I just love this series. I forget how much until I start on the newest book, and then I just devour that book. The writing is fun and clever, the mystery intriguing but not overwhelming the romance, and the characters divine.

However... The hero duke in this story is not my favorite. Even when he’s being sincere toward the heroine, he comes across as creepy and lecherous. “You know you like this...”, etc. It’s not cute and it’s not romantic. Even when the heroine is receptive to his seduction, it comes across icky, like the creepy old uncle you avoid at family reunions. But I like the hero when he’s not attempting seduction. Hm.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Sabrina Jeffries always writes entertainingly, and this was no exception. I really enjoyed Olivia, with her fascination with and professional knowledge of chemistry, but I just couldn't stand Thorn for most of the book. He leapt to a conclusion about Olivia at the start and treated her poorly, then held on to his anger for nine years without once bothering to consider that he might possibly have been wrong. Then as soon as he stops being angry with her, he spends all his time trying to get her into bed in a way that really felt like he was taking advantage of her. I'm afraid this one was not for me.

A bit of an eye-roll in the prologue: At a ball Thorn has just been warned of compromising situations by his older half-brother, Grey, yet he is promptly found in an embrace with a young lady. Fast forward 9 years later, he meets her again, whereby she is to help determine if Grey's father was poisoned.
The novel moves along quickly. I did not feel the "science stuff" was too much nor did it slow the story. A bit of mystery with romance and overall an enjoyable read.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley; the thoughts expressed are my own.

There is a lot to like in this addition to the series about a family with 3 dukes. The heroine Olivia is a chemist, and she really made the book for me. I loved her and Thorn’s family (whom you can read about in the previous books). But I really found Thorn obnoxious. He’s an illogical jerk, though he gets better. =) He is also secretly Olivia’s favorite playwright, a fun little twist that added some drama and comedy to the plot.

I really love this series, and it was fun to see a female scientist be taken seriously. The overall mystery plot is still here, but it’s definitely mostly a background to the novels.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review

I enjoy all of Sabrina Jeffries' books !! I have reread over and over ! This one is no exception! I inhaled it the first time, so I had to read again before reviewing it.
Thorn returned to England after living in Prussia, he feels a little left out although he 100% English.
Olivia is a an older heroine 25 (thank God) who has a passion for chemistry.
Thorn comes off rigid and aloof but has a secret passion. I would have like to see him thaw earlier!
Olivia is smart and funny. Her step mother does not come off well, but refreshingly she was not the typical evil step mother. It was nice relationship. The book is a great fun read, which makes you want to about Sherdian's even more!! It's perfect for the beach.



I was fortunate to receive an ARC for my honest review.

Miss Olivia Norley is happy being a wallflower. She loves chemistry and wants nothing more than to work with her great-uncle on his experiments. When she meets Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock at a ball, she is more bemused by him than anything else. They share a passionate kiss that gets interrupted. And though he doesn't want to actually marry Olivia, Thorn is affronted when she turns down his proposal.
Nine years later, Thorn has become a cynic (after one kiss? Really?) who is astonished to learn that Olivia is going to be the chemist who proves whether or not his half-brother's father was killed by arsenic. He decides that he is going tag along on this research. Even if he is behind on delivering his latest play, the sixth in a series whose most popular and comedic characters are based off of Olivia and her stepmother. Or at least the twisted version he created of them in his own mind.
Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina JeffriesAs he gets to know more about Olivia, Thorn starts to realize that the story he created in his own mind might not actually have been the truth. And when someone starts targeting Olivia for death, Thorn realizes that she actually means quite a bit to him.
The action in this book was a little more dramatic than others in the series. And Thorn was sort of a jerk for a lot of the story but it was a book that most Jeffries readers will find incredibly enjoyable.

Three and a half stars
Follows The Bachelor
This book comes out August 25th
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I don't know what it was about this novel, but I just couldn't get into the romantic aspect. When Thorn and Olivia meet for the first time in the prologue, there was an attraction there that was obvious - and then they get caught in what appears to be a very carefully laid trap (which I'm still not certain how that happened). However, when Thorn goes to propose the next day (after her mother blackmails him nonetheless) and Olivia refuses, he becomes angry with her. Why? Because she refused him when it was obvious he didn't want to propose in the first place? It made no sense.

