Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

We met Lady Jane Chapel in the previous book in this series – and goodness – I think she had a personality transplant. What a difference two years can make. In that book, she was so meek, mild, and backward that her younger sister had to step in and save her from a very unwanted marriage. She mostly didn’t want the marriage because she was in love with someone else and they were secretly betrothed. That, of course, ended when her younger sister’s marriage caused a huge scandal. Somehow, after all of that chaos, she has grown a spine of steel, a will of iron, a longing for illicit events, and the temerity to state all of those things. The only part of her I recognized from the last book is how exceptionally beautiful she is.

Thomas Sharpe loves his family and will do whatever it takes to save them. Yes, they need saving. Thomas’s father lost all of his fortune because of a bad investment. I’m not sure why he’d invest money he couldn’t afford to lose – and certainly not enough to bankrupt them, but he did. The only way Thomas can save them is to marry an heiress who has enough money to support them all. He’s been looking for two years and hasn’t been successful because he is so very charming, witty, and handsome that none of the heiresses believe he’ll take a marriage commitment seriously. (I know, we all buy that one.)

Thomas is best friends with Jane’s illegitimate half-brother, Percy, but has spent very little time with Lady Jane who now lives with Percy. However, the two of them make a bargain – Jane will help Thomas find his bride IF Thomas will show her some of the more illicit things in society – those things she’d never normally be allowed to see. Of course, we all know where that is headed – toward a HEA – right!

The story blurb sounds good, doesn’t it? So, why didn’t I rate it 5-stars? While I generally enjoyed the story, there was a couple of things that just wore on me – but I will still read the next one.

• It was plainly and firmly established early on that Thomas had to save his family by marrying for money. Yet, we had to read it and re-read it and re-read it ad nauseum. Enough already.
• The writing often felt a bit choppy and repetitive.
• We heard over and over that Thomas was the most handsome and most charming man in London, yet I saw little of that exceptional charm demonstrated anywhere. He was charming and witty, but no more than anyone else.
• Many of the conversations and actions just had a very modern feel to me.
• It annoyed me that Thomas’s first thought to save his family was to marry for money instead of exploring all of the options that might have been available to him. His best friend is a whiz with numbers and accounting and works for the queen – so why wouldn’t Thomas seek advice from him? Why would Thomas not consider what sorts of other things he could do – especially since he was so very handsome and charming. Surely someone in his vast array of friends could offer some assistance. Thomas isn’t titled and it is the Victorian age – so – surely there was something else to at least consider.

This author is always hit-or-miss for me, so I always have to read the next book to see where it will fall. This book seems to fall into the ‘meh’ category, but the last one was a firm 5-star read. There is a fair amount of wit and steam in the book, so that isn’t ever a bad thing. Overall, I am happy to have met Thomas and Jane but wouldn't read this book a second time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Man this one was so spicy! I mean look at the cover so what did I expect?

This was a gender reversed book where the man is looking to marry into money for the sake of supporting his parents and shy sister. BUT does he fall in love it someone rich? Of course not.

This was a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind. We had the “teaching the women about sex” trope which I’m not usually a fan of. But this honestly didn’t bother me so much. Maybe because by the time Thomas and Jane have their “lessons” he’s really not much of a manwhore.

I think if you like historical romance, this is a good book for you. I will say I wanted to learn more about why Jane was jilted and hurt by her former fiancé which I think we learn more about in the previous book from the series.

Wow! Delicious. Steamy. I loved this book! The characters and plotting were delightful and I didn't want it to end.

Thomas Sharpe comes from a good family but since his father made a bad investment, they are now nearly penniless. Lacking in training to do much more than lead the idle life of a gentleman, Thomas must trade on his good looks and charm to find an heiress to marry so he can support his parents and sister.

Since her fiancé jilted her two years ago, Lady Jane Capel has been living with her half-brother Percy, and has been labeled a scandal. Given her rather colorful reputation, Jane has little to lose and sets about living the life she wants and voicing her opinions, but she is eager to experience things that are normally forbidden to ladies of her social standing.

Thomas and Jane come to an agreement that he will show her new things and teach her a bit about real intimacy between men and women and she’ll help him find a suitable wife. He’s determined not to truly corrupt his best friend’s sister, nor fall in love with her, but as Jane and Thomas spend more time together, they both come to realize that the heart wants what the heart wants, even when it shouldn’t.

I was charmed by Thomas and Jane as they got to know each other and I appreciated that they were open and honest, without playing games with one another. Similarly, I was happy to see that this story didn’t rely on the miscommunication trope to create conflict. Rather, the conflict here was obvious: Thomas needed to marry for money; Jane had none. Unfortunately, this point was hammered home excessively, especially in Thomas’ very frequent inner monologues, as was their mutual need to avoid falling in love with one another. I got it the first time and I certainly didn’t need umpteen reminders which sadly became repetitive very quickly and began to feel a bit like idle filler. Although, I will say that the near-constant reminders of how Thomas had no choice in his future did make it incredibly satisfying when he finally realized that he did indeed have a choice if he was brave and unconventional about it, which I thought was very in keeping with the book’s theme of pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box. I especially loved the relationship Jane shared with her brother, Percy; I thought the supposed reconciliation she experienced with her parents was a bit random and less than satisfactory, especially since there was never much follow-up, and it didn’t seem to do much to advance the story. Beyond these few weaknesses in the storyline, I loved Thomas giving Jane lessons on intimacy, and the steam was fabulous. I was also charmed by the fact that Jane taught Thomas just as much about himself and the truly valuable things in life as he taught her about scandalous activities. I enjoyed their dynamic with Percy and his encouragement of their relationship and overall, I think this was a cute book.

