Member Reviews
Sabrina did it again. I had my doubt about her new series but I am hooked. This book is very funny and has all the family drama that we love from sabrina jeffries.
I am so happy she included a family tree because it gets complicated. Grey Pryde family is complicated his mother married three dukes. Therefore, this family has three dukes brothers. Grey has just lost his stepfather when he finds out that his mother new project is to make Beautrice Grey's younger brother cousin into the bell of the ball. Beautrice is not related to Grey via blood only marriage. So guys its a great series and I can't for the next book.
Another great book from Sabrina Jeffries. It will not disappoint.
I received this ARC for an honest review. all opinions are my own.
This book has it all...murder, mystery, romance and sex! It was hard for me to put this book down. I loved Beatrice. She was smart, opinionated and kind. I look forward to reading more about this family of duke's.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
3.75 stars--PROJECT DUCHESS is the first instalment in Sabrina Jeffries’ adult, DUKE DYNASTY historical romance series focusing on the children of a multi-widowed dowager Duchess. This is Fletcher ‘Grey’ Pryde, Duke of Greycourt, and Beatrice Wolfe’s story line.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Grey and Beatrice) PROJECT DUCHESS follows the search for the truth. The mysterious death of his step-father Maurice finds Fletcher Pryde, the fifth Duke of Greycourt and his half-brother Sheridan Wolfe, the fourth Duke of Armitage struggling with what happened and why but duty called and Grey found himself preparing his mother’s latest project, Beatrice Wolfe, for her social debut. When information about the last person to have possibly seen his step father alive comes to fruition, Grey begins an investigation of his own. What ensues is the building relationship between Grey and Beatrice, and the potential fall-out as family secrets reveal a more sinister and heart breaking possibility at work.
The relationship between Grey and Beatrice begins acrimoniously as Grey’s reputation as a womanizer precedes his introduction to our story line heroine. From the outset, Beatrice doesn’t trust Grey’s attention or ministrations, and the not so veiled accusations against Beatrice and her brother, of potential involvement in his step-father’s death. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Grey’s half-siblings: Sheridan Wolfe, Heywood Wolfe, Marlow ‘Thorn’ Drake and his twin Lady Gwyn; Grey’s cousin Vanessa; their mother Dowager Duchess Lydia Fletcher, and Beatrice’s brother Joshua.
PROJECT DUCHESS is a story of family, betrayal, secrets and lies. The premise is engaging; the characters are colorful and energetic; the slow building romance struggles with issues of trust and presumptive guilt.
Copy supplied for Netgalley
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A c!ever set up for a new series by Sabrina Jeffries. A woman married 3 Dukes and has an heir from each marriage (and daughter as well). The first of her brood we are introduced to is Fletcher Pryde, the 5th Duke of Greycourt, known as Grey..
His upbringing has left him skeptical of others and closed off to love but when his step-father dies, loyalty brings him back home, Once there he is quickly introduced to his mother's project, Beatrice Wolfe.
Beatrice is a niece of Grey's step-father and has lived in the property since the death of her parents. The newly widowed Duchess wants to help Beatrice enter Society and asks Grey for his expertise in decorum. He stays to help his mother while also assisting his step-bother solve the mystery of latest Duke's passing. But once the lessons begin, who is really being taught the necessities of life?
This book was a good start in what looks to be a fun series.
Oooh, a mystery, wrapped inside a romance! This one was a little formulaic...plain speaking (unsuitable for marriage to a duke) heroine and an emotionally stunted aristocrat who can't keep his hands off of her. They jump into all kinds of steamy situations even with the investigation of a mysterious death or two hanging over their heads.
Drama? Check.
Sex? Yep.
Common Sense? Well...
But who reads a sexy historical romance novel for common sense anyway? Enjoy this one with a glass of wine in your comfy clothes. Bonus: this book has a cliffhanger ending which will pick up in the next one in the series!
Project Duchess is my most favorite book of the summer so far! Beatrice and Grey make an excellent pairing. This was not the same cookie cutter story we expect of the genre. Kudos to Jeffries for a great summer read!
This is exactly what I expect from a historical romance. There is a meeting, instant attraction and instant dislike. A problem arises, forcing the two primary characters and love interests to work together, then that attraction cannot be denied. But can it be attraction alone? Is love possible?
What's great about this book is the original spin Sabrina Jeffries puts on how the couple falls in love. While it is common to have a confident woman who is able to see the good in a man, and a business focused man who doesn't want to fall in love. Here, once love is ignited, Beatrice's secrets create an almost insurmountable obstacle.