But then NINE WHOLE YEARS PASS without them seeing so much as a glimpse of one another. Until, his step-brother Grey enlists her help in discovering whether or not his father was poisoned the way he believes. Of course at first Thorn is irritated that she has re-appeared in his life and goes out of his way to not only be rude to her, but to try and disprove her abilities as a chemist. At least until they finish unpacking what will be her laboratory in which case he "cannot help himself" and starts kissing and fondling her. Which of course, she allows because for all his declarations that she was a schemer, and hers that she is interested in no man, they just can't resist each other.

*sigh*

I absolutely HATE when authors do this. Please give us something to believe in this connection. Later on they have a conversation about what happened nine years ago anyway, and you're telling me that absolutely could not have happened before he practically takes her virginity on a table? As the story progresses you to get to see bits and pieces of what could be a love story, however it still comes off as more lust and marrying in order to be able to have sex whenever they want than from any great affection for each other. I like to see more interactions in my stories. More of a heart-felt connection (for example Thorn claims to care for/love Oliva to the point he wants to marry her and he still doesn't confide in her his own secret? Which really isn't all that bad, although he sure makes it seems that way.

Overall, I was more interested in the mystery aspect of the story that I was the romance. It seems they are getting closer to uncovering the truth of the matter, but of course once again, while more pieces to the puzzle are uncovered (yes, it would appear that the Dowager Duchesses three husbands were all murdered), we still don't know who did it or why.

Despite my feelings on this one, I will read more from this author, and I eagerly look forward to the next installment of this series as I simply HAVE to know who is behind everything!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This was a fresh take on a second chance romance. she is an independent woman who doesn't need a husband and doesn't want to be someone's burden. I have not read the other books in the series but plan to now and am really looking forward to the next one. #netgalley

Wow! I enjoyed this book. Romance, mystery , laughter . I’m anxious to solve the mystery , so I’m anxiously awaiting the next book!!!

The Duke of Thornstock accidentally bumps into Olivia at a ball and spills something on him. She offers to clean up the stain, but unfortunately they are caught in a compromising position and Thorn (as he is known) is forced to ask for her hand in marriage. Olivia will not be forced into marriage and refuses him.
Fast forward nine years and Olivia, who is training as a chemist with her uncle, is asked to help Thorn's brother prove his father had been murdered by poison. When Thorn and Olivia are together again, they get to know one another and boy do sparks literally fly! But the mystery behind the death of the former Duke, and other male members of the family, place Olivia and all the family in danger.
I enjoyed this book of the series. Loved the character of Olivia with her headstrong beliefs and her determination. The plot flowed easily throughout the story, and I am looking forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Who Wants to Marry a Duke" (series: Duke Dynasty, book 3) by Sabrina Jeffries
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this story. It was a fun read with enough Mystery & Suspense, not too much Spice and a Romance story you are not quite sure where it is going—HEA or Goodbye. This story can be read as a stand-alone book, but I do recommend you do read the whole series. Like I said in isn't necessary, but it will give you more background on some of the characters in this story. And, I think you will enjoy their stories as well. Happy Reading ! !
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with the request for a written review.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke, by Sabrina Jeffries, is the third installment in the Duke Dynasty series. The following review contains spoilers! You have been warned!
This is the story of Oliva, a young woman who finds Society to be difficult (so many rules that make no sense!) and is much more interesting in learning about Chemistry from her uncle. During her first Season, she meets Thorn by helping him get a stain out of his clothing. He likes her almost immediately, which leads to kissing and her stepmother walking in on the pair, demanding marriage. Long story short, Oliva does not want a husband who feels obligated to her and turns down his proposal. Fast forward almost a decade and Oliva, now a well trained chemist, is helping Thorn’s brother determine if his father was poisoned with arsenic (turns out most of the father figures have been murdered, although not always with poison). Oliva is working with him to determine if arsenic killed him and Thorn is instantly suspicious, convinced she was in league with her stepmother in trapping him into a marriage years earlier. Thorn eventually has an honest conversation with her, learns she had nothing to do with him being “trapped” and he comes to like her again. After some angst about loving someone and caring deeply about them, he comes to realize he loves Olivia and wants to be with her. Their story ends with somewhat of a cliff hanger about the death of the older Dukes, as Oliva proves Grey’s father was poisoned, but they do not solve who is behind it all, yet.
I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed many of this author’s early novels but did not care as much for some of her more recent work (including Beatrice and Grey’s story). This story moved at a good pace except towards the end where things (often) feel like they fall into place quickly and without the pages dedicated to them that the setup was allowed. I would have liked more to the story at the end, seeing where our hero learns that he is in love with Olivia and love is not the worst thing in the world. And, I always love a good, long epilogue to see into the couple’s future whether it’s a year or two, or twenty, later.
I rate this book 4-stars. Medium steam. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for free in return for my honest review.