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

What a swoony romance! This was a fun quick read and I am definitely interested in going back and reading the previous entries.

Gentleman Seeks Bride is a sort of reverse of the "she must marry well to save her family" trope. Thomas is the one who must save his family from financial ruin and while he already has a reputation for being charming and nice, he is struggling to find a bride who meets his needs. Jane is his best friend's sister and is trying to live life after being jilted and refusing to let her mother force a marriage on her. They agree to help each other - he is going to show her the wilder side of life and she will help him find a bride. Hijinks, so much heat and chemistry, and lots of mishaps ensue while they discover not only what they want out of life, but each other. This was very fast paced and steamy and I am here for it.

I really wanted to like this one. I truly did! But I couldn't get past the constant references to how beautiful they both were. I think it just threw off my interest in the book and I couldn't get interested enough in the story itself to continue.

Gentleman Seeks Bride is the fourth book in the Hazards of Dukes series. I read the first book in the beginning of the year and really enjoyed it. When I saw the fourth book had become available as an ARC I sped through books 2 and 3. This book could be read as a stand alone but you really get a better glimpse into what happened with Jane in the third book of the series. I really liked Gentleman Seeks Bride. It was so refreshing to have both main characters in a historical be of noble birth but be in need of money.

Thomas Sharpe's family is a part of the ton but in need of money to keep their family estates going. He's been on the marriage mart for a few years but no one will seem to take his wanting to settle down seriously because of how much of a flirt he is. Lady Jane Capel is estranged from her parents after ending an engagement and moving in with her half brother, Percy. Jane decides that she wants to strike to propose a deal with Sharpe (Percy's best friend). In exchange for lessons in worldliness and intimacy, Jane will help Thomas find a wealthy bride by the end of the season.

I really loved the chemistry between Thomas and Jane. There were plenty of quips and witty dialogue between them. They really respected each other as equals. The moments that I loved most were those moments where he walks in on her doing chores or they dance the polka. Frampton's writing made such ordinary moments so charming. The hot air balloon scene was so steamy. I loved Percy and his romance story. It would be great if he could get his own novella.

Tropes: brother's best friend, kissing lessons, voyeurism, sex club, jilted heroine, matchmaking, friends to lovers

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Frampton, and Avon Harper Voyager for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to be able to read Janes story. Ever since we met her in the last book I was hoping Jane would appear next. I really loved how Jane took the reins of her own life and decided that she was going to experience life, do all the things that young ladies arent allowed to do.. I also really loved Percy, and getting to see whats going on with Lavinia now.
Thomas is in need of a rich wife, hes not doing this for himself but to have enough money to take care of his aging parents and his younger sister Alice. At first he was single minded in his approach to a wife, but as the years have gone by he realizes that he is the kind of guy women like to flirt with, someone to pass the time talking to but not be tied to forever..
When Jane and Thomas cross paths in a club, they strike a deal.. If Thomas shows Jane all the things she wants, she will help him find a wife.. which of course makes them spend lots of time together, which leads to feelings.. and love..
They have some seriously sexy times that had me feeling the need to fan myself while reading..and I loved all the different adventures they had together.. they just really clicked as a couple even though they didn't see each other that way until the end... and when they finally realized that they both loved each other it was one of those FINALLY moments..

I can't wait to see what Grace Burrowes comes out with next!

Thomas Sharpe is willing to marry an heiress even if he doesn't love her to save his family from destitution. He's been on the hunt for two years now and he was getting desperate. When his best friend's sister, Lady Jane, offers to help him find a bride in exchange for a few life lessons, he agrees, thinking he needs all the help he can get. Lady Jane has assured her brother that she will not fall in love with the charming and handsome Thomas. She's just helping him find a bride. Little do these two know that their lessons lead to deeper feelings, but can they resist temptation and stick to their plan?

I liked the reverse trope of having the gentlemen needing to marry an heiress instead of the young woman. It was firmly established why Thomas needed to sacrifice his future happiness for money and it got old when this sentiment was repeated over and over again. I loved the growth of Lady Jane from a docile young woman to someone who learned to stand up for herself. Some of the situations Thomas showed her were definitely sexy and there's a couple of graphic sex scenes in the story. While I was happy to see Thomas and Jane finally get their HEA, I think the story could have been tightened up a bit so the pace of the book flowed more smoothly .

