I liked the characters in this story and I liked how the three friends decided to start an investigative agency to help women be taken seriously. I liked how Justin didn’t want to fall in love but as he got to know Tess he realized that there was more to her then just a pretty face. I liked how Tess and Justin’s relationship grew past just the physical attraction that they both felt. I enjoyed the story and would read the other books in the series when they come out.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Our opinions of this book are a great illustration in how expectations can affect your perspective. We both really like Kate Bateman, so when we got a copy of her latest book and new series starter we were really looking forward to it. I read it first and was underwhelmed, to say the least. I let Laine know, and she went into reading it with adjusted (more appropriate?) expectations, and ended up thinking it was fine. ⁠
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So what's up with this book? What got me most was the emphasis on physical virginity. It was both offensive and illogical. I don't mind that she lied about not having consummated her first marriage. But to continue lying about her experience - AND that she'll take care of the contraception - annoyed me more and more as the book went on.⁠
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The conclusion was super fun but also made 0 sense with this book. I felt like I saw the Kate Bateman I liked but without any setup. ⁠But look. Laine absolutely loved that the conflict that is a marriage of convenience where the issue is that they both like and want to f*ck each other. Maybe it's TOO convenient a marriage!⁠

A generous 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

I thought this read was highly entertaining and quite clever. Tess and Justin were easy to like and the chemistry between them was off the charts and undeniable. The story itself is intensely engaging with its enticing blend of drama, danger, emotion, heat, heart and twists. An excellent book and a terrific start to this intriguing new series.

Kate Bateman’s humor is incomparable! I laughed quite a lot while reading this book. And what about her lovemaking scenes? So gorgeous, so emotional, so very hot! I absolutely ADORED this book. The three young female detectives are wonderful characters, so very different from one another, but their friendship is precious and strong. And Tess in particular is so sweet, but also brave and smart. And Justin is my kind of hero, stern, forbidding, hot… and how I laughed when he said that he didn’t have a heart and would never fall in love! Just add a little mystery and an adorable puppy to the mix and you’ll get an unputdownable book!

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

"The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin. Now she and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and while Tess longs to experience physical pleasure for herself, she can’t risk losing her treasured independence.."
The Duke is convinced he can never fall in love until he meets Tess. .The Dowager Duchess of Wansford is a beautiful young woman who's first husband died on his wedding night. She wasn't even sure what marriage was about. This is a comical romance story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

I actually finished this one the night before last and it was such a nice little historical romance. I have a lot of hope for this series even if I had a couple minor quibbles with this particular storyline. Highly enjoyed it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received this book for netgalley in exchange for a review.
Historical romance has always been something i been wanting to get into and read. I was not disappointed. Love at first site. Its very steamy which is a given but still a very intriguing read. There is passion and sweet moments of the romance between the MC's. I highly recommend if you like the historical romance books.

I adore this author and this book was just another amazing read. The main characters were so good and the story just brought me in and never let go. I wish I could be friends with these characters even during that time period. I just highly recommend this book. I mean I bought the irl book and the e book and the audiobook so that’s definitely saying something.

The Second Duke is the Charm by Kate Bateman is the first book in a new series called Her Majesty’s Rebels. The book centers around three women who run King and Co. The business is an investigative agency, only there is no Mr King. Tess Townsend is gladly a widow. The only little twist in her wedding night was her husband died before they consummated the marriage. This is a secret that will need to be kept as it could push her back into poverty.

After two years and a lot of research, the newest duke is finally found. Justin Thornton is so far removed from the line of the duke, he is astonished and quite frankly not interested in upending his life. He is convinced thinking he will just do this for a while and then go back to his real life. Only it didn’t work like he thought it should and he is the Duke of Wansford and he met Tess.

Meanwhile, King and Co. was hired by the Queen (secretly of course) to retrieve some of her daughter’s love letters that are out in public. They are hired to find the letters and the blackmailer. However, Tess can’t tell Justin what she is doing and why she is acting the way she is. Secrets are always a problem in this type of story, especially when the main two characters are so into each other.

The Second Duke is the Charm by Kate Bateman is a great read, I can’t wait until I can read the next one!

Tess and Justin engaged in a charming dance of avoidance and attraction that could only lead to one inevitable conclusion.

