The Duke’s Suspicion leads you on the trail of a possible spy, which the duke is himself. He and his colleague, Captain Whitby, understand that someone in the duke’s household is there for nefarious reasons. The duke is a new duke, Major Tristan Laurens, who never expected to inherit the dukedom until his father and older brother’s deaths.

But, before the duke even arrives home, independent Erica Burke accidentally gets left behind when traveling with her newlywed sister, Camellia and her husband, Lord Ash, on their wedding trip. Instead of waiting for their return, Erica walks in the direction they went expecting they will realize it and come back to pick her up. But, wait! It begins to rain. So, hey, take shelter in a small cottage that contains a duke taking shelter there, too. Just do not tell the newcomer she is spending the night, although innocent, with a duke.

Once they arrive at the duke’s home, his step-mother has a houseful of guests waiting to welcome him home. One of the guests is the young lady who was to marry his brother before his death. Now her father expects him to fulfill the commitment made by the previous heir.

The weather is so bad that everyone is housebound during the ensuing storm. This allows Erica and Tristan time to spend together. Yet, the duke is not convinced she is not the spy as suggested by Whitby. There is, also, something going on between Whitby and the previous intended. There is so much going on that the search for the spy is kind of set aside. It seems everything hinges on the secretive journal that Erica keeps with her always.

This is a sweet light-hearted story in the Rogues and Rebels series that is super enjoyable. Although part of a series, it can be a stand alone, too.

Botanist Erica Burke dreams of travel somewhere she won’t be scorned for her scientific interests. Instead, a storm strands her with cool and commanding Major Tristan Laurens who's now the Duke of Raynham after his father & brother Percy died in an accident.
Tristan is torn between his duties as an intelligence officer and his responsibilities as a duke. A brief return to England to set his affairs in order is extended by bad weather and worse news someone is after the military secrets he keeps. He needs to see Erica's journal, which she closely guards. Erica guards her journal as fiercely as she guards her heart, fearing to reveal a side of herself a man like Tristan could never understand.
This is the second book in the series but it could be read on its own. I’m always excited when the author has a new book because they are well written with lovely characters & with a story that’s well paced & riveting, I've read all of her books & I've not been disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Tristan & Erica are delightful, they are attracted to each other from their first meeting in the cottage but secrets, misunderstandings & complications threaten to derail their budding romance. I look forward to more in the series by this relatively new but an author who is on my must read list.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Erica is a misfit. She enjoys botany more than men, and knows that she will never be a proper lady. Tristan is soldier, and doesn’t want to be sent home to take up the reins of a dukedom that he was never prepared for. Together they manage to smooth off each other’s rough edges and form a very believable and romantic partnership to bring down a spy.

I really enjoyed this Susanna Craig offering, and look forward to more in the Rogues and Rebels series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In return for being given this ARC I promised a fair and honest review so here it is. Suspicion is one of those words open to such interpretation. A spy/duke who didn't really want or expect to be a duke and is now floundering to find his footing. A mere miss who has no footing but an abiding passion for botany. A house party to welcome home the new duke and rain that just doesn't want to stop. All the makings of a very readable tale.

This book was an interesting concept, a war hero turned Duke falling for a beautiful botanist. Tristan is a strong brooding soldier who never expected to become a Duke. Erica only cares for botany. When Erica is left at a coaching inn, she is forced to make the walk to her sister's estate. She gets caught in the rain and is forced to find shelter which leads to her meeting Tristan. The story line is interesting and has lots of twists. You will stay engaged throughout the book. I really liked both characters. I will definitely read more by this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.

I always get very excited whenever there is a new Susanna Craig book, and this beauty doesn’t not disappoint. Yet, again Ms Craig has created another stunning, compelling, engaging and beautifully written book. This is book two in the Rogues and Rebels series, the first was brilliant and this even more so. Craig again brings together two completely different individuals; this time it is a beautiful Irish botanist and a brooding military intelligence officer, which I can tell you make for a captivating love story.

While on her way with her sister and brother-in-law to their estate they stop at a coaching inn only for Erica to be accidentally left standing by the side of the road with nothing but her journal in hand. The only reason she went back into the inn in the first place was to retrieve her precious journal, which is full of pictures and notes for her work as a botanist. Once she realise that she has been left and as she can’t go back inside the inn due to her thumping one of it’s customers, she begins the long walk to her sisters estate. Can you see where this is going? Yep, the rain starts lashing down and when she comes across what she thinks is a deserted little cottage she rakes shelter, only to come face to face with another who is taking shelter in the cottage.

