Tour Review & Giveaway - - Undercover Duke

Undercover Duke

by Sabrina Jeffries

Duke Dynasty - Book 4

Publisher: Zebra

Release Date: May 25, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

 

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 . . . 

PJ's Thoughts:

Creating families is one of the things Sabrina Jeffries does exceptionally well and that skill is on full display in this book. While quiet, serious Sheridan takes the lead in this final book of the Duke Dynasty series, his siblings - and their spouses - are all nearby to add their own brand of sibling rivalry, teasing, unsolicited advice, and assistance as the one they call "Saint Sheridan" navigates his own not-so-smooth journey to love.

Usually, by the end of a series, I have formed an impression of all the main characters but not so with Sheridan. It was enlightening to watch him emerge from his quiet, all-business demeanor and show us the roiling emotions lurking beneath the surface. There's so much more to him that I had anticipated. And it's especially delicious to watch Vanessa set it all into motion by ruffling his feathers so delightfully. As much as I've enjoyed the heroes in this series, I've enjoyed the heroines more. Each of them is strong, determined, resourceful, and someone I'd love to call my friend and Vanessa is no exception. I adored her, supported her, and wanted to toss her horrible mother off a cliff. She and Sheridan have undeniable chemistry, even if it's reluctant chemistry on one side. But watching that reluctance crumble and then slowly build into something deeper, stronger, and everlasting is the fun of a well-written romance, no?

Another facet of many of Jeffries' series is a well-crafted mystery that runs through all of the books. In this series, the siblings have been working to uncover the truth behind the deaths of their mother's three husbands, men they've come to believe were murdered. Jeffries is a master of twists and turns, keeping me guessing as to the identity of the killer throughout much of the series. I finally landed on the right suspect during Undercover Duke but I had no clue as to the person's motive until it was revealed by the author in an intense, life-or-death scene. I love when an author can accomplish that.

The sweet, funny epilogue wraps everything up with a lovely, sentimental bow that had me laughing, crying, and happy for the time spent with this family. The only character left standing outside this happy circle of romantic bliss is celebrated (fake) playwright, Konrad Juncker. His story will be told in the novella, "When We Finally Kiss Goodnight," as part of the holiday anthology, A Yuletide Kiss, due out this fall. I'm hopeful it will also include a certain lady's companion from Undercover Duke. 

While Undercover Duke can certainly be enjoyed on its own, for the full family (and mystery) experience, I recommend reading the books of this series in order: Project Duchess, The Bachelor, Who Wants to Marry a Duke, and Undercover Duke. 

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | BAM | KOBO | GOOGLE | INDIEBOUND

Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Her writing has been published in more than twenty-one languages and there are over nine million copies of her books in print. A four-time RITA® Award-finalist, Jeffries has won the Holt Medallion Award, the Maggie, and the Booksellers’ Best Award. After earning her Ph.D. in English Literature from Tulane University, she chose writing over academics, and now her sexy and humorous historical romances routinely land on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Sabrina lives in North Carolina with her husband and adult son, who has inspired her to actively champion the cause of autistic children.

Visit her online at SabrinaJeffries.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

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Have you been reading the Duke Dynasty series?

Did you guess the identity of the villain?

Which do you prefer: solving the mystery or being outsmarted by the author?

Enter below to win a paperback copy of Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries! Two paperbacks are up for grabs.

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on June 10th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Undercover Duke

Review - - Who Wants to Marry a Duke

 

Who Wants to Marry a Duke 

by Sabrina Jeffries 

Duke Dynasty - Book 3  

Publisher: Zebra  

Release Date: August 25, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

A past kiss with adorably bookish Miss Olivia Norley should be barely a memory for Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock. After all, there are countless debutantes for a handsome rakehell to charm beyond a young lady whose singular passion is chemistry—of the laboratory type. But Thorn has not forgotten—or forgiven—the shocking blackmail scheme sparked by that single kiss, or the damage caused to both their names. Now Thorn’s half-brother, Grey, has hired the brilliant Miss Norley for her scientific expertise in solving a troubling family mystery. And the once-burned Thorn, suspicious of her true motives, vows to follow her every move . . .
 
For Olivia, determining whether arsenic poisoning killed Grey’s father is the pioneering experiment that could make her career—and Thorn’s constant presence is merely a distraction. But someone has explosive plans to derail her search. Soon the most unexpected discovery is the caring nature of the reputed scoundrel beside her—and the electricity it ignites between them . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favorite historical romance authors when it comes to creating family dynamics intertwined with a mystery that evolves across the course of a series and keeping me engaged from beginning to end. I was intrigued by the concept of a thrice-married woman with five children, including three sons who are all dukes. Toss in the gradually developing mystery surrounding the deaths of those husbands, plus the death of a brother-in-law, and I was hooked. 

In Who Wants to Marry a Duke, the siblings inch closer to discovering the truth regarding the deaths of their fathers and it's becoming clear their investigations are making someone very nervous. Miss Olivia Norley, a trained chemist and not your typical society miss, is hired to conduct tests on the remains of one of the fathers and Thorn, with whom she has an adversarial past, is determined to unmask her for the devious fraud he's certain she is. With him dogging her every step, an eventual explosion is inevitable. But what will happen when the dust settles around this plain-speaking, scientific-minded, inexperienced miss, and the suspicious, very experienced duke determined to seduce her, even while he doesn't trust her?

Okay, let me start by reviewing the things I liked about this book. I loved Olivia. She's such a breath of fresh air, with her brilliant mind and focused determination to have a successful career in her chosen field when that was way outside the norm for women. I was in her corner, cheering her on the entire way. 

I enjoyed catching up with couples from the first two books and watching their relationships evolve post-marriage. I'm also enjoying learning more about their mother and am intrigued by the possibility of a new love interest for her.

Jeffries has woven an interesting mystery that still has me trying to figure out the answers. With multiple suspects, and still no clue as to the reason for the murders, I have a feeling she'll have me guessing right up until the reveal. I love when an author accomplishes that.

What didn't work well for me in this book was the romance and that was largely due to Thorn. He came across as immature and self-serving, and I really didn't like him or the way he treated Olivia for much of the book. I also wanted to feel emotional chemistry between him and Olivia, mostly for her sake, but I just didn't, at least not on his side. He does come around at the end of the book, and others may not have this issue with him, but he left me cold. When you read as many books as I do, that's occasionally going to happen.

Still, hero issues aside, I liked the rest of the book, I'm enjoying the series, and I'm already looking forward to the next couple to take center stage. 

Review - - Project Duchess

Project Duchess
by Sabrina Jeffries
Duke Dynasty - Book 1
Publisher: Kensington - Zebra Books
Release Date: June 25, 2019
Reviewed by PJ
 

A series of stepfathers and a difficult childhood have left Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt, with a guarded heart, enviable wealth, and the undeserved reputation of a rogue. Grey’s focus on expanding his dukedom allows him little time to find a wife. But when his mother is widowed yet again and he meets the charmingly unconventional woman managing his stepfather’s funeral, he’s shocked to discover how much they have in common. Still, Grey isn’t interested in love, no matter how pretty, or delightfully outspoken, the lady . . .
 
Beatrice Wolfe gave up on romance long ago, and the arrogant Duke of Greycourt with his rakish reputation isn’t exactly changing her mind. Then Grey agrees to assist his grief-stricken mother with her latest “project”: schooling spirited, unfashionable Beatrice for her debut. Now that Beatrice is seeing through Grey’s charms to his wounded heart, she’s having trouble keeping him at arm’s length. But once Grey starts digging into her family’s secrets, she must decide whether her loyalties lie with her family . . . or with the man whose lessons capture her heart . . .  

My thoughts:

I've enjoyed pretty much everything Sabrina Jeffries has written, with a number of 5-star books scattered throughout her oeuvre. But, for my money, she's at her best in a series set within a family, with a mystery at its core. She excels at family dynamics; creating realistic, and entertaining, relationships among siblings such as those within The Hellions of Halstead Hall, my favorite of her many series. Her Duke Dynasty series introduces readers to a new (blended) family - a thrice widowed mother of three dukes, a second son, and a daughter - and a new mystery to be solved. Based on the recently released first book, Project Duchess, where we meet the entire family, it just may give those Halstead Hall hellions a run for their money.

Beatrice and Grey are wonderfully complex characters, both with hidden emotional baggage. At first glance, their "playing field" appears to be very unequal. Grey is a wealthy duke from London while Beatrice is a poor spinster from the country. Yes, she's a duke's granddaughter but she's never had a debut and is much more at home running her dogs or walking the woods than at a dinner party. But Beatrice isn't about to let Grey walk over her. She's opinionated, fond of cursing, and holds her own with our rigid duke. Rather than repel Grey, those qualities only make her more attractive to him, as evidenced by the sizzling chemistry that flares whenever they're in the same room. It was so much fun to watch our calm, collected, and controlled duke fall head over heels, even though he doesn't realize it until it's almost too late. And the banter between these two! So good!

Beatrice may appear confident but she also has a vulnerable heart that could easily be broken and secrets she guards zealously. Grey has a few of his own. There are good reasons why he isn't close with his siblings; why he keeps his emotions safely locked away. My heart broke for him when those reasons were finally brought to light. 

One of the things I most liked about this book is the fact that both Beatrice and Grey evolve over the course of the story without losing the essential elements of their character. Neither is "transformed" to better fit their new role, especially Beatrice. Rather, they gradually help one another overcome the pain of their individual pasts, they protect one another's secrets, they learn to trust in love and one another, and most importantly, they help each other heal and recognize their true worth. I adored them and can't wait to, hopefully, see more of them throughout the series. They are going to be one fun - and formidable - couple!