I loved the first book in this series and this one surpasses it. I can’t believe I am saying that. Kingsland (King) and Penelope are such a perfect couple. They complement each other to a tee. Lorraine does a great job in having Penelope searching for a wife for King and being in love with him but keeping herself together. Yeah, I don’t think that would fly with me. The tension runs high in this story. What we do in the past does not define us in the present, at least that is what Penelope and King must understand. Lorraine has given us a story that we can cheer for these two characters. I love it!

What can I say about this book. Hugh and Penelope’s HEA was one that was filled with angst and excitement. Penelope has been Hugh’s secretary for years and they have fallen into peaceful working relationship. It isn’t until Hugh’s need to find a bride that emotions and feelings become revealed. They also both have secrets to hide. As their knowledge of their feelings become deeper and they also want to retreat from those feels. They have to fight for their HEA.

Penelope Pettypeace would be the perfect secretary for the Duke of Kingsland if it weren’t for a little flaw… She is secretly head over heels in love with him! She has loved him for years, hiding her feelings and serving him at the best of her capabilities, but now he has entrusted her with the last task she would like to accomplish: finding him a bride.
As for Hugh, now that he has finally restored the family coffers and built a successful empire, also thanks to the help of his very efficient secretary, he thinks that it’s time to find a bride who’ll give him an heir and who’ll lead her own life without bothering him… But why is he now starting to view Penelope with different eyes?
It may seem a pretty straightforward plot leading to an Happy Ending, but it’s not. Because both Hugh and Penelope have secrets that could destroy them and their love…
I simply ADORED this book. It’s exceptionally well written and it lead me through an emotional journey from the beginning to the end. I particularly loved the chemistry between the main characters that makes their interactions very steamy even when they don’t actually make love or even touch…
I couldn’t put this book down, I read it in two days (and just because I had to work!)
I’d like to add that, seeing that this is a much debated point in many other reviews, I didn’t think that Hugh dealt with Penelope’s secret too badly, because after all, this is Victorian England, with all its priggishness and hypocrisy. In my opinion he was just wounded by her lack of trust and not by the nature of the secret in itself.
Anyway, I highly recommend this five-star book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland, is in need of a duchess and has already chosen the wrong fiancée once. Instead, he leaves the task to his very efficient secretary, Penelope Pettypeace. She is determined to find the perfect bride for her employer....even though Penelope herself has feelings for Hugh.

This is the second book in the Once Upon A Dukedom series. While this book can stand alone, the first book is excellent and helps set up Hugh's bride hunt.

Hugh and Penelope are likeminded individuals: serious, focused, and trying to outrun their past history. I really enjoyed how Hugh depended on Penelope and valued her even before he realized his attraction. There is a slow burn while they try to avoid muddying their working relationship. Without getting into spoilers, I will say that I liked that there were surprises and how those reveals played out.

Tropes: Class Difference, Working Heroine, Matchmaking

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #TheDuchessHunt #NetGalley

I had read and loved the previous book in this series and couldn’t wait to dive into this one.

I liked Penn and King well enough. They’re more alike than they think and I did enjoy how they came to rely on each other. I wasn’t expecting both of them to basically be pining after the other right from the beginning, so I was thrown on that. Unfortunately, it didn’t make for loads of chemistry and banter. Everything was neat and tidy, including the romance.

Plot wise, it was a bit slow. There’s a lot of inner monologue and a lot of it is repetitive. I did like the thread with Lawrence and how that played out. And the two secrets were shocking, so there’s that. I do think my favorite part was the so very far in the future last paragraph.

Overall, it was a good read, but missing the sparkle I always expect to see in Lorraine’s books. However, I can’t wait to see Marcus get his story.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath is a delightful historical romance! This is the second book in a series but works very well as a stand alone. The Duchess Hunt has a lovely quick pace and emotional intensity that sucked me in from the very beginning.

My favorite character in the book was Penelope Pettypeace. Pettypeace has been working as a secretary for the
Duke of Kingsland, Hugh, and has become his right hand in all things. The Duke and Pettypeace are both excellent at investing and finding new inventions to help produce. I loved the mention of a wake up clock! Pettypeace has been tasked with finding the Duke a wife...and of course she loves him herself. Pettypeace is smart, independent, a survivor and is hiding secrets from her past. The Duke is also hiding secrets from his painful past and feelings for a certain women in his employ (which Heath handles tactfully).

