This was my first Sophie Jordan book and I'm excited to read more! The Duke Goes Down was a fun, sexy read (and in case you were wondering, yes, the Duke does go down). This story has a premise that I've never read about in a historical romance. Perry is the Duke no more and his whole life is changed practically overnight. His only option is to marry an heiress. Imogen, the vicar's daughter, will not allow Perry to hoist himself off on some unsuspecting heiress. She grew up with Perry and knows just what kind of man he is, or does she? I thoroughly enjoyed this story and seeing Perry and Imogen fall in love. Read this if you are looking for a low angst, fun sexy read.

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

This felt like a very middle-of-the-road book for me. I can't say there was anything bad about it, but I feel like there could've been more to the story. It all just felt very average. There were a few times where I laughed out loud at some of the rumors that were going around about Perry in the ton. The writing was good and kept me interested enough to finish the book. Overall I would recommend giving this a try. It was a super quick and easy read, I was able to finish it in one sitting.

The Duke Goes Down is the first story in a new series The Duke Hunt written by author Sophie Jordan. The story is set in the early 1800’s in the small town of Shropshire England. The MCs are Imogen Bates, the virtuous daughter of the senile vicar; and Peregrine Butler, the former Duke of Penning. These two grew up in the same little town and more often than not Imogen found herself forced into the company of Lordling Perry. As they will certain situations occurred between the two that left Imogen with less than pleasant thoughts regarding the future Duke of Penning.

Then the unthinkable happens. The Duke of Penning is brought to his knees through rights of primogeniture, Perry Butler loses the Dukedom. He is relegated to a commoner. While this is life shattering for Perry… Imogen can’t help but believe it to be an act of reaping what one sows and she vows to keep the former Duke from swindling an heiress into marriage with only thoughts of his empty pockets being filled.

Imogen begins the subtle ruination of Perry’s future with a few carefully whispered on dits mentioned to the most trustworthy ladies to carry the rumors far and wide.

Needless to say Imogen’s rumors run wild and over course make it back to Perry. It’s from this point in the story that things heat up between Perry & Imogen. I mean what better way to get Imogen to stop spreading rumors than to keep her mouth busy with kissing! Let’s just say things quickly heat up from that first kiss and Perry comes to find maybe he hasn’t really lost everything.

I really enjoyed this book once it got going. The beginning was rather slow with a lot of internal dialogue-which I could have done without, or even enjoyed less. While the childhood interactions between our MCs did help set the stage for the enemies to lovers trope it may have been better to have brief flashbacks versus entire chapters. I also had a hard time figuring out who was narrating each chapter, the story was dual POV, but there was no clear identification of who’s head we were in at a set time.

There were some conflicts throughout the story that really didn’t add to the overall outcome. Again, getting to know some of Imogen’s past paramour didn’t really require the situations that unfolded. Just my opinion but a lot of the background noise throughout the story detracts from the romance between the two MCs.



I did love the sexual tension between Perry & Imogen. I found the way he pursued Imogen to be heartfelt and I liked that he didn’t give up. Their first sexual encounter was pretty hot. I excepted the encounters to keep increasing in steaminess however when the two actually end up coming together there is not a lot of detail and it’s treated rather lightly for a virgin losing her virginity to someone she once loathed.

I guess I just expected more chemistry. More passion. Just more!

Overall, this was a good start to a new series. I am not sure who the next book will feature or if we will see Imogen & Perry again; However, they are left in a happy place. Isn’t that what we all want, a happily ever after?

This historical romance by Sophie Jordan is sure to intrigue, ensnare, and thrill romance readers. There is an excellent balance if banter and romance, a battle of wills between the hero and heroine. Both characters are well written and well-defined, neither feeling flat or predictable. The romance is not rushed, and the story is excellently paced. Five out of five stars for this new historical romance.

I wanted to like this book. I am a big historical romance fan. But I just couldn’t get into this one. From the start I had a difficult time liking the two main characters and I was never able to change my opinion.

