Normally, a heir to a Dukedom does not go off to war. Sebastian Cooper, Marquess of Marbury, felt differently because he detested his father . His father was given a friends child after the parents died, but Sebastian and his fathers new war never met, He honestly felt sorry for the ward because his father is a tyrant and treated people of all ranks in life like they were dirt on his shoes.
The ward was Lady Hadley Hampton and her and the Duke actually became quite good friends. She was able to temper down the Duke and show him that he was not going to treat her like she was inferior. Lady Hadley was running the estates before the Duke passed away
As you can imagine sparks will fly between the two and the Author, Alexa Aston has set the scene up perfectly and the book flows so smoothly that I could not put this down till I finished it completely. I can be a night owl on occasion and I was up till 2:30 am and that is when my husband gets up for work and his response when seeing me “ must have been a good book “ lol.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Digital Advanced Readers Copy

Steam: 🌶🌶/5 (a few descriptive steamy scenes throughout book)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars
(4 Stars)

I read Duke of Arrogance and really enjoyed it, so I was super excited to read the next instalment! This is the 5th and final book in the Duke of Distinction series. That being said it can be read as a stand alone, as it’s still easy to understand the story.

Without Spoilers
From the beginning I knew I was going to like this book. The story and the plot was so good. A first son with hatred for his father the Duke goes to war, a daughter of the Dukes friends who passed becomes his ward. She reads the letters his son writes to his father about the war and over the years falls in love with the man from reading what he writes to his father. It makes for such a good historical romance read!

This book is well written. I enjoyed seeing Jon and characters from the last book! I really liked the two books I’ve read in this series and want to go and read the first 3 books now!

I loved how much the other dukes love their wives. It made me smile so much during this book. The house part setting for the majority of this book made for some fun reading! The ending was so great! Truly made me smile!

This book was such a fun read! A perfect romantic, steamy and short historical romance.

Trigger warnings for PTSD and talks of war, violence and torture.

Thanks to NetGalley and
Dragonblade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Sebastian Cooper, Marquess of Marbury has never seen eye to eye with his father the Duke, but after his mother dies things became even worse. Sebastian bought a commission into the army against the duke wishes and went off to war. After Lady Hadley Hampton’s parents die, she is made a ward to the Duke of Hardwick. The old Duke and Hadley had their struggles too, but he did teach her things about life and managing his estates things he should of taught his son. Sebastian now the Duke of Hardwick, comes home a spiritual wounded to find Hadley is a young woman not the young man he was expecting. A captivating story Lady Hadley has fallen for Sebastian through his many letters he wrote home, she sees him as no other as he poured his heart out in this letters. Sebastian keeps pushing Hadley away feeling he doesn’t deserve happiness instead he plans on seeking a marriage with love that way he doesn’t get hurt. I live their witty banter as they get to truly know each other and for Sebastian to truly let go of his guilt. I voluntarily read and reviewed this excellent book.

Sebastian Cooper left England 10 years ago to fight in the Napoleonic wars, he finally returns ho e to find his father has passed away and Sebastian is now the new Duke of Hardwick.
Lady Hadley Hampton parents died and she becomes the ward of the late Duke of Hardwick. For the ten years Sebastian is away she reads his letters to her guardian and finds herself falling in love with him.
When Sebastian returns home he is shocked to find that Hadley has been looking after his father’s affairs and he is angry that Hadley know so much about him and he never knew she existed.
Sebastian fights his attraction to Hadley as he feels he is not a worthy partner and that she deserves so much more in a husband.

The Duke of Honor is the fifth book in the Dukes of Distinction series but can be read as a stand alone.
I loved this book, Sebastian and Hadley were fantastic characters. Well developed and likeable. Hadley is definitely a strong independent women ahead of her time. The only thing I did not like about Hadley was she was a bit judgmental in certain parts of the story but she eventually got over that.

Sebastian’s story was realistic and great to read. Even though he was emotionally and physically scared he was able to overcome some of this with the help of his friends.

This book was an absolute joy to read and ended the series perfectly.

I loved this book with its wounded war hero and strong heroine. Hadley is strong, intelligent, beautiful, and charming. Sebastian is a dashing war hero. They make the perfect match, but Sebastian has to fight the demons he came home from war with before they can find their way to love and happiness. I couldn’t put this book down.

My favorite storyline, the wounded hero, and Alexa Aston does it so well!

She has been a ward of his father's since she was young, but had never met him. But through his letters to his father, she formed a picture and a love that could not be denied.