I just love that Justin proposed a marriage of convenience to Tess because he needed a duchess and also because he found her irresistible. As if the two were mutually exclusive, but he was lucky enough to find both in one woman. And so Tess found herself in a situation where she was trying to hang on to her secrets and Justin was equally determined not to fall in love with his captivating wife.

Kate Bateman consistently creates interesting, strong FMCs with stubborn ideas of their own, and wonderful men who stand by their sides and support them in their wild endeavors. This duke and duchess certainly didn’t disappoint, and Tess’s friends seemed equally fascinating. Justin and Tess were an excellent match in intellect and wits that was clearly communicated through the engaging writing style.

I can highly recommend this book if you like a steamy historical romance with some intrigue and drama. This is the first book in a new series and I cannot wait to read more.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"The infuriating woman clearly can’t be trusted, but Justin doesn’t believe in love, so there’s absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife...is there?"

I fell for this story, and believe in love!!!

The main characters stole my heart and the secondary characters were as engaging!

This is a series I will definitely be returning for!

FUN! Sexy! Engaging!

I loved it!

Second Duke's the Charm is a story about a hero who doesn't think he's capable of love completely losing his heart. It is a plot I always enjoy and Kate Bateman does it well!

I liked Tess and Justin as a couple. They both admired the other for their intelligence and they had good banter. I also liked that Tess was the one familiar with the estate. It was a nice reverse from most historicals.

For readers who like a mystery subplot this story had that as well. I am more interested in the romance but I think this would be perfect for fans of Manda Collins or other writers who combine mystery and romance!

This was a fun historical introduction to a group of heroines of King &Co starting with Tess Townsend.

Tess comes with an interesting back story that makes her role in the “ton” unique and gives her an element of freedom most women her age don’t have.
Justin comes into her life in an unexpected way and I loved how these two connected and flourished. One of the pieces I appreciated here was the “nuggets” of truth buried in the tale Justin spun for himself.

While the story is told from a dual POV, it is primarily driven by Tess and her friends/partners. Ms Bateman used Tess well to highlight how women could easily be underestimated in the time and how taking the time to get to know someone leads to deeper feelings that the first impression.

I am curious to see if her business partners will find romantic pairings as well!

This is a new-to-me author, but it seems she has more than a few books under her belt at this point. While I enjoyed this story for the most part, I wanted more. I adore the characters. The main characters of Tess and Justin are both unassuming, even if they may not come off that way to those who don’t know them. They are both very much in need of security and go to great lengths to protect themselves, both emotionally and financially. When they first meet, they are fire together. Yet I felt the author let that fall away as the story progressed.

The way these two agree to a marriage of convenience is unique and held a lot of promise. Shortly after their marriage, it seems there is a threat to their lives. Every time one of these dangers appeared, I was disappointed by Justin’s reaction. I could have let that fall away if, when given his POV, it was obvious he wanted to comfort Tess. That wasn’t the case, though. It seemed as though he wanted to find the culprit, but not that he was upset that Tess was traumatized. It was strange and caused the early flame of this relationship to start to peter out for me.

While I liked Justin in many ways, his regard for who and what Tess was was often disparaging. Regardless of her proclivities, even if she had been flitting from bed to bed, the way he spoke of that possibility was crude and degrading at times. He does get called out for it later in the book, but it gave me an icky feeling when it would happen.

As for Tess and her two best friends and their detective agency, that also fell flat. The friends I loved! The relationship these three women have is one of the best things about this story. But the way they went about their investigations left much to be desired and it seemed very hodgepodged together. They didn’t really seem to do much.

This story wasn’t bad, but it didn’t sell me on this author either. Because I do like the other characters I may give the next book a try. I always like giving an author more than one try. We’ll see.

ARC kindly provided through NetGalley but all mybthoughts are my own. Hot and romantic! Kate Bateman does 8t again giving us a superb friend group, a reluctant Duke and a marriage of convenience that is SCORCHING hot. Tessa and Justin's chemistry is off the charts and I loved the marriage negotiation. I loved this book!

A awesome delightful romance .
Tess becomes a window on the night of her wedding.
She start a exclusive investigative agency known ans the King & Co.
The new Duke is found, What will become of Tess.
intrigue ,mystery,suspense humor,romance.
Really like Kate stories..
Voluntarily reviewed.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tess is happily widowed. She has her independence, her friends, and their private investigating business. The only regret she has is not having experienced a lover.