This looked so cute and.... fell flat. The writing is a tangle, tripping me up instead of drawing me into the story. The dialogue is stilted and info-dumpy. I'm actually interested in the characters (slightly) but not enough to continue wading through the writing. Another DNF i'm afraid.

Pub date Aug 2020
I didn't realize that this historical romance was part of a series, so I probably would have gotten more out of the characters and the plot had I read the first two. Please bear that in mind for the rest of this review.
I really liked Olivia; she was funny, practical, and had justified self-worth as a chemist. Thorn, on the other hand, was kind of a jerk and a little selfish. So the romance for me was ok, but not thrilling. If I had was more backstory for him, maybe I would have liked him more <shrug>. The mystery seems to be an overarching plot across the series, and there seems to be more books coming, so it's not resolved and the tension that had been built just sputtered out. Can't say I'd recommend this, except for those who've read the previous books in the series.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is the third book in the Duke Dynasty series. I haven’t read the first two, which is not my usual practice, but it’s easy to jump into this series in the middle. These Regency Romances are based on the adult children of the thrice-married Lydia Fletcher, a duchess. It seems she married three dukes in succession, all of whom died under mysterious circumstances. Her sons have decided to investigate. The murder mystery is an interesting subplot and, unusual for Romance/Mysteries, the case is not solved over the course of the book. This provides quite a hook for subsequent books in the series.

In book 3, Marlow Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, known as “Thorn” (because all Regency Romance heroes have names like this) has been reared mainly in Berlin, but returns to take up his responsibilities after the death of his father. At a ball, part of the marriage mart, he meets a strange young woman, Miss Olivia Norley, under “cute” circumstances. They crash into one another and he spills his drink on himself. She offers to help clean it with sodium bicarbonate, which she happens to have in her reticule, and champagne. They retire to a private room, he takes off his jacket and vest, and she gets out the spot. Olivia is an aspiring chemist. She’s also young, beautiful, and naive. So he attempts to take advantage of her. She is innocent enough to go along with it, apparently not realizing that young gentlewomen don’t make out with strange half-dressed dukes at balls. Her stepmother catches them at it and demands that Thorn appear in the morning with an offer of marriage. He is furious, believing it a trap, and blames Olivia.

Nevertheless, he appears in the morning and makes the offer. She realizes that he doesn’t actually want to marry her, so she says no, angering her stepmother and infuriating Thorn even more.

So, the setup didn’t leave me very favorably impressed with the hero.

The story picks up eight years later. Thorn, having been pegged by the step-mother to be a rakehell, decides to live down to the reputation. He’s a duke. He can get away with it. Olivia, meanwhile, has gone on to pursue her interest in chemistry. (Her uncle is a chemist.) And she’s pretty content. But their paths cross again when Thorn’s stepbrother hires Olivia to test his father’s remains for arsenic poisoning.

Although Thorn still holds a grudge and mistrusts Olivia, she is excited by the chance to prove her skills as a chemist. She doesn’t understand why Thorn is so mean to her. She’s still attracted to him and confused by his behavior, which includes continuing to try to seduce her. She’s pretty much game for it, as long as it doesn’t interfere with her investigations. She understands the principles of chemical behavior better than people.

Olivia is a wonderful person, open and honest since she doesn’t really know how to be otherwise. Thorn eventually comes around to seeing it. There is also danger and mystery to move the story along, because whoever murdered the dukes is not going to hesitate to murder the woman who can prove the crime.

My description of the plot and characters doesn’t quite do the story justice. It is an entertaining read and the developing romance is fun to follow. Thorn’s internal monologue explains his behavior. He’s not a particularly admirable Romance hero, but he’s not awful.

I am drawn in by the unsolved murders and will likely look for the next book in the series to see how the case unfolds.

This is the third book in the Duke Dynasty series by Sabrina Jeffries. It is an enjoyable read with characters who will be familiar from the previous books in the series. The books in this series are tied together by the mystery surrounding the deaths of several dukes in the same family. That mystery is more of a focus in this book than in the previous stories. For me, the mystery was a bit distracting from the romance plot, but it might be more enjoyable for readers who like romantic mysteries. The characters are interesting and I will likely continue reading as additional books in the series are released.