Full disclosure, I received an ARC of “The Duke Goes Down” from NetGalley to read and provide my unbiased feedback and thoughts on.

That being said, it was a fun a pleasant book to spend a summer day reading. Lovers of the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope will enjoy.

The book has a solid build and the story was enjoyable. However, I will be honest a say it did suffer some from the curse of new series set up, in that a lot of real estate of the text got used in critical world building/scene set up for the series going forward, which left the final 10-15% of the book too rushed, with the climax conflict occurring a bit too late in the arc and the resolution was hurried and slightly unfulfilling.

“The Duke Goes Down” really is a 3 star book as a standalone, but as the set up for a new series it leaves the reader intrigued and ready to find out what is next when the “new” Duke of Penning makes his appearance in the neighborhood, so that bumps it to 3.5 star that gets rounded to the 4 here.

This is an entertaining, well-written, steamy, historical romance novel. It is an enemies to lovers romance that is written with wit, humor and some hilarious, laugh out loud moments. It has likable, engaging, diverse, interesting characters, a strong female protagonist, a male protagonist who develops throughout the novel, and a happily ever after ending. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this new series with great anticipation. Ms. Jordan never disappoints her readers!
Net Galley kindly provided me with an ARC of this novel, and this is my honest opinion.

I am new to Sophie Jordan and had very little expectations for this book. I was pleasantly surprised by how FUN it was. I thought that the revenge of sorts from Imogen could get out of hand, but it was so well done and her interactions with Perry were so spot on. Imogen overhears some very unpleasant comments from Perry when they are young (think Darcy and Lizzy in the beginning of P&P) that ruin her impression of him for years. When he loses his title and is searching for an heiress to marry in their small town, Imogen does everything she can to take him down and ruin his chances. Their encounters created the perfect amount of heat and tension that had you fighting for them right along their fights. I can't wait to get more from this series!

Vicar's daughter Imogen Bates has hated Perry Butler ever since he insulted her to his friends. She's satisfied when he's stripped of his title, but when he starts sniffing around local heiresses she can't abide it. So she starts rumors, silly at first, but escalating. Perry is just trying to figure out who and what he is if he's not a duke - maybe he's the guy who marries a rich heiress, and maybe he's the guy who owns a fancy tavern. But he's definitely not the guy all the rumors are suggesting.

I had real trouble with this book. While I appreciated Imogen's ability to get things done and protect her father, I couldn't really deal with all the rumors. Especially as they moved from silly and mostly harmless to genuinely devastating. At one point she attempts to stop the rumors, but it's never clear exactly how that will be accomplished/if she did enough. And it simply didn't feel like there were consequences for her actions.

There are real pacing issues here, too. There are a significant number of flashbacks, which sometimes interrupt the flow, and then the main conflict and resolution happen very quickly. There were pieces that felt underdeveloped, like Imogen's relationship to her cousin, particularly as an adult. And the danger the her cousin's husband poses is underplayed.

This just didn't work for me. Rarely have I found a heroine unlikeable, but I just can't with Imogen.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh I loved this!
Peregrine (“Perry”) Butler used to be a Duke, until he found out his parents had had him before their wedding day. Now he’s lost everything and is living in Shropshire with his mother, the Duchess. He feels rather desperate to at least regain something of what he lost and is planning to marry an heiress. Meanwhile the Vicars daughter, Imogen has long disliked Perry and when he shows back into town she begins rumors to ensure that none of the women will have him.

I adored Imogen. She was a very strong heroine, caring for father, helping carry out her fathers duties in the village. I was a little afraid at the beginning of the book that Perry wouldn’t be redeemable, but he turned out alright. I do wish things hadn’t been quite so swept under the rug. Things were wrapped up rather quickly, but otherwise I really enjoyed this!

Imogen is a brat. A rather immature brat. She has a high standing in the community so everyone believes what she tells them. Every lie about Perry is believed even the silliest. Perry acts the Gentleman even after losing the dukedom. The patients that he shows with Imogen through all of her lies surprises me. They are a very unlikely pair and because of this I had a hard time believing in there story.