I especially loved the murder mystery aspect to this series. Without giving too many details, let's just say that the plot is very intriguing once the characters are firmly introduced. I really enjoyed reading Beatrice and Grey find each other and love. The dialogue was written very well, with what I can only assumed to be practiced ease. Sabrina Jeffries is very good at using her characters and their words to move the story forward.
I'm so glad this is a new series and can't wait for the next installment. This is a suspenseful but enjoyable romance that will have your heart racing, in more ways than one.
*Special thanks to Sabrina Jeffries, Netgalley, and HF book tours for a copy of Project Duchess in exchange for an honest review.
Project Duchess introduces readers into the regency world of five siblings, the same mother but different fathers, all lost to them at a young age. Except for one until he to died. This is where the story starts. There was a lot of things going on in the book and although it was well written and the characters quite compelling it also felt confusing at times because of so many sub plots. This also contributed to maybe the almost lukewarm romance between Bea and Grey. The sexual chemistry was fantastic however because of the mystery needing to be solved, the romance part almost felt hurried. Still the whole book was wonderful especially in the way everything fell into place . It also made me curious how the next four sibling will find their own HEA.
I found Sabrina Jeffries years ago and I just love reading her stories. The Project Duchess is yet another of her book I have loved. Grey and Beatrice have so many ghosts to their pasts and yet the two come together and chase the shadow dispelling those ghosts away. Their love is quiet and strong at the same time. One of my favorite reads.
A series of stepfathers and a difficult childhood have left Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt, with a guarded heart, enviable wealth, and the undeserved reputation of a rogue. Grey’s focus on expanding his dukedom allows him little time to find a wife. But when his mother is widowed yet again and he meets the charmingly unconventional woman managing his stepfather’s funeral, he’s shocked to discover how much they have in common. Still, Grey isn’t interested in love, no matter how pretty, or delightfully outspoken, the lady . . . Beatrice Wolfe gave up on romance long ago, and the arrogant Duke of Greycourt with his rakish reputation isn’t exactly changing her mind. Then Grey agrees to assist his grief-stricken mother with her latest “project”: schooling spirited, unfashionable Beatrice for her debut. Now that Beatrice is seeing through Grey’s charms to his wounded heart, she’s having trouble keeping him at arm’s length. But once Grey starts digging into her family’s secrets, she must decide whether her loyalties lie with her family . . . or with the man whose lessons capture her heart . . .
This is the first book in a new series from one of my favorite authors. I really loved all of the characters from this new series. I tore through the book as quickly as I could. I really loved everything about Grey and Beatrice as the author unraveled them and their painful pasts. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
Emotionally thrilling, sexy, fun, witty and engaging journey for two intriguing charters that were not looking for forever and no longer believe in love for different reasons. Really enjoyed this engaging and exciting reading experience.
This is the first book in a new series. Many times In a 1st book you lose the story in trying to introduce all the characters. I didn't find that the case here. Sabrina keeps the story and dialogue flowing, easy to follow.
This story is about a family of half siblings. The matriarch of the family had been married 3X. All 3x to dukes. All 3x having a Male offspring. So we have 3 half brothers who are all Dukes.
This is about the Duke of Greycourt, or Grey. While attending his step father's funeral, he meets Beatrice
. She is a cousin to one of his brothers. She is the granddaughter of a Duke but has been raised in the country with no formal training. She is considered a hoyden. She has no trouble telling Grey exactly what she thinks.
Grey finds this refreshing and is intrigued by Beatrice. But first he must find out if she or her brother had anything to do with his stepfather's death.
The adventure begins from there. This story kept me going from start to finish. I didn't want to put it down. It flowed so easily. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next book.
The first book in the new series Duke Dynasty by Sabrina Jeffries is so good! Here we meet all the siblings of Fletcher Pryde (Grey), the 5th Duke of Greycourt, after the death of his stepfather, Maurice. He arrives at Armitage Hall and mistakes Beatrice Wolfe, for a servant. She is the granddaughter of a duke, and a cousin to his stepbrother Sheridan (the son of Maurice). Beatrice instantly puts Grey in his place, and so the story begins to get very interesting. Sheridan believes his father has been killed and his uncle before him, and thinks that Joshua, Beatrice’s brother may be behind the murders. Grey agrees to uncover all that he can from Beatrice but soon finds himself fascinated by her.
The story was made all the more enjoyable with all the secondary characters, each given ample time in the book, to reveal their personality and to have you wanting to find out more (hopefully in another book). With siblings such as Thorne, Gwyn, Sheridan and a cousin, Vanessa, who Grey’s wicked aunt, keeps trying to marry him to, there is plenty of entertainment. Both Grey and Beatrice are such engaging characters and their ability to understand the other, is well delivered. Their pact to be honest with each other, made for interesting reading, as they revealed their insecurities and past hurts.
