In Sophie Jordan’s latest installment in her Rogue Files series, Nora Langley has to answer for herself when it comes out that she has been dispensing medical advice via letter and signing her dead father’s name. Constantine Sinclair, a new heir to a dukedom, has been writing to Nora for years and is not happy when he realizes he’s been duped. Nora wants to be a doctor in a world that does not allow women to go to medical school. Her struggle throughout the book is that others do not allow her the opportunity to show her skills she learned from her father (a doctor) and Nora is desperate to help people through her passion for medicine.

There were a lot of really fun things about this book! Nora cannot hide any of her feelings and Con internalizes everything, which makes scenes between the two of them exciting to read. Interactions between Nora and her family felt realistic because she as the youngest was being treated as she always had been (the baby) even though she was grown and capable of making her own choices. The aphrodisiac from the last book made its return! There were several times in the the aphrodisiac scene that got *close* to making me feel uncomfortable, but for me personally it never crossed the line into being nonconsensual. The author makes it very clear that the aphrodisiac was a necessary tool to bring the two of them together, and both of them acknowledge that fact. I love that his name is Con and Nora “conned” him into believing she was the doctor writing back to him…name is destiny after all and this was a small thing that I thought was funny.

There were a few specific things in this book that didn’t work for me. The first is that the book opened with Constantine as a British soldier in Bengal. As a person of South Asian descent, I have to switch off parts of my brain to enjoy more traditional historicals, and this reminder of our hero actively colonizing that part of the world made that difficult for me. Additionally, the romance felt quite rushed to me. The transition from enemies to allies was paced very well in my opinion, but although tension was present between the two the entire time, the movement from friends to lovers happened very quickly. Nora is very vocal about marriage not being something she is aiming for, and is not vocal at all about her growing feelings for Constantine. As the reader we see her wanting him but he ends up pursuing her with very little (in my opinion) expression of feeling beyond physical attraction. Since these two had been exchanging letters for years, I think they probably did some basic foundation building in those letters, but we never see those letters or hear specific things referenced about them, so if the letters are doing work it was not showcased enough to be useful.

Boy, Constantine is outraged with Nora at the beginning of this book. It jumps off the page at me. Nora is taking it upon herself to try to make things right. I love the confidence that she has in herself. That's needed in order to be a physician. I really enjoyed reading this book a lot.

The Duke Effect is the seventh book in the Rogue Files series. It was great seeing some of the characters from the previous books since the Langley sisters were so close.
Constantine “Con” Sinclair had to give up his dreams when he became the heir to the Duke of Birchwood and must return to England. He never expected his three cousins to die and since he’s always felt gratitude to the duke and duchess since they had been kind and raised him when he became an orphan. Realizing how sick the duchess was, he tries to find help by seeking the physician he had been corresponding with for years. When he finds out Dr. Langley was dead and that he had been corresponding with Nora instead it angers him. Con insists that Nora tells everyone the truth. When Nora follows him to London, Con’s respect for Nora grows and so does his attraction. He knows the duke and duchess expect him to honor his cousin’s engagement to Lady Elise, but he can’t stop his feelings from growing.
Nora Langley was more interested in herbs and medical topics than marriage since she spent her childhood helping her father who was a physician. She felt useful and needed when helping sick people. She dreamed of going to medical school but at the time women were not allowed. So, when Con insists on telling everyone that Nora was corresponding with them the truth of her father, she was afraid of losing her purpose in life. She hopes that if she can help the duchess then maybe he will keep her secret. She never expected to develop feelings for Con. Nora knew she didn’t stand a chance with Con since he was the heir to a dukedom and already engaged.
The book was fast-paced and easy to read. The plot was developed, and the characters were charming. Even though it was part of a series, I thought it was fine reading as a stand-alone. I don’t feel as if I missed anything by not reading the previous books.

3 1/2 stars for this one. I was really looking forward to Nora’s story in this series, and I do not feel entirely satisfied after reading this novel. It really felt like she did not get as much romance on her way to her happily ever after as one would expect. And the ending of the book is quite rushed.

Nora is a healer who has been answering letters as her father, despite him being dead. And that leads to the big inciting incident in the story, but then it sort of falls away. While she’s clearly smart, Nora feels like a brat at times. She leaves her pregnant sister to go protect her own medical reputation, but what if her sister needed her? It felt so selfish and out fo character.