3-3.5 Stars! I did enjoy this book but feel like I’ve read it a couple times before. It’s the 4th book in the ‘Hazards of Dukes’ series, can be read as a standalone and has a HEA ending. It’s a good story and I enjoyed reading it. This book had some really great ‘sexy times’, which had me overheating! It was so unfair how women were treated back in those days and I would’ve been a revolutionary right beside Jane, the main female character. And why it was frowned upon for men to dabble in trade, I’ll never understand. Good lesson to people on investing that the main characters’ father should’ve lived by - never invest more than you are willing to lose. And, one word - diversify! (Spread out to more than just one investment!) You’re welcome!
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

After reading 2 books from this author, she may not be for me, I really liked the heroine, and the tension-filled moments were very well done. At times I was really into the dynamic between the two main characters, and other times the writing took me out of the story. A lot of the time it felt long-winded and repetitive. I don’t know how many times I needed to read that Thomas needed a rich wife to save his family from financial ruin and how that got in the way of the HEA. There was also a lot about Thomas being “the most charming man in London” but I didn’t see much in the story to paint him as exceptionally charming. Still, there were plenty of sweet moments, and if you like the brother’s best friend trope, you may like it.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

I really liked the take of this book. Some of these regency romances can be a little repetitive, not so with this one. I loved that the woman took hold of her future and made her own choices while still being an acceptable part of society. She wasn't completely reckless with her choices and was still able to be true to herself. I also liked the character growth of the gentleman as the book progressed. The questioned each other and helped the other grow while still maintaining an atmosphere of safety and respect. As it should be in all healthy relationships.

This is the typical "need to marry for money" book. What makes it not the typical book are the characters. Jane turns into a free thinking, independent woman. Makes an outrageous deal with Thomas. Thomas in turn decides to be an independent man. Great story!

This is a review of Gentleman Seeks Bride by Megan Frampton and is Book 4 of 4: Hazards of Dukes

Thomas Sharpe needs a bride to save his family from poverty. Lady Jane Capel’s engagement ended leaving her broken hearted. Jane did not want to continue looking for a husband and so her parents cut off ties with her and she went to live with her half-brother, Percy. Jane offers to help Thomas find a wealthy bride and in exchange he escorts her so she can have more fun experiences.

I have enjoyed other stories by this author more than I did this one. I had read the last book in the series and was looking forward to this one. I liked the resolution at the end and some of the secondary characters like Percy. A lot of the conversations were repetitive and the characters actions and conversations seemed more modern than the times.

Thank you Megan Frampton, NetGalley, and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.

Gentleman Seeks a Bride follows Jane, a woman who was left at the alter 2 years before and then outcasted by her family, and Thomas, a man who's family lost everything on a risky investment. Now he must find a wealthy woman to marry in order to care for his family.

I didn't read the other books in this series and I'm going to now! It does standalone quite nicely.

I enjoyed the story, very ~spicy~. Well written with loveble characters.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

This one took me a while to read. It was a very good story but it wasn’t great. I would read for a while, then it would start to lag so I would stop. I would read more and it would start picking up the pace, the. It would lag. The only thing that bothered me about this book was the I was frequently reminded of why Jane and Thomas were/weren’t together. It began to get a bit annoying. Overall I enjoyed the book and will try another by the author!

Jane and Thomas's story was an enjoyable read, I especially enjoyed how light-hearted and humorous it was at times. There was certainly some angst over Thomas's need to marry an heiress but the author didn't allow it to overwhelm the story.

I also especially enjoyed the characters' siblings and their obvious affection and support for each other. Jane's brother, Percy, is infinitely loveable due to his steadfast support for both Jane and Thomas. Thomas's sisters, Julia and Alice, were at the core of his worries and their love for each other was also endearing.

I loved the chemistry and affection between Jane and Thomas most of all, though. Their easy banter and attraction to each other from the jump made it hard to put this down!

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

This was my fourth back to back historical romance that was three stars. Usually these types of books are my bread and butter, feel-good, soak in some enjoyable, easy reading romances. Not the case lately, much to my regret.

The premise for Gentleman Seeks Bride was interesting enough. Thomas was the one who needed to marry a wealthy heir to help his family rather than the heroine, so that was refreshing. What wasn't refreshing was hearing Thomas lament about it constantly.

Jane was much like your typical sheltered, inexperienced young lady, and I liked the idea of the heroine getting out and doing atypical things. However, that whole endeavor fell a bit flat for me. It shouldn't have because they had interesting outings and activities, but somehow it seemed lackluster.

Another gripe I had was hearing about how attractive Thomas and Jane were. Both characters mentioned how they each were exceptionally handsome/beautiful multiple times. We get it.

Also, Thomas was supposedly the "most charming man in England." I didn't get that vibe. Not that he wasn't charming, I just thought that claim was over the top along with both characters' level of attractiveness.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

Thomas and Jane have known each other for years. They come into an agreement of how they will help each other out of their situations that they are in. Thomas needs a bride with a dowry to help his family and Jane will help him if he shows her all there is to life. The chemistry between them was entertaining. I enjoyed revisiting of other characters. I also thought that they worked well as a team in order for them to reach a HEA. Overall, it was a fun and easy read.