The Duke Starts a Scandal
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- Create Date：2023-11-01 07:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sophie Jordan
- ISBN：B0CBWKQZPD
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Summary
A gentleman never dallies with the help， but the new Duke of Penning is no gentleman in this steamy fourth and final book in The Duke Hunt series by New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan。 A duke with secrets。 Lucian， the newly minted Duke of Penning， has much to prove--to himself， his family and the ton。 Craving spotless respectability， he must find an aristocratic wife。 Unfortunately， he can't keep his eyes--and thoughts--off his deliciously distracting housekeeper。 Such a dalliance can only mar the facade he's constructed to protect his sisters' future from the demons of his past 。。。 but this fiery passion is a temptation he cannot resist。 While Susanna may not the bride he needs， she is everything he desires。 A woman with a past。 As the housekeeper to one of the grandest estates in England， Susanna Lockhart has worked determinedly to become all that is proper and efficient， and she never steps over the line。 Romance is an indulgence for the upper class， not for her--and most especially not with her employer。 But every smoldering glance from the surly， handsome duke calls to the long-buried reckless wanton inside Susanna。 A love between them can never be， but will Lucian and Susanna risk being together 。。。 Even if it starts a scandal 。。。
Reviews
JP
，
I guess the author had a deadline and sent the first draft and had it published。 The characters had no dimension， the sex was boring， the proposal felt like copy and paste from previous books and the two main characters barely spent time together， barely talked so they falling in love was not believable at all。 I fell asleep listening to the audiobook and that’s the only reason I was able to finish this book。 I’m glad it was free from the library。
Kat
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The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth - and final - book in the historical romance series The Duke Hunt by Sophie Jordan。 I really enjoyed the first book， and I was pleased to have the opportunity to get my hot little hands on this final installment。 Like the first， this one stands alone， so you won't be lost。 This volume is steamy， too。 When the world is going to hell in a handbasket， sometimes you need a little guilty pleasure to keep you sane。 This book fits the bill！Lucian is the new Duke The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth - and final - book in the historical romance series The Duke Hunt by Sophie Jordan。 I really enjoyed the first book， and I was pleased to have the opportunity to get my hot little hands on this final installment。 Like the first， this one stands alone， so you won't be lost。 This volume is steamy， too。 When the world is going to hell in a handbasket， sometimes you need a little guilty pleasure to keep you sane。 This book fits the bill！Lucian is the new Duke of Penning， and he will do everything he can to be respectable。 You see， he has a secret from his past， and he wants to keep that secret so he can provide good lives for his two beloved sisters。 In order to do this， he must court and wed an aristocratic woman。 That's easier said than done， however， when his beautiful and fiery housekeeper is such a distraction！ Susanna Lockhart had been the housekeeper for the previous duke， quite an accomplishment for such a young woman。 Susanna， too， has a secret that cannot get out。 （Quite a lot of secrets going on in that house， aren't there？） She knows romance isn't for her， as she must be proper and efficient at all times。 But the handsome， grumpy new duke is irresistible and makes her want to forget how things simply CANNOT be between the two of them。 Or can they？It took me a bit of time to get into this book， as I was horribly distracted by terrible current events。 To keep my sanity， I made myself turn off the television and dive into my book instead。 I am so glad I did！ This story was charming， witty， heartbreaking， funny and steamy， exactly what I needed。 I loved both Lucian and Susanna。 Lucian was rather off-putting at first， but as his past became known， it was completely understandable。 （Don't worry， I won't ruin the secrets of either one of them; I don't want to spoil the story。） He loved his sisters and wanted to find good matches for both Mattie and Evelyn。 He was surly after his first meeting with Susanna， before he knew she was his housekeeper。 He began to court two women at the house party he was hosting， but they both paled in comparison to Susanna。 Susanna left home at a young age and worked very hard to become a trusted housekeeper。 She couldn't let word of her past come out， lest she lose her hard-earned position。 （However， a man named Billings arrived at the house party， and he recognized her and was trying to blackmail her！） Lucian threatened to fire Susanna at first， but he came to see her for the special woman she was。 They both fought their attraction， but it was useless。 When they came together physically， it was quite steamy！ （A special thanks to the author for only using the word "weeping" - and I don't mean crying - once this time around！） There was a small secondary romance between Lucian's sister Mattie and his valet Carter， which was very sweet。 I absolutely loved Lucian's two sisters and their attempt to throw Lucian and Susanna together。 It was very sweet and funny。 I'm glad I have the two middle books I missed to catch up on， and I'm truly looking forward to the next series by Sophie Jordan。I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley。 I received no compensation for my review， and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own。 。。。more
Karmen O
