**Review of "Duke Undone" by Jennifer Seasons**

"Duke Undone" by Jennifer Seasons centers on Miss Lucy Coover, a talented artist with a fiercely independent spirit, and Anthony Philby, the enigmatic Duke of Weston, whose paths cross under unusual circumstances.

Lucy’s life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers an unconscious, naked man in an alley—a man who turns out to be the Duke of Weston. Driven by her artistic curiosity, she sketches him and inadvertently sets off a series of events that entangle her with the aristocracy. Anthony, initially outraged by Lucy’s actions, is drawn to her unique perspective and undeniable talent.

The plot thickens as Lucy and Anthony navigate the complexities of their burgeoning relationship. Anthony’s struggle with societal expectations and hidden vulnerabilities contrasts with Lucy’s fight for recognition in a male-dominated art world. Their chemistry is charged, and their interactions are charged with both tension and tenderness. Secrets from Anthony’s past and the truth behind his mysterious appearance in the alley are gradually unveiled.

A fun read for fans of historical romance.

This is the second book of The Casteburys series. I enjoyed the first one and did not hesitate to pick this one up and I was not disappointed. Joss Rainville, Duke of Somerton, has two missions: save a failing dukedom left by his father and find the Anonymous painter who could ruin his reputation and cause a scandal - a scandal that may prevent him from succeeding in his first mission. He sets out to find this painter, who is none other than Lady Ceranora (Nora) Castlebury, the most infuriating female of his acquaintance. Nora creates her risqué paintings with only one goal in mind - to put the aristocratic men who think themselves rulers of society and women firmly in their place and feel just a little of what women do, vulnerable and exposed. Caught in a compromising position, they are forced to marry. They can't stand each other, but neither can they deny the passion that burns between them.
The story was well-written and captivating and caught my attention from the start and kept my interest all the way through. The chemistry between Nora and Joss was intense and undeniable. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to continuing the series.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Duke Undone is an average regency romance. It's not very memorable or special. The relationship that the main guy has at home is odd, and I can't imagine any valet making sausage jokes in front of a woman he has just met. The horses names were too ridiculous for words as well as how they were wearing knitted leg warmers. I know that Nora and her father seem to have a bad relationship or he's supposed to be the reason why her brothers don't want to come home, but also he seemed fairly reasonable given what the family was doing.

2.5 stars.

"Verily."
That's my main complaint with this book. The language was so old-fashioned, even for the period, that It threw me out of the book. The author should note for future books that even in Regency romances, it's a good idea to make the language moderately contemporary. The relationships were shallow, and the humor was forced. The MC's "friendship" with his valet and butler was so boring and silly, that I nearly screamed. I found nothing to laugh at, nothing to cry over, and nothing to rejoice from. I could barely finish the book, it made me feel so apathetic. Nora was so rude and so idiotically stubborn! Can she please have some personality that isn't childish?

While there were some well-written points in the book, the majority were trite and bland. A 3/5 stars, for the few characters who I did enjoy! Thank you, NetGalley, and Dragonblade for a copy of this book.

It took me awhile to get into this book - I hadn't read the first book of the series.
This book occasionally refers to past events which I assume had been in the first installation of the series.
As Nora settled into that marriage, you can kind of see that the chemistry was intense as the couple began to explore their feelings.
The ending itself was satisfying to me, I am definitely going to be reading the first book of this series!

It took me awhile to get into this book. Part of the reason was because I hadn't read the first book of the series. This book occasionally refers to past events which must have been described in detail previously. The other problem I had was with the character of Nora. She started out as a total man-hater. She came across as a modern-day feminist and I don't mean that in a complimentary way. Again, maybe the first book would have provided some background into why she behaved in the way that she did. Now, on to the current book.
Once Nora and Joss got settled into the marriage that they were forced into, things got much better. The chemistry was intense as the couple began to explore their private feelings for one another. Joss was constantly shocking Nora with his inappropriate manner of speech. The elderly valet and the butler were constantly sparring as well. There was never a dull moment in the house. Things were interesting outdoors as well. Joss had a large horse which his younger sister had named "Cinnamon Sticks." The horse was almost like another character.
In the end, Joss and Nora finally declared their love and the story came to a satisfying conclusion.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Duke Undone by Jennifer Seasons is a short, but sweet, enemies-to-lovers Regency romance. The Second of the Castlebury sisters is Ceranora, Nora for short. She can be difficult. She is very independent and believes stoutly that men have far too much privilege and women, far too little. She is fighting back in a most unusual way: she’s humiliating men. She does it by painting their portrait, in a most uncomplimentary way, usually nude, and usually shrinking their manhood. She then drops the paintings at ton balls and is known only as Anonymous. Her latest subject is the Duke of Somerton, who she believes humiliated her when he carried her out of a disreputable establishment over his shoulder. She is furious. But she will have her day. Joss has his best man at work, his valet, who can sniff out any evil doer in the ton and has identified her. He is prepared and meets her in the garden with the portrait in her hands ready to be sprung. He has interesting comments to make and unable, to overcome his lust, kisses her. They are seen and he has an appointment with her father for the following morning. She is furious. What a fabulous character Seasons has created.

