Who Wants to Marry a Duke (Duke Dynasty #3) by Sabrina Jeffries
Pages: 352
Publish date: August 25th 2020
Publisher: Zebra
ISBN: 9781420148572
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
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…
Who Wants to Marry a Duke:
I received an earc of Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries via NetGalley from Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
The other day I shared my reviews for Project Duchess and The Bachelor, the first two books in this series and today it’s Sabrina Jeffries newest release turn. I love this one so much. It has everything that I love about historical romance and is the perfect sequel.
Who Wants to Marry a Duke follows Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, otherwise known as Thorn. He hasn’t had the best experience when it comes to Olivia Norley. He could never forget the kiss that they shared, but he also won’t forget about the blackmail that followed. Now his half-brother has hired Olivia to help solve a family mystery. But Olivia might be in even more danger than anyone thought. And close quarters and high stakes bring Thorn and Olivia closer together.
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
This was such a fun, entertaining and romance filled read and I could not put it down. Thorn and Olivia were an absolute blast to read. Who Wants to Marry a Duke isn’t just a great book on its own but stands brilliantly in the series.
Thorn is a classic historical romance male and he made all the right moves. From the start, he stood out on the page. The reader can see who he is right away, and he doesn’t change much from there. His voice is very strong, and I loved that. He has a fantastic character arc that was explored throughout Who Wants to Marry a Duke. I wanted to know more and more about him as the novel went on. I wanted to know why he was acting the way he did. And I wanted Olivia to knock him on his feet. At times Thorn could be a little ‘mean’ but that I think that was the front that he was putting up to hid myself from hurt.
Olivia was a pleasure to read. I love having a woman of high education in my historical romances now and again. It’s a dynamic that is interesting to see. I loved that Olivia wasn’t taking shit from anyone. She knew what she wanted, and she knew what she was good at – and didn’t let anyone stop her. But this also meant that she had a tight wall around her that was tough to get through.
Sabrina Jeffries is fantastic at writing characters that are different from one another, but all fit into the same world. Thorn and Olivia are quite different from the other couples in the series and I loved that. The stood out on their own. But also completed everyone else.
Photo by Matt Briney on Unsplash
I love, hate to love romances, but there is something about hate to love in historical romances that is just perfect. Sabrina Jeffries has done an excellent job here and writing a romance that is full of angst and it worked so well. Olivia and Thorn both have issues with one another, and a lot of that steams from miscommunication. Normally I wouldn’t like it at all, but it worked out so well in Who Wants to Marry a Duke.
This isn’t a historical romance series that you should or could read out of order. There is a mystery that is intertwined through all the novels that get more intense as you go on. I think that is what makes this series and out for me. For the most part in nearly all historical romance series, you can read them out of order. You might get teased about who ends up with who – but in reality, it doesn’t matter all that much. However, in Who Wants to Marry a Duke everything connects. There is one overarching storyline and I love that.
One of my favourite things about this series is the banter! There is banter between everyone and gosh it made for such a fun read. I laughed so many times throughout Who Wants to Marry a Duke. The relationship between the step and full siblings was just fantastic. It explores them fighting, playing and not getting along. But it is such a good representation of a sibling relationship.
Photo by Sergio Rodriguez – Portugues del Olmo on Unsplash
Overall, I love reading Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries. It’s a fantastic addition to the series and just as good on its own. It was such a wonderful reading experience and has everything that I look for in a historical romance. I adored Thorn and Oliva as both protagonists and lovers. Who Wants to Marry a Duke is a fantastic sequel and I simply adored the romance. I can’t wait to read more in this series and find out more about the mystery. If you haven’t picked up this series yet – do it’s fantastic.
Have you read Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning to? Have you read any books from this series? Let’s Chat!
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