It was Miss Scarlet in the drawing room with the candlestick!

Leave it to Valerie Bowman to successfully write an alluring romance with an unpredictable mystery in A Duke Like No Other, book 9 of the Playful Brides collection. This happened to be my first Bowman to experience and I absolutely devoured it! Bowman’s newest book is due to hit the shelves this coming May Day, May 1, 2018. I voluntarily read this eARC graciously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank YOU NetGalley, I now have a new addition to my favorite authors list.

The meat: Bowman wastes no time before jumping straight into the action. You meet Mark, an aspiring politician, who also happens to be estranged from his wife of ten years, Nicole. Unfortunately for Mark his aspirations now require him to be a wedded man. After ten years apart Mark strikes a deal with Nicole that she can’t afford to refuse. Unfortunately for Nicole, the deal includes more than she ever bargained for. Mark also happens to stumble upon more than he ever hoped for, or even wanted.

Throughout the book Bowman switches POVs between both Mark and Nicole, while easily throwing in flashbacks for both giving the reader a two-sided view on the couple’s past.

I give this book a 5 out of 5. Bowman does an amazing job at weaving a long forgotten romance together with a surprise and mystery. No need to mention the steamy scenes that are of a different level compared to other romance authors. I will certainly be looking for her name on other books for my TBR.

#valeriebowman #playfulbrides #historicalromance #clue #mystery #estrangedmarriage #adukelikenoother #steamy #netgalley

First of all, in full disclosure, I am a fan of Valerie Bowman. Yes, I am a huge fan of Valerie Bowman. So, when I read one of her books, I know I will fall in love.

General Mark Grimaldi has been advised that he can become Home Secretary if he is a settled family man, so he must marry. The thing is, he has a wife. Nicole, his wife, lives in France and has been living in France for 10 years. They are not on the best of terms.

When he goes to France to request that Nicole come home and fake being part of a happy marriage, they make a deal. She will fake a happy marriage for him if he will provide her with a baby. What could go wrong?

Mark belittles the nobility and believes that they are only interested in wealth and power. None of them have ever done any true good. He does not mention to anyone that he is closely related to a Duke. And he never mentions that because of his family history, he will never be comfortable being part of his noble family. He has accomplished a great deal in his life. He has been a spymaster who has shown his intelligence, bravery and ability to observe and understand. Everything he is has come from his hard work.

Nicole is a woman who has worked as an assistant to Bow Street Runners in England. While living in France, she worked as an agent on behalf of the British during the Napoleonic War. She is a very intelligent woman who has never been comfortable doing nothing. She wants to use her ability to observe and analyze for the benefit of good. She is beautiful, smart and very lonely.

The two of them return to London to begin their masquerade when everything changes. Mark's cousin, John, the Duke's heir has been murdered. The Duke has given Mark and Nicole two very important pieces of information. Mark is the heir and will become the next Duke and it is imperative that Mark discover who murdered his cousin.

Mark and Nicole both begin looking into the people who could have harmed John. There is a small group of people close enough to him who could have murdered him. Each of them will need to be interviewed.

There were many things I loved about this book. I liked the character development. Ms Bowman creates people who are always interesting and entertaining. Mark and Nicole are no exception. Their back stories provide the reader with all the information needed to understand who they are and their motivations.

The plot is well written and easy to follow.

What I did not like is Mark not listening to anyone, including Nicole. I did not like the fact that Nicole, a supposedly strong and determined woman, will not even express herself to Mark. For me, their inability to communicate became repetitious after a time.

But, Ms Bowman is a talented author and even with these minor shortcomings, for me this is a good book.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

Book #9 in the series Playful Brides, A Duke Like No Other, a light Regency spy that can be read without knowledge of the previous books (my case), although I got very curious about the stories of the Cavendish brothers.
Nicole and General Mark Grimaldi are married, but have been apart for 10 years, due to a misunderstanding concerning Mark's maternal family and Nicole's work as a spy. Mark is ambitious and, in order to get a promotion, he needs to prove to his conservative superior he's happily married.
Mark is very ambitious and career-oriented, so he goes to Nicole and asks her to help him to put up a show as a happy couple until he gets the promotion. Nicole agrees because she wants a child.
And so they get together again, but a murderer enters the scene and the couple has to solve it as well as whether they still love each other.
I enjoyed reading the book, despite some minor problems (Lady Nicole as a "bounty hunter" first, then a spy; the murderer investigation shadowing the couple's reconciliation) and I'm looking forward to Ms. Bowman's next book - hopefully about Lady Regina and Oakleaf!

*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Second chance romance novels aren't usually my cup of tea, but I did decide to give this one a chance. I found it mostly interesting and well written but there were some plot aspects I wasn't too interested in.

