I often go into historical romance droughts, going months before I pick another one up.  Lorraine Heath's book always makes me wonder why I put them aside for other sub-genres.

I loved the premise of this book.  A ducal heir who's lost it all because of his treasonous father and the home office spy whose reputation takes some serious damage because of that same man.  Both are trying to determine who is behind the plot that landed them in the situation they are in.  Rather than work alone, they team up and find more than those who are plotting against the Queen.

I loved Esme.  I loved that she worked for the Home Office as a spy.  I loved that she could very easily put anyone in their place.  But what I really loved was watching her slowly letting Marcus in.  She was so gun shy about him and her feelings, yet she couldn't fit the chemistry they had.  The pull towards Marcus and her internal conflict about it was very real and made their relationship so much more enjoyable.

Marcus was a man who was shoved down a few pegs when his father's activities destroyed their family.  His brother and sister may have moved on with their lives, but Marcus was left grappling with what his father did, the stain of it on his own reputation and the drive to find out why.  He wasn't the pampered heir any longer and it showed.  But sometimes left puts you in a situation that shows you the path to redemption.  He was looking to restore his name, but in the end he found his soul.  It wasn't a title that Marcus needed, but a woman who challenged him and was an equal partner in all things.  He definitely wouldn't have been happy with a society wife.  Marcus needed a partner who wasn't afraid to tell him when he was wrong or show him she could do it better.

This was the third book in this series, but it can be read as a standalone without being lost.  If you haven't picked up a historical romance in a while, definitely pick this one up.  You won't be disappointed.

First a very big thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I love Lorraine Heath’s books, she always delivers a historical romance that is deep, filled with tension, chemistry, and steam that comes off the pages, and on more than one occasion has made me cry with the beautiful stories she weaves.

The Return of the Duke did not disappoint and had all those things in spades.

This is the 3rd story in the Once Upon a Dukedom series about an heir who lost his dukedom because his sire was part of a plot to assassinate the queen. Our heroine happens to be his sire’s former mistress who secretly works for the home office as a spy to uncover and stop treasonous plots.

Danger is Esme’s stock-in-trade and Marcus was not one to be trifled with. So, these two don’t trust each other but they’re both forces to be reconned with, so when they team up to find the truth lust turns to deep-rooted chemistry they can’t ignore.

“But why inflict pain upon yourself when it’ll bring me unbridled joy to do so in your stead.”

“We’re not about to become friends, are we?” “Don’t be absurd.” “All right then.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know?” “Lack of curiosity has killed a good many more.”

“So, we’ll enjoy hell together.” And he reclaimed her mouth.

“It’s the way you prowl through the throng like a ravenous tiger. You make all the other men look dull and unexciting.”

As you can see the dialogue is delicious, how these two would banter back and forth really makes you fall in love with the characters, and the spy trope with an assassination plot had me devouring this book in only 2 days and why I must give it 5 stars.

The Duke of Wolfford has been hanged for his role in a plot to assassinate Queen Victoria. His title, lands, and fortune have been seized by the Crown.

In an effort to restore his family’s honor, the Duke’s eldest son, and former heir to the dukedom, Marcus enlists the aid of his father’s mistress to find his co-conspirators..

Their journey will lead them into danger and deception, but can it also lead them to love?
Recommended. #TheReturnoftheDuke #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

After tragedy hits Marcus’s family he goes in search to find out why and who. After he finds out Esme is not who he thought she was, they partner together to find out the mystery. As they search they find out how great real love can be.

The third and final book in this series answers some of the unanswered questions from the previous two. Esme is an unexpected character. I loved her. Marcus was a very lucky man the day that he confronted her. The Return of the Duke, is a wonderful book and a must read.

In this sexy historical romance about an unlikely team who works together to unravel a plot from some evil people who want to kill the queen, Marcus and Esme find themselves drawn to each other even when they don’t want to be.

After seeing a couple of reviews for The Return of the Duke on Goodreads and Facebook, I knew I needed to read it. It was so much fun! I’ve only read one or two historical romances with the spy trope in it, and I definitely want to read more. This was a spicy read that was also full of sweet and tender moments between two wonderful characters. One thing I really love about historical romances is that they’re usually written with the male hero’s perspective; getting a deep glimpse into both Marcus and Esme made the story such an enjoyable experience, and I’m sad it is over!

CW for sexual content, murder, blood.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC of The Return of the Duke
by Lorraine Heath.

To be honest I really wasn't sure that I would enjoy this book once I read the back cover. But once I got into the story I was proven wrong I really did enjoy this book. I had to admit sometimes I don't like when there is a strong heroin but I found myself rooting for her the entire book. And I had to sympathize with the hero in this story. He was blamed for what his father did and I'm not going to give away the ending but I was not something that I expected. I kind of like that it had both of our main characters working as a team and not one dominating the other. There was no proving each other's worth there was definitely a sense of equality when it comes to their strength they were definitely meant for each other there is no doubt about it. I would recommend this book to anyone that is never read from this author. Then again she is definitely one of my top 10 favorite authors that I always go to and I always look forward to when she has a book that comes out. I was given an advance copy from netgalley,so this is a review of my honest opinion and I would definitely recommend this book.

I have been following the family from the author’s previous series and couldn’t wait to read the story about the disgraced duke’s eldest son. Ms. Heath did not disappoint! I loved the strong, clever, independent heroine, Esme. There was so much depth to her character. I also grew to love and appreciate Marcus. He was not very likable when I met him in previous books, and so I enjoyed how Ms. Heath let us into his head. The storyline took some unpredictable twists and turns, that kept me turning pages when I should have being doing other work. I also enjoyed visiting with the characters from other books and series - especially the Trewloves. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the wrap-up of the series and characters.

Lorraine Heath is a mind blowing author. "The Return of the Duke" is part of her series of Once Upon A Dukedom. I received an ARC of this fabulous story from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Marcus Stanwick used to be the heir to a Dukedom until it was all taken away from him because of his traitorous father who was plotting to assassinate the queen. Esme Lancaster was this same traitor's mistress. Marcus wants to prove his father was innocent and requires the help of Esme to learn more about the nature of their relationship. Esme is in fact not what she appears to be. This storyline is captivating and the search for justice and vengeance is enthralling. Ms. Heath lures her readers in with her vivid characterizations and descriptive language.  An amazing story!

I really enjoyed this book! It neatly ties the series together. Lorraine Heath really bring the stream and angst in this one! The Duke is indeed back!

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 is about Marcus's brother Griffin. This book also connects to the previous series, Sins For All Seasons, in which Marcus's sister is the heroine of book six. All the 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. Great conclusion to the series!

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

Steam: 4

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

I usually enjoy Heath, but this one felt sort of a rollercoaster.

At the beginning, I was very thrown off that the love interest might have been the hero’s father’s mistress (though that was explained later).

My main gripe was the writing itself: it did not feel like other Heath’s I had read, and the actual sentence structure bothered me. This could be because it was an ARC, and this is completely a personal preference - but a lot of the time, with so many run on sentences back to back, it actually took me out of the story. Again, it wasn’t as familiar as her other books have felt.

The romance was cute, and though it was a bit heavy handed at times, I enjoyed the plot of the assassination and spies. Though I definitely enjoyed the book more by the end, something about it was forgettable this time around. But, we know, I’ll be reading more of Heath in the future.

Thank you to Avon Books for providing me an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Lorraine Heath brings this trilogy to an exciting close. A strong dark hero and a heroine with secrets, what could be better? Elements I thought the author handled very well: the development of the characters and their secrets, the action scenes, and the evolution of the relationship. Their enemies to lovers story was well developed and believable. I also loved the spycraft included in the story. Including Queen Victoria in the story added an unusual twist and held my interest. Will you guess the villain in the story? It's worth reading! Definitely held my interest, I couldn't put it down.