Coming back from many long years at war, wounded in body and spirit, he could not believe she knew all about him and how to run is estate. But he wasn't good enough for her.

Fortunately, love has a way of finding the hearts that belong together. Can it happen to them?

A Scarred Duke with Secrets

They call him the Duke of Honor, but would they still call him by that name, should they know his secret? When Sebastian, the Duke of Hardwick returns from war, he finds Hadley at his home. She was his father’s ward, but for years, he thought she was a boy. Now that he is back, he finds out that his father’s ward is a beautiful woman, and since she read his letters to his father, she is privy to many of his secrets. There is just one secret that she does not know, and he must ensure that she never discovers the ugly truth. He must do everything he can to keep his distance. He is attracted to her, but he does not think he deserves to be loved. What happens when Hadley learns Sebastian’s secret? Both Sebastian and Hadley might need redemption. Can love help them to heal? Unfair judgments will be made; harsh words will be uttered, and it will take love and forgiveness to get the healing to begin. Both Hadley and Sebastian will make decisions for which they must atone. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like Regency romance with wounded heroes. There is one lesson that comes to mind reading this book. We must not judge others without knowing all the facts. Even if we knew the entire truth, we still must not judge others since we do not live in their skin. Sadly, most of us pass judgments daily, thinking that our truth is the only one.

Sebastian Cooper, Marquess of Marbury couldn't stand to be anywhere near his father. So as soon as he was old enough he bought a commission and went off to war. Years later it's time to go home and regain his life.

Orphaned Lady Hadley Hampton is now the ward to a very grumpy Duke of Hardwick. Even at only thirteen years old she knows her own mind and will not be pushed aside. Letters from the Duke's heir have made her feel she knows him. That daydream soon changes with reality.

This historical romance gives us a wonderful tormented hero and a very sensible heroine. You couldn't get two more different people. The friends you will meet are from previous books in the series, so it might spoil those for you if you haven't read them yet. Each book in the series is a full story on it's own, but they are linked. I have read and loved all of them. This author never let's me down.

Great fun.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Life with his father, the Duke of Hardwick, was hard for Sebastian Cooper, and when he turned 18, he enlisted, and left for war, vowing never to see his cruel father again. In the meantime, the old duke mellowed as he became guardian for Lady Hadley Hampton, the orphaned daughter of his friend, who turned Hardwick, and the estate upside down, and improved it for the better. Though Sebastian had promised never to speak with his father again, he did send letters from the front regularly, and as Hadley grew into a woman, she felt a kinship with Sebastian, and started to fall for him. But now that Sebastian has returned, and is the new duke, he's angry and shocked that Hadley managed to change his father so much, and knows so much about his estate. And it doesn't help that he's so attracted to Hadley, and still feels the pain of war. Hadley knows that she's fallen for Sebastian, but he is harsh and pushes her away at every point, but when he inadvertently reveals something about himself, will her feelings be enough to overcome it all?

After reading the other books in the series, and hearing a lot about Sebastian, who we haven't seen in person yet, I was looking forward to his book. He has such a backstory, with flashes being provided in the book about his childhood, and what he faced at war, to be honoured in dispatches, and lauded as a hero on his return. I liked his character, though found the fact he fell for Hadley so quickly a little strange. It was far more understandable that Hadley 'loved' Sebastian, after reading his letters throughout her adolescence, and hearing all the stories about him, before meeting him in person - more the idea of him, than the actual person. I did love Hadley's character though. She was strong, and had taken control of the Hardwick estate when her guardian became unwell, and the steward retired. She was loved by the staff, and the tenants, and when she met the other Dukes, and their wives, found friendship and kinship extremely quickly. She was just a lovable character, and seeing the friendships between all of the characters in the series was a joy. The romance was nice, but like I said, a little forced from Sebastian's side, at least at first. I did appreciate the way the angst aspect of the book was introduced, and also how it was dealt with. Perhaps, there may have been more of an epilogue, but all in all, a good conclusion to the series.

This book is part of series but can be read standalone. This book was my absolute favorite of the entire series. The storyline, the tension, and the romance were perfect.

Sebastian Cooper, Marquess of Marbury, comes home after a ten-year absence to assume the title of duke and oust his father's ward, Lady Hadley. After a falling out, the only connection between father and son are letters Sebastian sent home that the duke discarded but Lady Hadley read.

For Lady Hadley, it's love at first sight; for Sebastian, she is a reminder of how damaged he is from war.

