My first experience reading Minerva Spencer was actually with the first book in the series, The Boxing Baroness, and once I'd devoured that book, I knew I was hooked on a new author. The Dueling Duchess does not disappoint. As a lover of character driven stories, this was a fantastic follow up to book one in terms of storytelling. While book one has a bit of a focus on a nefarious villain plot, book two manages to balance that out by shifting the focus from a questionable villain to how our Hero and Heroine manage to deal with the outcome.

Gaius Darlington, by all accounts, should be embarrassed after losing his legacy and his fortune. Instead, he makes a plan to get back into the good graces of Cecile Tremblay, the new own of the women's circus. And boy does he manage to prove himself. It was refreshing to read about a man who pulls himself up and puts focus where focus should belong, even if we did know that the actual villain in this story was a villain from the get go. But that's another aspect of the story that sorts itself out beautifully!

Cecile as a character was hilarious and frustrating to read because she's the epitome of shooting herself in the foot just for a bit of pride. I didn't give it a full five starts because I like she could have managed to do a tiny bit of groveling in the end, but I was still very happy with how they finally came together.

Guy on his end was amazing. I was honestly reminded of Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Ragnarok and Love & Thunder in terms of mildly ridiculous antics combined with actual gumption to get things done. If it wasn't for him, I think I would have flew through this book, instead of putting it down time after time so I could actually savor it (which is not something I have ever done with a book!).

There is also an point I would love to note about adorable child side characters that I just don't see enough of in books.

If you love groveling, this book is for you!

As a Duke, Guy Darlington has his future mapped out pretty simply: marry a wealthy heiress, secure the running of the dukedom for future generations. Pretty easy, except when you add Cecile Tremblay to the mix!

Cecile Tremblay is a renowned markswoman, gunsmith and the ringleader for an all female circus- definitely not duchess material. But when Guy ends their fling to marry his wealthy heiress, she takes it personally.

So you can imagine the amount of grovelling needed when Guy falls from grace, literally losing his dukedom and comes crawling back to Cecile to work for her circus and earn her heart back!

This book was such a fun change from the first in the series, which was very situation based, where this one is fully relationship and character based. I love how Spencer brings us back-and-forth in the history of the characters timeline to tell their story as they strive for their HEA. It was such an emotional journey, watching Cecile find a way to forgive Guy for disappointing her like all the other men in her life. And on the flipside, it was very rewarding to watch Guy find his own self-worth outside of the dukedom, and become a man worthy of Cecile.

Excellent storytelling and the romance for the ages! I can’t wait for the next story to come out of this fantastical fair!

Thanks to Kensington books for my e-book review copy. Opinions are my own.

I had previously read Spencer’s Rebels of the Ton series and absolutely hated them so I was very apprehensive picking up The Dueling Duchess - however I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised with this read and will definitely give the other books in the series a go!

My biggest issue with the Rebels of the Ton series was that Spencer had great concepts - with flawed characters and plots that were a bit different from your traditional historical romance - but her characters were so unlikeable that it made me not want to root for them. This series she has clearly fixed that - while our hero, Gaius Darlington, starts off as a bit of a jerk, he is charming enough to win you over. This story is a second chance romance and Gaius could’ve been made to be the worst but Spencer does a good job of redeeming him - I ended up really like him in the end, especially when he learned from his mistakes and truly tried to make amends for them. I also loved Cecile - I found her to be a unique and badass heroine though I wish the author hadn’t taken the “French women are inherently more free with sexuality” stereotype that is common in the historical romance genre.

I enjoyed the flashbacks in this story to give us a bit of context into Cecile and Gaius’ fractured relationship and that a portion of the story takes place in France. Also the flashbacks contained a few steamy scenes and DAMN WERE THEY STEAMY! Which is good because the latter half of the novel has less steam since Gaius is trying to get Cecile to forgive him for his past mistakes. I enjoyed the banter between Cecile and Gaius immensely and this made up for the lack of steam in the second part of the book.