**I received an ARC in return for a review. My opinion is my own.

This is the final book in this series.
When his father, the Duke of Wolfford, is hanged for an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, Marcus Stanwick is stripped of everything. Vowing to return honor to his family, he seeks to expose the others involved in the treasonous plot and bring them to justice. His search forces him to turn to a woman he despises for her unforgiveable betrayal—a woman known as the heartless harlot.
Harboring secrets, Esme Lancaster has her own reasons for wanting to discover who’s behind the conspiracy that’s still afoot. She doesn’t trust Marcus but can’t deny the handsome devil makes her wonder if she does indeed possess a heart, one he could very easily steal.
As their hunt for the truth leads them into danger, Marcus finds Esme isn’t cold and calculating as he’d assumed but fire and brimstone, with courage and determination to match his own. Soon, they’re unable to deny their growing desire for each other. But giving into temptation comes at a cost, and they must decide if love is worth the risk of losing their one chance for redemption.
This is a very good book full of misunderstandings and love.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

When his father is hanged for treason, Marcus loses everything including a dukedom he was to inherit. In his pursuit of who else was involved in this plot to kill the queen, he comes across the beautiful lady spy Esme. Together they work to find others that still may want to kill the queen. I thought this book could have come to it’s conclusion a lot faster, though I did enjoy the twists in the plot. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for my honest review.

I’m a huge fan of the historical romance genre and when you add a bit of thriller to it…..how can I not be intrigued? This book was definitely different from many books in this genre. It was a great blend of thriller and romance. Marcus and Esme had great chemistry. I liked the development of their relationship and thought it was handled well. I would definitely recommend this book!

Received an advanced copy from the publisher.

A historical romance romp with an engaging spy thriller subplot?! I loved this entry in an A+ series. Marcus has been a background character in the first two books and it was great to see him move to the forefront as he tries to find an identity for himself after his father's treason. Esme was a goddamn delight of a heroine, absolutely sure of herself and strong to a fault. The assassination plot was engaging enough that I didn't mind when we spent time on it rather than the romance (the true test of a historical with a spy/mystery element) but the relationship between these two was special. I loved the hat tip to history with Queen Victoria and the medical mystery (definitely look into the real story for the sadder truth) and I cannot wait for more books in this lovely series.

Loved the conclusion of the Once Upon a Dukedom series and have been waiting for Marcus’ story. This one did not disappoint. As Marcus and Esme grow closer, secrets are revealed and things are not as they seemed. It was so easy to cheer for these characters and hoping they don’t allow old hurts keep them from what they each deserve.

This is a must read from Lorraine Heath, especially if you’ve been curious of what Marcus has been up to. His story will have you swooning.

Lorraine Heath is an auto read for me and I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in the Once Upon a Dukedom series. This is the story of Marcus Stanwick. He was born and raised to be a duke until his father was involved in a plot against Queen Victoria. The family titles and land were forfeited to the crown. Trying to solve who else was in on the plot and return his family honor he seeks out Esme Lancaster. Actually I found Esme the more interesting character. She isn’t what he is expecting at all. It turns out she is also working for the Home Office and gathering information on the plot as well. She is trained in spy craft, weapons and defense. In a surprising move Heath has written a mystery adventure.

Working together they come up with a plan that will using the Queen herself as bait. The story also allows appearances of Marcus’s sister Kathryn and brother Griffin who were leads in other books. I like that Heath creates her own world of London where characters from other books and series make appearances in various novels. I missed the humor of the other books in the series but found the mystery well plotted although predictable. I also liked the authors notes in the back explaining where she got the ideas for spy tricks that would have been available as well as Esme’s medical condition. It is unusual for heroines in historical romances not to be able to have children.

An added kudos for the covers of all three books in the series. They’ve been beautiful and look like the characters descriptions. Although this isn’t my favorite book in the series I still gladly recommend it to readers of historical romances. The characters are smart and there is the right amount of passion. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Everything you thought you knew was wrong. A mistress is not a mistress at all, but really in search of the same truths a ruined heir searches for. Marcus, formerly the heir to a duke, is without his titles, lands, or money after his father is found to be a traitor to the crown. He finally turns to his father's mistress for clues on where to find the origins of the murderous plot. And of course, they end up working together to find the real source. Loved it so very much. Delightfully twisty and turny.