Justin has unexpectedly inherited a dukedom. A headache he doesn't need as a successful merchant. Justin just was to continue his life as before. Until he meets tess.

Tessa and Justin agree to be lovers for 3 months and then part ways. Married but living separate loves.

I liked the scenes with Justin and Tess together on their honeymoon. The only major problem arising from their lack of communication but in this case was well done. The ending was satisfying.

4 stars.

Oh man, Kate Bateman has done it again! Her historical romances are my absolute favorite; always an instant buy! 🤓 Strong female characters, witty banter and a dash of mystery and spice, what more could you ask for?!

Second Duke’s the Charm is the first book in the “Her Majesty’s Rebels” series. We follow Tess Townsend and her two best friends (Ellie and Daisy) as they work to solve a case for the Queen and keep Tess’ “dark secret” hidden from her new husband. Justin Thornton, the new Duke, has decided to never fall in love until he meets his match with a woman in red. With a grand gesture to beat all grand gestures this is the perfect read for all romance readers!

Please Note: I received an advance copy for an honest review. Thank you St. Martin’s Paperbacks and NetGalley for the ebook ARC copy.

This is book one in a new series for Kate. If the rest of the books are half as good as this one, we are in for quite a ride. We have Tess Townson sold off by her rotten father to a man old enough to be her grandfather! As her best friends, Ellie and Daisy come to stop the old duke from touching her he drops dead at her feet! Now she is the Dowager Duchess of Wansford and still a Virgin! It has been two years since that night. The investigative business is going great, and life is good. Tess has friends and is welcome in society as a widow. But if anyone found out she was still a virgin it would ruin everything. Yet Tess would like to be kissed and to find out what all the other widows are talking about. Passion is a mystery to her. So, the three of them are going to a very scandalous party wearing masks so she can be kissed. Dressed like harlots it is not long before the most handsome man she has ever see finds her. After they dance, she gets her kiss and a lot more. Justin Thornton is a self-made shipping magnate. He has been told many times that he has the luckiest man. He is shocked when he finds out he is now a Duke! Thinking of having one last fling before he goes to London. He ends up at the same party where he meets an exceptionally beautiful lady in a red dress. Little does he know she is the Duchess of Wansford, and he is the new Duke of Wansford. With secrets, misunderstandings, and mysterious events our couple will have a lot to overcome. Agreeing to a marriage of convenience will help them both out and was only to last three months. A marriage with befits. Queen Charlotte has hired the team to stop a blackmailer for her. I loved how the three friends speak their minds and talk about everything that Ladies were not supposed to. The lovable puppy was a fantastic addition to the story and let us see the other side of Justin. When and how he finds out she was a virgin was priceless. When she finds out he had seen her before it is lovely. This is a great read and should not be missed. I cannot wait for book two. I received an ARC from the author and wish to thank her. This is my honest opinion and am freely giving it.

Second Dukes the Charm is the first in a new series about three women who run an investigative agency.

Tess Townsend, Duchess of Wansford, was married off to her first husband who died of a heart attack on their wedding night. She spent the next two years starting and running their investigative agency, King & Co with her two best friends. Two years and a few untimely deaths later, Justin Thornton finds himself the newest Duke of Wansford. He has just returned from Canada where he’s spent the last two years building his own fortune. However, a chance encounter at a masked country party and then an introduction at a society ball are the beginnings of a marriage of convenience. Tess has secrets she doesn’t want the new Duke to know just yet and Justin believes someone is trying to kill him - could the two be related or just a coincidence?

One of the things I enjoyed the most in this story is feeling like the tropes were flipped on their head. While it is the MMC suggestion that their marriage be one of convenience and that he’d never have his heart engaged it’s the other parts of the story that seemed flipped. Tess is the one who remains realistic and sticking to the agreement longer and it is also Justin who doesn’t trust Tess and thinks the worst of her secrets. In my opinion, it seems that more often than not it’s the FMC who gives in to her heart first and the one hesitant to trust. Also, the secrets Tess keeps aren’t the ones kept by the FMC. The investigative part of the story was an underlying part throughout but crucial in bringing the couple’s issues to a head.

There are five encounters that are evenly paced and flow well with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for an advanced ecopy of the book. All opinions are my own.