Tess Townsend is the Dowager Duchess of Wansford after her much older husband died on their wedding night. She and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and Tess loves the independence her widowhood brings her. Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, or to kiss the Dowager Duchess at a party. A marriage of convenience would suit them both, though there's unexpected passion between them. Tess has secrets she can't tell Justin, making him question everything about her.

I adored Tess from the start, from the husband dropping dead upon entering her room on their wedding night to the friendships she has, to the desire for something more than rumor and being a dowager duchess at age nineteen. It's gross that her father essentially sold her to someone fifty years older than her, but thanks to fiction neither man that wanted to take advantage of her youth and beauty were able to do so. Justin is all business and doesn't want to believe in matters of the heart after his father died soon after his mother's death. The two are attracted to each other and plan to have a marriage of convenience, but we all know how that trope will go, especially with the pains that Tess and her friends take to keep their investigation company discreet. They use their position in society and society's assumptions about them to their benefit, and I applaud that.

It was a little annoying how Justin didn't trust her, but he's not used to relying on others or even acknowledging emotions. Once they were able to express themselves fully, Justin made his grand gesture (and called it that!) to prove that he's not above emotional entanglements after all. Overall, I really enjoyed this romance and watching them fall in love with each other.

Even from page 1, this story delivered. I was laughing my heart out at the mischiefs the three best friends were plotting. Tess Townsend found herself a widow on her wedding night no less. Forced by her father into a marriage with a seventy-two-year-old duke at the age of nineteen, the man’s heart gave out before the marriage was consumed, luckily. Now Tess, a young dowager must struggle to show her new employees and tenants that she is more than a fortune hunter. The desire to experience her first kiss leads her in the arms of Justin Thornton, recently invested as the eight Duke of Wansford. A marriage of convenience, a man who sees love as idiotic and a woman with a secret vigilante life are the ingredients that make this book a great read.

I loved the first part of the story, how Tess and Justin enticed each other and as well her attempts at faking her experience in intimate matters. The second part of the book seems more focused on the side story that gets mixed into Tess’ marriage. The three best friends try to help the Queen avoid a major scandal.

The author, as per usual, created strong female characters, brave and smart who want to defy the rules of society, discretely. She did not shy away from showing even the indiscretions and even the short minded men who only viewed women as tools or pretty things to keep at home. Precisely because of that, Justin was oblivious to the innocence his new bride possessed.

I enjoyed my time with this book so, so much. Even though the love confession was out of the blue (a lot of time dedicated to the action and not so much to building feelings). I am so happy for this story being release! There is the promise of so much more at the end of the first installment and I cannot wait to discover what’s next.

Tess is finally out of morning. Her ancient husband, who died on their wedding night, passed away two years ago. So her two best friends encourage her to head to a party for some much-needed excitement. It is at this masked affair that she meets the only person NOT wearing a mask, Justin Thornton. The two exchange kisses and more, neither one suspecting the identity of the other. And their secret identities, once revealed, will rock their world! Justin has never believed in love, but it seems that he might have inadvertently given his heart to Tess! But what happens when her many secrets are revealed?!?

How does Kate Bateman take a love scene and make it spicy, humorous, AND suspenseful! I was riveted by the emotion and the tension between these two from the start. This book effortlessly combines intrigue and romance, sexual tension and fun. I loved Tess's two best friends, and CANNOT wait for their love stories to unfold in this new series: Her Majesty's Rebels. Seeing strong women who find the loves of their lives; men who celebrate them as the powerful females they are...just perfection!

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A new series from Kate Bateman - YES! She is one of my favorite regency romance authors.

Second Duke's the Charm is the first book in the new Her Majesty's Rebels series. Tess and Justin's met a few years ago, and he was smitten. He knew her father would never approve of his meager ways, so he set out to the continent to make something of himself. He's returned, amassed a small fortune and finds his lady in waiting a widow to estate he's inherited. Justin is captivating, attentive and seductive throughout the whole story, including his ill-planned declaration of love but "luck" is on his side as always.

This romance captures just the perfect amount of angst and conflict. The next installment can't come soon enough.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.

This is a well-written, entertaining, steamy, fast paced, historical romance novel. It has a likable and intelligent female protagonist, an engaging male protagonist, wit, a touch of humor, supportive friends, mystery, intrigue, sizzling chemistry, a heart-warming romance, an exciting finale, and a happily ever after ending. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in Ms. Bateman's outstanding, new "Her Majesty's Rebels" series with great anticipation.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Ms. Bateman, and NetGalley, who kindly provided me with an ARC of this wonderful novel. This is my honest opinion.