I want to start by saying that I typically love to read Sabrina Jeffries! However, for me, this one just felt a little flat. It wasn't the characters. I loved Olivia and how she was unapologetically smart and driven. Thorn was very similar to many other heroes in romance novels. The spring characters were entertaining. So... I'm not sure what happened. I just couldn't enjoy the story as much as I wanted to.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced reading cop
I am a huge Sabrina Jeffries fan. I’ve been reading her books since her School for Heiresses series and I have been eagerly waiting for this one.

The Marlow Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, Thorn to his friends and family, was caught in a compromising position with a young lady almost ten years ago. After being blackmailed into proposing, and then being rejected, he decides to become the rakehell the gossips make him out to be. Olivia Norley is a woman of science. She wants to be a chemist, but agrees to debut for her parents sake. In her first season she’s compromised by a Duke, but turns down his proposal when it becomes clear how much he resents having to ask for her hand. Ten years later the two meet again when Thorn’s older brother, also a Duke, asks for Olivia’s help in determining if his father was poisoned with arsenic.


No one writes a romance series with an overarching murder mystery quite like Sabrina Jeffries. The Duke Dynasty books remind me so much of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series in all the best ways. All in all I felt very satisfied with Thorn and Olivia’s story, but can’t wait for the final book to see the mystery resolved and the last Duke in the Duke Dynasty meet his match!

Nine years ago, Olivia and Thorn met. The attraction was immediate., electrical. They flirted. They kissed. They got caught. When Thorn was "encouraged" to make an offer for Olivia, she turned him down. Not because she didn't want him, she did,. But because he didn't seem to want her. Olivia believes in love and in chemistry. Thorn doesn't really believe in anything.

The two meet again... this time in the midst of what may be a murder investigation. Someone seems to have been offing his mother's husbands, and they just need to prove it. That's where Olivia comes in, she's developed a process which should determine if Thorn's brother's father had been poisoned. The attraction between them is still there. Still strong. There's still a spark. Unfortunately, Thorn isn't the only one interested in Olivia... can she uncover the truth about the mystery and her own heart before the whole thing goes up in flames.

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I've read the previous two books in this series and loved the pieces out of them. The series arc/mystery of just who is murdering... or possibly murdering... the husbands of the five siblings is very clearly reaching a climax, and I've definitely been enjoying the ride. The tension is strong... relevant. While you don't have to read the first two books in the series, I would strongly recommend it... and if possible track down the anthology featuring the youngest brother Heywood (if you're a completionist like I am).

As with the last two books, the story features an older heroine than typically graces Regency romances, and I am totally here for it. I love that we're getting more late twenties/early thirties heroines. It's refreshing. Olivia is also a really fun heroine. She's principled and driven. She's into STEM in a time when women were often discouraged from scholarly pursuits. She knows her stuff and even her thoughts regarding the hero are peppered with chemical knowledge.

Thorn is also very different from the previous two male leads. First off, he's not nearly as endearing initially... he's not supposed to be. He's got some baggage which puts him firmly in the "Hero is not Nice" category. However part of his character arc is him confronting his own prejudices and learning from them. It's a lovely change of pace. Watching Thorn grow into the man who deserved Olivia was a joy to read.

For fans of series, the two previous heroes and heroines are back as the supporting cast. But their reappearance doesn't take away from the romance of this book.

This is a great, light, fun and charming read.

Five easy stars.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is a great historical fiction romance novel that is the third book in the Duke Dynasty series.

I have to admit that I have read the prior two books and this story is definitely a wonderful addition to the series.

I truly enjoy the fact that there is an overarching theme, murder/mystery plot, and previously introduced and focal characters are continuing on in the subsequent novels. This concept keeps me coming back to each book wondering what can possibly happen next. While one could pick up this book and read it as a stand alone, it can best be enjoyed as part of a whole.

I love this extended family. The characters are so unique, have their own intricate and complicated pasts, are all realistic, have their own personalities, and play well off of each other. The dialogue is quick, interesting, sassy, and engaging. There are not any moments that I feel "lag" at any time. There are individual plots within each book to help focus on a particular set of characters, all the while adding to the overall concept and plot line. It is great!

This time, the author focusses on Marlowe Drake, 3rd Duke of Thornstock (Thorn) and his eventual love match (and intellectual equal) Olivia Norley. I enjoyed their interactions, sparing, chemistry (no pun intended), and I enjoyed the ending. I love that Olivia went against the social norms, was sometimes awkward, and was a chemist. It was so refreshing to find another female character that is independent, fiery, yet realistic and likeable.

I also am excited to see that there will be a fourth book in this series to come out focusing on Sheridan Wolfe, 5th Duke of Armitage. This will be good!

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.