Second in the Once Upon Dukedom series and Lorraine Heath doesn't disappoint. The Duke of Kingsland (Hugh Brinsley-Norton) is still seeking a bride. He again puts an advertisement out requesting letters from Ladies wishing to be a Duchess. This time he tasks his wonderfully, efficient secretary, Miss Penelope Pettypeace to narrow the search and select whom he will court. Penelope seriously takes on the task although she secretly loves the Duke.

This is light and easy reading. You can see Heath's humor even in the names of her characters. The focus really is on the two main characters. Pettypeace is a marvel of modern-day feminism in a Victorian boss-employee relationship. Kingsland is delightfully clueless about his own feelings for his secretary of eight years. Both have a secret from their past which adds to the intrigue. I did get a little impatient in the middle, hearing inner thoughts of Penelope's love, but waiting for something to actually happen. The last lines especially stood out to me as fitting their characters.

This is for anyone who enjoys fun, historical romances with some sizzle. I'm glad I read the previous book, Scoundrel of My Heart, but this can be read on its own. I can't wait for the next in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I. Loved. This. One. So. Much! I have loved all the books I've read by Lorraine Heath, especially in this series.. But I think this one is my favorite so far..I was so happy that this book followed Hugh the Duke of Kingsley I really wanted him to get his HEA after the events in the last book.. .
Kingsley and Penelopes relationship has been built upon years of Penelope working as the Dukes secretary.. She knows him probably better than he knows himself.. I love that she is smart, knows shorthand, and is fully capable of taking care of herself.. She has invested her money and could frankly go where ever and do whatever she wanted.. If only she didn't want Hugh..

Hugh is an amazing buisness man and Penelope is his right hand man for everything he does.. At the moment he has given her the task of finding him a wife.. He has always had an awarness of her, how she looks in her clothes, how her hair escapes her bun when she removes her glasses and rubs her nose.. Its all really sweet.. However he wouldn't want to do anything that could make her want to leave his employment.. He knows he will never find another person like her, who will do the job as well as she does..

The whole time they are falling for each other, Penelope is still trying to figure out who Kingsley should marry and plan the ball where he will reveal the answer to the Ton.. When a blackmail letter lands on Penelopes desk that could be ment for her or the duke the stakes get raised, and the tension builds even higher..

I don't want to get into all the things I loved because I would spoil the whole book since I loved all of it.. So Ill just say if you love historical romance, Lorraine Heath, Dukes who don't think they can love, and the strong women who bring them around, any or all of the above you should absolutley read this book.. After reading the end and the epilogue I just got all the feels and couldn't stop smiling.. This is a wonderfully written book, with amazing characters I can't wait to see more of.. So what are you waiting for? preorder this book now, or read it as soon as it comes out. you wont regret it!

My first novel by the author and I really enjoyed it!
How do you find your true love when they are standing right in front in you?
A heart warming love story and I really liked Hugh and Penelope's story and look foreward to reading more about the Chessmen!

A lush, lovely historical romance that defied my expectations. I really do not like cross-class, workplace, or boss/secretary romances, but this one was delightful! Recommended!

Very quick, easy historical fiction. Love the characters and, while the plot was predictable, it was enjoyable.
Penelope has worked for the Duke of Kingston for years as his secretary, harboring a secret love for him. Her latest task is to find a suitable woman for him to marry. When secrets from both their pasts threaten to be exposed, they join forces and help each other. At the end of the day can a Duke really find love and happiness with a secretary?
Great series, truly looking forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Historical Boss/Secretary romance. Penelope Pettypeace and Kingsland (a Duke) have a lot of chemistry and I enjoyed their scenes together. My favorite of all of this was the last paragraph in the epilogue, it wasn't something I've seen many authors do but it really tied the story up in a very touching way.

The Duchess Hunt follows a tried and true Lorraine Heath formula, which consists of nuanced characters with a yearning for their love interest. In this story, Penelope has worked for many years as the Duke of Kingsland’s secretary. She has quietly been in love with him while also doing her job to find him a wife. The Duke realizes what a hidden gem his secretary is and falls in love with her, after EIGHT years. Hidden identities and secret pasts are interwoven into the story so that if the reader gets bored of the love story, finding out the answer to the secret makes a reader keep reading. I did find it to be a bit overarching for Kingsland to be in love with Penelope after 8 years, but some may find it to be a more meaningful story because they had so much time together prior to a romantic awakening.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC to review!