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"The Duke Starts a Scandal" by Sophie Jordan， book four of "The Duke Hunt" series。Cover Rating: 3。5/5Story Rating: 3。5/5Steam Rating: 🔥 🔥 （+kissing， eluded to scenes）Ending: HEA with epilogue。Stand Alone or Series: Easily read as stand alone。 Characters in other books are only once mentioned in this title。。England， Early Victoria Era （late 1840s）Housekeeper with SecretNew Duke with SecretEnglish Country ManorHouse PartyClose ProximityClass DifferenceEmployer/EmployeeSiblings as a Plot Point。"Sca "The Duke Starts a Scandal" by Sophie Jordan， book four of "The Duke Hunt" series。Cover Rating: 3。5/5Story Rating: 3。5/5Steam Rating: 🔥 🔥 （+kissing， eluded to scenes）Ending: HEA with epilogue。Stand Alone or Series: Easily read as stand alone。 Characters in other books are only once mentioned in this title。。England， Early Victoria Era （late 1840s）Housekeeper with SecretNew Duke with SecretEnglish Country ManorHouse PartyClose ProximityClass DifferenceEmployer/EmployeeSiblings as a Plot Point。"Scandal" is the final title in The Duke Hunt series。 Much like the rest of the series， this title sports good pacing， and I was able to read the book in one night。 I loved that the entire series of books wasn't 370+ pages each。 I felt manageable and was a refreshing break from some of the heavier titles I have been reading lately。 The book has the potential for big drama that is easily resolved。 Lucian does have a secret that gets to stay a secret， which was refreshing！ Unlike other titles in this series， we don't see characters from the other titles aside from Susanna。One thing I would have liked to see is more one-on-one scenes for the love relationship to grow。 We get a few really fun scenes where Lucian and Susanna get to be alone together that go a bit off the rails due to their attraction。 There is an additional love story that wasn't distracting and did help to push the main plot forward。 As for steam， I wish there had been more steam in this title。 Because of the lower amount of scenes together outside of steam， the relationship felt a little flat。 This was the least satisfying steam of the series。。Read as a self-purchased physical copy。 Honest review left voluntarily。。Content Warning （may contain spoilers）:。。。。。De*th of parent， multiple （off page， but details mentioned。 Not graphic。）Gambling debts （off page）De*th of a romantic partner （off page， but cause of de*th mentioned）Drowning （off page）Do*mestic Vi*lence （off page， details mentioned）Ab*se by step-parent （off page but details mentioned）Physical vi*lence （on and off page， one instance is D。M。 related）Pr*stitution （off page）Threat of se*ual as*ault （on page） 。。。more
Lois Nickens
，
Delicious build up。 I happen to be a reader that like tension in my character。 SJ ALWAYS gives the right amount of tension。 She did it again。
Silvia （roomforbooks）
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2。5
Ashbonn
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This reminded me a lot of the enemies to lovers trop。 Lucian is a new Lord with a new title and little knowledge on the going abouts of actually being one。 Susannna precedes the Lord and has been running the Household for the previous Lord for quite some time。 At the turn of events and as Lucian enters his new residence with sisters， Susannah is faced with the fire threat kindles between them。I loved the storyline and the characters were both unique with their own backstories。 I felt that depth This reminded me a lot of the enemies to lovers trop。 Lucian is a new Lord with a new title and little knowledge on the going abouts of actually being one。 Susannna precedes the Lord and has been running the Household for the previous Lord for quite some time。 At the turn of events and as Lucian enters his new residence with sisters， Susannah is faced with the fire threat kindles between them。I loved the storyline and the characters were both unique with their own backstories。 I felt that depth come through in their interactions with one another。 They have been shaped by their experiences but really want love and acceptance，My favorite quote was that Lucian wanted Susanna to “unravel”。 I felt like this was a fun read and would rate it a 4 out of 5。 I think my only wish is that it was longer so I could enjoy this couple。 I felt like I just wanted to tag along in there journey together longer。 Netgalley provided this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
T'Odes
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Rubbish and a half 🥱
Teresa Williams
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Good readI have read the series and found it to be very good， every book。 This series got better as it was coming to an end。 I look forward to seeing more books from this author。
Christy
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So far I feel like I'm in the middle of a lecture titled "writing consent in regency romance for modern readers post #metoo。" Also I have so many questions like why MISS lovelock vs Mrs as housekeepers were given the courtesy of Mrs。？When did the sisters become such close friends with the housekeeper？ They just moved in like 2 months ago right？ So far I feel like I'm in the middle of a lecture titled "writing consent in regency romance for modern readers post #metoo。" Also I have so many questions like why MISS lovelock vs Mrs as housekeepers were given the courtesy of Mrs。？When did the sisters become such close friends with the housekeeper？ They just moved in like 2 months ago right？ 。。。more
Lover of Romance
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This review may contain spoilers， so fair warning， upon reading the review。 Book Evaluation: Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️World Building:🌎🌎🌎Cover:📔📔📔📔📔Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️ Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥Relationship Building: 💒💒💒Heart & Feels:💞💞💞 Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂 Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖Ending:🧧🧧🧧 Overall View: ✨✨✨First ImpressionsThe Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth installment in the "Duke Hunt" series。 This is a book that I had been highly anticipating and I will admi This review may contain spoilers， so fair warning， upon reading the review。 Book Evaluation: Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️World Building:🌎🌎🌎Cover:📔📔📔📔📔Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️ Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥Relationship Building: 💒💒💒Heart & Feels:💞💞💞 Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂 Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖Ending:🧧🧧🧧 Overall View: ✨✨✨First ImpressionsThe Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth installment in the "Duke Hunt" series。 