Second Duke’s the Charm is the first book in a new series by Kate Bateman. I enjoyed the premise and think it’s great at setting up the new series but I struggled with it- the mystery/ investigation company of the women starts so strong and you think I’ll be prominent but it quickly loses out to the rushed romance. It’s enjoyable but the pacing felt off and the attempted murders of the Duke felt very forced.

A sweet and steamy regency romance between Tess and Justin. They made a good match for each other and the chemistry was palpable. I do wish one of the mysteries was solved on the page rather than having Justin narrate the details. But overall this was a good romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

Tess was widowed on her wedding night. Becoming the Duchess has given her freedom and she's used it for the better good. She goes to a party to fulfill a wish and meets an intriguing stranger. But what was supposed to be a one-night experience threatens her undercover work when she discovers he is the new Duke.

Justin has inherited a dukedom he never wanted, but he agrees to give it some time. He's shocked to learn the current duchess is not an old woman, but a beautiful young woman he once thought out of his league.

Together, they devise a plan which works for them until they meet danger. Both have secrets, and neither will fall in love, until it's too late. But misunderstandings get in the way... can they find a way to forgive and make a change to their pact, which will lead to a forever love?

A wonderful romance I couldn't put down.

received a netgalley from the publisher

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy, clever and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

If you're looking for a captivating regency romance, "Second Duke's the Charm" by Kate Bateman is an insta-read!

Justin Thornton, a 30-year-old successful and wealthy businessman, inherits a dukedom. He reluctantly travels to London, intending to set his affairs in order, find a wife, and return home within a year. But his plan goes awry when he meets 21-year-old Tess Townsend, the late duke's widow, who is beautiful, intelligent, and seemingly unattainable - until now!

This novel is perfect for readers who love the marriage of convenience trope, a hero who has sworn off relationships, and an innocent yet clever heroine. You'll easily fall in love with the grumpy, sexy, and cynical Justin Thornton. And you'll admire Tess' strength, as she is a strong character who can handle herself and doesn't settle for anything less than she deserves. The passion and sweet romance that blossoms between the two is simply irresistible!

Trust me, every page of "Second Duke's the Charm" is worth reading. Don't miss out!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the novels by Kate Bateman that I’ve read, and I still plan to work my way through her back catalogue! Her new release, Second Duke’s the Charm, is the beginning of a new series and it’s going to be excellent - a series of ladies who enjoy solving mysteries for other ladies back in regency London.

This particular one is about Tess, a duchess who’s husband (a very much older Duke), passed on their wedding night - she was basically sold to him by her father… she’s managed to continue her life by living in his home and earning a wage by starting a company with her girlfriends under the control of an imaginary gentleman (calling it King and Co, with the imaginary Mr. King just always out of the office), taking on investigations and solving problems for the ladies of the Ton.

The Queen herself hires them for a case for her niece, the Princess, and during her investigation, Tess comes across Justin several times (the first time at a masked ball was a very interesting affair!), before discovering that he’s the long-lost heir to her dukedom… which could be a big problem for her. A proposed short-term solution as a marriage of convenience before he returns to Canada and she can retire as the dowager or re-marry is his proposal, hoping it fixes the issue for everyone…

Kate Bateman writes so well with a lot of twists in the storylines so when you think you’ve guessed the outcome, you may have only guessed a tiny part but not the whole of where she’s taking you on the ride. And what a great ride it always ends up being! I definitely recommend everyone picks up this new series (in fact, all of her books)! 4.5 stars rating.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, and this is my honest feedback.

Tess Townsend was forced to marry an old Duke but on their wedding night, he died before he could consummate their marriage. She kept all that secret and is now the Dowager Duchess of Wansford, still a virgin, and sought after by many men. She and her two best friends run King and Company together working to investigate and solve crimes. The current job is for the Queen who is being blackmailed. Every time a relative is found to become the next Duke, they end up dead. Now Justin Thornton, the latest relative has been found and is to become the new Duke. Tess and Justin met at a masquerade party as she wanted to gain knowledge about being with a man but couldn’t go through with it. As he finds out she is the Dowager Duchess of Wansford, he offers her marriage of convenience as he said he will never fall in love and will be leaving is a couple months to go back to being the wealthy shipping magnate. Of course, things don’t always end like they think they will. As she is working on her secret case, he doesn’t like what he thinks she is up to. Thinking she is an experienced lady and has had many lovers, he didn’t trust her. When they talk everything out, he does a grand gesture to prove how much he loves her.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.