I will say that while I enjoyed the book overall, the first half carried the story and the second half fizzled out a bit. I was expecting a lot more drama at the end with Cecile’s family and gun business and it just… didn’t really pan out. What was the point of introducing her cousin? I was expecting a big showdown or a big sinister bad guy move by her cousin and instead it felt like Gaius and Cecile solved their relationship problems and then shrugged their shoulders about the rest of it. Also Cat, the little orphan child they take in more then halfway through the story, was completely unnecessary as.a character and plot device.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and found it was well written with a very different plot than most historical romances (it takes place partly in France and partly in an all woman circus!) and our leads were likeable with lots of chemistry. I am very excited for Blade and Eliot’s story in the next book and will definitely be picking it up as their side romance was a highlight for me.

I struggled a bit with this book but only because it had 2 themes that aren’t my favorite type of read. I don’t really enjoy flashbacks and the first portion of the book was a telling of what had happened earlier in our hero and heroines journey. It’s also hard for me when I’m reading a story of anger and much of the book has Cecile very angry with Guy and once she finally lets go of her anger he makes another misstep. Thankfully they quickly work through the second situation but I was left wanting more. I need a few more pages of happiness. It’s a great story and very well written so I was sad that I struggled with it so much

I have liked some of Minerva Spencer's other books, but this one didn't quite connect for me. It was rather long and had a lot of subplots, which detracted a bit from building the main characters' relationship. And clearly the book spent a fair amount of time setting up the story of the next couple in the series. Speaking of, the Disney-esque, preternaturally smart and affectionate raven that belongs to the next book's heroine was just annoying. But anyway. If you're into post-French-revolution HR with strong-silent-type female leads, this one will be right up your alley.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a temporary digital ARC and provide my honest opinions.

This is the second book of The Wicked Women of Whitechapel series. The story has an interesting cast of characters with a unique plot and storyline. Cecile runs an all female circus, which is not something you often come across in the Regency world. Gaius is a duke, who leads a charmed life, until someone claiming to be the heir comes and takes everything from him leaving him with nothing. Cecile had once become involved with Gaius, when he was a duke, but then he left her. Now that he has lost everything, he is back asking for her help. He has also loved her all this time and hopes to gain her forgiveness. She agrees to help him, but on her terms. When assisting him, she plans to teach him a thing or two about honest work and the proper way a woman should be treated.
A very enjoyable and entertaining read and a great addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I typically like books that show off strong women. This book is no exception since Cecile is crazy strong for everything that she went through and is an awesome sharpshooter that means business. I'm glad she was good at her craft and only was verbally tough on her handsome assistant Guy.

Both main characters were definitely down on their luck and had changes in circumstances, but man was their romance a bit frustrating. I wanted to be like, let the poor guy in already.

A couple details left me going ewww (marrying the old Duke underage cousin Curtis) I think those details could have been modified a bit and still gotten the point across without being creepy.

With a bit of fun Circus flair, my favorite non human character was Blade's talking bling stealing raven. I hope they are featured more in future books.

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙨
𝖬𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖺 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋

This is technically the second book in The Wicked Women of Whitechapel series. I have not read the first book, The Boxing Baroness and there is a little crossover of story timelines, but other than knowing that spoiler alert the other two characters end up together, I think you don’t need to read them in order.

The Dueling Duchess follows Cecile Tremblay, a woman who found solace and purpose as a markswoman in the dazzling world of Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre, which she now owns. She ends up entangled with Gaius (Guy) Darlington, the Darling of the Ton, only to be rejected when he choose his duty to the Dukedom over her. Guy, known for his charmed existence, finds his life turned upside down when a long-lost heir emerges to claim his title and possessions. As if that weren't enough, his fiancée abandons him for the same man. Fate intervenes, offering Guy a chance for redemption and true love when he seeks employment from Cecil and her traveling circus.

The chemistry between Cecile and Guy is palpable, and their journey from resentment to understanding will keep you hooked until the end.
Minerva Spencer is a master of historical romance and everything she writes is so well written. This is a bit of a slow burn and you can definitely tell they are setting up the next story in the series as well!

Thank you to Net Galley and

#netgalley #romancereaders #romancebooks #bookstagram #romancereads #romance #romancereadersofinstagram #romancenovels #romancereader #romancenovel #historicalromance #regencyromance #bookaddict #readersofinstagram #romancebookstagram #booknerd #bookstagrammer #readromance #romancebook #minervaspencer #wickedwomenofwhitechapel #duelingduchess

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Poor Gaius Darlington didn't realize until he walked away from Cecile Trembley how true those word were. This story was a long slow burn until Gaius finally grovels his way back into Cecile's good graces. This story is told in three parts and we have to understand them all to fully appreciate their happily ever after. I was beginning to wonder if Cecile would ever forgive him. As it turns out she came up on top like always after everything was said and done. I really enjoyed the journey to their happily ever after.

Cecile Trembley was Marianne Simpson's best friend in book one of this series. She is a marksman, better than most men by far. She grew up working alongside her father who was the gunsmith to King Louis of France. Then the Duc de La Fontaine was their patron. Then came the terror and the Duc was arrested and put in prison. Finally Cecile and her father find an escape to England and visit the Duc one last time. He marries Cecile at the age of 14, making her a duchess before he dies. When they crossed the channel they're caught in a tempest and everyone dies but her and all their possessions are lost. She starts over again with cousin Curtis Blanchard who takes advantage of her. Time passes and she finds herself with the Fantastical Female Fayre. She's now the owner with three silent partners after Marianne's uncle dies.

Gaius Darlington is the "Darling of the Ton" and has unhappily become the Duke when the rest of his uncles and grandfather dies. He has no money to support the family or those depending on him so he's forced to marry an heiress to make ends meet. He meets Cecile while helping his best friend, The Duke of Staunton, Marianne's husband, try to recover his brother Benjamin in France. They eventually have a very satisfying affair until he gets greedy when approaching home. He offers to set her up as his mistress while he marries an heiress. She tells him to take a flying leap! Then his long lost cousin shows up claiming the title of Duke. He gets jilted by his heiress, Helena Carter, when he's got nothing to his name and no title. He's realized by this time he's in love with Cecile and begs her for a job so he can try to get back in her good graces. This starts a chain of events that eventually leads to them being a strong couple and their stations in life radically changed.

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

IF you are searching for a fun & witty romance adventure I have found it! In The Dueling Duchess, there is a strong feminine character, Cecile Trembley, who is an expert markswoman in a circus. She has come a long way since losing everything during the French Revolution. Then when the man the gossip collums call the Darling of the Ton shows up they unexpectedly become entangled, until he returns to his engagement of an heiress.
When things change for Gauis Darlington he returns to the circus and Cecile for help. Guy was used to a life of luxury. Then the long lost heir of his family returns and he has to give up everything. Now Guy must find a way to get the woman he loves to forgive him.
This adventure is so fun. With amazing writing, and just the
right amount of passion & wit. I
am so glad to have discovered this author. I hope all her stories are this amazing. I can't wait to read them all.
I received an ARC of this story and all opinions are my own.

Minerva Spencer is a must-buy for me and I've been enjoying her Wicked-Women-of-Whitechapel series - this second book is a welcome addition to these stories of unique historical heroines set in Regency England. Accepting their unconventional place in society, these women move forward, controlling their own lives. Readers met Cecile and Guy in the first book (The Boxing Baroness) and now it's their chance to shine.

I really enjoyed the weaving of some little-known historical facts and settings into this sexy, emotional story. I also like the second chance at love trope and loved watching it unfold in this story..

I loved this book- I'm not totally sold on the series, but I love Cecile. She's tough but so vulnerable and loving, and I love the way she puts Guy in his place. It's a great love story, and the bananas quotient is reasonable, as opposed to one of the previous books, which was off the charts. I enjoy *some* bananas and this had just the right amount. Great HEA too, overall very good and fun.

This is the story of Cecile Tremblay a French emigrant who came over to Britain as a young girl and is now employed as a sharpshooter for a traveling fair in England. She crosses path with Guy Darlington, the Marquess of Carlisle when he and his two friend gain employment at the fair under assumed identities. Cecile is aware of who Guy is because he is a much talked about person in the ton and she follows the gossip regarding him. Guy has promised his friend, the Duke of Staunton that he will stay away from the staff a the Fair and for about 1 month he and Cecile are successful in not giving into the attraction they both feel for each other. They eventually give in to the passion they feel while traveling to France with the fair but agree that when they return to England their affair will be over. Guy eventually realizes he has feelings for Cecile and he asks her to continue their relationship as his mistress upon their return to England. Suffice it to say, they split up when they reach England and a year passes before they see each other again. Guy has lost his inheritance and returns to the fair which is now owned by Cecile for a job. Their relationship is hampered by the secrets that they each have and aren't willing to share with each other. They will need to go through many situations before they both realize that their attraction is still strong. They have to work through the class differences, financial hardships and their inability to trust each other before they can find their happy ever after. This was a very angsty but steamy romance that will keep you up at night to see if our H/h can find their way back to each other.

I received this story as an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

You never know where a book by Spencer is going to go. Escaping from France during the revolution to England. Years later a mission to France during Napoleon's escape from Elba, and back to England. As part owner of the Farmham's Fantastical Female Fayre in White Chapel, it's Cecile's job as the front woman in charge. She's not afraid of going head to head with any man, especially Gaius Darlington, the Duke of Staunton. Wanting a second chance with Cecile, he's willing to work a lowly job to be close to her, even after losing his title. Believe it or not it makes him happy. No backing out when she shoots a hat off his head. I don't know if oddball characters is the right description, but they are very different and unexpected. Add some humor and it's a great read for an afternoon or an all nighter. Even though counted as a standalone, I recommend reading The Boxing Baroness first.
Explicit open bedroom door.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I am a fan of Minerva Spencer, but I admit, I did not read the first book in this series as the blurb really didn't appeal to me. Well, after reading the Dueling Duchess, I am certainly going back and reading the first book in this series. This book follows Guy and Cecile. It begins with the present, so we know something went wrong with their relationship in the past, because they are not currently together and Guy is engaged to someone else. We don't get a lot of the past in this book, I'm thinking a lot of that is in the first book. But the present in this book will suck you in and you will root for them to figure out how to be together. Both of them make mistakes, but the journey is worth it. LOVED it! Thank you NetGalley and Minerva Spencer for an advanced copy!

Beware: explicit language; explicit sex on page; death of a parent on page; brief incident of fatphobia; mentions of miscarriage; newborn death.

This is the second book in the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, which is based around the stories of women working at Farnham’s Fantastical Femaly Fayre in 1810s London.

I believe one could read this book without having read the first one, and perhaps enjoy it better that way; more on this below.

(Factual error in the blurb: there’s almost a year between their return to England, when she rejected his offer of carte blanche, and when the unknown cousin to show up to claim the dukedom; Guy’s engagement, however, lasted only weeks.)

While the story proper starts very shortly after the events of The Boxing Baroness, the novel’s timeline is non-linear: it opens with a very harrowing prologue set during The Terror, before shifting briefly to the current timeline in 1816; then back once more, to the events of the prior year, as three aristocrats worked as laborers for Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre during its aborted tour of France, before a final switch forward to 1816 for the last, oh, two-thirds of the book.

The prologue is from Cecile’s point of view, and the writing is excellent; if really brings to life how a girl of fourteen would experience the horrors of war, being subject to the machinations of the men around her, and enduring loss after loss after loss, fueled only by the sheer determination to survive.

After such a harrowing opening, the first chapter felt…flat. There’s some infodumping, introducing us to the main characters, plus everyone from the first book and a few others besides, and the circus itself, before going on a much abbreviated rehash of that trip to France during the Hundred Days of 1815.

Most of what happens between Guy and Cecile in France is compressed so much, with key moments from the previous book missing, that I struggled to buy into the setup at the beginning of this book: that almost a year after parting in anger and not seeing each other at all during that time, they are still in love with each other.

Especially because it becomes quite clearly early on, in the current timeline, how little they actually knew each other by the time they returned to England, despite of having spent a good three months basically in each other’s pockets.

At any rate, long after Guy burned his ships with Cecile, a heretofore unknown older cousin shows up and claims to be the rightful heir. Despite repeated offers from both of his friends, one a wealthy and influential duke, the other a Crown agent known for his investigative prowess, to check this man’s bonafides, Guy is basically, “nah, don’t bother; now I can pursue my heart’s desire!”

Which, given the extremes he was ready to go to in order to ‘save the dukedom’, is entirely out of character–unless one buys the depth of his love for her, which I didn’t quite myself at that point; Guy himself reflects at least twice that during their time together they barely talked about anything that mattered to either of them.

They discussed politics, talked about Marianne and Staunton, and Jo and Elliot; they argued over banalities, and had frequent sexual encounters, some going on for hours at a time. Actually getting to know each other? Not really.

Of course the narrative provides after-the-fact rationales for their mutual reticence, and in both cases there are good reasons congruent with their characterization, but I keep going back to: what was Guy so in love with, that he basically shrugged off all the responsibilities that had been the center of his existence for most of his life?

So now that Guy is a mere Mister, with very little money and no property left after setting his mother and unmarried sisters as comfortably as he could, he comes to Cecile for a job, hoping to mend fences and, eventually, gain her back.

Here we see Guy grow into a man with a lot more substance than just the aristocratic duty to the title; he becomes a much more rounded person, who also grows to know himself better. I liked the bits of introspection from his point of view quite a bit.

Cecile struggles with trust; as close as she has been with Marianne, there are large parts of her life that she’s never shared with anyone. Partly because of the pain they bring her, partly because of internalized shame, but mostly because she’s afraid to open herself up to love.

And to help Cecile overcome her issues, the author introduces a plot moppet in the form of an adorable street urchin, and her loyal dog; our protagonists soon bond over how to parent her properly–if informally, as there’s no talk of adoption anywhere.

I was less than thrilled by this development.

Plot moppet of course necessitates the introduction of a governess, which brings in another plot thread to the tangle (and hopefully a future protagonist, because Helen has a lot of potential).

We also get to see quite a bit of Josephine Brown and Elliot Wingate (fair warning: they steal every scene, together or apart; Jo particularly); as well as a few scenes with both Staunton and Marianne, and others, both from the circus and from the ton.

One of the best aspects of the novel is the portrayal of female competence, all the way through.

The writing voice is engaging, and the characters are well written; there is enough detail about their daily lives, the working of the circus, and so on, to help the reader see the protagonists there, surrounded by people in their own right.

I also liked that Guy never cared that Cecile is three or four years older than he is; not only because some of his previous lovers have been older as well, but because he grows to love the whole of her, and not just her beauty and sexual appeal.

Cecile’s own insecurities in this area are believable, not only given Guy’s own physical appeal, but also because, as a titled aristocrat, he would have been expected to marry someone young enough to provide him with several children; at thirty six and counting, in the early 1800s, she would have been considered less likely to be able to bear ‘the heir and a spare’.

However, while I kept reading, I wasn’t as entertained here as I was with the previous book.

There are a number of plot threads, both grand and small, set up early on that are abandoned for most of the book, only to be solved with little fuss at a stroke of the pen. I can take a Deux Ex Machina moment as well as the next avid reader, but having three in rapid succession felt quite unsatisfactory.

More than that, though, my problem stemmed from having this novel veer closer than the first book to the all-too-familiar genre romance structure of petty misunderstandings, right up to the very end; there’s even a threat of another long separation, only averted through well-intentioned meddling.

I was further disappointed by a couple other things; first, a brief instance of fatphobia. Early on, Cecile thinks to herself that “she had to be careful what she ate, it tended to attach itself to her hips and bottom”.

Given the fashionable silhouette at the time (Empire waist line, very short stays, emphasis on freedom of movement), let alone the fashion immediately before, where the aim was to increase the visual difference between the corseted waist and the hips (often achieved through bum rolls and bustles), this concern over weight and size feels thoroughly modern, and is as unwelcome as it’s misplaced.

Second, there were a few repetitions of the same ideas, almost identical in phrasing, from the same character at various points through the story, as well as a few inconsistencies with both characterization and events from the first novel (note that, as I’m reviewing an ARC, these may have been fixed in the published book).

I have a few other quibbles, but they are really minor.

Where does all this leave me? Well, I’m very glad that I read The Boxing Baroness first, and I’m still hooked on the author’s writing voice, but my expectations are now more tempered. This is a good book, it just lacks the little bit of extra magic of the first one.

The Dueling Duchess gets 8.50 out of 10

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance readers copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The story started out so promising, but I felt it never truly delivered. Cecile's harrowing escape from France was adventurous and kept me reading, wanting to know how it turned out. After that I had trouble finishing the book.
Guy and Cecile are nice enough characters, well thought and fleshed out. I just didn't clique with either of them; like I was watching them but not living the story with them. I didn't find them to even be a hot couple, there wasn't spice & chemistry oozing from the pages. I became a little annoyed that more of Cecile's early life in France wasn't pulled out of her by Guy. He's afraid to ask questions, she might get mad at him. Very little curiosity, which didn't help the story. Guy is treated like he didn't exist until he showed up at the fair. While I missed the first book in this series, I think a couple of the secondary characters show promise.
#MinervaSpencer #TheDuelingDuchess #WickedWomenofWhitechapel #netgalley #KensingtonBooks #historicalromance

The Dueling Duchess is the second book in the Wicked Women of Whitechapel Series. I have not read the first in the series so the flashbacks helped me understand a bit more of the dynamics between the main characters but it did get a a little confusing at time. I think I would had a better grasp on the story if I had read the previous book..

That said, I loved the main character of Cecile Tremblay! You can always count on Minerva Spencer to create a female character with a unique background that develops in to an unconventional life. Yes, there are heartaches and tragedies in that background but when in all unfolds the reader sees and understand the reasons that lead to main character's actions, reactions and the power behind the life she builds.

The main male character is Guy Darlington, Duke of Fairview is also known as the Darling of the Ton. He is a classic romance novel's "Man about the Ton" with a sordid reputation and all that goes with it. He is a man who loves his family and honors his duty but in the course of the story he faces his own crisis that leads him back to Cecile.. As the story unfolds, we are allowed to see the reasons behind his devil- may - care bedroom relationships and the outcome of his fall from the Ton. Happily for the reader, he also goes through a maturing process that helps turn Guy into a man who sees beyond his needs and wants. As he matures he realizes how much he loves Cecile. . I wasn't fond of the way her realizes his love for Cecile but it was probably normal for a rogue.

I did enjoy the Dueling Duchess with all the secondary characters who brought to the story a sense of friendship and family as well as an air of mystery.. the original plot line, strong main and secondary characters along with witty banter makes this engaging read. I am going back to read the first in the series and am looking forward to the third book in the Wicked Women of Whitechapel Series.

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: Third person from the hero and heroine
Cliffhanger: No
Epilogue: Yes, 3 weeks later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy in e-book form

Should I read in order?
I picked his one up alone and thought it was fine, BUT the first book (The Boxing Baroness) does establish the girls friendships and the circus (I have heard)

Basic plot:
Cecile runs a successful circus, and when Guy loses everything, he tries to make amends with his lost love, even if that means working for her.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1816)
- London setting
- second chance romance
- circus performer and sharp shooter heroine
- found family
- child in the story
- LGBT positive
- Duke turned commoner hero
- You don’t mind some time jumps to get the full story (it’s not overwhelmingly back and forth – more of a prologue, present day, past, then present day again)
- work place romance- ish??
- touch of other man jealousy
- experienced heroine – she’s had affairs and knows what she likes
- mains in their 30s
- medium steam – 3 full scenes (I might be off?) with some very light praise kink

Ages:
- Heroine is around 36, hero is 32

My thoughts:
So I thought this book was really unique! I liked a lot of the plot line and the characters.

Cecile is very independent, spunky, strong and brave and I enjoyed her quite a bit. She runs an all female circus which I thought was a different career for a Regency woman. She does have a bit of emotional constipation when it comes to Guy but I liked the way they worked it out by the end.

Guy is a duke but finds out who likes him and who likes his title when he loses and becomes a plain mister. He can’t get Cecile out of his mind and when he returns to her, they have some explosive interactions.

I do struggle with second chance. Many times the tension is all fizzled by the time the reader arrives and I’m left with the relationship turmoil that I didn’t get the build up to it. I did like how this one played out in that we were given the past towards the beginning of the story and I wasn’t left wondering. But still….I felt like I was missing all my favorite parts of romance.

There is quite a bit of enemies to lovers feel from Cecile towards Guy. Guy ended the affair badly and Cecile makes him pay for it by being the butt of her jokes in the circus and cleaning all the poop. I haven’t been in love with enemies to lovers lately either because the animosity doesn’t give me feels like it does for some others.

There are also a ton of side characters in this one, which did enhance the story – they really were delightful – but combined with the other things, I just wanted more for their relationship on page. All that is just what I prefer in romance and I don’t think it will bother most others.

<i>*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *</i>

While I'm usually a big fan of the characters in Spencer's books, somehow this one fell a little flat for me. While it was witty as usual, I didn't find myself relating much to our heroine, and the plot seemed to drag on a bit overall.

The time jumps in the book felt a bit disorienting and unnecessary, and the overall pacing was unfortunately quite off with this one.

Also, in relation to the plot, I just didn't find myself relating to or rooting for either of our main characters unfortunately, and that did detract quite a bit from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Also, this contained plenty of my least favourite trope (miscommunication).