This is a book that I had been highly anticipating and I will admit that I grabbed this one due to the cover。 So I did have some expectations but I know this author has gone a bit modernist so I was more apprehensive and I will admit the first half of the book threw me a curveball because I didn't expect in what I got in the second half。 There will be some readers where this book will really work for。 And if that is the case， then I am really happy for you。 However， I am really tired of all this modernism in historical's and what we get in this book turned me off in the end and really affected my overall enjoyment of the story。 There are some positive aspects to the story other than some issues I had that kept me invested in the story。 First Line It was her own fault， she supposed。 Summary The Duke Starts A Scandal is about two people who couldn't be more opposite from each other。 We first have our hero， Duke of Penning， who doesn't get off on the right foot with his housekeep， Susanna Lockhart。 Both Susanna and Lucian tolerate each other at first， and even though there are most definitely sparks between them， there is also a huge class difference which only adds to the forbidden to any kind of relationship that they could ever have。 But when Susanna is forced to take the duties as his valet， they are forced into a more intimate setting with each other and having to face up to their hearts。。。。but will they end up fighting for each other or letting their love go due to the scandal that would ensue？ What I Loved There were most definitely fabulous aspects of the story that I truly enjoyed here。 The "Meet Cute" that happens between these two was just delightful。 It honestly had P&P vibes to it。 I really loved their bantering and how they help each other even when they aren't getting along。 And then we have the whole mistaken identity aspect with Lucien which was a bit glossed over， but wasn't really needed to be further explained。 It wasn't the focus of the story of any of the conflicts that build。 However， I can see this aspect being an issue for some readers。 Then we have the bickering between Lucien and Susanna and its highly entertaining。 The way that they interact is just delightful。 They are both so proud in their positions and have such strong spirits and it creates for some fun atmosphere。 Then we also have the side story with Lucien's sister falling for his valet who gets injured。 And yeah the fallout of that was so lively and had me laughing all over the place。 The humor that is placed within this story is magnifique and you can definitely feel this author's witty style that has been there since she started writing。 What I Struggled WithAlright so this is the difficult part because this was a ARC copy so I really struggle with delivering the negative elements， but it needs to be said。 So first off the first 60% of the book is AWESOME and will really engage the reader。 So no worries there。 However， the last 40% of the book is a huge flop and I am not sure where the author was going with this second half of the story。 But the romance just fell apart when it didn't need to。 There were other factors that come into play that I truly think affected the quality of the relationship being developed。 This is also where some of the "modernists" aspects get placed and I don't think authors realize that when they get a bit preachy in these topics in their stories， how much it affects their stories and it completely turned me off。 But lets be frank， the romance fizzled completely out and it was so disappointing。 This couple had such promise and it faltered and it made me so sad because of how much I fell hard for the first half of the story and the two couples。 Now also， I do think Lucien's sister and the valet could have had more focus in their parts。 It felt a bit too vague and not enough focus。 There could have been more attention brought to them without detracting from the primary couple of Lucian and Susanna。 Now also there was no satisfying end to Lucian's sister。 None at all。 All we see is that they end up married。 So we go from him wanting to kill his valet， to suddenly being happy。 There was no evolement or storyline on the progression of that change。 We also had a weird scene with Susanna's aunts who are in a f/f relationship。 Now I don't have problems with this other than the fact that it didn't felt evolved with the story。 It felt like it was placed there for diversity points and nothing else。 There needs to be more connection with characters and a story and not just one scene and the focus of that scene being their sexual preference。 It just felt so oddly placed and didn't fit with the rest of the story at all。 I would have liked to see more connection of the aunts to the rest of the story so that it was a smoother transition but also would have delivered more dimension overall。 Overall View The Duke Starts a Scandal was a story that although not perfect， delivered on the humor， fun situations and easy characters you can get behind and want to cheer for。 A solid finale to the Duke Hunt series。 Book Details （also in my shelves）Sub Genre: Historical Romance/ Time-Victorian England Character Types: Dukes， Housekeeper（Servant） Themes: Class DifferenceTropes: Rags to Riches， Opposites Attract， Forced Proximity Book Perspective 3rd POV Relationship Conflict vs Plot ConflictA Mix of both Recommendation For Reading OrderYou can read as a standalone Steam/Spice Explanations Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone， heavier amount of sexual scenes。 。。。more
Cblais1997
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I’d rate this a 3。25。 It was pretty decent but I found the book was a bit rushed， or at least felt that way。 I wish the author had more of a built up between Lucian and Susanna。 I have read quite a bit of books by this author as I love her writing style， which I did enjoy here as well。 She is an instant buy type of author for me and maybe because I have read a bunch by her my expectations are a bit higher， but I definitely think this could have been better。 Overall it was a decent read， definite I’d rate this a 3。25。 It was pretty decent but I found the book was a bit rushed， or at least felt that way。 I wish the author had more of a built up between Lucian and Susanna。 I have read quite a bit of books by this author as I love her writing style， which I did enjoy here as well。 She is an instant buy type of author for me and maybe because I have read a bunch by her my expectations are a bit higher， but I definitely think this could have been better。 Overall it was a decent read， definitely would recommend this series to other readers。 Can’t wait for her next book to come out cause I will for sure check it out。 。。。more