I loved that there was conflict, it wasn't love at first sight, and then everything is great. Even though Hadley thinks she's in love with this hero whose letters she's read, she is forced to reconcile the myth to the actual man. It was a very realistic portrayal of love - she had to break her own heart and break the illusion of Sebastian to get to her happy ending.

Sebastian's journey was very realistic as well, and it was fun to see his friends from previous books come together to welcome him home.

I have enjoyed this whole series, but this one was by far my favorite. I love a little tension between heroes and heroines, and this book had that!

After ten years of fighting in the Napoleonic war, the Duke of Hardwick, returns to England shortly after the death of his estranged father. He grew up in an unhappy household with a terrible father and a mother who died young, so he bought a commission in the army to escape his overbearing father after finishing university, something not typically done by the only heir to a dukedom.

Lady Hadley is the ward of his father, but he never meets her before he goes off to war and he assumes she is a man based on her first name. Imagine his surprise when they meet, especially after he finds out that Hadley has been acting as the steward of his estates after the previous one left the position. It's a great start to their relationship which quickly grows into a mutual attraction, but Sebastian fights it, thinking he is too scarred and therefore unworthy of her affections. He plans to marry a biddable wife, ensure his dukedom with an heir, and then go his separate ways from his wife.

I enjoyed this book very much and I liked the effective use of the grumpy-sunshine trope. I have such a soft spot for a scarred hero and Sebastian is definitely worthy of that. I never read any of the previous books, so this one can definitely be read as a stand-alone book.

My only negative about this book would be that Cooper isn't a good choice for a duke's family name, as it originated from a profession (someone who puts together wooden items was a cooper).

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the fifth and last in a series and I had previously read the first book in this series but not the middle three books. I really adored the first book, which contained one of my favourite tropes, mistaken identities. I had not as high hopes for this book but since I also adored the writing in the first and I thought the synopsis sounded really good I still thought I am going to love this. I did love it, but also not. The problem for me in this book ended up that this book felt very rushed in comparison to the first book. Which honestly made me feel sad because I thought this book could have been a five-star read.

The biggest problem I had with this book was that the heroes feeling felt very rushed and not developed enough. It felt too much like he just suddenly had all this feeling of not being worthy of her while not digging deeper. He had a lot of stories to unpack in his mind that did not get the attention that it deserved. For example: dealing with the fact that this girl knows him so well without knowing of her existence or that his dad actually became more human because of the heroine. It felt like these subjects were just glossed over while they were the reason the synopsis sounded so good. You instead see a large portion of the four couples from the previous four books which I would have loved if it did not feel like it took over the story. It felt like the previous couples almost got more page time than the feeling of the main male character.

A romance book is a lot about the details and for example the heroine mentioned her beloved horse and she just had to ask if she could bring her when she left, but it was never mentioned again. She just forgot the beloved horse! As a horse person myself I know you would not just forget about it. This is another example on why the story felt rushed. All of this led the book to feel like the point was to end the series, not to actually make a fifth romance book with a new couple.

Thus, I have to say that I felt a bit let down from this story, but I did have a pretty good time reading it and it was definitely not a bad read. I would recommend reading it if you have read the other books in the series because it served as a nice ending to a series, but not at all as a standalone book.

This is book 5 in Alexa Aston’s Dukes of Distinction series and somehow I have found myself reading this series completely out of order. Guess what? It’s still an excellent series and as I have proven easily enjoyed, no matter what order you read! 😀

In this story the MCs are Sebastian Cooper the Marquess of Marbury who becomes the Duke of Hardwick and Lady Hadley Hampton who falls in love with Sebastian before they ever meet. The beginning of the story our MCs are living very separate yet connected lives. Sebastian is the Marquess of Marbury and is serving in the military and living his days at war; meanwhile, Hadley finds herself a ward of Sebastian’s father who is the current Duke of Hardwick and she becomes very involved in running the Dukedom as Sebastians father falls ill. Over the course of many years Hadley comes to know and love Sebastian by reading letters he sends to his father, letters where Sebastian bares his soul, letters he never expected his estranged father to read —- never mind expecting a complete stranger to read.

The story then takes on a new timeframe and Sebastian is returning home after he received word his father had passed, he is now the Duke of Hardwick. When he gets home he doesn’t expect to find Hadley running his dukedom, nor does he expect to find her to be stunningly beautiful and highly competent, and to have not only managed his dukedom but to have made it highly successful! I admit that Sebastian’s thoughts during this time regarding a woman’s capabilities was highly chauvinistic. I found myself highly irritated with the constant repetition of “for a woman Hadley has done an excellent job” – I understand females have been thought of as “lesser” beings throughout history — However, it got old quickly.

