Marcus Stanwick and Esme Lancaster meet under unusual circumstances. He knows her as the heartless harlot and finds her encased in red ready to go to war or seduce him.
Instantly they are attracted to each other but it seems like the worst time and illogical person to be attracted to.
Marcus wants to find out about the fall from grace his family took due to his father's betrayal and needs Esme's help.

I enjoyed the book quite a bit till about 40% but not beyond. The way the story is pushed just using 2 people has always failed to catch my attention and is in general not my cup of tea. The intrigue aspect of the story was not done well. It wasn't particularly interesting. She seems to give up information about herself to Stanwick for no apparent reason. They are always thinking about each other which got on my nerves. Don't they have to think about food or solving the issue. Sigh!

Lorraine Heath is another of my favorite historical romance authors. I love the intrigue and her characters. I do admit, when I first started reading this one, I was debating on whether to keep reading or not. I wasn't sure that I cared to read the book for way things started off, but that all ended up being part of the story and I am glad I continued reading.

This story revolves around Marcus, the former heir to the Duke of Wolfford, who has had everything taken from his family after his father is declared a traitor, and Esme who is a strong, secretive, bold women. They are both looking for the same answers and start working together despite Marcus' original animosity towards Esme.

As I mentioned, this story was intriguing, and I love how characters from her previous stories come to play. I kept having to pull out my Goodreads and looking up her past books to see if I had read some of the other characters stories (I had). It's fun to see some of the old favorite characters again (I especially loved seeing Beast and Althea again since their book is one of my favorites of Lorraine Heath's books).

I definitely recommend this story to those to like historical romances that take place during the Victorian era.

I voluntarily read and reviewed The Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Since his father, the Duke of Wolfford, was hanged as a traitor after an attempt on the life of Queen Victoria, Marcus Stanwick and his two younger siblings were stripped of their titles, wealth and way of life. Raised to be the heir and later a duke himself, Marcus has struggled to find his footing for the past year, delving into London’s seedy underbelly in search of the others involved in the treasonous plot, determined to bring them to justice and restore at least a scrap of his family’s honor. After a year of searching has yielded mostly dead ends, he’s forced to turn to the woman who disgusts him most, a lady known as the heartless harlot.

Esme Lancaster is a woman full of secrets, but she also wants to discover the truth about the plot against the queen for her own reasons. She doesn’t trust Marcus, but she can’t help her attraction to him, and he does begin to make her wonder if her heart isn’t as frozen as she thought.

As Marcus and Esme team up to learn the truth, their search leads them into dangerous situations and Marcus realizes Esme is far from the cold and conniving woman he thought her to be. She’s just as determined and courageous as he is, a perfect match for him, and soon neither can deny their mutual desire. But even as they give in to that draw, they both know their relationship can only be temporary and they must decide if the potential for heartbreak is worth the risk to explore a connection like neither has ever known.

This book made my heart happy. My family is going through a particularly difficult time at the moment and this book has provided me with a happy escape just when I needed it, and I savored the reading of it. The suspense here kept my attention, and the romance was on point. Shockingly, I even loved the initial coolness Marcus understandably had towards Esme. I think this aspect gave their relationship extra depth and really made the development of trust and love between them something special. This was also bolstered by Esme’s isolation and the wall she’d kept around herself for so long, hesitant to trust anyone, until Marcus came in and chipped away at it. Marcus’ diligent pursuit of answers and some sort of restoration of his family name made it impossible not to root for him. Similarly, Esme’s unconventionality as a heroine made it impossible not to want her to have her HEA, especially after all the struggles she had to face. I didn’t even mind having a slight separation between these two at the end because Esme’s insecurities were well-founded, it actually was a show of just how much she loved him, and it didn’t last long on the page. There was a wealth of growth and development demonstrated by two MCs who had never experienced love and never thought they’d have a chance to. This book was probably the highlight of the series for me, and I loved seeing Marcus and his family get their happy endings and be restored to a place of stability. This book left me with a happy little sense of hope that I really needed right now, and I’ll be hunting for a physical copy now to put on my comfort reads shelf.