Tami Fidler
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What a slow burn。 I have so enjoyed this series and this was such a great way for it to end。 I loved Susannah， she was so strong， capable， and kind。 It took longer to warm up to Lucien， but with his grumpy nature， I think that was the point。 I will say the end did seem a little abrupt， but other than I had so much fun reading this book and the slow burn was so romantic。 Looking forward to the next from Sophie Jordan！
Aspoon
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This book is dreadfully boring。。。and I mean dreadfully。 Absolutely no chemistry between the characters， no real banter between the two。。。。the heroine came across robotic when speaking with the hero。 My biggest complaint is that there are pages upon pages of the author just explaining EVERY LITTLE THING。 The absolute worse。
BoxerLover2
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The book starts off with a mistaken identity。 A man claims to be the new Duke of Penning。 Susanna， the Duke's housekeeper calls him a liar。 An imposter had set up in the manor （see The Scoundrel Falls Hard， Book #3）。 The new Duke takes over and decides to throw a house party with the goal of finding husbands for his sisters。 And maybe a wife for him if he is lucky。 Lucian has been taking care of his family thinks he has everyone's life planned。 Of course nothing goes according to his plan。 I lov The book starts off with a mistaken identity。 A man claims to be the new Duke of Penning。 Susanna， the Duke's housekeeper calls him a liar。 An imposter had set up in the manor （see The Scoundrel Falls Hard， Book #3）。 The new Duke takes over and decides to throw a house party with the goal of finding husbands for his sisters。 And maybe a wife for him if he is lucky。 Lucian has been taking care of his family thinks he has everyone's life planned。 Of course nothing goes according to his plan。 I love that even though he is now a Duke， this book is about normal， working people。 Very steamy with lots of emotion。 。。。more
Smitten
，
I wanted to love this， but in the end， it was just okay。Jordan has always delivered in two areas: conflict and steamy historical romance。 If you’re wanting more of the same stuff that makes her books great， this definitely hits the mark in steamy but falls a little flat everywhere else。We have Lucian， our duke， who is an unlikely heir and is now forced to be respectable for the sake of the dukedom and his sisters’ future。 Of course， he has this unwanted attraction for his housekeeper， Susanna。 S I wanted to love this， but in the end， it was just okay。Jordan has always delivered in two areas: conflict and steamy historical romance。 If you’re wanting more of the same stuff that makes her books great， this definitely hits the mark in steamy but falls a little flat everywhere else。We have Lucian， our duke， who is an unlikely heir and is now forced to be respectable for the sake of the dukedom and his sisters’ future。 Of course， he has this unwanted attraction for his housekeeper， Susanna。 Susanna herself has a past that she doesn’t want revealed。 She’s cultivated a life of propriety， but Lucian tempts her beyond all reason。 Add in a house party and two match-making sisters， and things are bound to get out of control。There was plenty of opportunity for grade-A conflict， but the reality is that both hero and heroine suffer from severe lust and little else。 The conflict felt forced rather than natural， with barely any interactions that didn’t move quickly to the physical。 Add in a villain that is there to fill page space and secondary romance to take up the remaining， Jordan seems to have no love lost for Lucian and Susanna’s story。Overall， this book felt a bit all over the place。 While all the elements were present， great characters， fabulous setting， trope heaven， and plenty of conflict opportunity， it left me unimpressed。 It should really only be 2。5 stars， but I’m giving it 3 because it still has the author’s voice。~ Landra 。。。more
Pj Ausdenmore
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I took one look at that cover and couldn't wait to dive into this book。 Steamy romance up against the wall with our housekeeper heroine taking charge？ Yes， please！ Unfortunately， what the cover promised the story didn't deliver。 The scene on the cover did not make it into the book and though there was a bit of steam （one love scene near the end of the book）， the overall heat level was quite low for a Sophie Jordan book。 That's actually something I don't mind if I know to expect it going in but， I took one look at that cover and couldn't wait to dive into this book。 Steamy romance up against the wall with our housekeeper heroine taking charge？ Yes， please！ Unfortunately， what the cover promised the story didn't deliver。 The scene on the cover did not make it into the book and though there was a bit of steam （one love scene near the end of the book）， the overall heat level was quite low for a Sophie Jordan book。 That's actually something I don't mind if I know to expect it going in but， in this case， my expectations were quite different。Does this mean I didn't like the book？ No， it's an enjoyable story， one worthy of four stars but I was hoping for more complexity。 More character development。 More connection。 More emotional depth。 Especially with the hero。 Maybe I was just in the mood for some meaty angst。 Others may feel differently but I wanted these two to yearn for one another。。。and I wanted to feel it。 I didn't。Sophie Jordan is one of my auto-buy authors。 I love her books but this one fell a bit short for me， one of those "I liked it but I really wanted to love it" books。 Still， if you enjoy mild angst， low steam （except for that one scene）， and cross-class historical romance， it may be the perfect fit for you。 ARC received from publisher via NetGalley。 Fair and unbiased review。 。。。more
