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chicksroguesandscandals's review against another edition
5.0
I always get very excited whenever there is a new Susanna Craig book, and this beauty doesn’t not disappoint. Yet, again Ms Craig has created another stunning, compelling, engaging and beautifully written book. This is book two in the Rogues and Rebels series, the first was brilliant and this even more so. Craig again brings together two completely different individuals; this time it is a beautiful Irish botanist and a brooding military intelligence officer, which I can tell you make for a captivating love story.
While on her way with her sister and brother-in-law to their estate they stop at a coaching inn only for Erica to be accidentally left standing by the side of the road with nothing but her journal in hand. The only reason she went back into the inn in the first place was to retrieve her precious journal, which is full of pictures and notes for her work as a botanist. Once she realise that she has been left and as she can’t go back inside the inn due to her thumping one of it’s customers, she begins the long walk to her sisters estate. Can you see where this is going? Yep, the rain starts lashing down and when she comes across what she thinks is a deserted little cottage she rakes shelter, only to come face to face with another who is taking shelter in the cottage.
Major Tristan Laurens is on his way home to take on his responsibilities as he has just inherited the Dukedom of Raynham after the death of his father and brother in an accident, when he is caught in the sudden down pour he takes shelter in a cottage, only for an immensely beautiful woman to barge in. Tristan has been given the mission to seek out and bring to justice a spy who wanting to steal Military secrets. He has been informed that this spy will be carrying a journal, so obviously when he learns of Erica’s journal which she protects with her life he is instantly suspicious.
Because of his suspicions Tristen insists that he get to know the real Erica, which turns into some brilliant scenes between the two. What I particularly love about these two is that they have proper conversations, which is a little harder for Erica as she has a wild imagination, constant flurry of thoughts and ideas which move from one subject to another at the speed of light and that makes for some genuinely funny moments for her as she confuses herself and forgets her own train of thought – which is very easily done, believe me.
They are two wonderful individuals, at first I would never have put the two of them together as they are so different but they do find a common ground and the atmosphere crackles and sizzles around them, not just in sexual tension but in suspicion, in distrust and in confusion.
Tristan is a decent man, he is smart, loyal, deeply patriotic, brooding – who doesn’t love a brooding military man? 😉 he is a soldier first and foremost, he never wanted or expected to be the Duke, his life was set out for him but on the death of his father and brother he has no choice but to take on the responsibility and that is one thing that Tristan never does, he will always do his duty.
Intriguing, compelling, romantic, intelligent and fun, it has the best twisty story line that will keep you hooked and rapidly turning the pages. The writing is as ever brilliant, I love Ms Craig’s style she takes what is essentially a very tried and tested plot and takes it to a whole new level with her beautiful way with words and imagination. The story is an edge of your seat, romantic suspense at it’s best, it’s rich in detail with fabulous characters.
A brilliant second book in what is a fantastic series, and one that is highly recommended. Even though this is apart of a series you can very easily read it as a stand-a-lone. I would definitely read the first one though as there is a continuing story that is apart of the back ground of the Burke family.
This was an Arc from the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you Susanna.
While on her way with her sister and brother-in-law to their estate they stop at a coaching inn only for Erica to be accidentally left standing by the side of the road with nothing but her journal in hand. The only reason she went back into the inn in the first place was to retrieve her precious journal, which is full of pictures and notes for her work as a botanist. Once she realise that she has been left and as she can’t go back inside the inn due to her thumping one of it’s customers, she begins the long walk to her sisters estate. Can you see where this is going? Yep, the rain starts lashing down and when she comes across what she thinks is a deserted little cottage she rakes shelter, only to come face to face with another who is taking shelter in the cottage.
Major Tristan Laurens is on his way home to take on his responsibilities as he has just inherited the Dukedom of Raynham after the death of his father and brother in an accident, when he is caught in the sudden down pour he takes shelter in a cottage, only for an immensely beautiful woman to barge in. Tristan has been given the mission to seek out and bring to justice a spy who wanting to steal Military secrets. He has been informed that this spy will be carrying a journal, so obviously when he learns of Erica’s journal which she protects with her life he is instantly suspicious.
Because of his suspicions Tristen insists that he get to know the real Erica, which turns into some brilliant scenes between the two. What I particularly love about these two is that they have proper conversations, which is a little harder for Erica as she has a wild imagination, constant flurry of thoughts and ideas which move from one subject to another at the speed of light and that makes for some genuinely funny moments for her as she confuses herself and forgets her own train of thought – which is very easily done, believe me.
They are two wonderful individuals, at first I would never have put the two of them together as they are so different but they do find a common ground and the atmosphere crackles and sizzles around them, not just in sexual tension but in suspicion, in distrust and in confusion.
Tristan is a decent man, he is smart, loyal, deeply patriotic, brooding – who doesn’t love a brooding military man? 😉 he is a soldier first and foremost, he never wanted or expected to be the Duke, his life was set out for him but on the death of his father and brother he has no choice but to take on the responsibility and that is one thing that Tristan never does, he will always do his duty.