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

I was so looking forward to this concluding book in the series since I had so enjoyed the earlier two books so much. Marcus had grown and endeared himself to me as he tried to get to the truth behind his father's betrayal of all the Duke had held dear. In his search he finally comes to his father's reputed mistress.
Esme is not what she seemed. It appeared she has been playing a part much in the way that Marcus's father was playing a part. From a rocky start, the two find a way to collaborate to achieve their common objectives and find love along the way. It felt strange to me that Marcus would find his HEA in the woman who was reputed to be his father's mistress notwithstanding that the author has painted that chapter white and said nothing physical happened between the mistress and the Duke.
The truth of course is stranger than fiction as Marcus and Esme chase down clues and face danger head on in search of answers. In this story truth is definitely stranger than fiction. I just found the entire plot a bit unbelievable.

3.5 stars rounded up

When I initially started this book, I had very little hope I would enjoy it. It’s not always easy for me to connect with the sullen, angry hero with something to prove, and Marcus is that guy, for sure. But Esme… Esme was harder to forget. So I pushed through all the weird thoughts Marcus had about his father’s former mistress, and I ended up really enjoying where this book went! Spies, gadgets, and a plot to kill the Queen? All exciting enough to create a backdrop for this love story between Marcus and Esme. Lots and lots of chemistry, and a decent amount of Griff and Althea, which made my heart happy. I’m not sure the angst in this title is enough to stand alone, I feel like you at least need Griff’s book, but I do think it’s a great continuation.

I was very anxious for the conclusion of the mystery that involves the betrayal of Marcus, Thea and Griffin's fther and I was happy with the choice of the romantic partner for Marcus. He always intrigued me and meeting a woman who overcame my curiosity about him was amazing.

Great choice by Lorraine Heath and great story.

My thoughts about this book are all over the place. The title is super catchy. I liked that Esme is older and can kick some serious ass. I loved that this is probably one of Ms. Heath's steamiest books. I also loved the cameos of previous characters.

But I struggled with Marcus. I wanted him to be darker, more capable, and angrier based on glimpses of him in the first two books. He was a bit lacking. The one I had the most difficulty with was the lengthy role of a real-life historical character in the story. I also knew right away about the identity of the Big Bad. I guess I want my mysteries to be mysterious and my suspense stories suspenseful.

Having said all that, I'm still looking forward to the upcoming series about the Chessmen.

“It had been a good long while since she’d been tempted by any man to do anything other than what was required of her. He was temptation, dark temptation, wicked temptation. In the end, probably a devastating temptation, one that could fracture hearts, if a lady had a heart to fracture.”

This book tells the story of a fallen heir who is down on his luck and his plan to clear his family name so that they may one day be welcomed back into upper class society. The beginning of this book opens with Marcus Stanwick confronting his deceased father’s mistress, Esme Lancaster, but he soon learns that everything he thought he knew may not have been the truth.

This story features an older heroine (she is 33) and a younger hero (he is 30) which I loved. Esme is so strong-willed and can handle herself as well as any man, but she is lonely and at a bit of a stalemate where her career is concerned. With no new leads on the threat to Queen Victoria’s life, she and Marcus begin working together to try to take down whomever is plotting an assassination.

The push and pull between these two was something else. They spend so much time fighting their feelings for one another, but they have such intense chemistry. Esme is tough and can stand on her own, but she melts for Marcus. I absolutely loved the relationship that was built between these two. Marcus can’t help but feel protective and attracted to Esme and I love seeing a hero fall so hard for a woman when he was least expecting it. I felt like these two complimented each other so well. Also, while I enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers trope, I was really glad to see that aspect didn’t play out too long and drag out before our main characters began working together.