I really enjoyed the writing and the strong characters in this historical romance. It was a quick read that has a lot of heartwarming moments but I can't say I loved the romance. The MCs have known eachother for 8 years and the story picks up right before a romance starts and we are to believe they never realized they were attracted to each other until recently? I still loved the characters overall, they were both so similar and obviously meant to be together and I'm so happy they got their happy ending after the hardships they went through in the past. Can't wait to read more from this author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This is the second book of the series. You don’t have to read the prior story to thoroughly enjoy this one. I would love to give this more than 5 stars if I could.

The author did a fabulous job in creating a tale that completely enchanted me. I was hooked. I couldn’t figure out the dark secret that Penelope Pettypeace was hiding. When it was revealed it, it was so different from anything else that I had read before in a historical. Kingsland was also hiding a secret from everyone, that for me was also an original. It along with his childhood, helped to shape and to carve him into a man who thought he had no heart for love.

The story of how these two people from totally different spectrums of society come together and form a bond beyond employer and employee really was outstanding. The story flowed beautifully. It was witty, loving, tender and at times heart-wrenching. A tale so different from the norm that it kept me glued to my e-reader to discover their secrets.

This is a sexy read. There are just a few scenes at that and nothing that I would consider to be erotica. I would highly recommend this to someone over the age of 18.

I think anyone who read the Scoundrel of My Heart, the first book in this series, was already half in love with King (aka Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland) and was 100% in love with Miss Pettypeace. I adored this Victorian era boss/secretary book. King is a man ahead of his time - hiring the best person for the job - who it turns out is a woman. Penelope Pettypeace is a force to be reckoned with - she is smart, organized, and has a gift for business. It is clear to everyone but Pettypeace and King that they are made for one another.

Both King and Pettypeace have difficult backgrounds where they made choices that have questionable morality. The choices made and the effects they have on both characters are grounded in the time and desperate situations. And the only way either can fully move forward is total honesty between them. I loved the way both King and Pettypeace navigated that as well. I especially loved that the focus of the book is almost entirely on their relationship. Not that there aren't side issues and outside forces to contend with - but the primary focus is King and Pettypeace - and I loved that.

I'll also say - I am fairly certain we've met several future characters of books - certainly the other members of the chessman - and of course Lady Kathryn's oldest brother. But I feel like Lady Alice is definitely in need of a book. Bring on more books! This interconnected world that Lorraine Heath created is something I'm not sure I'll ever get enough of.

Asa side note - that ending. OMG. That ending - I'm talking about the very last paragraphs - is among my favorite endings to any book I've ever read.

I was very lucky to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

This story was absolutely delightful! Hugh and Penelope are a lovely couple, and I really enjoyed secondary characters as well. I will definitely be adding the first book in this series, and any subsequent entries, to my TBR.

This was a wonderful, regency escape - tender, heartwarming, easy read with a touch of mystery. Lorraine Heath's writing is beautiful as always, the romance is well developed, the characters are sparkling and likable. I enjoyed this so much, I can't wait for the next one! Highly recommend!

Ignore how stereotypically bodice-ripper alpha-male swooning heroine this cover is, because this book is great. Efficient heroine who can handle her shit? Done. Honestly much more emotionally needy male character? Also there.

Lorraine Heath can write a historical.

*I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

4.5-5 Stars! Great book! This book had me smiling & crying at times. This is book 2 in the ‘Once Upon a Dukedom’ series & can be read as a standalone. King/Heath & Penelope/Pettypeace were both lovable main characters & I was completely invested in their story. Both have secrets that could destroy their reputations but thankfully this story had a very HEA ending! I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! Lorraine Heath ALWAYS hits the mark for me. Such an outstanding author!
*I received this book at no charge from NetGalley & I voluntarily left this review.*

The Duchess Hunt is a great story, but there are some sex scenes that are quite detailed, and I personally don't like reading about that. Overall, the story is really good. Penelope has a secret she has been running from, and it does catch up to her, making her believe that everything is lost to her. King has his own secrets that he holds, but he soon discovers that secret has resolved itself. When they both find the secrets of each other, will there be forgiveness? Great story I actually enjoyed reading.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Sweet moving historical romance perfect for Julia Quinn fans!

This is a great book to dive into, even if you haven't read the first book. The romance was very well crafted and draws you in instantly. I adored this couple and know others will too.