4.5 stars

I loved this fun start to a new series.

A marriage of convenience, sign me UP. This was a sexy, sexy regency romance with an abundance of spicy scenes. I loved the relationship between Tess and Justin and I loved watching it evolve. We love a man who is obsessed with his wife.

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Tess and her friend group. The side-plot of them running an investigative agency was a fun addition but I wanted more!! I feel like the mystery portion of the book wrapped up too quickly and as much as I was digging the romance, I wanted more investigation and mystery solving.

This book does have a misunderstanding...but I did like that it was quickly solved and I didn't get the urge to shake any of the characters. I can't wait for the rest of the books in the series!!

Second Duke’s the Charm is the first book in Kate Bateman’s newest series ‘Her Majesty’s Rebels’ and if Tess and Justin’s story is any indication, we are in for another wonderful series! The action grabs you from page one and it is an exciting thrill ride to the end.

Tess Townsend is forced to marry a much older man who, luckily for her, dies on their wedding night. She is happy being the Dowager Duchess of Wansford since it offers her the independence she wants and needs to run an investigation company with her friends. For the first time in her life, she has some control and she does not want to lose it. In walks Justin Thornton who never expected to be a duke. But given the changes in the line of succession, he is ready to fulfill his duty. Justin proposes a marriage of convenience since he doesn’t believe in love, and she wants to maintain her independence.

I loved Tess and Justin’s instant attraction. Their chemistry was fantastic and their ability to poke fun at each other was entertaining. The banter between the two kept me laughing as did the scenes with Tess, Ellie, and Daisy. The women are quite a formidable trio, and I can’t wait to read the other two stories.

I so enjoyed reading this book! It was well written, had strong female characters who were not above breaking society’s rules, there was blackmail involving the Queen, an underlying mystery, romance, a ton of humor, lots of steamy chemistry, and a “grand gesture” that is quite amusing! This is a must-read for fans of Kate Bateman!

Thank you to Kate Bateman, St. Martin’s Publishing, and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy. I voluntarily read the book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tess Townsend was fortunate enough that her much, much, much older husband perishes on her wedding now. Still a virgin, Tess is enjoying her freedom, but longs for some intimacy.

Justin Thornton, a shipping magnate, has just inherited a Dukedom. He, too, enjoys his freedom and is annoyed at the fact that he is now a popular bachelor. Realizing Tess is the widow of his new dukedom, he offers a solution to their problem... a marriage of convenience.

But the more time they spend together, the more their attraction to the other starts to sizzle. Can this marriage possibly become more than just a convenience and perhaps one filled with love?

I absolutely adored this story. I love Tess and her little group of friends that have become a secret detective agency. I can't wait to read about Ellie and Daisy's stories. You should one-click this now - you won't be disappointed.

Two years ago, a review I wrote stated "My 2nd Kate Bateman book has cemented my "fan" status." Six books later, that hasn't changed. This author gives readers imperfect yet incredibly likable, complex characters in an exceptional story. Both Tess and Justin have a complicated personal history and are smart, strong and wily - able to circumvent all the societal restrictions to live the life they want. The intense attraction between these two evolves into a relationship which soon has them confessing their true feelings and gradually leads them to a very satisfying HEA, Justin is completely yummy with brains, fearlessness, a growing self-awareness, honesty and his clever wit. Tess is his match in brains and bravery. When life would find her clinging to her independence, she opens her heart to love. For this reader, this book has it all: outstanding characters, excellent dialog, wit, angst, heat, romance and a large group of surrounding characters that will hopefully get their own stories in the future. HIGHLY recommend!

I received a complementary copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Kate Bateman has become one of my favorite historical romance authors and I was so thrilled to receive an advanced reader copy of her latest book, Second Duke’s the Charm!

This book was a lighthearted, spicy, funny read and I couldn’t put it down. I loved reading about these strong, sometimes bull-headed main characters and their descent into love.