AbadWallflower
，
On a dark and stormy night， the new and true Duke of Penning， Lucian Ross， and Miss Susanna Lockhart met in the double romance “The Duke Starts a Scandal” by Sophie Jordan！This book is well-written and a quick read！ Both main characters have a well-hidden and highly scandalous background that unfolds suspensefully and seamlessly。 The delicious tension between the duke and his housekeeper keeps us wanting more and we find ourselves on a roller coaster of emotions。 Amongst the seriousness regardin On a dark and stormy night， the new and true Duke of Penning， Lucian Ross， and Miss Susanna Lockhart met in the double romance “The Duke Starts a Scandal” by Sophie Jordan！This book is well-written and a quick read！ Both main characters have a well-hidden and highly scandalous background that unfolds suspensefully and seamlessly。 The delicious tension between the duke and his housekeeper keeps us wanting more and we find ourselves on a roller coaster of emotions。 Amongst the seriousness regarding a dirtbag villain and the status of her job position， Jordan weaves in comedic relief。If you enjoy a story of love and woe then love again， then I highly recommend this book！ If you love charming heroes who show admiration through surliness and meddling siblings who scheme for the better， then what are you waiting for？ *wink*Thank you to Net Galley， Avon， and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
Belinda
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I really enjoyed reading this exciting book by one of my favorite authors。 Ms Jordan writes an exceptional story about two people from different stations。 Even though this is the last of the series， it can be read as a stand alone。 The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own。 Lucien， the new Duke of Penning， is trying hard to become the best man with his new life。 He wants to be respectable and needs a life free of scandal。 But there is on drawback to his thinking I really enjoyed reading this exciting book by one of my favorite authors。 Ms Jordan writes an exceptional story about two people from different stations。 Even though this is the last of the series， it can be read as a stand alone。 The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own。 Lucien， the new Duke of Penning， is trying hard to become the best man with his new life。 He wants to be respectable and needs a life free of scandal。 But there is on drawback to his thinking。 His housekeeper Suzanna is one particularly lovely woman who he can't stop thinking about。 Lucien knows he should think about his family and keeping his sisters from having to deal with the demons of his past。 But sometimes it can be the touch of a hand or a look from one person to another that binds a love。 Lucien knows that wanting Suzanna for herself is all he needs in his life。 Suzanna knows her place and loving her employer is not to her advantage。 When they show their true feelings for one another it will be forever。 So when the Duke starts a scandal， it will be for love which was meant to be。I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review。 。。。more
Vanessa
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Finally， the Duke of Penning has arrived at Penning Hall！ The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth in the series in The Duke Hunt series， and I've enjoyed all of them and have been eagerly awaiting the inevitable Duke story！ It was well worth the wait-- I really， really enjoyed The Duke Starts a Scandal！ Lucian， the new duke， has an unfortunate problem。 He has some secrets in his background， and he thinks that his housekeeper can sense that he is not the person he is supposed to be。 He also is in Finally， the Duke of Penning has arrived at Penning Hall！ The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth in the series in The Duke Hunt series， and I've enjoyed all of them and have been eagerly awaiting the inevitable Duke story！ It was well worth the wait-- I really， really enjoyed The Duke Starts a Scandal！ Lucian， the new duke， has an unfortunate problem。 He has some secrets in his background， and he thinks that his housekeeper can sense that he is not the person he is supposed to be。 He also is inappropriately attracted to her。 Susanna， the young housekeeper of Penning Hall， thinks that the new Duke cannot abide her， and she's worried that he's going to fire her at any time。 Susanna has come to Penning Hall to hide from her past， and there's a threat that is hanging above her head that is using her past to blackmail her。 And very inconveniently， Susanna is fighting an attraction to the Duke。。。 and shenanigans begin！This book is great and I loved reading every moment of it。 No matter my enjoyment， it was not a five star for me。 It was a bit slow to start for me， but once it got going， I was in！ I loved the Susanna， her below-stairs coworkers and friends， and the duke's sisters。 The duke was also a slow start for me， and I wasn't fully sold on him。 The chemistry was there， however-- a credit to Sophie Jordan's great writing。 I wish the book had less of the two main characters denying their chemistry and at odds with each other， and more of them falling in love。 It was like going up a roller coaster-- rolling up slowly and waiting for the romance-- and then when the romance pops up， hurdling down the slope so fast and screaming because you want to slow down。 I wanted to slow the roller coaster down so I could enjoy the romance more！ It just came so fast （it was like 80， 85% of the book）， I just wasn't ready for the book to be done。 Then the book and conflict is wrapped up。 It was almost like the author didn't know how to get her duke and the housekeeper to get together in a morally/policitically correct way （in modern times） and spent a lot of time writing around that， and then when they did get together， just wanted to get to the finish line of finishing the book。 Despite how I enjoyed this， I wish that Lucian and Susanna's story had focused more on them falling in love， than them fighting it secretly because it is not what they're supposed to do and then boom！