My heart was aflutter from page one of this new Lorraine Heath novel, the second in her Once Upon a Dukedom series. This book is so smart and so swoony all at once, with a starchy, broody duke and his buttoned up secretary he can’t help but fall for.

It’s VICTORIAN BOSS/SECRETARY. AND HE’S A DUKE.

What is it about heroines named Penelope that make them the most charming, competent, delightful historical romance heroines of all time? This heroine is a seasoned 28, a commoner, with a traumatic, mysterious past, who is the duke’s right hand. She has been tasked with finding him the perfect wife, even as she knows she has already lost her heart to him. And Hugh is a big ding-dong who is determined to marry a young, eligible debutante because he believes he is incapable of love. Alas.

I love the world that Lorraine Heath has created, it’s rich and vibrant. This book even more than any of her others is so sex positive and so deftly navigates consent, as is necessitated by the boss/secretary dynamic. Along with this dynamic, the two struggle with their different social roles of noble and commoner, as well as their scandalous pasts, and this allows these characters to really grapple with equity in their relationship in a way that is so satisfying. By the end, Hugh and Penelope love each other as equals and are equal partners in their relationship. These characters are complex and honest and all together human.

As always with Lorraine Heath books, I don’t think the title quite captures the wit or the grandeur of the romance but alas, what can you do?

My heart is still aflutter days later. This book is magnificent. I expect it from Lorraine Heath but still, I was blown away.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

CW: child abuse, forced psychiatric institutionalization, underage survival sex work

After reading Scoundrel of My Heart, I wasn't exactly yearning for the Duke of Kingsland's love story. He seemed so clinical and remote, not at all full of great passion or desire.

Was I ever wrong!

In The Duchess Hunt, we get a better sense of why Kingsland and Kathryn Lambert would never suit: she, of course, loves Griff, and he loves and is loved by his secretary, Penelope Pettypeace. Penelope is aware of her love for him from the beginning of this novel, and as readers, we get to enjoy watching him come to the realization that everyone else (except Penelope) has already had: he can't live without her.

The titular duchess hunt that Kingsland assigns to Pettypeace--find his future duchess from the responses he's received to an advert he'd placed to solicit applications--moves the plot along at times, but from the beginning, it's clear that the assignment is doomed to fail. Or rather, it's unnecessary, as Pettypeace (soon to be Penelope to his Hugh) is clearly his match. Both have serious secrets to protect, which have made them guarded and reluctant to trust. This makes it more of a treat to watch this relationship deepen as they open up to one another.

It's a relationship that from the first page seems rich in respect, admiration, and trust, even if primarily professional at that point. It feels so honest and nuanced, the transformation from colleagues to lovers seems natural. What's even better is that they are so evenly matched: both complex, both characters you hope will find their happy ending. And for readers of Scoundrel of My Heart, there is the added reward of discovering that Kingsland is so much more than the cold, remote man he first seemed.

This is such an unexpected delight. I can't wait for the next book (perhaps Marcus's?) in the series.

The Duchess Hunt is the second book in the Once Upon a Dukedom series. Introduced in book one, Scoundrel of My Heart, the Duke of Kingsland placed an advert in the paper for his duchess.

After his failure with Lady Kathryn, Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland, is back on the marriage mart and still needs a duchess. He doesn’t have patience or time for love or courtship, so he places the second advert in the paper asking ladies of the ton to write to him why they should be his duchess. He then gives the task of reading letters to his efficient secretary Penelope Pettypeace.

Penelope has worked for the Duke for eight years. While they have had a purely professional relationship, she is secretly in love with Kingsland and acceptance that it will remain unrequited. This book is unwinding Pettypeace and Kings’ roles in their relationship as they fall into each other and love.

This book felt like a labor of love for Heath. She’s an excellent storyteller, but this book was unique. After Scoundrel of My Heart, I was looking forward to Wolf’s story. It’s almost like she meant to write another book but took a detour and had to write this minor character’s story. I loved that you feel Kingsland and Pettypeace’s relationship unfold and fall in love throughout the book.

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. Or to come to love Kingsland as much as I did. I also loved that Pettypeace is a powerful heroine and stands on her own. It would be easy for her to defer to the duke because he’s her boss, but instead, she’s his equal and makes him work for her love.

Overall, I highly recommend and look forward to Wolf’s story next! This whole series is excellent, and Heath does not disappoint. Also, I love how interconnected her characters are. It’s always lovely when former H/h(s) drop in.