Highlights
❤️ The amazing 🥵 spice
❤️ A strong FM (Tess) and her equally strong friends; I loved their ladies’ investigative agency and can’t wait for Ellie’s and Daisy’s stories.
❤️ Justin’s intelligent, dry-humored, confident character with a “lucky” streak, that included inheriting a dukedom.
❤️ The insight into historical upper-crust English society (why read a historical romance if you’re not in it for this!?)
❤️ This humor! I laughed so much throughout this book.

I loved Justin and Tess’ instant connection, the “I can’t keep my eyes off of you” vibes, and their meant-to-be relationship.

I devoured the book in a day and absolutely adored the world Kate created.

Thanks to Kate Bateman and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!

Barbara’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

This is a wonderful start to a new Kate Bateman series. The main characters are perfect for each other, the friends on both sides are wonderfully supportive (and I can’t wait for their books) and then you add in masked balls, a virgin widow, an unwilling duke, a detective agency with a very mysterious ‘owner’, attempted murders, and tasks for the queen – well, you will find yourself unable to put the book down.

You will absolutely love Tess Townsend and her friends Ellie Law and Daisy Hamilton. They make a formidable trio. When, at 19, Tess’s father forced her to marry the decrepit and aging Duke of Wansford, she was determined he would never touch her. When the Duke keels over dead on the floor as he is approaching for his conjugal visit, she is both elated and appalled. Now, she is a widow – with all of its privileges. Her father cannot force her into another marriage, she has the financial security of a small jointure from the estate, and she can run the estate until the new heir is found. All she is missing is a bit of passion – actually, she just wants a kiss – just to see what it is all about. Attending Tom Careby’s notorious masquerade – known for its licentiousness – will afford Tess the perfect opportunity to be kissed without the possibility of also being recognized. Oh! Yes!! Who knew a kiss could literally curl her toes? That kiss would certainly have led to more if they hadn’t been interrupted. But, they are, and she leaves without ever learning his name.

Justin Thornton is an extremely successful self-made man. He has grown a shipping company with one small ship into one of the most successful companies in the realm. He is richer than most, if not all, of the ton. He is rich and he is powerful – what more could he want? Well, certainly not a title – especially that of Duke. However, the title is his whether he wants it or not. It definitely doesn’t sound like a fortuitous thing since several other heirs died before they found him. He’ll take up the mantle of Duke, he’ll acquire the required society wife, and then he’ll take himself back to Brighton to run his company. When he stops in at his friend Tom’s masquerade on his way to London, he kisses the most delectable woman – one he cannot get out of his mind.

This book has almost everything you could want in a romance. It is emotional, steamy, romantic, and a HEA that will curl your toes. And, the added bonus of an Epilogue makes it near perfect. I hope you’ll love this book as much as I did. Now, I can hardly wait for the next installment.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Second Duke’s the Charm was an entertaining, sweet, and sexy story! I loved Tess and Justin and how their story unfolded with so many fantastic scenes and witty moments. It moved along at a good pace that was lively and quick and I found myself smiling while reading because it was so fun.

I loved Tess and how strong she was and how she was making the most out of her life given the circumstances. I loved her and Justin meeting, it was passionate and humorous all rolled into one. They had great chemistry and a playfulness between them that I really enjoyed. I liked them meeting again and how the marriage of convenience came into play. I really liked how it evolved since neither of them thought they’d fall in love, it was highly entertaining. I liked them getting to know each other, their playful conversations, and how they matched wits.

This was a charming story that was exciting to read. I liked Tess’s friends, the bonds they had, and how they wanted to do good for others. This story is the first in the series and I plan on continuing because I want their stories too. I liked the dual POVs and thought it flowed well. There was a little conflict and drama involved, just enough to keep it moving along and me totally invested. This was a light, fun story with great characters that made for an incredibly enjoyable read. This was my first time reading this author and this story makes me want to delve into her back list. It was definitely a winner!

When I first started reading this I thought, man does this sound familiar. Boy was I wrong! I think there were some similarities to another series about female detectives (that series only has 2 on staff) which is what made me think I was rereading something. This book was great, the idea of a young woman marrying a mugh older husband only for him to pass away before consummating the marriage is interesting. What is she to do now? I loved the way it turned out, not giving any hints away here! Can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Tess Townsend's husband has passed, leaving her a virgin. With the help of her two best friends, they set out to relieve Tess of that little issue. Enter the equation, Justin Thornton.