， they're in love and don't care about anything else。 As I was reading， I was wishing Sophie Jordan had made Susanna someone who lived in the village or one of his house guest's ladies maid， rather than his housekeeper-- it just felt like the author was holding back because of the power-wealth/employer-employee dynamic， and did not know how to overcome it until too far in。 I get it， I would not know how to write my way out of this dynamic whatsoever！ For that， it was a four-star read for me， but I still really enjoyed the book and really enjoyed the series！ I'm just sad maybe it wasn't a few chapters longer and had more of our two main characters not resisting their attraction， but being put in situations to getting to know each other more。The Duke Starts a Scandal has great dialogue， characters and there is a lot of chemistry， and has a lot to offer a HR fan like myself。 if you too are a HR fan or a Sophie Jordan fan， I would highly recommend。 。。。more
Devan Pascale
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The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth book in Sophie Jordan’s The Duke Hunt series。 After reading The Scoundrel Falls Hard I was really excited to read this one。 It did not disappoint。 I definitely rate this at 4 stars。First off， the secrets and backstories for Lucien and Susanna were excellent。 No spoilers but I was really surprised by the direction this story went in and really enjoyed this tiny departure from the rest of the series。Luckily， since there aren’t many tie-ins with the other boo The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth book in Sophie Jordan’s The Duke Hunt series。 After reading The Scoundrel Falls Hard I was really excited to read this one。 It did not disappoint。 I definitely rate this at 4 stars。First off， the secrets and backstories for Lucien and Susanna were excellent。 No spoilers but I was really surprised by the direction this story went in and really enjoyed this tiny departure from the rest of the series。Luckily， since there aren’t many tie-ins with the other books this can be read as a stand-alone （but you should really go read the rest of the series because it’s really good）。 The trope of the housekeeper/boss dynamic gets me every time， but I do love that they took their time here。 Overall I enjoyed this a lot and would absolutely recommend！ 4/5 stars 2。5/5 spiceThank you to Sophie Jordan and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Danielle Bush
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Lucian inherited the Dukedom， and on a rainy and storm-filled night on is way to his new home comes across a lovely lady who not only doesn't believe he's the new duke but also turns out to be his way to attractive housekeeper。 From that moment on the tension between them builds。 I loved the slow burn and rising tension between them。 Susanna's past is horrible， she has gone through some traumatic things and I really wanted to see her get her HEA。 I thought Lucian and Susanna made a great couple， Lucian inherited the Dukedom， and on a rainy and storm-filled night on is way to his new home comes across a lovely lady who not only doesn't believe he's the new duke but also turns out to be his way to attractive housekeeper。 From that moment on the tension between them builds。 I loved the slow burn and rising tension between them。 Susanna's past is horrible， she has gone through some traumatic things and I really wanted to see her get her HEA。 I thought Lucian and Susanna made a great couple， and their chemistry was great。 I also loved the side romance we get from one of the side characters。 This is a great romance that was both fun and full of great depths。 It made me smile， and there were parts that had me tearing up。 I can't wait to read what Sophie Jordan will come out with next。 。。。more
Sonia
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As one of this author's longtime readers， I was surprised by the relatively racy cover。 Now， that I'm aware of the emotions involved， it makes much more sense。 The cover perfectly reflects the life experience of both characters， and not the contents of the steam。 The plot was quite clever， and I'd love to know how it was developed。 I'm not even sure which trope it should be assigned to。 Looking back， there were a few red herrings on which I won't elaborate。 Due in part to the twisting plot， ther As one of this author's longtime readers， I was surprised by the relatively racy cover。 Now， that I'm aware of the emotions involved， it makes much more sense。 The cover perfectly reflects the life experience of both characters， and not the contents of the steam。 The plot was quite clever， and I'd love to know how it was developed。 I'm not even sure which trope it should be assigned to。 Looking back， there were a few red herrings on which I won't elaborate。 Due in part to the twisting plot， there was a great deal of interpersonal tension。 Then， the story arc took a most pleasing turn。 I was actually able to put away the tissues and enjoy a perfect happy ending！ I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Jessica White
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4。5 ⭐️ This is probably my favorite book from The Duke Hunt series solely because of the two protagonists。 I had a suspicion that with a cover as hot as this one， that this book would be just as intriguing。 Both MCs come from sordid pasts and have found themselves on opposite sides of the class system。 Lucian has inherited a Dukedom after having to provide for himself and his two sisters through less than convenient means and Susanna was shunned from her community for a love affair forcing her t 4。5 ⭐️ This is probably my favorite book from The Duke Hunt series solely because of the two protagonists。 I had a suspicion that with a cover as hot as this one， that this book would be just as intriguing。 Both MCs come from sordid pasts and have found themselves on opposite sides of the class system。 Lucian has inherited a Dukedom after having to provide for himself and his two sisters through less than convenient means and Susanna was shunned from her community for a love affair forcing her to seek service as a housekeeper in the Duke’s household。 