This is the second book of the series The Dark Dukes. I read the first book and enjoyed it and this one also did not disappoint. The story was well-written with an interesting plot that kept my attention all the way through. It has mystery, suspense, and romance and witty dialogue. Renard and Camille were both strong and likable characters and the chemistry between them was undeniable. Things do get a bit complicated for them before they are able to beat the odds and finally be together. But as the story does come to a satisfying conclusion, it is definitely well worth the read. Although this book could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the series in order as it runs parallel with the first and some events do overlap. An engaging and entertaining story! I look forward to continuing the series.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This is the first J.M Diedrich book and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Once I started reading I can put it down. The author drew me in at the beginning. . Both of the characters Camille and Renard have so much depth to them. In this book, they both end up saying each other.. I definitely recommend this author and excited about reading the first book in this series! I would read this book again.

Excellent Historical Romance with Suspense and Mystery

He saved her life and stole her heart. She wanted nothing to do with him, but her heart had other plans. Then, those who attacked her began to die. She thought he was the killer. What followed was months of heartache. She ran to protect him. Would he find her, and was he the killer she thought he was?

There will be villains and deadly danger, but there is also love, hope, and redemption. Will a duke’s bastard daughter and a duke with a painful past beat the odds? I enjoyed this story and would recommend it. Although it is not necessary to read the first book in the series to enjoy this one, it will enrich your experience. It tells the story of Renard's sister, and it is excellent, just like this one.

Book 2 of 2 - the characters were deep and the story was very thought provoking. An interesting love story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'll admit, I couldn't keep up with the plot. I don't know if it was because I didn't read the first book or not. There was just too much going on and I got lost. I'm sorry. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

It's a strong connection between Lord Renard and Camille the night he saves her life from her attackers. She works at the Prodding Pony as Madam's assistant, but she doesn't take part in the activities. An innocent, she is a willing participant in the seduction with Renard. A murderer stalks the West End and puts Camille's life in danger. She disappears to save Renard's life, but he won't give up until he finds her. The pace moves a little slow for me. Renard never seems to be trusted and it leaves him in a quandary. Poor guy.
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

3 stars

This is the second book in the series and I got very confused. The first half of the book trundled along quite slowly with the romance between Renard and Camille and then it suddenly went like a rocket and I realised that chronologically this book is earlier than book 1 and we had caught up with some of the timings of that book so it then scooted the story quickly till the end.
I was surprised that Camille seemed to have got pregnant within about a month of meeting the Duke and though the free clinic was good, I suprised that they could have definitively confirmed the situation. Camille is illegitimate and worked with the ledgers of what sounded like a BDSM style bordello so was surprised that she'd be all casual like about a baby out of wedlock. I think, in this book, we didn't get Renard's thought processes about his sister so it seemed all disjointed. It has been sometime since I read the first book in January 2024 and IMO the book does not work as a standalone. There seems like a cast of thousands to keep in my head. The writing is good but the layering with the first book didn't work for me. Why all Duke's rather than just rich Victorians?

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

A normal typical working class girl is save by an upper class gentleman. What can go wrong other than starting to like said man? She is an unofficial offspring of an upper class man who tossed her and her mother to the streets. Once again she had to learn what’s right and what’s not real but only the stuff and fluff of the toffs. He has a serious guilt complex for something he seems as though will capture his life.
Working through the inner turmoil of each character is fascinating. This was an intricate and lovely story to read through. I enjoyed the strong woman and the man who let her be. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

I could not stop reading this story! I wanted to find out more. Camille and Renard faced so much pain and carried such guilt. I wanted to know the secrets of each of the characters, and I wanted to figure out how they could possibly have a happy ending! An excellent story filled with so much emotion!

A Perfect Blend Of Romance And Suspense

I really enjoyed this love story. The well-written plot, laced with a good imagery of life in the rookeries, twists and turns, mystery, suspense, witty bickering and some steam, was captivating and had me hooked from the beginning. Both main characters are very likable and have their own experiences and secrets that are slowly revealed as the story progresses, which adds to the suspense. The chemistry between Renard and Camille is great, I loved their sarcastic and playful banter. It was also heartwarming to see how Camille slowly opened up to other people in the course of the story. The side characters were likable and interesting personalities too, most of them were already introduced in the first part of the series.

This story runs parallel to and is a continuation of the first part of the series. Although there are references to events in the first book, the story is easier to understand if you read the books in the correct order. Therefore, I do not recommend reading the book as a standalone.

Camille Forthright, the illegitimate daughter of a duke, grew up in comfortable but unfeeling circumstances until she was forced to move to the dangerous rookeries where she now shares a tiny flat with her mother and works as an assistant in a pleasure house, too proud and independent to accept help from her half-brother Hamish, the new Duke of Camine. She is a genius with an unfailing memory and usually able to avoid danger. Her aim is to create a safe haven for girls and young women to keep them off the streets.

One night she is attacked by three men and rescued by a handsome stranger who turns out to be a duke. Because of her own experiences, she detests aristocrats, but is immediately attracted to him.

Renard Louis, the Duke of Lux, is plagued by feelings of guilt and shame over his past transgressions and leads a self-destructive life of drinking and fighting. He is certain that sooner or later he will be punished for his sins, until he meets and rescues Camille. He falls instantly and hopelessly in love with her, and for the first time he finds meaning in his bleak life.