This is a new and exciting read by one of my favorite authors. Ms Bateman knows her craft when if comes to this genre of romance. It's a totally fun book that has me at first chapter and never let go.
The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. A new series is always fun and this doesn't disappoint.
Tess Townsend is a virgin duchess whose husband died on their wedding night. Her father sold her into marriage which she hated, but now is free to live as she wants.
Tess meets a handsome man who she kissed at a house party. His name is Justin Thornton, the new Duke of Wansford. Tess didn't reveal her real name and he names her Scarlet because of the red dress she had on. Justin is rich and now he's inherited a title of which he could do without. Now he's wants a wife to give him a much needed status of the ton.
When they meet again at a ton event, each finds out about each other. Justin wants a wife and he wants Tess the Dowager Duchess of Wansford. They both bargain for what they want and marriage is the key.
Secrets and jealousy cause a complicated start to their marriage. But they must work together to find a way to a true love for a happy ever after.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

This story is absolute perfection!! The characters are strong and are living their lives as they want to, not how others expect them to live. And these three, close friends that this series is about, are secretly running King & Co. London’s most exclusive investigative agency. Yes three women as investigators! They brings so much to this story, with their friendship, and intelligence that I can’t wait for the next two in the series. The plot is fabulously fun, sweet, steamy and romantic with a touch of intrigue. Then add in the tropes of a secret virgin, widow, marriage of convenience, secret crush, working heroine, and unexpected inheritance and you have a fantastic story.

This is the story of Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford and Justin Thornton a shipping magnate who has just been given the title of the Duke of Wansford.

Tess Townsend wedding-night death of her repulsive, older husband left her not only the Dowager Duchess of Wansford… but also still a virgin. Although she loves her independence and freedom to investigate with her friends, she also longs to find out what lust is all about without getting married.

Justin Thornton, finds that through the great misfortune of several others death he is now the new Duke of Wansford. He doesn’t really want the title since he has already has a fortune from his shipping business and feels that a title will attract too much attention to him. When he stops at a house party he meets and has a delicious encounter with a mysterious woman who he calls Scarlet, because of her red dress. But not until he sees that same red dress in the ballroom in London does he find out that the Dowager Duchess is his Scarlet. With him needing a wife and Tess needing the continued security of her position they make an agreement, where love will have no place.

These two spark to life with the heat between them. But when Justin starts to question her past and her motives, as she keeps secrets from him. Will these two be able to find the love and trust they both need? You will need to read to get all the details! Captivating!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

Kate Bateman continues to deliver some of the best historical romances with the first volume in a new series that pits the smart ladies of the ton against the roles society sets for them.

We meet Tess Townsend, the new Dutchess of Wansford, on her wedding night after she was basically sold off to the ancient Duke by her dissolute father in order to get money. But luck is on her side and the Duke dies of a heart attack as soon as he sees her in her nightclothes, and Tess is free to continue unmolested and living as the Dowager Duchess. The freedom of her new situation lets her create a PI company with her closest friends that lets them help those with cases that the police don't.
Justin Thornton has spent his life working hard to get where he is in life and isn't too happy to be burdened with the responsibility of a title. His plans to set things in order and leave London as soon as possible quickly change when he discovers that the Dowager Dutchess isn't the old woman he expected but the gorgeous Ms. Townsend he remembers seeing years ago and knowing that he could never even approach her.
They quickly get pulled together but Tess has her virginity and profession to keep secret and Thornton has sworn off love as nothing but pain. And it's a pleasure to read about them opening up and discovering sides to each other they didn't suspect. Even when Thornton has his bullheaded moments, it's a pleasure to read about them becoming a real couple.
The characters are fun and breathe life into the story in a way that kept me turning pages and looking forward to spending more time with them. I'm really excited to see what Bateman does with Tess' friends.
My one gripe is that the case and another mystery get resolved bit too easily and neatly for my tastes. I get keeping the page count low and the plot moving, but I would have enjoyed reading more about that.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks for the wonderful read!

4.5 stars
This is a fun, entertaining, good read. Justin and Tess are interesting, intriguing, captivating, entertaining, relatable characters. I enjoyed them as individuals and as a couple. There romance is very fitting for these characters and very enjoyable, with all the twists and turns. The secondary characters – particularly Tess’s friends – added much to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story and character are captivating – they captured my attention from the start and held it until the very last word. This is an amazing start to a new series and I cannot wait to read what happens in the next book.