This book was so readable and not just because of the romance, but the plot and intrigue really kept me interested and engaged. I couldn’t stop reading. I believe this is my first historical romance with a spy heroine and I really enjoyed that aspect.

While it is probably not really necessary, I highly recommend reading the other two books in this series just so you get the full backstory and fallout of Marcus’ family and everything they endured. I really enjoyed seeing glimpses of characters I loved from the previous books. This was another fantastic story from Lorraine Heath. I love her writing and wild plots and her romances are always so swoony and romantic. I look forward to reading more.

Lorraine Heath's 3rd and final book in Once Upon a Dukedom series, which can be read alone, but why? Her books are usually very quick paced with many moments of levity. This book features some characters from previous books too, so well worth the read - but not necessary.

Marcus has fallen quite far in his life - born once into a powerful Dukedom, his family with Royal backing, he loses it all when his father is hanged for treason. A year later we find Marcus attempting revenge, outing the people that worked with his father, wanting their fate to match his father's.

He comes to Esme Lancaster in his quest, known as the "Heartless Harlot" supposed mistress of his father - however as with any good story, that is not quite the case. As they start discovering the extremes of the treason scandal, they each have their own motives and neither trust each other.

I really enjoyed this book! There was so much chemistry and attraction, they were constantly at odds, but always after each other. The angst was delicious. They are both well written characters and a little older (33/30) which I really liked as well, and I feel you don't often see. It's definitely what I would call a Spy Romance Novel - there is some great intrigue that plays into the romance as they get to know each other bit by bit.

Definitely a great read! And one I will read again in the future. I love that enemies to lovers trope!

All opinions are my own and freely given.

While the book started a little slow for me, the ensuing adventure and relationship was worth it. In summary, a fun, romantic adventure.

One of my favourite things about Lorraine‘s work is the way she interconnects her stories and series so well. And this book is no exception!

Throughout the series we’ve been following the fallout from the Duke of Wolfford’s act of treason and it’s affect on his children. In this last book we finally get the heir, Marcus’ story and his HEA!!!

Shockingly, Markus finds his HEA with his father’s former mistress, the beautiful Esme… whom he eventually teams up with to unravel the history and mystery of his fathers transgressions.

As always Lorraine weaves together all the plot points and delivers a series finale that makes you smile. I love the tension between Esme and Marcus and their forbidden attraction to each other. This enemies to lovers plot definitely was not what I had envisioned for Marcus!

Overall, this wrapped up the series well, but it did not capture me as much as the previous books in the series. What it did do, was get me excited for the next spin off series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


#TheReturnoftheDuke #LorraineHeath #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

This was another great historical romance from Lorraine Heath, full of great characters, that I would definitely recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I forgot how cumbersome Lorraine's writing can be at times, But even with having to slog through her dense writing as times, I enjoyed this story for the most part. Not my favorite tropes, but the passion and heart was palpable between the two MCs.

Lorraine Heath strikes again in this third installment of her Once Upon a Dukedom series. This book has a heavy plot that I think those who love the aspect of mysteries and spies in their historical romance will love.

First off, I read the beginning of this book thinking she's his father's ex-mistress...how is this going to work?! Don't you worry about that, trust me it works itself out. Esme and Marcus bring all the hot and bothers to the page, most especially with Marcus taking to task the fact that Esme has never had a man bring her to the pinnacle of pleasure. Marcus and Esme's banter is spot on and what really made me love their relationship.

I ended up taking one star off because I absolutely loved the first two books in this series, but this one just seemed like the assassination plot weighed down their romance instead of enhancing it like some plots can. At the end of the day, I just wanted more of our couple together instead of figuring out this mystery that I couldn't really bring myself to care about for some reason.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The above opions are my own.