Neither of them is excited about a marriage with someone they don’t care for, but Joss has a dukedom to save and he can’t do it if he is ruined by scandal. They retire to his country estate where Nora becomes fast friends with his sister. He is thrilled about that. But, it turns out that Nora did not leave London without one last portrait. Then there is his former paramour, Lady Lingbottom, who is not at all happy about his marriage. Seasons packed a lot of story into a very short book. It was a terrific read! Thanks, Jennifer Seasons!

I was invited to read Duke Undone by Dragonblade. All thoughts are opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #JenniferSeasons #DukeUndone

Scandal, Revenge, and Romance

Nora was creating scandalous paintings, and Joss was one of her victims. He was supposed to trap the painter, only to find himself caught in the parson's noose. He discovered the culprit, and instead of seeking revenge and exposing her treachery, he kissed her. What madness was this? It just might have been the best thing that could have happened to them both. However, Joss was not the only victim of Nora’s painting, and soon, a dark cloud would descend on Joss and Nora’s happiness. Someone would seek revenge and catch the two unaware. Would Nora survive the danger? I enjoyed this historical romance with a dash of suspense and would recommend it.

Duke Undone by Jennifer Seasons is the second book in the Castleburys series. I found the author's voice to be delightful and refreshing. I'll leave others to discuss the plot. Or even the main characters. Who shines the most in this book are the secondary characters and the notable pet. We need more of Winston the valet and Gomery the butler. These two were hilarious and remind me of the two old guys Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets. They need their own book, even a novella! And Cinnamon Sticks, the naughty horse who liked to roll in (blank) and who ended up saving the day!
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Marian is orphaned and must survive by being a thief. As she travels back and forth across the country she picks a mark that strikes a chord in her heart, Daniel. Through a series of events and with the help of Granny( the best character) the two work through class, life and past differences. These characters are worlds apart and the story is wonderfully written to encompass the differences and how to work through them all. Beautifully written.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A charming quick read with a nice plot, some steam and very likable characters which I finished in one sitting.
I love enemies to lovers stories and the chemistry between Nora and Joss was just great and fun to read.

I didn’t realize that the book is part of a series but I had no problems to follow the storyline. I will definitely read the previous installment and the others yet to come.

Lady Nora Castlebury has enough of men, their power over women and their self-righteousness. In order to revenge herself and women in general, she secretly paints scandalous paintings of particularly annoying men in the nude and puts them on display at balls to humiliate them.

One of them is Joss Rainville, Duke of Somerton, but he discovers her scheming in time.
He can’t afford that his name is linked to scandal, as he still works hard to regain his family fortune and to find respectable, solvent investors for his theater.

When he confronts her with her painting, he kisses her in the heat of the moment, they are discovered and have no chance to escape a marriage of convenience…

I recommend the book to all who enjoy a lighthearted historical romance with humor and steam.

Her Talent Is Scandalous

Nora was an independent lady with a secret, a really big secret and when she tried to teach Joss, the Duke of Somerton a lesson, it all backfired.

Joss finds Nora irresistible and cannot stop thinking of her but when he finds out her secret, the only thing a Duke can do is to save his damsel in distress (not that she wants to be saved)!

Joss isn’t what he presents to the outside world and soon they are both learning to accept who they both really are but in the background something is stirring, can they stop it before a scandal occurs?

Ooh this is a fun, witty, sizzler of a read with lots of mischief along the way and a hero in the form of a four legged kind.

Well worth a read and it can be read as a standalone!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Castlebury girls are full of mischief and rebel against the rules of the ton. This is the story of the second sister. She is a very talented artist. She hates the fact that it's a man's world. A woman has no power at all. There are some men who are much worse than others in their misuse of the females they consider beneath them. Our heroine uses her talent to lay bare these men and make them as vulnerable as the women they mistreat.

Our hero is desperately trying to refill the family coffers. He needs his good name to get the investment in his new project.

I love this family of characters. I did read the first book in the series and loved it, so I'm very happy to get this one. It really doesn't matter if you have read the previous book, except if you have, you will know what our hero's offence was and how it came about.

We also have a four-legged hero who plays a wonderful part.

Lots of fun and mischief along with a little danger.

Great fun.

Scandalous paintings of the ton are taking London by storm, and Joss Rainville, Duke of Somerton, is the latest target. Left a failing dukedom by his late father, Joss needs his latest venture, sole proprietorship in London’s newest theatre, to be successful. Any scandal and investors disappear. He’s going to track down this Anonymous artist only Joss doesn’t expect his trap to catch Lady Ceranora Castlebury, the most frustrating female of his acquaintance. Nora a brilliant artist takes great satisfaction in painting noblemen in the nude, giving them a taste of what it’s like to be a woman, to feel exposed and powerless. When Joss tracks her down, she realizes she’s perhaps gone too far. One passionate kiss in a moonlit garden and their fates are sealed.
The second Castlebury sibling to find love, I loved the chemistry between Joss & Nora, which sizzled but he didn’t rush her. I also loved the witty banter. The secondary characters were also a delight especially Claire – you’ve got to love someone who named a huge horse Cinnamon Sticks. I loved that the romance was central to the book. A well written book which was a light fun, entertaining & refreshing romance
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Joss Rainville, Joslin Bonaventure Rainville, Duke of Somerton, has two images he shows the world. His London image is aloof, care free, spoiled, and arrogant. He is actually kind, sincere, gracious person, but does not want people hovering around. He is also trying to rebuild the family name after his father's running through all the family inheritance. So he bought a theater to bring in money to sustain them and have money for the future.

