestly with both of them holding back on how they were feeling with each other from Sheridan pertending that he didn't have an ulterior motive for spending so much time around Vanessa and Vanessa trying to make Sheridan jealous by also worried that he would consider her a scheming woman and so just continuing in the same vein. I just wish so much time hadn't been dedicated to the putting up false fronts because then once they were honest with one another things felt a bit rushed.
I would recommend reading this book in order within its series and not as a stand-alone. I had read only the second book in the series about a year ago and there were moments when I felt like I was missing something. There mystery is slowly unravelled across the 4 books of the series, so I definitely recommend reading them in order. Give this series a read if you like some mystery with your HR.
I'm wishing Heywood was a bigger part of this series, he felt like a random afterthought through most of the series. I know that he isn't a duke like the rest of his brothers and the series is called Duke Dynasty, but that doesn't make him less a part of the family. I feel like we see the other brothers so much more, even in the books where one or the other was not the main character, but we have only seen little glimpses of Heywood so far throughout the series and so he feels like such an enigma to me. I want to know more about him, so I might go back to read the novella featuring him to read his story.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books, Zebra for sharing an eARC of Undercover Duke with me. This is my honest review.
Vanessa thinks a little scheming may be in order—for it’s Sheridan she truly has her sights, and her heart, set on. Her theatrical flirtation is intended only to break through his business-like demeanor and guarded emotions. And as Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two soon find themselves propelled into a scheme of an altogether different kind, involving a pretend engagement, a secret inquiry—and a perhaps not-so-secret leap into true love...'
_______________________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
Undercover Duke is the fourth book in Sabrina Jefferies Duke Dynasty series and is a historical romance with a touch of murder mystery.
I'm always happy to read an added mystery plotline and this one has been building over these four books and I am looking forward to getting some answers and see how things will play out. I liked both main characters and thought that they had a good dynamic together. I loved how Vanessa got herself into a bit of a sticky spot trying to cover her crush and so was made to invent a crush on someone else. Everyone around her has been made aware of it and now she's forced to keep up this façade. It was just silly enough that I found it really charming.
Sheridan really screwed things up by not sharing any details about the mystery his family has been investigating and Vanessa is obviously hurt when she learns the truth, especially walking in on a big family meeting and learning that everyone knows what is going on except her. And honestly with both of them holding back on how they were feeling with each other from Sheridan pertending that he didn't have an ulterior motive for spending so much time around Vanessa and Vanessa trying to make Sheridan jealous by also worried that he would consider her a scheming woman and so just continuing in the same vein. I just wish so much time hadn't been dedicated to the putting up false fronts because then once they were honest with one another things felt a bit rushed.
I would recommend reading this book in order within its series and not as a stand-alone. I had read only the second book in the series about a year ago and there were moments when I felt like I was missing something. There mystery is slowly unravelled across the 4 books of the series, so I definitely recommend reading them in order. Give this series a read if you like some mystery with your HR.
I'm wishing Heywood was a bigger part of this series, he felt like a random afterthought through most of the series. I know that he isn't a duke like the rest of his brothers and the series is called Duke Dynasty, but that doesn't make him less a part of the family. I feel like we see the other brothers so much more, even in the books where one or the other was not the main character, but we have only seen little glimpses of Heywood so far throughout the series and so he feels like such an enigma to me. I want to know more about him, so I might go back to read the novella featuring him to read his story.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books, Zebra for sharing an eARC of Undercover Duke with me. This is my honest review.