Justin recently inherited a dukedom. That is how he comes to be acquainted with Tess. Tess just wants to experience pleasure, but Justin wants marriage. Find out what happens in SECOND DUKE'S THE CHARM.

Kate Bateman is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. I haven't read anything by her that I haven't liked. She writes a wide variety of romance tropes. SECOND DUKE'S THE CHARM gets 4 stars from me.

When Tess Townsend's husband, The Duke of Wansford dies on the night of their wedding, everyone now assumes Tess is a gold digger and was only after her husband's money since he was fifty years older than her. Little did anyone know, it was an arranged marriage that her father forced her into and they never even consummated their marriage. Fast forward two years and now Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford along with her two best friends Ellie Law and Daisy Hamilton run King & Co., an investigative agency. When their latest case has Tess attending a masqueraded, distreputable party to find out some intel, she also hopes that maybe she will experience her first ever kiss. What Tess never counted on was Justin Trevelyan Thornton, the new Duke of Wansford, to rock her world. Neither of them know who the other is at the party but when they finally meet they are both shocked!

Justin isn't very excited about being the Duke, he does well enough with his shipping company. When he realizes that if Tess and him can come to an understanding, maybe they help each other out. When Justin proposes getting married, at first Tess balks but then realizes it could be advantageous for her also. The problem that neither of them expected was the serious chemistry between the two of them. The more time these two spend together, the stronger the feelings become.

While Tess continues her investigating, Justin becomes suspicious that she is hiding something from him. Just when everything comes to a head, everything becomes revealed and these two find themselves in a real marriage. Even though Justin said he'd never fall in love, he finds himself falling. What started out as a marriage of convenience quickly becomes something else and these find a happy ever after.

I just loved this marriage of convenience story. Tess just wanted to be able to live her life on her own terms....and so did Justin. I loved how both of them fell in love and realized that they could still be themselves. This was a great start to a new series.

1814

Tess Townsend’s husband, the Duke of Wansford, 72, fell dead on their wedding night, thankfully leaving her a virgin. Her friends, Ellie Law and Daisy Hamilton knew how much she dreaded marrying this lecherous, old man but her father had forced her into the marriage. Ellie and Daisy were first on the scene when the old duke died. The three young ladies were friends from Miss Honoria Burnett’s Ladies Academy. Today, the three of them formed an investigative agency called King and Company.

1816

Justin Thornton, 30, owns Thornton Shipping and Trading in Bristol. He gained his fortune in shipping fur and lumber from Canada. Now, he learns that he is the new Duke of Wansford.

When Tess and Justin met at a masked party, she just wanted to shed her virginity. It almost happened, but he drew back. Now, that they have officially met, he realizes that Tess is the woman he met that night. He proposes a marriage of convenience to her and she accepts.

Justin has no knowledge of Tess’s investigative work and begins to wonder if she could be having an affair with someone. As she is finding herself falling in love with Justin, she doesn’t want them to be apart. How can she save their marriage?

This story was filled with all kinds of fun and scary things happening. I rooted for Tess and Justin all through the book. It’s rather steamy and quite romantic. Two strong characters who learned to be true partners. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed the tension and chemistry between Justin and Tess. I liked how they met and enjoyed that even though Justin saw Tess masked, he recognized her immediately! The mystery plot was fun, but I think one too many. I also enjoyed the friendship between Tess and her friend group!

Tropes: Marriage of Convenience

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this arc.

This book was so much fun. I loved that Tess and her friends had their own investigative business because I love when women in histroms prove how badass women always were. Daisy and Ellie were hilarious and brought the humor to that novel, but you can tell they’ll be great leads in their own books. I think Ellie is next, and I can’t wait.

Justin and Tess had swoony chemistry but I hated how much of their connection was based on secrets, 100% understood why Tess was keeping all those secrets, but it caused so much unnecessary strife between them. Though I did enjoy that the woman was the one with all the crazy secrets for once, because we usually see that with men in these novels. Justin’s insistence on being business minded even in his personal relationships rubbed me the wrong way in some moments, but it did provide a big pay off when love finally smacked him over the head.

Highly recommend to any histrom fan, and I can’t wait to see what the ladies of the Charles King agency investigate next.