When he gets an anonymous person with a sketch of him that could ruin him. So he sets a trap. He is surprised to fix the artist is none other than, Lady Ceranora "Nora" Castlebury the one he had to drag out of a tavern. But why?

Lady Nora believes all men who flair their superiority should be made a spectacle of. To show them how powerless it feels when they do it to women. However, Joss decides to prove she is wrong and the two get caught kissing. Now both have to suffer with the other or do they?

Great fun this fast easy read is to bring light laughter to your day. I could not put it down! From Hyde Park to the country side you will be thrilled and entrenched in this quirky romance.

Nora and Joss married after they were found in a garden alone after a passionate kiss. Nora is a very progressive woman and knows what women have to endure compared to men.
Since Nora exposes rich men by painting them nude and embarrassing them, Joss realizes she might be in danger and they leave London for the countryside. It's there Nora starts feeling attraction towards Joss.
I enjoyed the book but felt that it ended pretty quickly and the ending was quite rushed.
Also, I really don't like the names of the characters. It took me a couple of seconds to realize Joss is a man, not a woman. Maybe it's because I'm bilingual and I connect the name Joss to a woman rather than a man's name. Nora's full name is Ceranora and her sisters also have weird long names.
3.5 stars

An enemies to lovers historical romance? Sign me up!

I was absolutely swooning from each and every interaction shared between our female protagonist — Nora Castlebury — and Duke Joss Rainville.

The yearning that builds at a steady pace had me hooked and I finished nearly the whole book in the span of two hours because I wanted to see their romance blossom from its initial burn. Especially when it came to the internal dialogue of Joss and how it reflected how much he needed Nora.

Romance aspect aside, I genuinely enjoyed Nora as a character. I loved how adamant she was about putting men in their place and seeking out to make them feel as powerless as society is known to make women feel. While she had a lot of fire inside of her, I liked that she had a dual soft centre that made her seem like a fully dimensional character.

Overall a quick and fun read that will leave you wanting more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dragonblade Publishing and Jennifer Seasons for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An excellent tale of a woman who rebelled against the lack of control and self determination for women and expressing it through her art and the man who found out her secret. An enemies to lovers romantic tale, when discovering each other’s true self and values also uncovers their love.. Good easy reading and a wonderful HEA.

2.5 stars

Not for me: In today's culture somone sending d*** pics around social media with the objective to embarass the young man would be castigated. The author has set this story in the 19th Century and has the heroine paint pictures of what she thinks is the hero's genitalia and she justifies this as some sort of feminist trope.. Her father queries whether she's anatomically correct so must have had some life drawing clases. I think this is so the author can get the hero/heroine married pdq and thus describe lots of sex within marriage.. IMO the heroine is immensely childish. The author tries to rehabilitate the heroine, explaining that she didn't really know the hero: he is just a fit country boy who likes horses and kittens. While they are riding around it becomes obvious that she's riding an ordinary saddle...so what is she wearing? An ordinary skirt is likely to flash her ankles about. The heroine does spend quite a bit of time oggling him and don;t get me started on the very odd names. Cerenza is fairly OK because it's similar to the cornish Kerensa but catamount...the american name for a mountain lion??

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

I discovered Jennifer Seasons this past December and I'm obsessed. The Castlebury sisters were a hoot and a half. I'm so excited that 2/3 of the siblings have gotten their happy ending. We got a sneak peek of Ceranora and the duke in the first book, so I knew their own love story would be juicy. They had the wittiest banter and sizzling chemistry. My only complaint was I wish Duke Undone was longer. I could have read 500 pages about this marriage of convenience. I read this book in one sitting and finished it way too quickly. These two newlyweds' honeymoon was over far too soon!

Duke Undone was a vast improvement from Mayfair Misfit, even though that book had very few faults. The Castlebury patriarch significantly cooled his jets and the romance took center stage over unnecessary plotlines. Ceranora and Joss were a match made in heaven. This book reminded me of Painting the Duke where both heroines were fond of painting handsome members of the gentry in their birthday suit. They weren't personally acquainted with the male form and made the most of their imagination. I would have preferred a live painting scene with Joss, but that's me just being greedy. There's nothing more romantic than an artist and their muse making beautiful artwork together.

I had a wonderful time reading Duke Undone and could have done with 50 more chapters. I'm eager for the last Castlebury sister's love story who seems like such a sweetheart. I may even read more of the author's catalog in anticipation of her future publications. Dragonblade Publishing introduced me to one more slam dunk author and left another Duke Undone in its wake.