The book is filled with richly woven characters and struggles from all classes. Hunt masterfully builds up all the different reveals in the book. I highly recommend this book for a fun historical read this fall! For fans of Bethany Bennet's West End Earl, I know you will love this book and Pettypeace!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#Lorraine Heath #TheDuchessHunt #NetGalley #Avon #HarperVoyager

The Duchess Hunt
Once Upon a Dukedom Series - Book 2
By Lorraine Heath

Avon - October 2021

Historical Romance


His plan may not have worked the first time, but Hugh Brinsley-Norton hadn't followed all the rules himself. After all, the lady who had chosen another hadn't actually applied. No, he had chosen her based on someone else's letter. But he still needed a wife, and he believed in his plan, so he assigned the duty to his - ever diligent, certain to accomplish the task better than he had - secretary.

The advertisement for secretary to the Duke of Kingsland may not have been open for a woman, but Penelope Pettypeace had marched right in and shown she was the best candidate for the position. And she had proven herself over the years to where Hugh relied on her for almost everything. Even his future happiness. Although that wasn't part of the instructions he had given, but Penelope had every intention of finding the absolute perfect wife for him. After all, this was the man that she loved, and his happiness was of upmost importance for her, if not for him.

The Duchess Hunt was a wonderful romance uniting two individuals perfect for one another. Which is quite obvious to many around them, but Penelope and Hugh are quite blind by status and circumstances. It was a delight to see them navigate the challenges they faced to find their happily ever after together. I had been intrigued by Penelope since we briefly met her at the end of Scoundrel of My Heart and her story proved satisfyingly fascinating. Although this is part of a series, it does stand on its own.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

This is my first book in the series. I’ve been a fan of this author for sometime. It has been a long time. I was skeptical when I read this blurb. I have to admit it got me. I enjoyed this new storyline. I really loved this heroine. She is an understated bold. She earned her respect. I have to go back and read book 1 and complete the series as they come out. There was a scene or two that I wish had played out. I recommend this book.

Lorraine Heath has yet to disappoint me!

Penelope Pettypeace has an arduous task ahead of her, find a wife for the man she has been secretly in love with soon after becoming secretary to him, Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland,

Hugh needs a duchess and who better to help him find the perfect one than his expedient, clever smart, loyal (his list could go on) secretary. Pettypeace. If only they could be just like her. As the days to announce his choice grows closer, he begins to realize marriage may result in Penny leaving her post and his panic sets in.

Penny knows she will always be on her own, it's all she has known since a young girl. She knows her days with the Duke will soon come to an end but she is determined to see him happy because of her deep love for him. The new attention he has been showing her is not helping her let go so easily though.

That just touches the surface of all the complexities of the relationship between Hugh and Penny. Secrets come to light that can destroy them both. While Penny handles finding out Hugh's secret well and is quick to come to his rescue, Hugh comes to the rescue for Penny but then fails her miserably. Watching him deservedly flounder for a bit, proved his worth of her.

I think the epilogue was one of my favorites of all!

My only complaint is the wait until the next in series becomes available. 😉

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I honestly don't know if Lorraine Heath can write a bad book. Pettypeace is such a compelling, interesting character that I wanted her to be real and to hang out with her, and Hugh is the ultimate grumpy man who fell like for her like a redwood. After eight years of a business relationship, all he had to do was tuck her hair behind her ear one time, and he was toast.
I loved the idea of the plot (unintentionally forcing the woman in love with him to choose his wife), and there is so much foreshadowing that you are extremely clear that Something Bad is going to happen, but they both have enough baggage to fill a warehouse, so despite all of that, when it finally hit, it was still a surprise.
All of this is to babble on enough to say that the Duchess Hunt is so good. I somehow missed the first book in the series, but I was not at all lost. The plot was tropey and fun, and the characters were top notch. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of the genre or the author.