Dual POVs help create the tug and pull dynamic between Susanna and Lucian in regards to their feelings and sexual tension that both try to hide from one another。 I really enjoyed the backstory for each MC and found this to be a very unique plot—it is rare to have a hero with Lucian’s past and I loved how he didn’t feel ashamed of it even though he knew it could be problematic for his sisters。 Although circumstances and people have tried to shame Susanna for her past， she accepts her course in life as a servant even though there’s a double standard for women vs。 men。 I thought the backstory for these two was great and would have loved to see a little bit more development in how they connected with each other over their shared histories。 For such a quick read， it wouldn’t have hurt to add a bit more into their relationship once they consummated it。 This book did not have a third act breakup either！ Although there is definitely an evil character， it’s really the MCs that have to figure out if they should be together or not。 It doesn’t hurt that the sisters try to help them out in the process 😉 IYKYK。 I’d definitely recommend this Sophie Jordan book。 It would help to read The Scoundrel Falls Hard just to have the backstory of the fake Duke， but this can still be read as a standalone。 I received this book in exchange for my honest review。 All opinions are my own。CW: name-calling， sex work by minor， physical abuse by family member， parental death 。。。more
Colleen
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The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth book in The Duke Hunt series。Susanna Lockhart is the housekeeper the Penning estate。 As she is rushing to return to the estate， she is almost over run over by a man on a horse who claims to be the new and rightful duke。 But Susanna claims he is lying since she is the housekeeper and has met the duke and his son。 Lucian states that he has agents for the estate just behind him in a carriage that will verify and straighten out in order to remove the imposters The Duke Starts a Scandal is the fourth book in The Duke Hunt series。Susanna Lockhart is the housekeeper the Penning estate。 As she is rushing to return to the estate， she is almost over run over by a man on a horse who claims to be the new and rightful duke。 But Susanna claims he is lying since she is the housekeeper and has met the duke and his son。 Lucian states that he has agents for the estate just behind him in a carriage that will verify and straighten out in order to remove the imposters。 Susanna can't believe her misfortune。 Calling the new heir a liar， she is off to a wonderful start。 She can only hope she can prove herself to be a good housekeeper to the new duke and his sisters in order to keep her position。A few comical things happen just before a house party begins。 The valet falls and sprains his ankle and needs to stay in bed in order to heal。 Susanna is then tasked to fill in as Lucian's valet。 She walks in his room only to find him naked and preparing to bathe。 Lucien claims he needs no one to help him bathe or dress and her services are not required。 Both Lucian and Susanna are embarrassed， but it seems as if they are drawn to one another。 Susanna is desperate to keep her job but also needs to keep her distance from Lucian。 When the house party begins a man reveals himself to know Susanna。 When she remembers he is a friend of a man she thought she had loved she tries to deny knowing him， that he is mistaken。 He tries to corner her and threatens the safety of her job and the secrets of her past she has tried so hard to keep buried。 Lucian also has secrets that he would prefer to keep hidden in order to see his sisters married， safe and secure。 Everyone seems to have their own idea of the life they want to live which does not follow Lucian's plans。 Will Susanna's past be revealed and threaten her future hopes and dreams。This was a fast and enjoyable read in spite of being 352 pages long。 I prefer books that are more than 300 pages。 I think that it helps when the writer takes their time to tell the story instead of wrapping it up rather quickly。 The characters of Lucian and Susanna were very different with secrets that society would not have accepted。 I liked the plot as it unraveled to tell their story。 The writing was easy to read and follow along。 There were several spots where I laughed at the antics of the characters。 It truly was worth reading。 Looking forward to reading more from this author。I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review。 。。。more
Luz Trevino
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The Duke Starts a ScandalBook 4 in "The Duke Hunt" seriesRating: 3 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review。 All opinions are my own。The Duke Starts a Scandal was an okay read for me。 I felt that something was missing in regards to the romance。 I don't see how they fell in love when they barely spent time together and the time they did it was just to read Lucian's inner monologue on how he needed to get rid of her because she was too much of a temptation。 Th The Duke Starts a ScandalBook 4 in "The Duke Hunt" seriesRating: 3 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review。 All opinions are my own。The Duke Starts a Scandal was an okay read for me。 I felt that something was missing in regards to the romance。 I don't see how they fell in love when they barely spent time together and the time they did it was just to read Lucian's inner monologue on how he needed to get rid of her because she was too much of a temptation。 They did have an intense physical attraction they fought most of the book against。 This is one story that I was wondering when they were finally going to kiss！ LOLI would have liked to see more of his sisters trying to bring Lucian and Susanna together。 That one attempt was funny to read。 。。。more
Rachel