A Duke Like No Other ⭐️⭐️.5

General Mark Grimaldi has sacrificed everything for his military career, working his way through the ranks without the benefit of a nobleman’s title. Now, his years of dedication are about to pay off—with an offer for a prestigious promotion to Home Secretary. There’s only one condition: Mark must be married. Aside from the small matter of not actually wanting to be wed, Mark faces another troubling problem: he already has a wife.
Nicole Huntington Grimaldi has spent ten contented years in France without her husband—and without regret. When Mark asks her to return to London and play the part of his beloved wife, she sees her chance. But neither of them is prepared for news that will throw Mark’s future into chaos...nor the undeniable desire they’ve rekindled.

After sacrificing his personal life in favor of his career, General Grimaldi must now bring his long lost wife to his side in order to advance his career.... hmmm ?

Having been set aside many years ago by her husband who put his career above her, she must now play the dutiful wife. Her agreement comes at a price. Hmmm??

Having denied his maternal family his entire life, his career relies on solving the murder of the heir to the ducal title. Now as the heir apparent will he accept both his wife and his title? Hmmm???

Another installment in the Playful Brides series, that also reads well as a stand alone.

Fairly easy and predictable read.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley!

As a fan of Valerie Bowman I was delighted to receive an ARC of the latest book in The Playful Brides series. Mark & Nicole Grimaldi, in A Duke Like No Other, separated after only a few months of marriage. The fight was horrible enough to send Nicole to France for 10 years & Mark to lose himself in his distinguished career as a spy & earned him the nickname The Stone Man. This may be why I had trouble accepting him as our hero. I didn't find him likable until the last third of the book when he began to show some feelings. Nicole had been an unofficial Bow Street Runner & continued her chosen work while living in France. For such a strong independent woman she had trouble speaking her mind to her own husband. Yet the story is a good one, the premise is believable & sound. Many readers will enjoy the journey as these 2 reunite & begin to make a new life together. The issues I have with characters are completely mine & should not discourage anyone from picking up A Duke Like No Other and having a delightful time with Mark & Nicole. I wholeheartedly look forward to the next Playful Bride which I hope will be Daffin & Regina's story.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and sadly this book did not work for me. Second chance at love stories are so tricky. I love them when they are done well but I have little patience for them when they are not. This story has a great set up, a Mark needs the appearance of a happy family life in order to secure a promotion and must get his estranged wife to play along. However, Mark is such a difficult character to like with his judgmental nature. I did not warm up much to Nicole, his wife, either. The fact that she is worked with the Bow Street Runners and as a French spy seemed more ridiculous than intriguing. Perhaps if it had been better developed I would have believed it but scenes that are supposed to show her bravery and cunning just made me roll my eyes, Then there is the fact that most of this book ends up being about a pointless murder mystery complete with a flimsy resolution. I just could not rate this book any higher.

Valerie Bowman gives us (the reader) a look at an interesting life choice and what fuels the romance that ensues. General Mark Grimaldi works for the British government as a spy and wants to be the running the show. He has worked long and hard at attaining his goal. Until he's told that it would be seen in a better light if he's married (his superiors are under the assumption that he is single). Lo and behold the man is married, although he hasn't seen his wife in ten years. Now he must get his wife on board with being 'his wife' so he can get the promotion. And the wife in question has been living in France and her 'clock' is ticking and she wants a baby (his will do fine). The couple are estranged for the oddest reason. The General is a member of the upper crust society but does not acknowledge it and believes his wife is more interested in this aspect of their lives and is really not in love with him. Now the story gets interesting as the wife (Nicole) has also been a spy working for the British and understands the lifestyle. Her family is more interested in the social side. The story becomes more interesting as the General (Mark) must come to terms with his social heritage when his cousin is murdered and he's next in line for the title. The reader learns why Mark feels the way he does. Now with Mark and Nicole together in an agreement to get Mark is promotion and Nicole her baby they must also solve what actually happened to his cousin and why Mark is truly the next in line to inherit the title. There are a lot of life lessons revealed and the hunt for what happened to the cousin brings the couple closer together. We learn a lot about what kept Mark from being closer to his family and why he feels Nicole married him for all the wrong reasons (and that they were estranged before their marriage actually had a chance). This book keeps you reading (almost not wanting to put it down until it's finished) through good times and bad and comes to a surprising conclusion to the cousin's death and a happy ending for Mark and Nicole.

A thoroughly enjoyable romance. Intriguing plot line and interesting characters. Looking for more books by Ms Bowan

This was a fun, interesting read about a second chance at love. The story starts off with the couple married, but estranged. The reason for the estrangement is near the end of the book, but it builds up over time. Check this story out if you are looking for a second chance at love with a unique plot!