Peregrine “Perry” Butler, the Duke of Penning, once lived a charmed life. When the truth of his birth is revealed, he loses his title, his wealth, his lands, and his dignity. Perry searches for a rich heiress to wed. However, nasty rumors keep him from reaching his objective. Perry demands the perpetrator, a certain vexing spinster, to restore his reputation. Can Perry learn to let go of his former life? Will he find a new purpose for his future?
Imogen Bates is the spinster daughter of the shire’s aging vicar. She views Perry as the bane of her childhood. Imogen protects the heiresses of her community the only way she knows how, by spreading malicious rumors about his person. Now the infuriating man hounds her to restore his honor. And tempts Imogen with pleasure. Will Imogen eventually do right to Perry? Can she see the true man beneath the polished veneer?
I really could not stand Perry as a child. He was such an irksome brat, who desperately needed a spanking. I like that karma finally caught up with him. The change in his circumstance allowed him to do some much-needed soul-searching. What I admire the most about Perry is how he figured out a life path for his future. He first had to come to peace with losing his former life as a nobleman. This allows him to understand the satisfaction of earning his rewards through hard work and not from inheriting it.
I only have two problems with Imogen. The first is her inability to let go of the past. I understand how hurtful and devastating it can be to have people badmouth you, but that does not excuse Imogen’s behavior. The second problem I have with Imogen is her penchant for spreading gossip. It is never okay to spread damaging rumors about a person, no matter how they behave towards you. For all Imogen’s faults, I admire her loyalty to her father and to her community. She does what she can to help all of them.
THE DUKE GOES DOWN is the first book in Sophie Jordan’s brand-new historical romance series, THE DUKE HUNT. I am new to this author’s works. The hero’s situation is what attracted me to this book. It is something I have never heard nor read about happening to anyone in the peerage. Except for a few nitpicks here or there, I quite enjoyed the story, enough to finish the book in a day.
THE DUKE GOES DOWN is a fascinating tale of two adversaries learning to forgive their pasts to forge a future together. I cannot wait to meet the mysterious new Duke of Pennings.

This is an amazing story.
Humorous and a happily ever after, it is awesome.
Imogen is the vicar's daughter, virtuous and trouble incarnate.
Perry is the son of the Duke found to be conceived before his marriage to his mother.
Their love story is one filled with humor.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Absolutely delicious read from first page to the end. I love all the intricately developed characters and it's the kind of book you start reading at 7 pm and then stay up all night to finish. LOVED IT>

While I really love the author's books, I could not find myself liking the plot and the heroine. Pity! The hero was charming though and is witty , Imogen annoyed me however,

This is an easy, quick read. I wasn’t as familiar with this author before reading but I was attracted to the characters not being your typical members of the ton.

I would’ve liked to have explored a little more of Perry’s post-Duke life and how that impacted him. Jordan sets him up as wanting to buy the tavern but then sets that aside for the epilogue. I would’ve liked to see Perry figure out how to make that work and hear more about the changes in his life. He goes from being one of the most powerful men to having nothing and he’s just kinda like “okey dokey.”

There was too much time spent on backstory. Chapters on their childhood, setting up their disdain as adults. I felt like this wasn’t all necessary. A prologue or one chapter could’ve easily set that all up. Because of all this exposition, it took the story awhile to get going. It also felt like Imogen was immaturely clinging to some mean words from a decade ago. I get it, he was rude. But she said really horrible things about him, justifying it by that ancient rudeness! I wasn’t really sure these two were going to have a romance at all. Once it got going, I thought the steam level was decently done.

I felt the middle to 90% of the book was the best part. The beginning dragged and the end gave me a bit of whiplash. In the span of one chapter, they went from having sex to fighting to breaking up to reconciling. Another chapter to flesh that all that would’ve made the ending nicer for me.

