Sabrina Jeffries Archives

Book Review: Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries

Jun 20, 2021

Undercover Duke (Duke Dynasty #4) by Sabrina Jeffries

Pages: 352
Publish date: May 25th 2021
Publisher: Zebra
ISBN: 9781420148589
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

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…

Undercover Duke:

I received an e-arc of Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries from Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings.

If you don’t know already, I love reading Sabrina Jeffries books – I think she has become one of my favourite historical romance authors. This is the third series of her’s that I am making my way through and just loving it. You can check out my reviews on the rest of this series here and here. As well as my other Sabrina Jeffires posts.

Undercover Duke follows Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, as he and his family try and figure out, once and for all who has been killing their mother’s husbands and their own fathers. Now tasked with getting information out of one of the suspects Sheridan needs to get in her daughter’s good books. But it’s much more complicated than that. And as Sheridan and Vanessa become closer, things start to heat up. But they both have their burdens, but will they allow themselves to overcome them?

Photo by Liam McGarry on Unsplash

I adored this book. I couldn’t put it down and I was only a few chapters in. It’s not hard for me to read a Sabrina Jeffries book in one or two sittings. And the only reason this took me a little longer was that work has been crazy. Undercover Duke is filled with high stakes, a tense mystery and a romance that is addicting and a perfect slow burn.

I already enjoyed Sheridan from the previous books in this series, and Undercover Duke made me love him even more. He is charming and made me smile throughout the book. Throughout the book, the reader can see that Sheridan does care a lot about his family and wants to find out what happened to them. But he also didn’t expect to like Vanessa as much as he did. I liked that we get to see him grow throughout the novel and not only come to understand himself, but Vanessa as well.

Vanessa was a fantastic addition to Undercover Duke. I adored her so much. She was sassy and knew what she wanted. She played Sheridan in a way and I loved it. We also get to see her grow throughout the novel. At the start she is shy, but as the novel goes on and she and Sheridan get to know each other a little more, she pushes him. She is also very sneaky and I loved it! So much.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

I also really enjoyed the romance in Undercover Duke. What started as a fake courting – turned into something way more. I loved that they both used each other for other purposes, but they both fell hard and fast for one another. While Vanessa has liked Sheridan for some time, Sheridan has his own demons that he has to deal with. I do wish that this was explored more. I felt that once we were told about it – it wasn’t really talked about much again.

One of my favourite tropes, especially in historical romance is fake courting/marriage of convenience. And it worked just so well here. Everyone could see that Sheridan and Vanessa were falling for one another. But both of them were obvious to one another’s feelings. I also liked that it was a mix of sweet and sexy. It was a great combination of being soft, but then the heat can be turned up.

Now to the mystery element of not only this book but the series. While Undercover Duke isn’t as intense as the previous ones in the series, the ending had some high stakes. And I loved it. While I did guess little bits of the mystery, I still really enjoyed it. I always say, I necessarily don’t believe a book is bad if you guess what is going to happen. It means that the author left enough clues that you were able to figure out what is going to happen.

Photo by Diogo Nunes on Unsplash

Overall, I adored Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries. I think it was a fantastic addition to the series and just fit perfectly. Sheridan and Vanessa were fantastic together. I adored their banter, tension and just wanted to keep on reading. The romance was a nice slow burn and warmed my heart. If you are looking for a new historical romance series with a little mystery and some high stakes then pick up this series for sure. Not only does it have great characters, fantastic romances but it’s such a fun series to read.

And there we go! Have you read Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries yet? Have you read any of this series? What do you think of them? Have you read anything else from Sabrina? What is a recent historical romance that you have loved? Let’s Chat!

Never Seduce a Scoundrel | Discussion with Ely

Feb 28, 2021

Welcome to Ely and Mine’s second buddy read of the year discussion. Today we are talking about Never Seduce a Scoundrel (School For Heiresses #1) by Sabrina Jeffries. This is the first book in the series and one that both of us were very excited about it. You can check out last months discussion on The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski on Ely’s blog.

Never Seduce a Scoundrel (School For Heiresses #1) by Sabrina Jeffries

Pages: 376
Publish date: March 1st 2006
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9781416516088
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

“Be careful, Amelia — you know how reckless you can be!” — Mrs Charlotte Harris, headmistress

Lady Amelia Plume has many admirers — it’s too bad they’re all fortune hunters and fops who can’t provide the exotic adventures she seeks.

But the ballrooms of Mayfair have become much more appealing since the arrival of Major Lucas Winter, an American with a dark past and a dangerous air. Lucas is brash, arrogant — and scandalously tempting.

Every thrilling kiss sparks a hotter desire, yet Amelia suspects that Lucas has a hidden motive in wooing her. And she intends to discover it, by any means necessary.

Never Seduce a Scoundrel:

Angel: I would just like to say first off that, I adored Never Seduce a Scoundrel so much. It’s one of my favourite Sabrina Jeffries books that I’ve read and I fell in love with it right away. I know you felt very similar to me?

Ely: Absolutely. I think this might be my favourite Sabrina Jeffries so far for a multitude of reasons. I don’t even know where to begin with this one.

And I suppose we should talk about how many Jeffries we’ve read in the past. This was my fourth of hers as I’m trying to read them in order, but I think you’ve read a few more?

A: I have! This is the seventh one I’ve read from her. Like you, I’ve read the Royal Brotherhood trio, and then I’ve also read the 3 books that are currently out in the Duke Dynasty. And I’ve loved every single one. But this is very high on my favourites list.