I can’t wait to read more in this series, and to uncover more about the mystery overshadowing the family.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
An enjoyable read but at times the amount characters made it confusing. I am looking forward to future installments in this series.
4.5 stars - I really enjoyed Project Duchess. The hero is a duke (so are his two brothers). He’s rich, revered and handsome. He has a reputation that he doesn’t deserve, but he doesn’t bother himself over it much. The heroine is a lovely girl who is the grand daughter of a duke. She’s more like a poor relation to his family, yet he sees the true value in her wit, beauty and unabashed honesty. There’s a bit of intrigue and a whole lot of two characters learning about one another and falling in love.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2.5 This is another author that I generally enjoy and this book was entertaining enough, though not a favorite. I enjoyed the heroine, Beatrice, and many of the supporting characters. There were a few too many predictable tropes regarding the past background of our male hero and also Beatrice's brother, both of which maybe could have been thought through a bit better to be slightly more original. The plot moved a bit slowly, but there were many moments of great fun, even if those moments felt a bit off given the underlying plot of murder. A nod was given to the grieving mother over the loss of her husband when she held a dance lesson for Beatrice, but in many ways, the scene felt a bit contrived and could have worked without seeming to be in contradiction to the supposed great loss that the family had experienced.
I am intrigued by the central mystery in the book and will seek out the other books in the series for that reason but I'm not a fan or insta-love romance novels.
This is the start of a new series, and a little confusingly it concerns siblings and step siblings, and some of their cousins. They are all related through their mother, Lydia, currently Duchess of Armitage, and previously Duchess of Thornlands, and Duchess of Greycourt.
Fletcher Pryde is the oldest child, and Duke of Greycourt. His stepfather and mother were living in Prussia, and had recently returned to England so hecould take up the Armitage dukedom, Maurice has died in an accident, and Grey is reluctantly going to see his family. He feels estranged and cut off emotionally from his mother and siblings, his father’s will appointed his Uncle as his guardian, and so his mother was forced to send him back to England when he was 10. Grey was badly mistreated by his uncle, in an attempt to force him to sign over property, and he blames his mother and stepfather for abandoning him.
When he arrives he meets Beatrice Wolfe, cousin to his stepbrother Sheridan, and sister of the estate’s gamekeeper, ex soldier Joshua. He is lame from a combat injury, and very withdrawn due to this. They don’t get off to the best start, but they are both attracted to each other. Beatrice and her brother are not very well off, and Lydia and her daughter Gwynn are coaching Beatrice to make her debut. Grey is roped into help with dancing lessons, and their attraction to each other starts to grow, but Grey is not prepared to love anyone, and Beatrice doubts herself. They both suspect Joshua of being involved in her uncle Armie’s death, and Grey is also helping Sheridan investigate Maurice’s death, which they suspect Joshua May also be involved in.
Grey is very conflicted. Is Beatrice an accomplice or innocent, how can he resist becoming involved with her, he doesn’t want to love her.
Sabrina Jeffries is usually excellent, and this is a nice romance, but it didn’t really get firing on all cylinders for me. I found it difficult to get invested in the two main characters, also the mystery of Maurice’s death wasn’t solved, and so the suspense element of the plot also didn’t get a resolution either. Maybe it’s because it is a complicated setup with the multiple marriages, and the series setup took away from the main plot.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Also posted on Goodreads.
The Dowager Duchess was famous for her projects.
This new series is premised upon a Duchess whose been widowed three times. All three husbands were dukes. The now Dowager Duchess has five children and three of her sons have inherited Dukedoms.
In the first of the series Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt meets Beatrice Wolfe when she manages his stepfather's funeral. Beatrice is a cousin and she and her brother Joshua have depended on the generosity of the Duke of Armitage.
Beatrice is a feisty, single minded young woman who is not a all threatened by Grey.
Grey's mother, the Dowager Duchess decides that she will present Beatrice in the upcoming season and seeks his assistance in readying Beatrice for her debut. This project is important to the Duchess, giving her something to do as she grieves the loss of her husband.
Of course there's an attraction between Grey and Bea, but neither wants to acknowledge it, until they do. Meanwhile Grey's brother, Sheridan Wolfe, the 4th Duke of Armitage, is suspicious about his father's death. This adds another layer of intrigue and becomes a source of contention between Bea and Grey that has the potential to destroy the fragile trust that's building between them.
I must admit that I wasn't that sold on Grey and Bea but I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes.
A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley