This was a captivating historical romance with lively characters and sizzling chemistry. The witty dialogue was my favorite part, with the plot following short behind. This was a delightful and fun read for me.

This is I think my first Kate Bateman book and I really enjoyed her writing style. It may not be a 5 star read but I know that I will find a new favorite author in her. The storyline in this book was very fun and did not go as I thought it would. The characters were also great and I’m definitely reading the rest of the series.

Another fantastic series debut from Kate Bateman continuing to reinforce she is the QUEEN of historical romance and my ultimate fave! Second Duke’s the Charm has one of my favorite tropes- a marriage of convenience so I was bound to love it but add all the elements that make a Kate Bateman novel stand out and it was absolutely dazzling! Justin and Tess were not only charming in and of theirselves but their chemistry was tantalizingly palpable and all consuming! I was hooked from the very beginning (what a way to start a novel and sure way to hook a reader in 🤣), their first meeting and every moment between them after. I adored the entire cast of characters and can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. Review originally withheld as part of the influencer-led boycott of St. Martin’s Press titles. All opinions are my own. 

I think I’m finally ready to throw in the towel on Kate Bateman’s books. It should have happened way sooner, but her premises have a way of reeling me in, even if most of them are not executed in a way that I prefer. And while Second Duke’s the Charm isn’t the worst offender, it’s definitely the last straw. 

I do like the historical elements included, with Queen Charlotte being a supporting character, and the story surrounding the events leading up to the wedding of Queen Charlotte and Prince Leopold, and the intrigue related to that. Given Queen Charlotte has become popular since Bridgerton and the spinoff show, it’s an understandable choice to include her…I even imagined Golda Rosheuvel reciting Charlotte’s dialogue, even though her portrayal isn’t necessarily accurate to the real person. 

The characters were also all right as individuals. I mostly liked how Tess managed to build a life for herself after her disastrous first wedding night as an independent woman, getting together with her friends to investigate the scandalous crimes of High Society. While I can’t say I was blown away by Justin, I respect that he did have business experience, making himself much more capable than some of his unfortunate predecessors. I was a bit put off by his cynical approach to love, but it’s almost ubiquitous for historical romance heroes, especially when the marriage-of-convenience trope is involved. 

But the romance alternated between being a snorefest and becoming utterly enraging by the end. They have solid sexual chemistry to start, but that’s literally what they base the marriage on, and “oh, well, he doesn’t have to find a suitable wife, and she can stay the duchess.” He makes some pretty gross assumptions of her and the amount of sexual experience she had in their early encounters, and she kind of accepts it, deceiving him about it. But then they come back around when he throws them back in her face at the crisis point, and she reveals the truth. I have no idea whether I want her to leave him, or to resign herself to being with him, since she also deceived him, so maybe they deserve each other. There is a grand gesture on his part at the end, but I just didn’t care by that point. 

While Kate Bateman just doesn’t write the type of historical romance that I’m interested in, I can see why others may like her work. If you’re a historical romance reader who happens to like marriage-of-convenience between an independent heroine and broody hero, I’d recommend checking this out to see if this works out for you.

3.5 rounding up to 4. I loved this sweet little romance. Second chance at love, friendship between women, and a little bit of mystery/solving crimes. Right up my alley and I love how they ended it on a cliff hanger, making me want to read the next!

As someone who doesn't gravitate towards historical romance, I really enjoyed this one! I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series!

This was my first book by Kate Bateman! I enjoyed the writing style and I liked the secret P.I. group of women and seeing their friendships. I also liked the start of the romance. I thought a secret rendezvous where neither knew each other was fun and flirty. Sadly, the romance took a turn for me when they figure out each other's identities and agree to a marriage of convenience. The heroine's preoccupation with her virginity was honestly a little off-putting. It truly was not a big deal and I didn't like that she just accepted that the hero thought she was very experienced. The hero was also kind of preoccupied with her being experienced too. There was really no reason for all that once she learns the guy doesn't even really want to be the Duke. So why would he care if her previous marriage wasn't officially consummated or whatever? He was happy to have an easy fix to his problems. Some of their spicy scenes were good, but the first one gave me the ick because we were so focused on the virginity thing. I also had some issues with the case dropping so far into the background of the story after the marriage. I was hoping for a little more investigating and sneaking around based on the way the synopsis read. Overall, though I thought the writing was good, I liked the characters, and I think the next books in the series will have more investigation going on throughout. I am very interested to read Ellie's story!
3.5 stars!

Wanted to love this one a little more than I did, but still enjoyable! Kate has set such a high bar, and I always just LOVE everything she does! I felt like this one dragged a little at the beginning but, was good once I got more into it. I'm excited for the rest of the series and look forward to grabbing them as they are released!

Eh. I found myself not really caring about the characters or what happened to them. The beginning was great but quickly fizzled.

oh I do like a good bodice ripper! She and her two friends are PIs. How cool that even the queen has heard of them. Tess wants romance but her dad sells her to an old duke. Her luck holds and he dies quickly. Now a few years later a new duke has shown up. But he is a stud muffin that sets her afire. Let the fun begin! Another fabulous story from an author I enjoy reading.

A quick and cute romance! I've read some Kate Bateman books that are deep, and sweeping love stories that make me so sad and fall in love with the characters too, and while this wasn't that, it was still enjoyable. I liked the relationship the characters had with each other, and it was short enough that there's pretty much no conflicts. If you're looking for a "historical accurate" romance, this one probably isn't it, but it was still enjoyable.

Tess and Justin were so cute! I love that Tess was confident and independent when she found Justin who of course has pinned for her for years! Swoon! I don’t love the miscommunication trope however is was a little watered down here so I won’t hold it against the book. I enjoyed watching them fall in love with some danger thrown in the mix as well. I am also very curious to follow Tess’s friends romances in the coming books!

Having recently delved into Kate Bateman's 'Second Duke's The Charm,' a novel that promised a unique blend of historical romance and mystery, I grappled with a mix of emotions.

The story follows Tess Townsend, the Dowager Duchess of Wansford, who finds herself unexpectedly widowed and still a virgin. Alongside her friends, she delves into London's scandalous crimes while grappling with her desire for independence and physical pleasure. Enter Justin Thornton, a cynical shipping magnate turned Duke, who proposes a marriage of convenience to Tess, seeing it as a practical arrangement.

The novel beautifully portrays Tess as a strong-willed, independent heroine navigating a society that often seeks to confine her. Her character, with its refreshing complexity and dedication to solving mysteries, is commendable. However, the romance between Tess and Justin felt somewhat forced. While their initial attraction sparks interest, their relationship lacks the depth and emotional resonance that could have made their journey more compelling.

The plot sometimes feels rushed, with certain developments and conflicts resolved too conveniently. The mystery elements, while intriguing, sometimes integrate with the romance, leaving some threads feeling unresolved or hastily concluded.

Overall, "Second Duke's the Charm" is a delightful and entertaining read. With engaging characters and an exciting premise, it's a book that will keep you turning the pages. It's a decent choice if you're looking for a light-hearted historical romance with a dash of mystery, but it may leave you wishing for more depth and development in its storytelling.

I'm calling this out as a rare miss amongst Kate Bateman's stellar booklist. Too many improbable things to get my head around, the plot couldn't hold my attention :(

I really loved the plot line that this book was built on. It was so very clever. The main character, Tess is a Duchess whose elderly husband dies on their wedding night before they consummate their union. However, to safeguard her standing, she and her friends decide it is safer for her to let everyone believe that happened. And so she lives for several years peacefully until a distant heir is discovered and comes to town to claim the properties and the title of Duke. But that's where things take an interesting turn and just keep getting better.

Such a fun read. There wasn't a dull moment in this storyline. I raced through it in no time and am looking forward to seeing Tess' friends get their own books.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is start of a new series by Kate Bateman. I am looking forward to the next ones in the series. I liked the story and the romance. It was pretty well done.

Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman
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Calling all “marriage of convenience” fans!

Tess Townsend spent less than 24 hours married before her husband dropped dead, leaving her a widow. Now an heir has been found and when he meets Tess he has a surprising offer for her.
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-This was my second book by Kate and I now know that I have to read everything she has ever written.
-I think my favorite thing about this book was the amount of humor it had. I love a good historical romance but one where I’m laughing out loud, yes please!
-I absolutely adored Tess’s friend group and have been approved to read Ellie’s story next (I am so looking forward to it!).
-The horse race scene at the end was great and I was smiling the whole time.
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5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I just loved every single thing about this story. It was one of my favorite historical romance I’ve read this year so far.

Not my top favorite Kate Bateman novel, but still an enjoyable historical romance! I’m always going to struggle a bit with romances where the hero is emotionally unavailable in one way or another 🤷🏻‍♀️ Looking forward to continuing on with this new series though!

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

This series is about 3 very independent unconventional women who form an investigation business to help women who find themselves bullied, manipulated or mistreated. Because they are women in regency times they create a fictional boss, Charles King who is supposedly in charge of King & Co Investigations. The ladies are Tess Townsend 21, Dowager Duchess Wansford, Ellie Law daughter of a highly respected barrister, and Daisy Hamilton recognized daughter of a duke but probably has a different father. They met at school and became best friends. Queen Charlotte comes to them secretly and asks them to recover some old love letters her granddaughter wrote in her youth. She's been contacted by someone who has threatened to make them public unless he gets ransom money. It would create a scandal before the granddaughter's impending marriage.

Tess was forced by her father to marry the old Duke Wansford to gain money and status for her dad and the duke wanted an heir. The 71 year old man died on their wedding night before it was consummated. She kept that secret so she could hold on to her position in "case she was carrying an heir" and so she couldn't be forced to marry again. The estate was finally settled after several heirs suddenly died, and Justin Thornton, a 30 year old cynical shipping magnet, finds himself the new Duke. He thinks he's much too busy to be a Duke but gives it one year to settle so he can get back to his very profitable business. He's shocked when he meets such a young Dowager Duchess. Tess is the mystery woman he met the night before at his friend's scandalous club. Tess was working undercover in disguise on the investigation but he could tell it was her. He's introduced to the staff and she gives him a tour of the estate as she's been running things for two years. He discovers she was quite efficient and actually improved the estate and made it more profitable under her care. Because Ellie, one of her two best friends and business partners, is the cousin of Justin's best friend from younger days Edward Hussy, they spend quite a bit of time together socially. Things get complicated with the investigation she has to keep secret from him. This was just a fun story of expectantly falling in love complicated by her investigation.

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

If you like mysteries and romance, this may be a book you will enjoy. Tess Townsend married an older gentleman and on their wedding night he dies without the consummation of their marriage. Tess and two of her friends begin solving some London crimes. Then along comes Justin Thornton who never expected to inherit a dukedom. But once he ha, Justin knows he need to marry and he decides Tess Townsend is a woman he can have a marriage of convenience with. Tess is working on a case that Queen Charlotte has asked her to do. However Justin becomes suspicious of her activity and begins to question the woman he has married and his feeling for her. Will this case Tess is working on for the Queen cause problems in her marriage or make Tess and Justin both realize what their relationship is really about?