Things get complicated when the two get closer and a lunatic starts to kill the men who attacked her…

I recommend the book to all who enjoy a mixture of romance, humor and suspense.

This suspenseful and dramatic romance made it very difficult for me to go to bed last night! A superior intellect was not particularly helpful when being stalked in the dark streets near the docks in the dead of night, but it did help Camille to strategize and plot her escape. When a good-looking stranger steps in to help her, Camille is stubborn enough to refuse his help, but ultimately Renard, Duke of Lux cannot help but step in when she is outnumbered. Recognizing how suspicious she is of him, Ranard heads for a man who can give her the medical help she needs, leaving it to Camille whether or not she is willing to follow him there. So begins a game of attraction and avoidance as Camille keeps dancing out of Lux's reach when he attempts to court her. When all fingers point to Renard as the culprit in the murders of dockside thugs, Camille thinks to protect him, little knowing how flawed her information is, thereby wasting valuable time in finding fulfillment in a relationship with Renard. Despite a last-minute struggle, the plot comes to a happy but inconclusive ending, bringing family and lovers together. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

We get very fierce Dukes in this historical romance series. Our hero this time has been fighting off a guilty conscience by looking for trouble, often in the roughest areas of London.
Our heroine is an extremely intelligent young woman. She has learned never to trust a gentleman's good deeds. When trouble finds her, she is capable of protecting herself.
This book is filled with danger for lots of our characters. There is a particularly ruthless villian causing more mischief than anyone knows.
I was hooked from the first to last page. I look forward to reading more.
Great fun.

The characters were quite complicated and their trauma and stories were revealed in bits and pieces that I found confusing at times. I also found it a bit meandering when it came to the plot. I'm not sure if this is because I hadn't read the first book and that I was missing things that might have helped me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Intriguing story of a tortured soul and the woman who struggled to survive.
Renard is a Duke who cannot forget his,past and looks for trouble to distract himself.
Camille is saved by him and thus begins their complicated journey of love fraught with misunderstandings and danger.
Can easily be read as a standalone but the connections to the first book in the series make this one a page turner.

Book Two of the series with my first recommendation being to read the first book. There are things in the first book that tie to book two. Now Renard and Camille, two people who fall in love from different sides of the street. Camille is a genius and a truly strong personality. Renard is a cinnamon roll from the very first moment.
Twist, turns, villains, so steam and strong fights fill this story. Engaging from the first page to the end. Wonderful primary and secondary characters. A fantastic story all the way around. I'm truly hoping Scarlet and Syd get their own story as well as Lucian.

Reading this book in its entirety took some effort for me. The characters were complicated, their 'baggage' revealed in bits and pieces that were sometimes confusing. The scenes describing violent attacks and dark intentions were overblown.
As a woman of a certain age, I still cling to idea that "love conquers all" and can attest to the fact that animal attraction evolves into something more tame or less important in the grand scheme of things. Our protagonists seemed like rabid animals incapable of controlling their baser instincts,
In my opinion, this book is for a reader with a stronger appetite for conflict and sizzle.

3 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed the bickering banter and initial set up of the characters
Unfortunately, I am not a fan of quick sex and the pregnancy trope so this book was not for me. I also found it a bit meandering in regards to length and plot.

3.5 Stars
Camille Forthright will never trust a gentleman. Ever. Again. That is until she meets the Duke of Lux, a man who supersedes all expectations. When he steps in to fight off three brutes who corner her in the streets and takes her for medical treatment, his chivalry and unabashed humour has Camille doing the unimaginable; she starts to care. Renard Louis’ days of freedom are numbered. A fate he accepted long ago. But meeting the suspicious, no-nonsense beauty has him longing for redemption.
The second book in the series & whilst it could be read on its own I personally feel this series would definitely be better read in order as events do overlap as do characters. I really liked Renard & Camille & enjoyed their journey to a HEA but I didn’t love them. I felt there was a lack of communication between characters. I will read the next book as quite a number of issues were unresolved.
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

When I saw the cover, and then the title, it was a no-brainer for me. Instant gratification for my regency romance addiction. I devoured this story, enjoying every second of the experience, sighing with satisfaction as I turned the final page.

The events in "A Duke's Keeper" both predate and overlap the events in the previous book of this series, "A Lady's Duke". If someone has not read that book first, then it is possible that "A Duke's Keeper" may not be as enjoyable as it otherwise would be. Having read "A Lady's Duke", I was excited to get the backstory for Camille and Renard. And for the most part, this book lived up to my expectations.

Camille was the FMC she showed she could be in the previous book - strong, somewhat self-sacrificing, practical, and guarded. Renard has moments of loveliness and others that are...not so much. He too is guarded, but for reasons that are not fully explained or understandable for most of the book. His reaction to a pivotal moment in the story seems out of character for the most part, as does Camille's later determination to essentially not properly communicate with Renard at all. Some of the sadder aspects of their story were expected based on knowledge of timelines from the previous book. The pieces of this book that overlap with the prior book are probably the weakest parts of this book overall, slowing the pace and potentially leaving a new reader confused. When the events of this book continue from where the prior book ended, it becomes stronger again. But. There is an overarching villain that could again prove frustrating and somewhat out of nowhere for those who have not read the previous book.

4 stars, though this rating would be lower if I had not read and liked the prior book, I will be picking up book 3 so I can learn the ultimate outcomes for these characters. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.