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I am a fan of class differences so I liked that aspect。 Some find that triggering so be aware that the h is a servant， but I never felt she was being controlled by her employer or anything like that。 The author took a good amount of time building the burn。 If anything， I felt there a little too much push and pull。 However， in the end I found the two characters enjoyable and endearing。 The H did not allow class differences to keep them from their HEA。 If you like push and pull， class difference r I am a fan of class differences so I liked that aspect。 Some find that triggering so be aware that the h is a servant， but I never felt she was being controlled by her employer or anything like that。 The author took a good amount of time building the burn。 If anything， I felt there a little too much push and pull。 However， in the end I found the two characters enjoyable and endearing。 The H did not allow class differences to keep them from their HEA。 If you like push and pull， class difference romances you will enjoy this book。 。。。more
Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews
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While I enjoyed this title， It wasn't Sophie Jordan's best。 And honestly， it didn't really live up to the heat of that cover！ If you're looking to binge a historical romance series， The Duke Hunt isn't a bad way to go。 It isn't going to make my Best Of list， but I still liked it and will continue to read Sophie's books。 While I enjoyed this title， It wasn't Sophie Jordan's best。 And honestly， it didn't really live up to the heat of that cover！ If you're looking to binge a historical romance series， The Duke Hunt isn't a bad way to go。 It isn't going to make my Best Of list， but I still liked it and will continue to read Sophie's books。 。。。more
Courtney
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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 I admit to feeling a lot of reticence when I saw the premise of The Duke Starts a Scandal。 Sophie Jordan is a very hit-or-miss author for me anyway， and this series has not been her best in terms of quality。 And then there’s the fact that many books involving dukes （or peers in general） and servants are chock-full of problematic power dynamics， which while historically accurate， are n I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 I admit to feeling a lot of reticence when I saw the premise of The Duke Starts a Scandal。 Sophie Jordan is a very hit-or-miss author for me anyway， and this series has not been her best in terms of quality。 And then there’s the fact that many books involving dukes （or peers in general） and servants are chock-full of problematic power dynamics， which while historically accurate， are not fun to read about in a romance published in the present day。 But I was intrigued by the concept， as I tend to look more favorably on fictional dukes who weren’t born and bred for the position。 And it’s like Sophie Jordan took all my notes about these issues into account when crafting the characters。 Lucian’s beginnings were not merely humble， but hardscrabble， and he struggles with the repercussions of that as he adjusts to his new role。 And I like that， unlike some other stories， which make the heroes hard-edged killers， the secrets of his past expose the complex double standards and hypocrisies of “Polite” Society when it comes to one’s sexual expression。 In this regard， he has a lot in common with Susanna， who also was disgraced for losing her virtue to a youthful infatuation。 Both have become cynical， believing romance isn’t for them， although Lucian is much more so， in the way this also extends to his overprotectiveness of his sisters。 Lucian and Susanna have great chemistry together， and while it’s a slower burn than I feel used to in most of Jordan’s work， it absolutely suits their dynamic。 The will-they， won’t-they tension is palpable， and I love how determined Lucian is to behave properly， and it’s ultimately Susanna who makes the first move （albeit not out of the most pure intentions）， and she retains her agency throughout。 Lucian’s sisters， Mattie and Evie， are fabulous supporting characters， and I loved how they tried to meddle in Lucian and Susanna’s romance。 There’s also a side romance between Mattie and Lucian’s valet， but it is very much connected to the conflict of the main romance， given the stakes are so similar， with Lucian simultaneously objecting to both for the same reasons， and him opening his heart to Susanna also enables him to loosen up about his sisters。 This is a wonderful read， redeeming a rather “meh” series overall， as well as being Sophie’s Jordan’s second consecutive 5-star book for me （after The Countess earlier this year）。I’d recommend this to historical romance readers， especially if you like the boss/employee trope。 。。。more
Angela
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Sophie is like Eloisa James for me， she is either a “I really like this story” or “I really dislike this story”， there doesn’t seem to be any in between。 Unfortunately， this one is a miss for me。 While I am sure a lot of people will like the story， the scandal （at least the first scandal） was so insignificant and it was made a big deal out of。 The second scandal of marrying his housekeeper， yeah， I can see that。 I felt that as if not much happened at the beginning of the story。 I was very intere Sophie is like Eloisa James for me， she is either a “I really like this story” or “I really dislike this story”， there doesn’t seem to be any in between。 Unfortunately， this one is a miss for me。 While I am sure a lot of people will like the story， the scandal （at least the first scandal） was so insignificant and it was made a big deal out of。 The second scandal of marrying his housekeeper， yeah， I can see that。 I felt that as if not much happened at the beginning of the story。 I was very interested in the secondary romance。 I wish there were more of that story。 It was sweet and a joy to read。 The end of the book was a little more interesting but it couldn’t make up for the beginning and middle。 I received a complimentary copy。 。。。more
Deborah Cleaves
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Fabulous！ Sophie Jordan hits a home run with this lively couple trying to hide their pasts from the world in which they find themselves， and working hard to deny themselves love as they try to figure out how to survive in the world they find themselves。 Thank God the duke takes a pause and seizes the moment to start a scandal！ A fast read with captivating characters and a cad who meets his comeuppance！
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