Intriguing, compelling, romantic, intelligent and fun, it has the best twisty story line that will keep you hooked and rapidly turning the pages. The writing is as ever brilliant, I love Ms Craig’s style she takes what is essentially a very tried and tested plot and takes it to a whole new level with her beautiful way with words and imagination. The story is an edge of your seat, romantic suspense at it’s best, it’s rich in detail with fabulous characters.
A brilliant second book in what is a fantastic series, and one that is highly recommended. Even though this is apart of a series you can very easily read it as a stand-a-lone. I would definitely read the first one though as there is a continuing story that is apart of the back ground of the Burke family.
This was an Arc from the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you Susanna.
lidija_f's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
excel_spreadsheet_book_nerd's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
5.0
Do I love this one even more than the first book? I DON'T KNOW! They're all just so good! I adore Erica. Everything about her was so relatable to me. She's just *clutches chest* I love her. I will admit that I kept expecting the man she smacked at the inn to show up again, but that's just me. Remy remains a favorite. I would like a book with him, please. Or a novella? Something. Anything. Please and thank you.
readbooks_eatapples's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this character-driven story. I related to the main character in so many ways, which made it a little extra enjoyable. The mystery resolution was actually a surprise for me. I'd read this again. It wasn't a particularly complex plot, but again: character-driven.
rremer's review against another edition
3.0
A good romance, I like how once both parties are aware of the plot tension they sort it out immediately and work together to solve it.
ladywithaquill's review against another edition
5.0
Combining a botanist heroine with a military hero, The Duke's Suspicion tests historical boundaries and comes out looking like a million dollars! I loved the unique characters, the unpredictable plot, and the engaging setting. There is very little not to like about this book, and if you must pick one thing, then perhaps you can say you don't like how accurate this book appears to be - I know a lot of people would prefer a book that glosses over the facts. However, though I'm not a historian, I loved how the Irish and British conflict was portrayed, and the author never brushed aside the fact that Erica was a very different sort of female from the usual during that time. I never found myself bored, and I was eagerly reading the excerpt for the next book in the series.
Erica Burke's journal is her life, so when she accidentally leaves it at an inn, she abandons the safety of her sister's companionship to retrieve it. In doing so, she becomes separated from the traveling party and takes refuge in what appears to be an abandoned cottage...except it's already occupied by a stern figure of a man who immediately takes control to keep them both safe. Introducing himself as simply Tristan Laurens, they travel to his home for shelter, and upon arrival, Erica discovers he's more than a mere mister - he's a duke! Stranded in his home along with many other guests, they grow closer, even as suspicion over Erica's Irish heritage makes her the prime suspect for being a spy.
Erica was one of the most inspiring characters I have read about this year! I loved her tenacity in pursuing her dream of botany, even though everyone thought it unsuitable for a woman during that time. She didn't much care what other people thought, and she held her own well among the society elites. I also loved the way she handled Viviane (Tristan's sister) and her governess, considering there were many opportunities for her to become frustrated. Tristan was another character I greatly enjoyed! He hardly batted an eye at Erica's botany ambitions, and he even sought ways for her to continue studying while she was at his home. He didn't belittle her, stood up for her among his peers, and generally served as a worthy friend. I loved when they became closer, because this just made their suitability more apparent.
I absolutely cannot wait until the next book! It will follow Erica's brother, and I'm sure it will be entertaining as this one was.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
Erica Burke's journal is her life, so when she accidentally leaves it at an inn, she abandons the safety of her sister's companionship to retrieve it. In doing so, she becomes separated from the traveling party and takes refuge in what appears to be an abandoned cottage...except it's already occupied by a stern figure of a man who immediately takes control to keep them both safe. Introducing himself as simply Tristan Laurens, they travel to his home for shelter, and upon arrival, Erica discovers he's more than a mere mister - he's a duke! Stranded in his home along with many other guests, they grow closer, even as suspicion over Erica's Irish heritage makes her the prime suspect for being a spy.
Erica was one of the most inspiring characters I have read about this year! I loved her tenacity in pursuing her dream of botany, even though everyone thought it unsuitable for a woman during that time. She didn't much care what other people thought, and she held her own well among the society elites. I also loved the way she handled Viviane (Tristan's sister) and her governess, considering there were many opportunities for her to become frustrated. Tristan was another character I greatly enjoyed! He hardly batted an eye at Erica's botany ambitions, and he even sought ways for her to continue studying while she was at his home. He didn't belittle her, stood up for her among his peers, and generally served as a worthy friend. I loved when they became closer, because this just made their suitability more apparent.
I absolutely cannot wait until the next book! It will follow Erica's brother, and I'm sure it will be entertaining as this one was.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
jillmlong's review against another edition
2.0
This story was very slow moving and repetitious. Not much happened until halfway through the book. The main character Erica, an Irish girl that gets stranded with a duke, was so boring. Clutching her journal was the main action for the first half of the story. The ending was wrapped up rather quickly and didn't make complete sense.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
lsneal's review against another edition
2.0
Not terribly memorable, with not-terribly believable or real characters. The writing was fine, but didn't really grab me.