Oh, how I do love a Lorraine Heath romance, but I didn't know how much until I got an ARC of this and just started reading it without reading the description of it before.
"If there existed a more unpleasant take in the world than selecting a woman who was to marry the man you loved, Penelope Pettypeace certainly couldn't imagine what it might be. But then, during the eight years she had been secretary to the Duke of Kingsland, she had been beset with unpleasant tasks. She should be accustomed to them by now." This is the first lines of The Duchess Hunt and it so perfectly describes the book.
Penelope Pettypeace has worked as the secretary to the Duke of Kingsland for eight years and has fallen in love with him in the meantime. Penelope is an intelligent and independent woman whose character is an amazing breath of fresh air in a historical romance. I love a strong heroine who is confident, bold, and frank (except for when speaking of matters of her own heart of course).
The text alludes that Penelope has something untoward in her past that would scandalize her name and anyone associated with her. The duke also has something in his past that would ruin his good name. I loved the mystery of these that carried throughout the majority of the book and how it opened the hero and heroine up to each other. Their secrets are not what I had made them out to be in my head and I was very impressed with the writing.
I love a book where the hero has pined away for the heroine for years but this one turns it the other way with Penelope loving the duke for years. He, on the other hand, is just coming to see his true feelings for Penelope and is trying to grapple with them in his mind.
Just as with all of Lorriane Health's series and most historical romance series, I feel that you can read this book as a standalone. I have not read the first book of Heath's Once Upon a Dukedom series and had no problem with jumping right into this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the above opinions in the above review are of my own.

The Duke of Kingsland is in need of a wife. He places an ad for women to send him a letter telling him why they would be a good wife. He did not choose well the first time, so this time he puts his secretary, Penelope, in charge of choosing. I was not the biggest fan of the Duke in the first book, but it gives us some background on why he is the way that he is. As secrets are uncovered in this book, we learn even more about him.

Penelope and the Duke have a very slow burn relationship. They are both interested in the other, but neither one will admit or act on it for a while. I was loving everything about this book until the secrets came about. The Duke has a secret about his past that Penelope accepts and helps him work through. She stands by his side through it all. When Penelope’s secret is revealed, the Duke overreacts and ends up hurting her. I wish the secrets would have been the main conflict and they would have had to find a way to overcome them together without losing faith in each other. Instead, it turned into the way the Duke reacted being the conflict that had to be resolved.

3.5 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

The Duchess Hunt is the second book in Lorraine Heath’s new series, Once Upon A Dukedom. I really enjoyed the first book #ScoundrelofMyHeart and I am a big fan of Lorraine Heath, honestly she can do no wrong so it’s not a shock that King and Penelope in an employer/employee love tryst were perfect.

In #TheDuchessHunt, Hugh Duke of Kingsland has tasked his secretary Penelope Pettypeace with finding him a suitable duchess. He expects her to carry out this task like she does everything else perfectly and efficiently. Unfortunately, while she is trying to find the perfect wife for him, her pesky love-like feelings for King and his admiration and infatuation with her create the perfect time for a clandestine affair.

As with all of Heath’s books, the characters are wonderful, compelling, passionate and entertaining. They both have tragic pasts- him with his father and her with the mystery of what scandalous thing she did in the name of survival. King’s past created the numb, heartless, analytical man he is while Penelope’s past taught her to run and create a new life for herself at the signs of danger. They both have to trust each other if they want their ultimate HEA. I love a strong heroine in Historical Romance and Penelope with her opinions, financial planning and “take no prisoners” attitude worked for me.

The pining is real with these two. From page one:
“If there existed a more unpleasant task in the world than selecting the woman who was to marry the man you loved, Penelope Pettpeace certainly couldn’t imagine what it might be.”
Penelope has loved him for eight years and seeing King fall for her, realize how perfect she is for his throughout the book is just masterfully done.

The Duchess Hunt was everything I have come to love and expect from the QUEEN Lorraine Heath - top notch feelings from strong characters with tragic backstories, sexy times (including a discussion on birth control!) and pining filled angst ridden romance. I am excited for this series to continue! Who will be next- one of the Chessmen or Marcus (Wolf)??

I received an E-ARC from #NetGalley and #Avon in exchange for my honest review.

The Duke of Kingsland has asked his secretary, Penelope, to help him find a duchess. Which is annoying, because she's been in love with him for eight years. Ever the faithful employee, she takes to the task diligently.

As Kingsland gradually realizes that Pen is a beautiful and desirable woman, their relationship takes on a new dimension. And when secrets from their past create a threat in the present, Kingsland vows that they'll face it together. But does Pen dare allow him to learn the truth about her?

