The Duke Starts a Scandal
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-11-09 07:22:13
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sophie Jordan
- ISBN：B0CBWJMRV4
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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
Zoë Ann Book Queen
，
2。5 magical little starsThis is the end of the road for me and Sophie Jordan 💔 I'm too sad to go into all the ways this book didn't work 2。5 magical little starsThis is the end of the road for me and Sophie Jordan 💔 I'm too sad to go into all the ways this book didn't work 。。。more
Bee
，
review to come
Donna Foster
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A teasing read until the very last brink of the moment。
Kim
，
A true fairytale having a Duke fall in love with his housekeeper。 Lucian arrives at the estate as the new Duke of Penning。 （You can read about the former imposter Duke and his son in book 3 but it's not necessary to enjoy this book。） His literal run in with Susanna does not make for a good start to their relationship。 They dislike each other but she has to show deference as his housekeeper。 Lucian is determined to make a respectable life for his two sisters but he has a secret regarding his past A true fairytale having a Duke fall in love with his housekeeper。 Lucian arrives at the estate as the new Duke of Penning。 （You can read about the former imposter Duke and his son in book 3 but it's not necessary to enjoy this book。） His literal run in with Susanna does not make for a good start to their relationship。 They dislike each other but she has to show deference as his housekeeper。 Lucian is determined to make a respectable life for his two sisters but he has a secret regarding his past。 If it comes to light， any chance of aristocratic marriages for his sisters will be gone and they will lose all standing in society。 Susanna has a secret of her own and when someone from her past shows up she knows her time at the estate is in peril。 As they fight their attraction to each other， the relationship is helped along by his sisters。 I enjoyed the unusual premise and the characters' back stories。 I received an ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Keely
，
I enjoyed this book。 The main characters are from different classes （duke and housekeeper） and have secrets to hide。 The “bad guy” plot ends a bit abruptly but is still satisfying。 I appreciate that there is no creepy power dynamic between the main characters。 It’s pretty low angst and of course everyone gets their HEA。
CheerfullRain
，
I really enjoyed this book。 The relationship had a really slow start， but the development felt so natural that it didn’t bother me at all。 My biggest complaint is that when their relationship finally started to pick up steam， the situations devised to showcase that felt very contrived。 It was a stark contrast to how natural the beginning was。 It almost felt as if the author was running out of pages and had to finish the story up quickly when I easily could have read another 100 pages about them。 I really enjoyed this book。 The relationship had a really slow start， but the development felt so natural that it didn’t bother me at all。 My biggest complaint is that when their relationship finally started to pick up steam， the situations devised to showcase that felt very contrived。 It was a stark contrast to how natural the beginning was。 It almost felt as if the author was running out of pages and had to finish the story up quickly when I easily could have read another 100 pages about them。 I think that there was more story to tell here and I would have been interested in further exploration of both of the characters pasts， those pasts impacts on the present and dealing with the differences in their stations。 It was an enjoyable book， I just wanted more from it。 。。。more
Ron Frampton
，
A romance between the housekeeper and the Duke will it cause a scandal ？
RachelReadsandSings
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3。5 stars？ Overall I enjoyed this for what it was， but I do wish the story inside was as incredible as that cover！ I felt really invested in the romance at times， but at other times I found myself getting bored 🤷🏻♀️I did really appreciate Lucian’s past and how Susanna helped him heal from it。 “I didn’t know it was possible…for it to be like this。 Better than what I dreamed”。 That was so sweet ♥️♥️♥️**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**
Jaime
，
Difficult to get into。 Too difficult to suspend the disbelief。 Tired of every woman needing to be contrary。
Xiomara
，
PACINGThis one actually could have been so fun if the pacing was better！！！ Also too much internal thought not enough dialogue。
Kristina
，
lol not The Boyfriend Experience
Jennifer
，