I'm the first to admit that you really have to suspend disbelief about a lot of this plot. However, it's a fun, engaging story with a very likeable hero and heroine.

The aforementioned hero is General Mark Grimaldi. He's an accomplished spy who's served his country admirably for years. Now his dream promotion to Home Secretary, head of the Home Office, is within his reach. He also has an ingrained hatred of the British aristocracy despite (well actually, because of) his own familial ties to them.

In order to cinch his promotion, Mark needs to demonstrate that he's a settled family man. The irony is that he's been married for 10 years, but he and his wife have been apart most of that time. So, off he goes to France to beg a favor from his wife: return to England with him and pretend to be a loving spouse.

Madame Nicole Grimaldi is not the usual society wife, and she certainly wasn't the usual debutante when she first came out in society and met Mark. She's an adrenaline junkie - still loves racing her horse wearing men's breeches. She managed to talk her way into a position as assistant to the Bow Street Runners and then moved to France to work as a British spy when her 3-month-old marriage fell apart. Now she has her own wish for the future that only her husband can grant.

We're treated to the couple's adversarial banter from the moment they reunite. We're also privy to their insecurities behind all the blustering and posturing. It's obvious to the reader early on that these two are perfect for each other; it's only pride that keeps them apart. The reasons they split have everything to do with pride and stubbornness, too. Their history together is revealed ever-so-slowly in patchwork fashion via flashbacks.

One problem they DON'T have is sexual chemistry. It takes longer than is probably logical for the two to finally get it on, but that serves to build up anticipation for the reader as much as the characters. We're eventually treated to some very well-written, steamy bedroom scenes.

It's not long after they return to London together that the story becomes a drawing room mystery, as Mark's cousin is murdered. Mark is still obsessed about keeping his relationship to the deceased a secret even while he heads the investigation into the murder. Nicole also investigates, assisted by the eager Lady Regina (another of Mark's cousins). The culprit isn't one that's apparent to the reader and is cleverly exposed.

The story's lack of believability would bother me if the tone of the writing wasn't so light and playful. I enjoy the main characters despite their obvious stupidity when it came to each other. Once we get the flashback describing Mark's childhood memory of his mother's father, we finally understand why that family- and, by extension, the entire upper class- is such a hot button for him. He makes the perfect stoic "stone man" hero. And Nicole has that clever, grown-up tomboy thing going for her.

Bottom line here is the writing flowed well with a nice turning point, the storyline itself kept my interest, and I cared about the characters. What's not to like?

Received an ARC from netgalley. Opinions are my own.

I usually do not like books about second-chance romance, so I was skeptical when I started reading. I was surprised, however, to find myself drawn in to the story of Mark and Nicole as they had their reunion in France. I was intrigued by the "mystery" of why they became estranged, as well as how they met, but I enjoyed their scenes as they encountered each other again. But, then the author began to use flash-backs to tell the story of how they met.
The first flash-back was interesting and added to the narrative, and it helped tell the story of Mark and Nicole's relationship. However, subsequent flash-backs seemed to just be stuck in wherever. They did not feel organic at all, and felt either too-little too-late, or superfluous.
Then a murder mystery was thrown in and muddied the water even further. The book did not need the added tension of someone being murdered--the uncertainty of Nicole and Mark's relationship, along with the hoped-for promotion of Mark was more than enough conflict.
This book started off great, but floundered toward the middle. The focus of the story should have been the reconnecting of Mark and Nicole. By the time I reached the second-third of the book I had a hard time feeling invested in whether or not they could find each other again--at least in a way that felt organic and natural. I did not enjoy this book.

Valerie is a very good author , i ve always liked her books . " A Duke Like No Other " is one of the book l loved reading . its a no nonsense , straightforward beautiful Historical Romance set in d Regency Era ..the story has all d right ingredients , there is d spy angle, a bit of mystery, suspense , Romance, sex, sizzling chemistry .

This is once again a Second chance love where d estranged couples once more come together. Its quiet heart touching to see two people get a chance to repair,nuture there relationship which has shrivelled due to circumstances, misunderstandings , ego problems , misplaced emotions, feelings .I was smiling & sometimes had tears wen reading about the love of Mark & Nicole . i fell in love with both dis adorable characters..

The story is about General Mark Grimaldi, a man who is known for his stone face and unemotional responses to trouble., Mark is very ambitious , he is likely to be promoted as Home secretary but is told that they prefer a family man. Interestingly enough, he is married. Nicole Huntington Grimaldi was his wife. They were married several years prior and had lived apart without any contact for many years. That is when the story gets quite interesting. Mark is hier to a Duke but doesnt want to acknowledge d connections .