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

**Thank you to Kate Bateman, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an Advance Reader's Copy of Second Duke's the Charm in exchange for an honest review!!** I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I adore Kate Bateman's writing and I devoured this book. I honestly screamed when I saw St. Martin's Press had sent me this ARC. I am a huge fan of Kate Bateman and I'm pretty sure I have read all of her books. This book was especially a treat. It is the first in a new series, and it has a fun concept. Tess and her friends run a detective agency which will definitely ensure that there are many hi-jinks throughout this series. Tess is offered a marriage of convenience (a favorite trope of mine), to the handsome Duke. I loved their personalities and I really enjoyed Justin's character arc. I also really like that the cover of this book makes sense within the context of the storyline. I also loved the Remington Steele reference (but saying this may age me). I look forward to the next book in the series with bated breath.

Genre: historical romance
London, 1816

Tess Townsend, Dowager Duchess of Wansford, is widowed on her wedding night when her much older husband expires. Not wanting anyone to know the wedding was unconsummated, she and her friend drag the late duke back to his own chambers. Two years later, she hasn’t returned to the marriage mart because she doesn’t want anyone to find out her marriage might not have been valid. Looking for fun though, she goes to a club where she meets an incredibly handsome stranger to make out with… only to discover that he is Justin Thornton, and the newest Duke of Wansford. He’s looking for a wife (and also a mistress), and decides to offer a marriage of convenience to Tess who agrees, thinking he may be the answer to her prayers so she can eventually get on with her life and take future lovers.

This book had a strong premise for me, but ultimately ended up falling flat. Bateman puts too much emphasis on Tess’s physical virginity. While I understand Tess’s worries about being discovered, I wanted there to be more of an emphasis on her emotional backstory or an emotional connection to her role assisting the land steward that she was loath to give up.

Instead, we have a subplot about Queen Charlotte requesting aid on behalf of her granddaughter Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince Regent and his estranged wife Princess Caroline. Someone is blackmailing Princess Charlotte before her wedding, and Queen Charlotte has hired Tess and her friends Daisy and Ellie to help investigate. I love that Tess, Daisy, and Ellie have a business that helps to investigate and better the lives of those around them, and I look forward to reading more about that in the next books…but I also didn’t find the blackmailing plot exciting.

While this is the first full length book from Kate Bateman I’ve read, I know from her novellas that she can bring together solid characters and fun plots. This went a little off the rails for me in a non-bananas direction. That said, her prose is solid and I look forward to more books from her, including in this series!

Ms. Bateman has written an entertaining novel. There's lots of wit along with some intrigue. The characters are interesting. I'm ready for Ellie and Daisy to have their stories told.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
#SecondDukestheCharm#KateBateman#NetGalley#StMartinsPress#StMartinsPaperbacks

Can’t do a full review yet (hooray out of town!) but I had such a fun time with this! I loved the banter between Justin and Tess and I loved them individually. A fun holiday read!

The Second Duke’s Charm is the first book in Her Majesty’s Rebels, the series looks like it is going to follow three society ladies on their journey to find love and adventure. First up is Tess, a beautiful bell of the Ton she was basically sold by her father to the highest bidder on the marriage mart. Her first husband died on their wedding night, while they locate the next in line for the dukedom, Tess will play the role of the dowager and let everyone assume she was bedded by her first husband. Meanwhile she is free to live her life and only she and her closest friends know she is still a virgin.

Justin Trevelyan has been a shipping magnate since leaving London years ago, traveling to Canada for trade. He didn’t ever expect to inherit a dukedom and really doesn’t want it. But duty is duty, he has a plan go to London, settle the affairs of the dukedom and be back at sea in three months. On the way to London, Justin stops at a friend for a night of debauchery, where he meets Tess. They have instant chemistry, she has come to take part in some of the passions she has only heard and read about, in disguise far from London she feels safe in exploring some passion with Justin, thinking to never see him again. Until he ends up being the new Duke. His plan is to wed her, bed her for three months and then go on with their separate lives. This is a great offer for Tess, she doesn’t want to lose her independence and this deal will keep her safe. Plus Justin is definitely someone she would like to explore passions with.

Tess has secrets though, not only about being a virgin, but also about the detective agency she and her two best friends started. Justin knows she is keeping secrets; he just can’t tell if they are about another man or something else. He will get to the bottom of it though, because he didn’t prepare his heart for the whirlwind that is Tess and he has been swept away.

A marriage of strangers is one of my favorite tropes and so this story was already on the plus side for me. Tess is fun and I had a great time with her and her best friends. You can tell they are going to get themselves into all kinds of trouble. Tess and Justin’s chemistry was fantastic; you could see why they were going to make a great couple once Justin learns to trust both his heart and Tess. There is a very cute I will prove my love for you event that I quite enjoyed.

This is exactly the kind of story I’d expect from Kate Bateman. She delivers some hot sexy times between the couple, an interesting side plot and a very cute HEA.

