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shadowmaster13's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Gets an extra half star for being the first regency I've read to acknowledge Cricket existing.
chymerra's review
medium-paced
4.0
Kate Bateman is an auto purchase author for me. So, when I saw that she had a new series starting, I couldn't wait to read it. This book lived up to my expectations. There was romance, a little bit of intrigue, and sexual tension that came off the pages.
juliereadsromance's review
4.0
Kate Bateman writes good books! They always have high quality writing and compelling characters. This book is no exception.
The opening scene is fantastic (won’t spoil it here) and hilarious. Throughout the book, there were a number of times I laughed out loud. While overall I think this book is a light read and low angst, there is depth to the book. I wouldn’t call it a rom com at all. It hits a nice middle point between light and heavy read.
I was very fond of Tess - the female main character- and even more fond of her friends, Daisy and Ellie. (I hope we can expect subsequent books with their stories!). They are really compelling and hilarious women with a beautiful friendship.
I really liked Rowan, but did find him a bit less complex, sometimes not as 3-D as the other characters.
Some small aspects of the plot didn’t fit for me. I wasn’t totally clear on why Tess had to be the one to go meet the blackmailer every time. And Rowan’s grand gesture in the end didn’t make a ton of sense to me.
All considered, this is a very enjoyable historical romance novel and I recommend it !
This is an honest review based on an ARC received by St. Martins Press.
The opening scene is fantastic (won’t spoil it here) and hilarious. Throughout the book, there were a number of times I laughed out loud. While overall I think this book is a light read and low angst, there is depth to the book. I wouldn’t call it a rom com at all. It hits a nice middle point between light and heavy read.
I was very fond of Tess - the female main character- and even more fond of her friends, Daisy and Ellie. (I hope we can expect subsequent books with their stories!). They are really compelling and hilarious women with a beautiful friendship.
I really liked Rowan, but did find him a bit less complex, sometimes not as 3-D as the other characters.
Some small aspects of the plot didn’t fit for me. I wasn’t totally clear on why Tess had to be the one to go meet the blackmailer every time. And Rowan’s grand gesture in the end didn’t make a ton of sense to me.
All considered, this is a very enjoyable historical romance novel and I recommend it !
This is an honest review based on an ARC received by St. Martins Press.
hijinx_abound's review
4.0
I do love this author. She has such a way with female friendships, wit, and men who are not ready fit the women who careen into their lives.
Tess had a semi lucky break in her first marriage. She died by plan to wed again. The duchy she married into seems to be very bad luck for those who inherit until it falls to the 8th in line, Justin Thornton.
I enjoyed their meeting and their deal. I did take off a star because the “breakup” seemed a bit much& the accidents were resolved off page . Overall a delightful read.
Tess had a semi lucky break in her first marriage. She died by plan to wed again. The duchy she married into seems to be very bad luck for those who inherit until it falls to the 8th in line, Justin Thornton.
I enjoyed their meeting and their deal. I did take off a star because the “breakup” seemed a bit much& the accidents were resolved off page . Overall a delightful read.
andiez's review against another edition
4.5
This is the first in a new historical romance series about three women who run an investigative agency and I absolutely loved it.
I'm always so excited to start a new Kate Bateman novel because she writes such great female characters and I know I'm going to be hooked instantly. I LOVED the badassery and friendship between the three women and I wish the rest of the series was out already!
Tess and Justin had amazing chemistry and banter and even though marriage of convenience isn't one of my favorite tropes, I thought it was done so well here and I really enjoyed it. The fact that they made an agreement for both a marriage and an affair really kicked things up a notch and it was steaaaaamy.
I highly recommend this one! (Also how gorgeous is this cover?? The colors are so dreamy 😍)
Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC!
I'm always so excited to start a new Kate Bateman novel because she writes such great female characters and I know I'm going to be hooked instantly. I LOVED the badassery and friendship between the three women and I wish the rest of the series was out already!
Tess and Justin had amazing chemistry and banter and even though marriage of convenience isn't one of my favorite tropes, I thought it was done so well here and I really enjoyed it. The fact that they made an agreement for both a marriage and an affair really kicked things up a notch and it was steaaaaamy.
I highly recommend this one! (Also how gorgeous is this cover?? The colors are so dreamy 😍)
Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC!
megatza's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a new-to-me author, but it seems she has more than a few books under her belt at this point. While I enjoyed this story for the most part, I wanted more. I adore the characters. The main characters of Tess and Justin are both unassuming, even if they may not come off that way to those who don’t know them. They are both very much in need of security and go to great lengths to protect themselves, both emotionally and financially. When they first meet, they are fire together. Yet I felt the author let that fall away as the story progressed.
The way these two agree to a marriage of convenience is unique and held a lot of promise. Shortly after their marriage, it seems there is a threat to their lives. Every time one of these dangers appeared, I was disappointed by Justin’s reaction. I could have let that fall away if, when given his POV, it was obvious he wanted to comfort Tess. That wasn’t the case, though. It seemed as though he wanted to find the culprit, but not that he was upset that Tess was traumatized. It was strange and caused the early flame of this relationship to start to peter out for me.
While I liked Justin in many ways, his regard for who and what Tess was was often disparaging. Regardless of her proclivities, even if she had been flitting from bed to bed, the way he spoke of that possibility was crude and degrading at times. He does get called out for it later in the book, but it gave me an icky feeling when it would happen.
As for Tess and her two best friends and their detective agency, that also fell flat. The friends I loved! The relationship these three women have is one of the best things about this story. But the way they went about their investigations left much to be desired and it seemed very hodgepodged together. They didn’t really seem to do much.
This story wasn’t bad, but it didn’t sell me on this author either. Because I do like the other characters I may give the next book a try. I always like giving an author more than one try. We’ll see.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence
sashareadssss's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
bucolicbookshelf's review
4.0
I ultimately found this to be a solid and nicely steamy series starter about a group of three females who own and operate a detective agency. Second Duke's the Charm focuses on Tess, a widowed duchess and Justin, the new duke who was formerly an accountant. I don't enjoy recapping a book or sharing spoilers, so I'll just say if you like…
*strong MFCs
*marriage of convenience
*fantastic chemistry
*historical romance series
*open door romance
…give this one a try.
I'm absolutely looking forward to reading more of this series. Kate Bateman is still a newish-to-me author and reading this reminded me to take the time and read the books of hers that I haven't yet.
Recommended series starter and author.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC