Very envoyable historical romance that will make you want to read it in one sitting. The characters were amazing and the author did a brilliant job in making us feel their tension trough the pages.

I loved this book!! It was fabulous and well done. The characters were on point and I thought the plot was well developed. I would recommend this book to others.

This one was just ok for me, it didn't really spark my interest but I did read it completely. The story line seemed more focused on the manhunt than the romance. I would have liked to see Kate and Henry get to know one another more and have more time to fall in love. I really enjoyed the character of Kate, she was a strong woman who didn't let anyone stand in her way. Henry was alright, I'm glad he didn't let anyone tell him who he could be with and didn't let Kate get away. I was surprised by the actions of the uncle at the end of the book, it was a complete 180. Another thing that bothered me was how dramatic the villain was once he was apprehended. That scene reminded me of scooby doo when the villain blames the 'meddling kids'. I did like that more than one couple found love during the story. There wasn't any spice, it was a closed door romance with only mentions of intimacy.

I Love strong female characters, but Kate isn’t one. She was naive, opinionated, full of herself, and like a loose cannon. Henry was captivated by her, and she led him in a merry dance. They forged an unlikely friendship with Daphne, Merlin, and Tom and were able to thwart an assassin. This story was an irritating read with an equally aggravating heroine.

Always enjoy reading Jane Ashford’s latest book. Henry and Kate lead me through their adventures and mystery.

This is Book 5 of the series The Duke's Estates. I haven't read all of the books in the series, but I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. Although, the characters of prior books also appear, so it might be more enjoyable to read in order to get their stories as well.
This was a fun and fast-paced read with a bit of intrigue and mystery mixed in. Kate is accustomed to moving about freely in the embassies of London. But when her famous grandfather passes away, that is no longer the case. Henry is a newbie in the foreign office and wants to make his mark. He and Kate decide to form an alliance so she can show him the ropes and provide her expertise and he can gain her access into important events. As the story progresses, the intrigue, mystery, and romance kept me interested till the end and I enjoyed the banter between Kate and Henry. Quite an enjoyable story!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

4.5 Stars

It took me a while to really appreciate Kate. While I understood her feelings and her wish for more, it just botheted me that she seemed such a whiner. True she didn't have any real guideance or role model and her Grandfather indulged her. He should have sent her to a finishing school. In the end I understood why he didn't. When she applied herself, she was observant, analytical and quick thinking. She liked living on the edge of propriety, always careful to keep at least a toe on the proper side.

Henry I liked much sooner. He was just trying to make the mess of his life into something noble and noteworthy. He has the guideance and role models in his life and sisters he wants to protect. He is a closet adventurer and I think that was what truly drew him to Kate. His bluster was, ultimately, part of his charm.

Together they were a force. A storm. A wall of determination with the desire to see justice done.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this story from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Duke’s Best Friend (The Duke’s Estates #5). By Jane Ashford. 2023. Sourcebooks Casablanca (ARC eBook).

Henry Deeping is the best friend of James Cantrell, the Duke of Tereford, and his wife Cecilia. These two, as well as his love interest Kate Meacham, and others are introduced, or expanded on, in book 4 of The Duke’s Estates and book 5 of The Way to a Lord’s Heart series. It is not necessary to have read these, but it could perhaps help some readers to enjoy those character more. But for me, having read most of the books in both of these series and being used to the large interwoven cast Ashford has been using, I found that I perhaps am growing bored of them. Because the main issue I had with the book is that there is too much time spent on secondary characters and subplots, and not enough of the story devoted on the actual romance. Overall it is an enjoyable book, but not my favorite from Ashford.

Kate grew up with her grandfather, a diplomat. When he died she figured she would take over where he left off. The doors have been closed to her and she finds other means to carry on the work. Henry has just been hired to the Foreign Office and wants more than his entry level position. Kate has ways to obtain information, but needs Henry to help her. They agree to partner and soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that heats things up. Secondary characters help them out and add to the story. Overall a good installment in the series.

Political intrigue abounds in this historical romance.
Kate is an independent woman who isn't afraid to defy social conventions despite the impact on her reputation. Henry, trying to make his make in the Foreign Office leads him to work with Kate unofficially in order to discover the truth about the man they thought had been apprehended in a previous mission.
The mystery took up the bulk of this story. It was slow going and I found myself getting bored with it. The romance was a slow burn but quite charming. Henry seemed to be quite innocent and only became romantically interested in Kate after their first 'accidental' kiss.
So, this was a mixed bag for me. I liked the romance and the mystery but it was quite slow.

I couldn't resist this book based on the description (and the lovely cover didn't hurt either!). But I hadn't read the previous books in the series - nor anything at all by Jane Ashford. So I took time to read at least the first couple of books in the series before diving into this one. I was glad I did - those first two provided enough background for me to feel comfortable here with this one, not constantly wondering about characters and incidents mentioned here. Like the first two books, this one features an intelligent young woman who aspires to a life outside what's expected for her. When Kate's grandfather was alive and a legend in diplomatic circles, she accompanied him frequently and dreamed of a career in her own right. But when he passed away, she found doors rapidly closing on her dreams. When a chance sighting of a man who should be in prison (known to her from events in a previous book) she sees an opportunity to make her name and prove herself capable of being a valuable asset to the Foreign Office. She pulls Henry Deeping into her plans - someone she knows a bit from the aforementioned events in the previous book. Henry is a bit disenchanted with his early days in his new position with the Foreign Office, but also a bit reluctant to agree to her plans, both out of concern for her safety and for his future career. But this is a romance - so of course they're attracted to each other and we all know where things will go and end up. But it's a fun journey getting there - we get to know the characters as they get to know each other, and there are fun bits of history thrown in as well.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

This book is the story of Kate and Henry. Kate is accustomed to roaming embassies and gather all kinds of information and reporting these tidbits to her grandfather who is a big name in the Foreign Office. After the death of her grandfather she’s not supposed to go to these gatherings and parties anymore, since she’s a mere woman, so she feels she’s losing the one thing she’s good at. Henry is a new agent of the Foreign Office and thus new to all the people and the connections. Kate suggest a partnership; he takes her along as his Plus One and she introduces him to all the right people and teaches him some tricks her grandfather taught her.
Kate is a daring person, very independent and not afraid to take action or speak her mind, even impulsive and a bit reckless at times. Henry is much more subdued, the kind of person to wait and see which way the cat jumps. Of course that’s not a problem but I like a hero who at least has self confidence to not think about his appearance, for example!
<i>He felt a familiar sense of eclipse as James sat down. The duke was known as the handsomest man in London. Henry was aware that his own tall, thin figure, pale skin, and dark hair and eyes were not nearly so striking. He looked well enough, but he was no Adonis. </i>
And for an agent of the Foreign Office he’s annoyingly straightforward and hesitant in taking action.
She suggested they pretend to be acquainted, to make their pairing at these gatherings believable, but again Henry is hesitant.
<i>“I don’t know if I could sustain the deception,” he said. </i>
The pace is a bit slow and the relationship is overshadowed by the secondary characters and whatever is going on in their lives. I would have liked a little less of that and a little more time spent on the development of their romance. And I would have liked a hero who is more confident, not one who reacts as friends ask him whether Kate liked his ‘accidental kiss’ with <i>…I think so.</i> Then I would have found it more plausible that a strong woman as Kate would fall in love with a man like Henry.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you are looking for a steamy, sexy romance, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for the story where two characters fall in love despite many obstacles, you will enjoy "The Duke's Best Friend." The story is about a woman who wants to live her own life without being told no because she is a woman. The spy story is fun and engaging. Henry is a "modern" man of Regency Times. I liked this book but felt it could have used more sexual tension between the main characters.

A decent short historical romance. A good bit of mystery in this book with only a little romance which keeps the reader interested throughout

This book was a fast read. It kept me interested the whole time and I couldn’t put it down. I liked the main characters Kate and Henry and their dialogue. Overall a good book!

I haven’t read the other four in the series, but I didn’t feel lost. I just would have known the characters better because I believe they were featured in the other books. This was just ok. I liked the characters, it had some intrigue which kept things interesting, & just a splash of romance. I found this to be a sweet simple historical romance.

The Duke’s Best Friend by Jane Ashford I a fantastic read. It is filled with romance and intrigue.

I really enjoy how Kate is a little like me and despises being told what to do and how to act. She is her own person, and not only does Henry except it but he loves her because of it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The newest "Duke's Estates" romance is set in the tricky and politically uncertain time after King George died and Prinny ascended to the throne. Two members of British diplomatic circles are vying to contribute to England. Henry and Kate met in a previous endeavor, and though Kate has been sidelined by her grandfather's death, they have cooperated in the past, and agree to work together on a puzzling new problem.

I like the combination of romance and mystery that Jane Ashford puts together and I plan to go back and read the earlier books in this series to fill in the back story that I was missing.

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

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy! All thoughts are my own.

Many historical romances can be read out of order without much confusion, but I wouldn’t recommend it for this book, as the main plot frequently references past events from the series. There is enough explanation that you can follow along with the plot, but as someone who makes a habit of reading things order that you don’t technically have to, I felt like I was coming in halfway through the story.

The romance is between two people who met in a previous book, so I feel like there’s some backstory I was missing jumping into this story. However, I enjoyed their banter and how desperately both tried to fight their attraction and affection for each other. They set up a “courting of convenience” in essence. Kate Meacham is not welcome in the diplomatic circles that she was used to frequenting with her late grandfather. Henry Deeping is an aspiring diplomat that hopes to gain prestige with Kate on his arm. But when they agree to help each other by attending social events together, Henry’s uncle comes to London to town to discourage the match.

If you like your historical romances with a side of espionage, with strong female characters who want to be able to do the same work as a man, I think you’ll really enjoy this one! I think I would have enjoyed it more if I started at the beginning of the series, which is my fault and not the fault of the author!

Mostly spy novel with a little romance! Of course dressing like a man allows access to so many more areas without causing suspicions.

Kate loses her grandfather and then is essentially left out of the circles having to do with the home office. Henry is brought into a job and has to make choices in how much work on the side he will take on. Kate and Henry are reacquainted and develop a friendship and romance.

I liked the overall plot of this book, but found it harder to follow at times when talking about the undercover tasks. Who was doing what seemed to get a little mixed up for me. I wanted more romance too since those portions seemed a bit abbreviated. I just wanted more Kate and Henry instead of the secondary characters. They were just more interesting.

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