Now let’s discuss Lady Hadley Hampton, shall we ?!? Let me start by saying that she began as a woman with a devil may care attitude and had the ability to keep the gruff elder Duke of Hardwick in line. She proved her ability to succeed where many others may fail, she single handed ran a dukedom. I enjoyed that she formed strong feelings for Sebastian through his letters, it was romantic, I wanted Sebastian to come home and fall in love with her. Then Sebastian comes home and after they attend a house party together, after Hadley admits to herself she is hopelessly in love with Sebastian, after they have some sexy encounters — Hadley totally does an about face and tells Sebastian that he makes her sick, leaves the party early, and doesn’t want to see him again. I am of course leaving a lot of the details out so I don’t spoil the book, but I honestly hated Hadley at this point in the story. I almost stopped reading the book. To say she disappointed and disgusted me would be putting it lightly. How dare she attempt to judge Sebastian so cruelly! I actually teared up at this point of the story, I was so upset on behalf of Sebastian. So Bravo to Ms. Aston for creating a character and the perfect situation to evoke those strong emotions!

Sebastian is torn. He wants Hadley. He desires her. Yet, he does not think he deserves her nor does he think he is good enough for Hadley.

“She was everything he wanted and the last thing he should take. He would use her up and make her miserable.”

So, he decides to let her go and stick to his plan to find a boring, self-centered, woman of good breeding. He has one need of this abhorrent future bride. An heir. once an heir was obtained he and his Duchess would lead separate lives. After all, Sebastian didn’t deserve to be happy.

At this point the story kind of takes a break from our MCs interacting again which was a little annoying in a romance novel. Then right before the season begins in London Hadley chances upon an unlikely friend to Sebastian and finds out she has been a total idiot and wasted time they could have spent together. Now the question is will Sebastian allow himself to be happy and have a lifetime of love or will he continue on his path to a lifetime of loneliness?

My overall feelings for Sebastian and Hadley’s story was that it was a good book; However, I would have enjoyed it much more had there not been so much self loathing on Sebastian’s part, so much self-righteous behavior on Hadley’s part, and if the conflict was not one that felt like it was stretched beyond acceptable. If only these two would have had a true conversation. Instead Hadley was in love with her fairytale Duke and when the Duke and soldier personas collided—Hadley ran and Sebastian let her.

One thing I adored about The Duke of Honor was the inclusion of all the series couples. It was a very nice touch to catch up with the Duke of Renown and his Duchess Phoebe, the Duke of Charm and his Duchess Samantha, the Duke of Disrepute and his Duchess Elise, and the Duke of Arrogance and his Duchess Arabella. I felt like it was a nice touch to the final story of the series to bring them all together for a celebration.

I have enjoyed this series very much and recommend it to those who enjoy historical romances featuring misunderstood men, who may or may not be slightly rakish, and strong females who are brave enough to love them.

Sebastian Cooper, Duke of Hardwick, does not believe he is a man of honor. He carries with him dark painful secrets from his time at war. Lady Hadley Hampton was orphaned at thirteen and became the ward of Sebastian’s father. She has done two things since her arrival. One, she has learned to run the business of the dukedom quite efficiently. Two, she has fallen in love with Sebastian through his letters to his father. When Sebastian arrives home, he is not happy with her running the estate or learning so much about him. He wants her to leave. Now how do they get from here to happily ever after?

This is an amazing, emotional story with awesome characters. Hadley fell in love with Sebastian, sight unseen, through his letters. Sebastian is scarred horribly, body and soul, and doesn’t believe he can love anybody. He needs Hadley. The couples from the other stories in the series are here, urging and encouraging them toward a match. When a misunderstanding tears them apart, an old war companion sets the record straight for Hadley, and Sebastian. I have enjoyed all the stories in this series, but as endings go, this one is a winner. Just let me say that Sebastian knows how to put on a ball! Wonderful story!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I have read the last three books in Alexa Aston's The Dukes of Distinction series and I have loved them all, but I believe The Duke of Honor is by far the best book of the series. You immediately feel compassion for the main character, Sebastian Cooper, the Marquess of Marbury, as he is forbidden to see his mother at the young age of ten. Soon after his mother dies after having lived an abusive life and Sebastian is astranged from his father. After graduating from university Sebastian tells his father he is going to fight in the war and his father disowns him. His father, the Duke of Hardwick takes in his friends child and discovers that Hadley Hampton is a girl instead of a boy. In this book you don't know who to cheer more for Sebastian or Hadley. Both characters are strong, yet vulnerable. Both were raised mostly alone and are in need of love. This is definitely one of those books where you can't wait to see what happens. And leave it to Alexa Aston to through in a surprise along the way to keep you guessing. I would definitely recommend this book as well as the other books in the series.

