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lesseraliterary's review against another edition
review withheld due to st martins press boycott
girlwithhearteyes's review against another edition
3.25
3.25 stars
I’m a big fan of Kate Bateman’s books (especially the Ruthless Rivals series), so I’m sad to say this one wasn’t for me.
It started off well and there were parts I absolutely loved. The female friendship group was really fun, and the entire set up between Tess and Justin gave me that giddy feeling (they had a steamy anonymous encounter before — surprise! — realising he’s the new Duke who’s avoiding matchmaking mamas and she’s the Dowager Duchess who needs her independence, so marriage between them would be mighty convenient).
Unfortunately the relationship development didn’t quite hit for me, possibly because so much of the story was about Tess and her friends investigating a blackmail case. Because Justin didn’t know about the ladies’ secret investigative agency, the story was also missing that “hero knows the heroine is brilliant and loves her for it” charm that Kate Bateman usually does so well, and sadly the love declaration sequence felt a little clunky.
So… 4.5 stars for the first half of the book, 2.5 stars for the second half of the book. But I will definitely be reading the next book because I think the series has promise and I’m looking forward to Daisy and Ellie’s stories!
I’m a big fan of Kate Bateman’s books (especially the Ruthless Rivals series), so I’m sad to say this one wasn’t for me.
It started off well and there were parts I absolutely loved. The female friendship group was really fun, and the entire set up between Tess and Justin gave me that giddy feeling (they had a steamy anonymous encounter before — surprise! — realising he’s the new Duke who’s avoiding matchmaking mamas and she’s the Dowager Duchess who needs her independence, so marriage between them would be mighty convenient).
Unfortunately the relationship development didn’t quite hit for me, possibly because so much of the story was about Tess and her friends investigating a blackmail case. Because Justin didn’t know about the ladies’ secret investigative agency, the story was also missing that “hero knows the heroine is brilliant and loves her for it” charm that Kate Bateman usually does so well, and sadly the love declaration sequence felt a little clunky.
So… 4.5 stars for the first half of the book, 2.5 stars for the second half of the book. But I will definitely be reading the next book because I think the series has promise and I’m looking forward to Daisy and Ellie’s stories!
beckwritesbooks's review
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
sarah_moynihan's review
4.0
‘Meet Her Majesty’s Rebels: three brilliant women who run King & Co., London’s most exclusive investigative agency...
The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin. Now she and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and while Tess longs to experience physical pleasure for herself, she can’t risk losing her treasured independence...
Cynical shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he’ll do his duty. When the ravishing woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Dowager Duchess, Justin sees an obvious solution: a marriage of convenience that will suit them both.
But the passion that sparks between them is anything but convenient. As Tess works on a new case at the request of Queen Charlotte, her increasingly suspicious behavior makes Justin question her motives—and her past. The infuriating woman clearly can’t be trusted, but Justin doesn’t believe in love, so there’s absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife...is there?’
___________________________
Second Duke’s the Charm is the first book in Kate Bateman’s new series, Her Majesty’s Rebels and is a historical romance with a bit of a mystery as well.
I love Kate Bateman’s books, I’ll read anything she writes. Seeing that this also had a bit of a mystery and the potential for danger with the inclusion of an investigative agency, I’d been looking forward to this new series.
Tess, Daisy, and Ellie are best friends and run the agency together under the name of a fictitious Mr. King. They are hilarious together and their interactions togethers are gold. I am looking forward to Daisy and Ellie’s stories to read more of the trio. Running this agency and looking into a matter at the request of Queen Charlotte herself leads to suspicion from Justin. He can tell she’s keeping secrets, but he isn’t what she’s hiding. He tends to assume the worst of her though which was unfortunate. I would have liked to see him have to do more to earn her forgiveness. The whole point of his plan to earn her forgiveness wound up being a big win for him instead of a loss, so I was a little disappointed and didn’t feel like the characters were at the grand declaration stage yet. I still enjoyed it, but it has not been my favorite by this author so far this is the first of a new series, so that could certainly be a factor.
Ready to read Daisy and Ellie’s stories and some more investigating and possible danger, so I’m looking forward to the next book!
____
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman. This is my honest review.
The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin. Now she and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and while Tess longs to experience physical pleasure for herself, she can’t risk losing her treasured independence...
Cynical shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he’ll do his duty. When the ravishing woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Dowager Duchess, Justin sees an obvious solution: a marriage of convenience that will suit them both.
But the passion that sparks between them is anything but convenient. As Tess works on a new case at the request of Queen Charlotte, her increasingly suspicious behavior makes Justin question her motives—and her past. The infuriating woman clearly can’t be trusted, but Justin doesn’t believe in love, so there’s absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife...is there?’
___________________________
Second Duke’s the Charm is the first book in Kate Bateman’s new series, Her Majesty’s Rebels and is a historical romance with a bit of a mystery as well.
I love Kate Bateman’s books, I’ll read anything she writes. Seeing that this also had a bit of a mystery and the potential for danger with the inclusion of an investigative agency, I’d been looking forward to this new series.
Tess, Daisy, and Ellie are best friends and run the agency together under the name of a fictitious Mr. King. They are hilarious together and their interactions togethers are gold. I am looking forward to Daisy and Ellie’s stories to read more of the trio. Running this agency and looking into a matter at the request of Queen Charlotte herself leads to suspicion from Justin. He can tell she’s keeping secrets, but he isn’t what she’s hiding. He tends to assume the worst of her though which was unfortunate. I would have liked to see him have to do more to earn her forgiveness. The whole point of his plan to earn her forgiveness wound up being a big win for him instead of a loss, so I was a little disappointed and didn’t feel like the characters were at the grand declaration stage yet. I still enjoyed it, but it has not been my favorite by this author so far this is the first of a new series, so that could certainly be a factor.
Ready to read Daisy and Ellie’s stories and some more investigating and possible danger, so I’m looking forward to the next book!
____
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman. This is my honest review.
belovedbrat's review
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
andrea_author's review
5.0
Widowed on her wedding night, duchess Tess teams up with her two best friends to investigate scandalous London crimes. Justin, a cynical shipping magnate turned duke, offers Tess a marriage of convenience. However, the sparks between them make for a decidedly inconvenient passion.
This book is so much fun! I enjoyed how the author incorporated the true story of Princess Charlotte’s love letters to a naval officer into the novel. Sometimes I wanted to slap Justin for the assumptions he made about Tess’s romantic experience, but he gets his comeuppance. Tess does a beautiful job of taming him.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This book is so much fun! I enjoyed how the author incorporated the true story of Princess Charlotte’s love letters to a naval officer into the novel. Sometimes I wanted to slap Justin for the assumptions he made about Tess’s romantic experience, but he gets his comeuppance. Tess does a beautiful job of taming him.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.