Listen, I have never had a bad time reading a book by Lorraine Heath. The Return of the Duke picks up the story of the story of the heir of the disgraced Duke of Wolfford who was tried and hanged for treason. Unlike his younger siblings, Marcus has not been able to move on from his father's betrayal. He is obsessed with revenge and finding his father's co-conspirators, refusing any chance at a normal life until his quest is done. Marcus' unlikely ally is none other than his late father's mistress Esme.
One thing I love about Lorraine Heath, she's not afraid to pull her punches. This book is full of spies and intrigue, taking us from dark secret tunnels under London all the way to Queen Victoria's drawing room. My biggest criticism of this book is the pacing. We spend about 70% of the book slogging through Esme and Marcus investigating dead ends and deciding whether they trust each other. All the action and plot felt rushed in the last quarter of the book. I also had a hard time liking Marcus. He spends so much of the book bulldozing into Esme's life and doing whatever he wants without listening to her, I wanted a little more growth from him. Overall, The Return of the Duke was a fine continuation of the series. Not my favorite of the three, but still worth a read if you enjoyed the other two books.

I can always count on Lorraine Heath books to get me out of a slump. The Return of the Duke is the third book of the Once Upon a Dukedom series and I loved it.

Marcus Stanwick is working to return honor to his family and expose whoever else was involved in the plot to take his father / family down. His search leads him to the one woman he knows hurt his family - his father's mistress...or so he thinks.

Esme has secrets and reasons for wanting to discover who is behind the conspiracy to kill the queen. When she comes face to face with Marcus, she is definitely attracted but she can't trust him with any of her secrets.

Despite all of that, they quickly realize that they should be working together and they quickly find themselves fighting hard to ignore the attraction they feel for one another but that isn't easy and have to decide if love is worth the risk of losing what each of them have been working to do for a long time.

I loved how the relationship built and eventually changed for these two. It was clear they had some difficult decisions to make in terms of what was most important to them and how they could / would make things work.

If you're looking for a great historical romance, I recommend this series and if you haven't read the other books yet, go read those first but make sure you wrap up with this one. I can't wait to read more from Lorraine Heath!

Marcus Stanwick was stripped of everything, when his father, the Duke of Wolfford, was hanged for treason. Vowing to expose others involved in the assassination plot, he turns his sights on Miss Esme Lancaster. Marcus believes that Esme was his father’s mistress, but she’s not what he believes. Esme has her own reasons for wanting to know more about the conspiracy, but can they trust each other long enough to get to the bottom of things?

This is the third book in the Once Upon a Dukedom series. It stands alone fairly well, but the first book in this series is about Marcus’s brother Griffin. There is also a connection to the previous series, Sins For All Seasons, in which Marcus’s sister is the heroine of book six and the Stanwick family is introduced. All of those characters make small appearances.

I really loved this story! I find most Lorraine Heath books to be winners, and this definitely falls into that category. I thought the characters were really interesting and the plot drew in right from the start. Marcus and Esme had a great back and forth, until they finally were able to trust each other. There were some twists and turns that kept me from figuring out the ending too easily. Great conclusion to the series, and bring on the Chessmen!

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Revenge, Spy/Govt Work, Secret Job, Fake Relationship

~ Leslie

I’m disappointed to say this book fell flat for me. I wasn’t a fan of either of the main characters nor did I like them together as a couple. On top of that, the plot didn’t engage me. I love Lorraine Heath’s books, but The Return of the Duke wasn’t for me. If you’re a fan of Lorraine Heath or historical romance books with the spy trope, I encourage you to check this book out!

In the final book of the Once Upon A Dukedom series, Marcus seeks the proof of those responsible for his father’s treason. He goes to his father’s mistress, to search for clues and she reveals truths he didn’t see coming.

What a magnificent book! An assassination plot of the Queen that is reminiscent of “Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate” sets us up on a deeply emotional, sensual romance between an agent of the Crown and a ruined duke. There’s intrigue, mystery, clues, and smoldering passion. Simply sublime!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book. I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.