And then Nora also brings back the aphrodisiac from the earlier book. There are definitely sexy scenes, but I wish there was more of the couple falling in love.

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

3 of 5 stars

I haven't read any of the previous books so had no introduction to Miss Nora Langley until this book. I liked her and her desire to help people. Having studied medicine at her father's side, she was still suggesting remedies and signing her father's name to inquiries 5 years after his death. Her deception comes to light when Constantine Sinclair, a career soldier and new heir to a dukedom, who has been corresponding with her father, shows up on her doorstep asking to speak to her father about a cure for the current duchess's ailment. She has to admit her deception, but Sinclair can not get past her lies. Not wanting to leave anyone in pain, Nora and her maid travel to London to see if she can help the duchess. Sinclair is not happy to see her, but agrees that maybe she can help.

I didn't care much for Sinclair and felt it took him too long to show any emotion toward Nora. I was disappointed that Nora's "tonic" storyline didn't resolve itself. An event happened and that was it. It wasn't a viable treatment for the duchess because of the side effects, but is that the end of this plot point? Anyway, I thought the ending was quite rushed. I liked the epilogue, but Sinclair is the heir to a dukedom and only having a daughter in ten years should not have satisfied him. Where was his son and heir?

Sophie Jordan has never let me down before and that held true for her latest. A bluestocking heroine and a stuffy, reserved hero will always bring me running. And also, if you read her previous book, I’m sure you’ll be delighted to know that a certain love potion makes another appearance. *eyebrow wiggle*

I will say that the pacing of this book felt a little unbalanced for SJ book. She’s usually spot on all way through but I did find myself nearly 80 percent through this one and wondering how she was going to hit certain beats before the end. And I also wanted a little more of the hero’s POV. But, generally, those are minor quibbles. This book was a perfect escape from the current hellscape that is our reality.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Duke of Birchwood's sons, all three died within a year of each other. He did not have an heir and needless to say he was heartbroken. So they had to find another heir. He was a cousin that had lost his parents and was raised by them. But he was a soldier and they had to bring him back to England.
Colonel Constatine Sinclair was in his tent when he got the news he had to go home. He was not happy. He had been in the military for at least half his life and thought he would be old and grey when he got out.
Nora Langley has two sisters. Both are married. Her father taught her all she knows, he was a Doctor.
In their time, ladies were not allowed in medical school. But she was gifted.
At first, I believe they did not like each other. He felt she lied to him and very angry was putting it nicely. He wanted help with the Duchess of Birchwood and alleviate some pain that she was suffering. Eventually, things calmed down and they spoke to each other. As time went by, I believed Con respected Nora and of course, she felt the same way. It was a sweet story and a different tale. The plot had a lot of action. The characters were engaging and both were stubborn. It is a gripping read and keeps your interest. I very highly recommend this book.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed this lovely novel.

I am a little surprised by how good this was especially after reading ‘The Virgin and the Rogue’. Nora was a strong heroine that was outspoken, cared little for what others thought of her, and was true to herself while Constantine was always supportive in all of Nora’s endeavors, even the idea of her furthering her education in medicine and becoming a physician despite the views of women and medicine during that era. I thought her and Constantine (brooding hero in all its many shapes and forms) made a great duo, and what I enjoyed the most was how unrushed their romance was. The slow-burn of these enemies turned lovers' historical romance was everything, making a small piece of me wishing their story never ended.

Sweet historical romance between an doctor and a former soldier turned duke. I quite enjoyed Nora’s personality but I’m left wanting more. Her and Con’s connection seemed rushed and I wouldn’t have minded a bit more time with the sisters together.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

Another test with a love potion?
Oh yes!
I love this series and this book is so good. Being a female AND a doctor is not allowed in England, but that does not stop Nora from trying to fill her father's shoes - despite coming face to face with a naked and wet Duke of Birchwood.
Constantine is enraged when he finds out the doctor he had been writing to for years is now dead and a woman has been writing him all along! But he is in need to help a friend with a terrible illness -can he trust Nora to help him? Or is she a danger to the public, practicing medicine under her dead father's name?
Then of course there is a love potion that needs testing...
Cannot wait for more in this series!