Major Tristan Laurens is on his way home to take on his responsibilities as he has just inherited the Dukedom of Raynham after the death of his father and brother in an accident, when he is caught in the sudden down pour he takes shelter in a cottage, only for an immensely beautiful woman to barge in. Tristan has been given the mission to seek out and bring to justice a spy who wanting to steal Military secrets. He has been informed that this spy will be carrying a journal, so obviously when he learns of Erica’s journal which she protects with her life he is instantly suspicious.

Because of his suspicions Tristen insists that he get to know the real Erica, which turns into some brilliant scenes between the two. What I particularly love about these two is that they have proper conversations, which is a little harder for Erica as she has a wild imagination, constant flurry of thoughts and ideas which move from one subject to another at the speed of light and that makes for some genuinely funny moments for her as she confuses herself and forgets her own train of thought – which is very easily done, believe me.

They are two wonderful individuals, at first I would never have put the two of them together as they are so different but they do find a common ground and the atmosphere crackles and sizzles around them, not just in sexual tension but in suspicion, in distrust and in confusion.

Tristan is a decent man, he is smart, loyal, deeply patriotic, brooding – who doesn’t love a brooding military man? 😉 he is a soldier first and foremost, he never wanted or expected to be the Duke, his life was set out for him but on the death of his father and brother he has no choice but to take on the responsibility and that is one thing that Tristan never does, he will always do his duty.

Intriguing, compelling, romantic, intelligent and fun, it has the best twisty story line that will keep you hooked and rapidly turning the pages. The writing is as ever brilliant, I love Ms Craig’s style she takes what is essentially a very tried and tested plot and takes it to a whole new level with her beautiful way with words and imagination. The story is an edge of your seat, romantic suspense at it’s best, it’s rich in detail with fabulous characters.

A brilliant second book in what is a fantastic series, and one that is highly recommended. Even though this is apart of a series you can very easily read it as a stand-a-lone. I would definitely read the first one though as there is a continuing story that is apart of the back ground of the Burke family.

This was an Arc from the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, Thank you Susanna.

The story revolves around Erica who becomes separated from her sister and brother-in-law at an inn and later finding herself under the protection of Tristan Laurens, the Duke of Raynham, during s thunderstorm. She is forced to remain at his estate, along with the other guests, until the flood waters recede. The attraction between then grows, increasing when they search for the spy that is currently at his estate. There is a HEA but there is a lot that happens before this comes about. This is a well written book that will keep your attention and one that I would recommend.

Combining a botanist heroine with a military hero, The Duke's Suspicion tests historical boundaries and comes out looking like a million dollars! I loved the unique characters, the unpredictable plot, and the engaging setting. There is very little not to like about this book, and if you must pick one thing, then perhaps you can say you don't like how accurate this book appears to be - I know a lot of people would prefer a book that glosses over the facts. However, though I'm not a historian, I loved how the Irish and British conflict was portrayed, and the author never brushed aside the fact that Erica was a very different sort of female from the usual during that time. I never found myself bored, and I was eagerly reading the excerpt for the next book in the series.

Erica Burke's journal is her life, so when she accidentally leaves it at an inn, she abandons the safety of her sister's companionship to retrieve it. In doing so, she becomes separated from the traveling party and takes refuge in what appears to be an abandoned cottage...except it's already occupied by a stern figure of a man who immediately takes control to keep them both safe. Introducing himself as simply Tristan Laurens, they travel to his home for shelter, and upon arrival, Erica discovers he's more than a mere mister - he's a duke! Stranded in his home along with many other guests, they grow closer, even as suspicion over Erica's Irish heritage makes her the prime suspect for being a spy.

Erica was one of the most inspiring characters I have read about this year! I loved her tenacity in pursuing her dream of botany, even thought everyone thought it unsuitable for a woman during that time. She didn't much care what other people though, and she held her own well among the society elites. I also loved the way she handled Viviane (Tristan's sister) and her governess, considering there were many opportunities for her to become frustrated. Tristan was another character I greatly enjoyed! He hardly batted an eye at Erica's botany ambitions, and he even sought ways for her to continue studying while she was at his home. He didn't belittle her, stood up for her among his peers, and generally served as a worthy friend. I loved when they became closer, because this just made their suitability more apparent.

I absolutely cannot wait until the next book! It will follow Erica's brother, and I'm sure it will be entertaining as this one was.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

This story was very slow moving and repetitious. Not much happened until halfway through the book. The main character Erica, an Irish girl that gets stranded with a duke, was so boring. Clutching her journal was the main action for the first half of the story. The ending was wrapped up rather quickly and didn't make complete sense.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

A truly well-written historical romance. I greatly enjoyed it. The characters were realistic and developed quite well.