All in all, I did enjoy reading the book but it wasn’t as strong as others for me. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would.

4.5 Stars

After a slew of DNFs, The Duke Goes Down was just what I needed! I loved the reversed rags-to-riches, the vicar's daughter with a wild side, and the less traditional HEA for historicals. I love reading books about "normal" people who don't need a castle to be happy and this book delivered! Another great read from Sophie Jordan.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

I really enjoyed this series kickoff! Perry was a guy you had to grow to like. He treated Imogen with a mixture of haughtiness and indifference as a child. When he is older, he is taken down a peg by losing his title. When his "fix" is to find a wealthy heiress, he still isn't quite likable, but you never really hate the guy. I think that really helped understand why Imogen does end up falling for him. We follow Imogen's path from extreme dislike to awakening. She's got some flaws of her own, but by the end you're rooting for the couple to not be completely pigheaded and fix their differences. It had some pretty steamy bits, and I liked that the author remembered that Imogen was inexperienced so had her acting appropriately. So many things Imogen does are very relatable. I received a copy via Netgally. This is my honest review.

I did really enjoy the plot of this story. A duke who who looses everything and becomes a regular guy, trying to find an heiress to get back to his old life. A vicars daughter who hasn't had an easy childhood, alot in part to the former duke. She like books, and takes care of her aging father, helping with his sermons.
Peregrine Butler used to be a spoiled little butthole who made some really horrible comment about Imogen that she happened to overhear. While she knew that they would never be friends, the things he said to his friends were very hurtful, and they stuck with Imogen her whole life.
Fast forward 10 years and Peregrine has lost everything and is in search of his heiress. Imogen doesn't want him anywher near impressionable young women, so she starts some rumors.. At first they are harmless like he is actually bald, has 6 toes on each foot.. which is bad enough, but not the worst of them.
He has no idea why Imogen would spread these rumors, doesn't even really remember how badly he used to treat her.. So after a moment of intense arguing about the rumors turns into one of the best kisses of thier lives, Peregrine decides that he needs to spend more time with Imogen.. and of course they end up falling in love.

I did enjoy their romance, I love how surprised both Imogen and Peregrine get when they realize there dislike for each other has turned into something else. The only thing I wish we got more of was Peregrine either remembering, or someone telling him all of the mean things he and his sister did to Imogen in the past. I think if he realized how much of a tool he was in the past it would have made it even better when he realizes that Imogen has fallen for him anyways.. I also would have loved a good groveling apology..

3.5 STARS

Peregrine Butler grew up as the heir to the Duke of Penning. When it is revealed that he was born prior to his parents’ marriage, Perry is disinherited losing everything: his way of lie, a fortune, and the opportunity for a bride from the peerage or ton. Now Perry must set his sites quite bit lower and is need of a wealthy wife of means from a lower echelon from the local village. Whenever he approaches a prospect, they seem to shy away inexplicably so Perry begins to suspect someone is working against him.

Imogen Bates, the local elderly vicar’s daughter, knows a thing or two about the Perry Butler as he is now called after having lost the title. She has always had a very low opinion of him since they were children and young adults when he ill treated Imogen. She does not want this bounder to take advantage of the young, wealthy women in her father’s flock. Imogen devises a plan to impede the former Duke’s chances by starting a smear campaign designed to foil Perry’s chances.

Perry suspects who he has to thank or rather blame for the untoward and mostly untrue whisperings going on about him around the village. He and Imogen once again lock horns in a way that escalates in to a mutual attraction in this enemies to lovers tale. Some of the things Imogen does to Perry appear quite at odds with her role in the church especially since she writes her father’s sermon and tends the parishioners. Using the excuse of protecting her friends, Imogen pushes the boundaries of Christian charity. Imogen is quite conflicted about her feelings for this former rascal who seems to have changed quite a bit since his downfall. Since most of their time spent together is adversarial, there is less development of the romance in this story which is the first in a series entitled The Duke Hunt.