I adored the previous book in this series, but I found this one too slight for me. It felt light on both plot and characterization. I felt like I was reading a lot of filler instead of anything that was incisively cutting in to show me the heart of the relationship of these two characters.

The book contains a medical mystery about a secondary character, which I thought was a fantastic plot device for a romance! The mystery, however, does not get solved on page. The reason becomes clear in an author's note, which was very interesting, but then I wondered if there was not a more satisfying way to deal with the whole thing.

The main female character in this book is the creator of the accidental aphrodisiac in the previous book, which was just bananas and fun. It does make an appearance again in this book, which I appreciated.

All in all, a true three star book for me.

This romance starts with conflict that one couldn't possibly think to overcome and ends with such a sweet and passionate love story. The main characters both have grown to do before they are ready for such a thing, as both are equally content with their lives continuing as they are. The author does a wonderful job of making you want to yell at some characters, hug others, and in the end you want to cheer for how things play out. There isn't simply the conflict of love/hate, but of gender roles, societal roles, and familial roles. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend this. #thedukeeffect #netgalley

Between the amazing book cover and this being Nora Langley's story, my expectations may have been too difficult to meet. I assumed that Constantine Sinclair, the surprising heir to the Duke of Birchwood, but foremost a military man, would be just the alpha Nora needed. I never pictured her with anything less than the best.
I was disappointed for Nora as it took too long for Constantine to even think about fighting for her. Being that he waited until someone else opened his eyes and gave him 'permission' to go for what he wanted, cemented himself as a beta ma!e. Nora was going to have to administrator a lot more of her secret, love potion tonic, for the years ahead.
Sophie Jordan is still one of my favorites and the writing wonderful, as always, it was just the match for Nora that was unsatisfying in this particular instance.

I was really looking forward to Nora's story with her Colonel and was disappointed in this book. I felt the deceit and strife between them was too rushed and not genuine. Sophie Jordan also usually has great steamy love scenes (particularly in her last book, the Virgin and the Rogue) and this one felt really PG, almost Hallmark movie-esque.

It almost makes me sad to write this review. It's like it marks the very end of the story. I loved Nora and Sinclair's story. She was not traditional at all and he was very traditional and steady as they come. (Very much like my own home ;). )
Sophie Jordan has such a wonderful way with words. She treats them like old friends and introduces us to them by wrapping us in their warmth like a shawl. From the first paragraph her descriptions draw readers in. Making us feel like participants in the background of her stories. By the end, you've a vested interest in characters, places and outcome.
Nora and Sinclair's story is more than worth your time. I can hardly wait for the next one.

This is the seventh book in Sophie Jordan's Rogue Files series. Constantine Sinclair returns to England as the unexpected heir to a duke. He seeks out a knowledgeable doctor who he has been corresponding with for years (or so he thinks). He has, of course, actually been corresponding with the late doctor's daughter, Nora. Nora studied as a healer under her father and would love nothing more than to be a doctor herself. Though I enjoy Jordan's writing and characters in general, this title was not my favorite. It was a mostly enjoyable read, but unfortunately the author carried over the jarring aphrodisiac trope from the previous book in the series. This is not a trope that I enjoy and it took me out of the story. I also feel like there were missed opportunities to flesh out either the correspondence plotline or Nora's desire to be a doctor. Either would have been more engaging (and given Nora more credibility) than the aphrodisiac element. Earlier books in this series are highly recommended.

What a delightful book! I have enjoyed all the books of the series and this one did not disappoint. Con an Nora are so great together!!!

Nora Langely may be a young woman, but she is an old soul. Rather than enjoying the gilded and cosseted life of a high-ranking peer, Nora prefers her laboratory concocting potions to help the pain and suffering of those around her. In the previous book, one of her tonics took a rather unintended turn on one of her sisters. Although their physician father has passed years before, Nora kept up his correspondence for medical advice without letting on who she was; however, her subterfuge has come to an end. When one of the correspondents shows up on her brother-in-law’s doorstep, Nora is surprised to find a handsome and very much younger man than she expected.

Constantine Sinclair is called home from his career in the military to fulfill the role as heir to the Duke of Birchwood. His aunt has been ailing for sometime so Con goes to Nora’s home to seek help. He is appalled and angered to learn of Nora’s subterfuge, so their relationship starts off on quite rocky ground. Nora is anything if not determined to help Con’s aunt despite his animosity towards her. Con has threatened to expose Nora’s duplicity ruining her reputation which in their society, means all.