I'm not going to lie. I sort of love books involving widows because you know this doesn't have to be a slow burn. And to wasn't. The steam in this book was delightful! I received a free copy of this book and the thoughts and fanning are all my own. Tess and Justin have such chemistry, along with some major flirty banter. I also quite enjoy the concept of Tess and her friends starting their own investigation agency, though the two mysteries that happened and both felt a bit unnecessary or could have been played up more in the story (though it would have changed the tone). One felt anti-climatic and the other one seemed to lack development or urgency. It was good that it didn't get too dark and allowed the focus on the relationship. The admiration from afar years ago was a great set up of him falling first in reality and the assumptive game they played was quite racy. Also, being Canadian I loved the references to Canada, and who knew maple syrup could be so seductive! There was some ample time for us to discover them falling in love with other aspects of each other which was nice and made it more than just chemistry (though it seemed to be a lot of that).

Some of the climax bordered on silly but I loved that part of it as it showed Justin truly unraveling in his desire for Tess. It was overall a very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️

One of the best historical romances I’ve read this year! I really enjoy the “I don’t believe in love” man vs “I will only marry for love” woman trope and this one does it so well. The sex positivity, the intrigue, and the big personalities of the characters made this very enjoyable.

Same title, much different man....

Tess is left a widow when the old duke she married dies before they can do the deed.
Now, a widow, she is free to do some investigating. Which leads to the next duke to inherit the dukedom she married into. Justin. He's young and virile. There's steamy times and some intrigue and well, perhaps marriage to a duke by the same title..again. Same title, but a much different man.
Recommend.

This was a fun historical romance. I loved Tess and her strength of character. Her and her friends run King and Co and are investigators in secret. Her previous husband died the night of their wedding and through some interesting plans she meets Justin who is the next duke. I loved their banter together and the way the relationship grew. I’m looking forward to the other books in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC.

A new steamy historical series from Kate Bateman?!
I'm in!

"Her Majesty's Rebels" looks like it will be a series that follows the love stories of three progressive private investigating ladies and the first, "Second Duke's the Charm" hooked me right away, It definitely kept me guessing as well. Nothing went the way I was thinking it would.

After being forced into marriage with an ancient Duke who dies on their wedding night, Tess decides to embrace her newfound freedom as a widow and start a private investigation business with her two best friends. Despite what the ton believes, she's still a virgin and quite ready for a real romance.

Little does she know that the search for a new heir to the dukedom has turned up Justin Thornton, a wealthy merchant accountant just back from Canada. The two have a sexy meet-cute at a party and then agree to a marriage of convenience without knowing anything about each other. For some reason, Bateman added that Justin had been secretly crushing on Tess for two years instead of making them just strangers who fall in love. I didn't think that detail was necessary, but I had to keep reading to see what his reaction would be to her secrets and how they would push through their emotional baggage to accept love!

My glasses fogged up a few times from the steam these two created! Justin's big romantic gesture at the end was as silly as it was swoony. There's a whole "someone is trying to kill Justin" subplot that we really didn't need because there wasn't a villain that needed to be punished. The other subplot of Tess's investigation was also lackluster. Her case could've just been more dangerous to create the high stakes adventure, I kept wishing she would've brought Justin in on the case with her somehow and that we would learn a bit more about his character.

Overall, it was a fun, engrossing read and I'm ready for the next adventure in the series!

Kate Bateman is back with a new historical romance series set in a lush English atmosphere following lovable characters as they live their lives among the Ton. The story opens as Tess, our heroine, is forced to marry a Duke much older than her by her father’s hand. Tess experiences a very wild wedding night, but not for good reasons. Her new Duke falls over dead as the wedding night begins and Tess finds herself as a wife and now a widow in charge of a brand new Dukedom.

The story follows Tess navigating her newfound position as Lady of the House and her adventurous job as a private investigator of sorts. Tess decides she wants to experience new things in life and does just that with her best friends and coworkers in tow.

Two years after the Duke’s passing, Justin is discovered to be the long-lost heir to the Dukedom that is now under Tess’s care. This story has many fun tropes including but not limited to marriage of convenience, virgin heroine, masked ball, widow, working heroine, and pining.

I really loved the beginning of the novel. Kate Bateman’s classic witty banter and fun plots were ever present in this book just like her others. The tension between Justin and Tess was palpable on the page during the first half, but I felt that tension begin to dwindle toward the middle. I felt like Tess and Justin were so preoccupied with having sex and the plot wasn’t moving forward at all. I also didn’t like that Tess was so secretive throughout the whole thing. I guess I understand why she made her decisions, but I couldn’t get on board with them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and it was a promising start to a series I’m very excited to continue!

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.