Never Seduce a Scoundrel follows Lady Amelia Plume as she tries to find herself a husband, but none have caught her eye. Then comes Major Lucas Winter, an American who isn’t all he seems. I felt the tension between these two from the start and it got me hooked. And it wasn’t just the romance that I loved, but the characters themselves. What did you think of Amelia?

E: I loved Amelia. She’s such a witty and fun character. I adore how she pretty much immediately works out just what Lucas is doing and is determined to basically stop him from getting what he wants… What did you think of her?

A: I adored her as well. She was just a fun character to read and get to know. Like you, she did not let Lucus get away with anything and basically turned everything on its head for him. That just made for even more excellent banter. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. Lucas was an interesting character that was for sure. There were times where I wanted to hate him for his reasons to get close to Amelia, but she broke his walls so quickly and turned him basically to mush. Even though he didn’t want to admit it. What did you think of him?

E: I loved that about him—he’s all I’m a big surly, American soldier and I’m only here to do my job and then Amelia looks at him and he becomes a softie. Those are honestly my favourite type of romance heroes.

I think we have to mention the dear Charlotte Harris as well, don’t we? What did you think of her and her letters to and from cousin Michael?

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

A: YES!!! I think that is what I loved most about Never Seduce a Scoundrel, they basically turned each other inside out and it was just fantastic to see.

I loved Charlotte so much. And I cannot wait to read more about her and her letters to cousin Michael. I’ve got all the books in the series and read all the synopsis so I kind of know what is coming. And that makes me so excited.

While we have briefly talked about the romance in this one. What were some of your favourite things about Amelia and Lucas?

E: My favourite bit about the whole Charlotte thing is how it feels sort of the Lady Whistledown bits in the Bridgertons series or other books that do that sort of interjection bits. I think they tell you even more about the story and I really enjoy that.

And I love that they’re both playing each other, but neither of them knows really what’s happening and why the other one is acting the way they are. I think it makes for a really interesting dynamic between the two of them.

A: Yes! That connection is absolutely spot on. And yes I think it’s a great way to let the readers know things without the protagonist having to tell us or it being jarring to the reader. It was done fantastically here.

Have to agree for sure. I loved seeing the back of fourth both of them pulling and then pushing. But also not knowing what is happening, like you said it creates a fantastic dynamic between the two and the banter is fantastic. The plot for this one is really interesting at times I didn’t know where it was going to go and I loved that. What did you think of it?

E: I think it has one of the most interesting plots that I’ve read in a while. Sabrina always managed to take tropes and storylines that we see in historical romance and somehow turn it on its head.

Historical romances are usually pretty fun and light and that’s why I enjoy them so much. I know you feel the same way—we both used them as pick-me-ups all the time when we’re not feeling the best or if we’re in a slump. What I like about this one is that it has that fun, light tone about it but it also deals with some pretty heavy topics.

This might sound weird to anyone not aware of the genre, but I liked that this made reference to real historical events. I feel like HR doesn’t often do that. Sometimes we get real historical figures showing up or events that made a big impact or that are relevant to the story—i.e. the marriage act/suffragette movement in Evie Dunmore’s books and so forth, but the event in here is not one that a lot of people know about. How did you feel about that?

Photo by Jonas Jaeken on Unsplash

A: Romance in general is my escape, but historical romance is the perfect read when I just want to have a fantastic time reading. Don’t get me wrong I’ve read some pretty emotional historical romances, but they don’t tear me into a million pieces – which I like.

No, I absolutely agree with you. I love history – a lot. So when I read a historical romance that makes me want to learn more – yes, please! And then when it includes an event. I think that is why I’ve really enjoyed reading Beverly Jenkins. And Sabrina really takes it another step in Never Seduce a Scoundrel. One of the main concepts on this series is the School For Heiress, and while it wasn’t featured really in this one. I enjoyed seeing some of it through Charlotte and Amelia’s relationship. What did you think of it?

E: I was a little sad that we didn’t actually get to see the school yet—I think there is going to be an incredible dynamic with the friendships between the girls and the romances. I believe book four takes place in the school? I just love the ideas of the girls all getting involved in one another’s lives and hopefully, we’ll get some really lovely friendships between them all too.

I’m also really excited to see Charlotte in her element. I think she’s a great character already and I’m excited to see her shine. How about you?

A: I think that is what I missed most in this one. Friendship. I felt that there wasn’t anyone there for Amelia except for Charlotte – who I love. But I feel that is what this book lacked. A good friend for Amelia and not just Charlotte who for the most part is her guardian. Do you agree with this?

Oh and have to agree with you about Charlotte, I am so excited.

Photo by Carli Jeen on Unsplash

E: Amelia really doesn’t have anyone but Charlotte until Lucas steps up. For all her talk of love and protection of her family, they really aren’t there for her. They are absent for most of the book and even when they are there, they’re wrapped up in their own world. I just hate it when families are like this, as you well know.

A: It is really strange that is for sure. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. They obviously came back when she was in need, but I still felt no connection between them. Like as much as Amelia talks about them, I didn’t feel the love.

Enough about that, what was one of your favourite things about Never Seduce a Scoundrel to finish this up? I adored the banter between Amelia and Lucas and how they grew close without really trying.

E: I think she really loved them, but I don’t know that they really cared about her to the same degree.

The banter is definitely amazing, but I think that real-life moment in history is really what hit it out of the park for me. It just made it feel that much more real and added a greater depth to it.

A: Well thank you for chatting with me. I hope you all enjoyed reading our chat about Never Seduce a Scoundrel by Sabrina Jeffries. Have you read anything from her yet? Have you read this series? Stay tuned for next month’s discussion on Ely’s blog!

Book Review: Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries

Aug 17, 2020

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!