This was the final break. Having survived an abusive tyrant of a father, Sebastian Cooper, Marquess of Marbury is leaving for the Military. As he leaves the estate, he passes the carriage which holds his future. Hadley Hampton is an orphan. Thirteen years of age and arriving at the home of her father’s friend. But, she will not and does not allow the Duke to browbeat her or speak down to her. By standing up for herself, she earns not only his respect, but his love.
Many years later, the Duke has passed and Sebastian must return to run the estate. He just doesn’t realize that the woman his father took as his ward, is as competent as she is beautiful. The two dance around each other and eventually, Hadley must make a heart wrenching decision to leave. Will Sebastian finally realize that his happiness and his future is Hadley as his Duchess?
This was such a wonderful story to end the series.

I was a bit disappointed with Duke of Honor, especially after having read the other books in this series. Though I liked Sebastian well enough, Hadley was difficult to keep on liking after something that happened later on in the book. If they had just communicated, the book would have been better, and I really dislike when miscommunication is the main conflict. The book was also kind of boring, with past characters having way too much of an influence and space in this story.

2.5 stars.

Duke of Honor by Alexa Aston is part of the Dukes of Distinction series, which started out with rogues' stories and now have come around to the story of a war hero. Lady Hadley Hampton, thirteen, had arrived at Hardwell Castle the same day its heir, Sebastian Cooper, Marquess of Marbury had departed. She saw him riding away from the window of her coach and was immediately in love. He rode away, not noticing her, but with a heart hardened against his father, who had been a miserable lout all of his life. Although the duke was surprised that Hadley was a girl, no the boy he expected, they dove right into a life that saw many changes for the old duke, as his heart softened with Hadley a part of it. When he finally was ready to die, she wrote to his son, whom she had come to know over the years by reading his letters to his father, letting him know. War had been hard on him, she knew, but she also knew that he had a bright future in front of him.

Sebastian arrived and the first person he met was Hadley, repairing a fence. He heartily disapproved if the men's clothing she was wearing and wondered who she was. That moment began a dance that would last many months until each of them had their feelings worked out. War had been hard on him. He would never be able to love; he was too scarred, and unwilling to share himself. Hadley believed the worst of him and ran. They were the perfect match, everyone of their acquaintance knew it, but they eventually kept still. As Sebastian was riding around England, reviewing his properties, he ran into Hadley's efforts everywhere. She had done a magnificent job managing them at the same time she was caring for his dying father. This was a poignant love story, showing PTSD and misunderstandings at their worst. Even Wellington had to involve himself to set them straight. It was a wonderful read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Duke of Honor by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dukeofhonor

I enjoyed this book. I didn’t realize going into it that it was a series. I definitely plan the summer on going back and reading the rest of the series. It’s always great to find a new romance author, especially foru summer! I love a strong female character and a man with emotions

I have been waiting for Sebastian's story, having read the previous books in the series, and it did not disappoint. Despite his unfortunate childhood and horrifying experiences in the war against Napolean, Sebastian, now the Duke of Hardwick, is still a man of honor. He could have turned out a tyrant like his father, but the early influences of his mother have remained with him over the years. Thinking that he was so estranged from the late Duke, Sebastian did not expect the old man to read the letters that he wrote from the battlefront, in which he poured his heart out. Little did he realize that his father's young ward would not only demand to keep his letters but to read them to his father as well. Through his descriptive passages, Lady Hadley recognizes Sebastian's heart and falls in love with him, even though she has only had one glimpse of him. Returning home after his father's death, Sebastian discovers the young woman who has been running his estates in his absence, but with the secrets he is keeping, he cannot allow himself to have feelings for her. This romance is painful in parts but as with the rest of the series, it is deeply romantic, as Hadley once again takes matters into her own hands to reach out to the broken man. The novel comes to a romantic and heartwarming conclusion, thereby wrapping up this series. I received a copy of this book as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.