Both Mark & Nicole come together for selfish reasons but end up realising & acknowledging there love for each other. The story was fast paced not at all boring ....i couldn't keep d book down once i started reading hence read it in one sitting late into d night ... Phew Lols !!!!

Though d flashbacks were a bit disoriented or rather not in a sequence .i didn't loose interest as d story was well written & presented . superbly scripted. Nicole's character was strong, bold as opposed to Regency era which was refreshing..

overall a excellent book ... i would definitely RECOMMEND it ... pls read u wont be disappointed ... i for one am waiting to read more of Valerie's work . Well done Valerie keep up d good work ...

I have been a fan of Valerie Bowman’s work for some time, and this book is another winner. The book tells the story of Mark and Nicole Grimaldi, a married couple who have been estranged for 10 years. Mark is a spymaster in line for a promotion, but he needs to burnish his reputation as a family man in order to get it. Thus, he reaches out to Nicole for help. Nicole has something she wants as well, however, and she insists Mark help her get it before she'll agree to play the loving wife. If you like stories about reunited couples—with a murder mystery fior good measure—this is a good one! The conflict is believable, and there is a good balance between the romance and the mystery subplot.

A fun romp with an outlandish plot. The hero and heroine broke up their young marriage 10 years ago over a misunderstanding, and the author contrives to bring them together because he needs to be a family man to get a promotion and she wants a baby (but only with her lawful husband). They are both likable enough, if in need of having a serious conversation about their relationship. Halfway through the book turns into a murder mystery, with family angst and the set-up for the next book in the series thrown in. The ending has Hollywood written all over it.

There's nothing Valerie Bowman can write I won't read. I love this series and she is the master of chemistry and intrigue.

General Mark Grimaldi and Nicole Huntington Grimaldi - yes they're married - fell in love ten years ago. The love was pure and intense. And as with all historical romances, misunderstandings ensue. This causes a rift between the two, even though they still pine for one another.

However, in order for Mark to advance his career, he must return to England with his estranged wife and convince the Crown they are in love.

Shouldn't be too hard, should it? But Mark is like stone. Emotions are useless and revealing them even less so.

And Nicole is determined to not let her husband's refusal of their marriage ruin her. She moved to France, living out a life where she can try and forget the love of her life.

However, unlike all historical romance novels, Ms. Bowman has a gift for reinventing the estranged couple. We fall in love all over again, as realities v. assumptions are cleared. Moreover, Mark realizes all of his family is important, even the Duke who rebuked him and denied his existence. With his uncle now the duke, will Mark be open to accepting this side of the family who treated him with such pain and neglect?

And will Nicole and Mark eventually discover their love for each other never waned? Of course, they will. How they do it is magical with Bowman's writing. Love this series.

I really enjoyed this book! A great blend of romance and mystery. Mark and Nicole have been estranged for ten years. He needs her help though to secure the promotion of a lifetime and she agrees with some conditions of her own. An unexpected death leads to a mystery and some shocking revelations with lasting impacts for the couple.

I usually don’t like reunion romances that go back and forth between present and past, but the author wrote this in a way that the flashbacks blend in with present day and the story flows well. I love the Bow Street runners in the story and the fact that women were helping investigate the mystery. This is part of a series, but it was my first read of the series and it is a standalone.

If you love historical romance and mystery, I highly recommend this book. I will definitely read more by this author.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

I loved Mark and Nicole. This book was filled with heartbreak and misunderstandings. It was well written and I was happy they finally found their HEA.

This is the first time I read Valerie Bowman's novel, and I liked it better than many historical romance. Especially because of the smart heroine. It's in a way a typical plot involving a long separated couple because of a misunderstanding and miscommunication.

Mystery part is very predictable, but it's a nice addition to otherwise simple romance novel. One thing I disliked was that the hero was too selfish and self-absorbed. The heroine should've let him learn his behavior was not acceptable in a cleaver way. I don't think it's a good idea to make female readers believe that we women have to put up with and accept that kind of behavior. Even romance novel has a sort of social duty, I think.

"A Duke Like No Other" by Valerie Bowman
One fine Regency Romance with a who-dun-it twist that is what you will get in this story. I was one of the lucky ones gifted with an ARC copy of this story via NetGalley. My job, to read the story and give my honest review. This story was a pleasure to read. I loved this story. It kept me turning the pages with anticipation to find the answer to two questions. Will pride and protecting ones heart keep Mark and Nicole apart? Will I correctly guess the who in who-dun-it before the story reveals the answer?.