A spy who's now a Duke, an Irish beauty who might be a rebel, an old friend, a stepmother and sister, and a house full of guests all stuck in the ducal home due to weather. Combine secrets being given to the enemy, love a possibility and the everworkings of the ducal estate Tris never wanting all combine for a great read. Love, intrigue plus a highly guarded journal that is in code but all about botany makes an enjoyable book intriguing.

The Duke’s Suspicion is a well-crafted novel that is meant to be savored. The sense of place is fully imagined through the rich details, which helps the reader feel as if they are right there witnessing the story unfold. Character development is delicately balanced between the main characters and supporting characters which helps the reader develop adequate suspicion of various characters without being too distracted by unnecessary details. The strong-willed, unconventional female protagonist was refreshing, and the references to how such women were seen in that time period and how the protagonist struggled internally with those notions was essential in making this novel stand above many others that I have read.

I received a free copy from netgalley and exchange for an honest review. The do suspicion tells the story of a Duke that is returning home after his father and elder brother died. On the way home he runs into our main character who has become stranded after her sister and her new brother-in-law forget her on their journey home. The incremental weather forces to do to take her home where his stepmother has decided to throw an impromptu party at his home in honor of his return. Overall the story is very sweet and I do love both the Duke and the relationship between the two of them. I look forward to reading this book and I really enjoyed the relationship and the growth between the two.

An unconventional young lady becomes the number one suspect as a spy, when she stumbles into the arms of Major Tristan Laurens, the Duke of Raynham. Very entertaining, with a hot new Duke trying to catch a spy and a distracting young lady named Erica, who becomes his obsession. An author to keep on your TBR list.

Major Tristan Laurens, The Duke of Raynham has just returned from duty when an Irish beauty named Erica Burke quite literally stumbles across his path during a storm. Laurens is an intelligence officer and he has been told that someone close to him is leaking secrets. When he takes the Irish beauty to his home for her protection, he wonders if she is the breach. Could she be a spy?
I enjoyed this book but wished for a few things. Because of his distrust, Tristan doesn’t really seem all that attracted to Erica. There are a few sex scenes. The first one felt a bit off sense I just didn’t get the feeling that Tristan really wanted Erica. He has spent so much time suspicious of her that the sex seemed unlikely.
I did like Erica’s character. She is a botanist and has a raw passion for learning.
I did enjoy the humor in the book. It definitely has its laugh out loud moments.
This is book 2 in a series and it can be read as a stand alone; however, reading book 1 will only help deepen the story.

The Duke’s Suspicion is a well-crafted novel that is meant to be savored. The sense of place is fully imagined through the rich details, which helps the reader feel as if they are right there witnessing the story unfold. Character development is delicately balanced between the main characters and supporting characters which helps the reader develop adequate suspicion of various characters without being too distracted by unnecessary details. The strong-willed, unconventional female protagonist was refreshing, and the references to how such women were seen in that time period and how the protagonist struggled internally with those notions was essential in making this novel stand above many others that I have read.

I really enjoyed this one! We get romance, some intrigue, decent conversations. Our heroine, Erica, is always struggling to keep up with her racing thoughts and as such, can be rather spacey and forgetful. This forgetfulness leads to her being left behind by her sister and brother-in-law and sees her riding out a week-long rainstorm, stranded by flooding, in the home of a duke. Said duke, Tristan, because of something his friend said, is suspicious that Erica, who is Irish, could be a spy working against Britain, and military man Tristan cannot allow that. In the process of his attempting to determine whether or not she is in fact a spy, Tristan spends a good deal of time with Erica and the two really get to know each other, quickly, but not so quickly that I would deem it to be instalove, and work together to determine the identity of the real spy.

This was a quick read and I really enjoyed it and would recommend it!

I received an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed both Erica, an Irish botanist (a nice take) and the duke Tristan.

I think the take on a female Irish botanist was nicely done and much needed.

Erica, the heroine of this story, is sensitive, defensive, and delightfully quirky. The hero is an ex military man, not expecting inherit a dukedom, or expecting anyone to be 'different.' You might say these two are opposites and have very little in common. Erica's evasive nature gives the duke the idea that she might be a spy. I'm not about to give away any of the plot but I adored this heroine and her foibles.
But more that the story, I adore the writing. Susanna Craig is one of the best historical romance authors I have read. Her eye for detail, her phrasing, and her historical research are perfect. I would read this story for the writing alone.

An English war hero coming home to settle estate affairs rescues a stranded Irish woman studying the local plants - or is she a spy? What exactly is in the journal she keeps by her side? Good read.