Susanna isn't exactly happy with her life， but she accepts that her situation is as good as it can be given her history。 She works for the Duke of Penning where she serves as the housekeeper， and she plans to keep that job until she retires。 When she learns that her current employer is a phony and that the new （and rightful） Duke of Penning is a grump， she reconsiders whether she wants to stay on。 Lucian never expected to become the Duke of Penning but now that he is， he takes the job very serio Susanna isn't exactly happy with her life， but she accepts that her situation is as good as it can be given her history。 She works for the Duke of Penning where she serves as the housekeeper， and she plans to keep that job until she retires。 When she learns that her current employer is a phony and that the new （and rightful） Duke of Penning is a grump， she reconsiders whether she wants to stay on。 Lucian never expected to become the Duke of Penning but now that he is， he takes the job very seriously。 So， finding himself attracted to his housekeeper is a great big no no。 He wants her gone so he can concentrate on being the duke and finding his sisters good husbands。 Unfortunately， the universe wants them together。 Can they avoid acting on their attraction to one another or will they eventually give in？ Can two people with checkered pasts find lasting love？Susanna has a time-tested backstory of being a woman who is deemed soiled by society because she gave into passion with a man， she thought she would marry。 I like that the author chose to give Susanna a fake identity so she could have the job of housekeeper。 It allowed the bad guy to torment Susanna with threats about revealing her past indiscretions。 Susanna is smart and capable and very serious about doing a good job。 The author allowed the character to slowly let down her walls and learn to love。 It made perfect sense why she would be reluctant to take a chance。 Lucian has a really great backstory。 I don't think I've even seen that as the background for a male character in an historical romance。 The way the author revealed it to readers was good but the way she revealed it to Susanna was excellent。 Lucian gets the chance during the story to learn that he needs to trust people and that love is possible。 There are lots of smart little bits added to the story that help it make sense。 For example， Susanna has all of the education a proper high-born woman would have because she was hired to be the companion of a high-born girl。 It means that she would be an excellent housekeeper but also be an excellent duchess。 I was confused by the end。 Yes， they end up as a couple。 I would think that the duke suddenly deciding to marry his housekeeper would be a scandal but none of that appears in the story。 I guess I went into the story with expectations and that's my problem but not really a problem with the story itself。This is an historical romance set in England。 The characters are both adults grappling with their sordid pasts。 I would recommend this story if you like historicals but I think more romance readers would enjoy this story for it's creativity。 I will read more from this author in the future。 。。。more
Fiona Eden
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Would have been much better if the front cover were accurate to the book。 Bummed that I didn't like more， because when do you ever see male sex workers in books？ But that part of Lucian's chapter went nowhere。 Would have been much better if the front cover were accurate to the book。 Bummed that I didn't like more， because when do you ever see male sex workers in books？ But that part of Lucian's chapter went nowhere。 。。。more
Maria
，
2 stars because I did actually finish it （although I skimmed big time）， but good lord， I think ice bergs melt at a faster pace than this book。
Sage
，
He received a personality transplant midway through。 He started off unbearable and then became pretty likable。 Susanna was consistent in charmingness。 The side characters were a little flat。 As for plot， it was pretty lowstakes， which is a nice palate cleanser in between other books。 The resolution for the villain was disappointing， though， as there was no rhyme or reason behind it。 Also， am I alone in suspecting foul play on his end？ I know we're given a very reasonable explanation， but it just He received a personality transplant midway through。 He started off unbearable and then became pretty likable。 Susanna was consistent in charmingness。 The side characters were a little flat。 As for plot， it was pretty lowstakes， which is a nice palate cleanser in between other books。 The resolution for the villain was disappointing， though， as there was no rhyme or reason behind it。 Also， am I alone in suspecting foul play on his end？ I know we're given a very reasonable explanation， but it just seems too simple in the normal HR pattern。 Add in his animosity towards her and I definitely expected worse。 Overall， average book。 。。。more
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
，
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
，
"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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
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