Nora shows up unannounced and uninvited to help the Duchess with her illness. Con is all but betrothed to another woman, so he and Nora have several obstacles to overcome never mind his initial mistrust of her motives. Nora is very much a nontraditional woman of her time longing be a physician in her own right even though it is not permitted at this time. The Duchess is delighted with Nora and keeps her on in London. As Nora and Con spend time together, strong emotions turn from loathing to lust leaving Con not only confused, but realizing he has some difficult choices to make.

As Regency Romances go, this one has some interesting aspects for women in unique roles such as Nora’s proclivity as a healer and doctor in all but name only. This story is a slow burn romance so that part of the tale takes quite awhile to develop. Book seven in The Rogue Files, the previous two books focus on Nora’s sisters.

Nora is a healer, who trained with her father. Once her father passed away, she continued to write to individuals who sought her father's advice. Constantine (Con) had a regular correspondence with Nora while he was in the military. Now that he is unexpectedly the heir to the Duke of Birchwood, he seeks out Dr. Langley to help the Duchess of Birchwood. He is less than impressed to discover he has been duped vows to expose Nora to everyone he recommended to write to her seeking counsel. Nora knows the only way to stop Con is to follow him to London and help the Duchess of Birchwood. Once Nora follows Con to London, they are often in each other's presence and neither one can deny the attraction they feel!

I love this book. Nora is a fantastic character and I felt very seen reading this book. I anticipate many readers viewing Nora as complacent, but I’m ready to argue! There are times in this book where Nora rightfully defends herself, but there are also times she backs away. I didn’t see this as her not being strong, I saw this as her choosing her battles. Self-confidence is definitely at play here, but she took a stand when it matters and I admire her for it!

Nora walks this very strange line between not being accepted by the aristocracy and not being accepted by the medical community. She often, rightfully, feels like she didn’t belong - and I say rightfully, because she deserves better than either group is willing to give her! Con is the perfect match for Nora. He is struggling with his “duty” to the Duke and Duchess of Birchwood, but never once does he want Nora to be different. Also, he is willing to be a medical guinea pig and test the tonic her sister claimed to be an aphrodisiac. Spoiler - it is!

The epilogue of this book is fantastic, because it’s Nora’s dream coming to fruition (ten years later). I have loved reading the three sisters and how each one of them was affected as each sister found her path! This book was a balm to my soul, as most books written by Sophie Jordan are.

Nora has always thought of herself as the Langley sister, least likely to marry and since her real passion is practicing medicine, she is perfectly fine with that distinction. Fine, that is, until the soldier she has been corresponding with for years under her father’s name suddenly shows up on her doorstep looking for DR. Langley.
After a meet-cute that rivals even Austen’s famed Darcy emerging from pond scene, Con is thrown completely for a loop to discover that the brazen young lady who ordered him naked from the family’s pond only hours early, has been deceiving him for years. Angry at the deception and having his hopes dashed so completely, he lashes out and threatens to expose Nora as a fraud.
In true Langley style, Nora sallied forth on her own to London in order to prove to Constantine that she is more than capable of finding a solution to the Duchess of Birchwood’s mysterious ailment and remorseful about her deception.
For a man as self-contained emotionally as Constantine Sinclair, Nora is a threat not only to his sanity but also to the plan he has set in place to prove his loyalty to the family who raised him. As the future Duke of Birchwood, that means a sterling reputation and marrying the lady who was once betrothed to his cousin, the former heir. An unwanted attraction to a whirlwind like Nora Langley is something he must fight tooth and nail to avoid until a night of passion proves that the fates have other plans for him in mind.
In order to avoid giving away some of the very best bits of this story—but I will say a certain concoction from the previous book in this series comes into play—I will simply say, that Con and Nora’s story was so delightful that I read it through it in one sitting, without even noticing how quickly time was flying by. Although Ms. Jordan has been responsible for many hours of lost sleep in the past, as long as the stories continue to entertain so completely as this one, you will never hear me complain about it.
So, if you are looking for a light, sexy, fun, romantic escape from the madness of today’s world, then look no further than this book!