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A review by amberreadsalot
Second Duke's the Charm by Kate Bateman
4.0
I really enjoyed "Second Duke's the Charm", the first in a new series from Kate Bateman. The three women at the heart of this series are funny and smart, and a great example of a found family. Daisy is a particular favorite and I am already looking forward to her story. But this story belongs to Tess and Justin, and it is a good one.
Tess is a virgin widow, her lecherous ducal husband dropping dead on their wedding night, luckily before she had to shoot him. Justin is the very reluctant new duke who has secretly wanted Tess since seeing her across a ballroom years before. Justin almost immediately proposes a marriage of convenience, Tess resists at first as she does not want to cede control over her own self, and she doesn't want to give up the investigation agency she runs with her two best friends, especially now that they have been hired by the queen. But passion - and a lucrative marriage settlement - get her to the altar.
The love story is steamy and just the right amount of angsty. There are minor issues - the murder attempts feel like they were thrown in a little haphazardly just to create conflict for Tess and Justin; the idea that three ladies of the ton could all gather daily at a residence without gossip about seeing them go in or out seems a little nonsensical. The queen adds both drama but also a bit of farce. But the overall story is good, and this reader at least was thrilled to see Tess and Justin find their HEA.
4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.
Tess is a virgin widow, her lecherous ducal husband dropping dead on their wedding night, luckily before she had to shoot him. Justin is the very reluctant new duke who has secretly wanted Tess since seeing her across a ballroom years before. Justin almost immediately proposes a marriage of convenience, Tess resists at first as she does not want to cede control over her own self, and she doesn't want to give up the investigation agency she runs with her two best friends, especially now that they have been hired by the queen. But passion - and a lucrative marriage settlement - get her to the altar.
The love story is steamy and just the right amount of angsty. There are minor issues - the murder attempts feel like they were thrown in a little haphazardly just to create conflict for Tess and Justin; the idea that three ladies of the ton could all gather daily at a residence without gossip about seeing them go in or out seems a little nonsensical. The queen adds both drama but also a bit of farce. But the overall story is good, and this reader at least was thrilled to see Tess and Justin find their HEA.
4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.