These characters are so compelling, especially Penelope. You can't help admiring her strength and decency. She's incredibly self-aware, and prepared to make a new future for herself if Kingsland marries another. King, meanwhile, is one of those heroes you want to hit over the head for not recognizing that the woman he needs is right in front of him. But he's got good reason for his aloofness. The secret he carries is darker than I expected. These are deeply wounded characters who never feel sorry for themselves and richly deserve their HEA.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A great historical romance that held my attention throughout. The pining and trope of unrequited love was so well done here...of course since it is a romance love is eventually requited!

Secretaries don’t come much better than Penelope Pettypeace. In fact she is such an excellent secretary that her employer of eight years, the Duke of Kingston, has given Pettypeace the task of choosing the woman who will become his Duchess.
Not such an easy task because Kingston has placed an ad in the paper asking for applicants to write a letter of why they should be his Duchess. In The Duchess Hunt Pettypeace’s job is to sort through the very large number of applicants and chose the best one to fit “the job”. Kingston’s definition of the job is to “be a quiet duchess, one who is there when I need her and absent when I don’t.”
Pettypeace is an unusual secretary. Number one- she is still a rarity in Victorian times-she is a woman with a respectable job. Number two- she seems to have invented the spreadsheet. (Sorry couldn’t resist)
One way in which she is not a total rarity- although she is the epitome of a resourceful and efficient secretary- is that that she has fallen in love with her boss. Oddly enough Kingston seems to be falling in love with Pettypeace but of course won’t admit to it for some fairly typical HR reasons. For one he refuses to believe he is capable of love, two that he is a somewhat snobbish duke. He is lacking in self-awareness, mostly because he and his brother suffered tremendous abuse at the hands of their father.
So here we are at the real meat of the book, the reason that made this a true HR standout. First let me give you one of the best quotes of the year “….That is the things about monsters, Pettypeace. They are monsters because they can delude people into thinking they aren’t.”
Then we come to their secrets. Both the Duke and Pettypeace have secrets that are real doozies. Here’s what kills me. One secret can lead to execution; the other secret can lead to becoming a pariah. Three guesses to whose secret caused the most angst and anger. Buzzz and give a stuffed animal for the little lady who answered correctly.
Heath almost always writes charming and appealing characters. Neither Kingston nor Pettypeace are without friends, another hallmark of a Heath book, strong friendships.
I also enjoy books set in Victorian times, Heath presents a vibrant and lively portrait of the times and settings.
Heath’s series tend to run from intriguing secondary characters to the next series. So it’s a fun guessing game, which character will have the next book or the next series. I think it might be Marcus with hopefully the Chessman to follow.
One more thing, The Duchess Hunt has one of the sweetest endings I have read in years. Brava!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for review purposes. (less)

One word: YEARNING. Oh, Lorraine. The yearning just leaps off the page as these two people who think they can't have each other pine and bond and get closer... I read this in one afternoon and it was a satisfying read that had me tearing up by the end.

Great pacing, believable chemistry, and an engaging story that I couldn’t put down. Not necessary to read the previous book in the series to understand the plot, and for that, I was thankful!

Trope:different class/second chance/rags to riches

This is book #2 to the series Once Upon A Dukedom but can be read as a standalone.

This book was a winner for me! I love seeing two people of different backgrounds and station come together as one. I especially enjoyed Penelope's character. She's intelligent, kind, passionate, but most importantly she's a survivor and can stand on her own. Hugh's character is also very likable too. What I loved about him is that he's a considerate man and a fair person. He believes a woman is just as capable as a man. Hence that's how he meets Penelope, and how she became his secretary. She was not what he advertised for but she convinced him and he gave her a chance. They both have secrets of their own and surely it starts to comeback and hunt them. Together they work as a team and is there for eachother.

Penelope has been secretly in love with Hugh for the longest. She knew she loved him without a doubt but kept her relationship with him very professional. She also felt she had no chance because he was her employ, and she viewed herself as a staff member.

Story starts off with Hugh feeling he's getting older. He needs to settle down and procure a heir. Therefore he sets up a task for Penelope to find him a duchess. Also he expects her to choose the right woman. Anyhow That's how their love story began. Soon enough he realizes how attracted he is to her, and how much she means to him....

Their love story was well written and focused. There's cute banther between the characters, sexy, and well worth the read.

Lorraine Heath is a master of emotional and tension-filled romances that always provide a satisfying end. The Duchess Hunt includes a heroine with a mysterious past and it was so hard not to flip ahead to find out more about her story. This book was the perfect addition to Heath's latest series and provided such a nice escape.