Reckless third son to a duke, Jonathan was shipped off on a grand tour to tame him. Nobody expected Napoleon’s army to resurge and imprison every able-bodied man they could capture, but for Jon it meant eleven long years in exile, a disastrous failed escape and losing his friend and tutor – her father.
With no news of her father, Victoria was taken in by Jon’s mother and became his sister’s governess turned best friend after her own mother died. She had to since marrying wasn’t an option, not if she wanted to protect her secret.

He returns home, guilt ridden with a dying man’s wish to see his daughter settled, only to find himself the new duke – and her, in his employ, clever and gorgeous, a forbidden fruit if there ever was one. Nothing a fake dowry and art lessons in retour for a Season cannot fix, right?
Wrong! Close proximity, a traitor on the loose and the heavy burden of a neglected title combined with a determined young woman looking for answers and equally unable to resist their mutual attraction, make for a captivating mess!

Well-written with a pleasant flow, this was an enjoyable tale with some very nice steam.
I liked the history about the ‘détenus’ in France, both MCs and their romance a lot. I did, however, not like the backdrop. To me it’s implausible that a man who’s been away for over a decade, a traumatising decade at that, could slip so easily into his new life. There is some struggle, but it’s washed out by the potholes of the romance and the social whirl.
The carriage scene near the end is brilliant and the lady-friend plotline takes a nice, unexpected twist, but the traitor plotline ends unresolved, so I’m assuming it will continue in the next books. Guess I’ll have to wait and find out...

Napoleon’s war has ended, and Lord Jonathan Leighton, who had been held captive for years in a French fortress, is finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognises, he learns he has inherited a dukedom. Yet, his guilt at having wronged his mentor, who died in the French prison, leads him to fulfill his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria, even if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony. Victoria is determined to take charge of her own future, and she is determined to set up a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with Victoria, his connection to her father’s demise and his secrets threaten any future they might have together.
I enjoyed the first half of the book, particularly as Jon goes from captivity to a life as the duke. The attraction between the characters is apparent from their first meeting, but at times, I felt the story did lose pace in the second half of the book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of my favorite authors and per usual she grabs you immediately and keeps your heart the entire story.

Meet Jon soon to find out that he's missed three deaths in his family and is now the Duke after he finally makes it home from the napoleonic war. He's a little worse fro wear but taking it all in stride until his eyes lock on Tory his sisters governess. Tory just so happens to be the very person he needed to see upon his return to England, his good friend Dr. Morris's daughter. How did this happen?

Get ready to figure out how to trust, discovering secret family and learning how to give your heart.

**I was lucky enough to obtain an ARC from Netgalley**

When you read a Sabrina Jeffries’ novel, you know you’re getting a well-researched historical. I had never heard the story of the détenus, so I learned some interesting history with my romance.

Lord Jonathan Leighton, third son of the Duke of Falconridge, was on his Grand Tour when he was forced into detention with his “bear leader,” Dr. Morris. Stuck in limbo for ten years, Jon was the ringleader of a failed escape attempt that led to the eventual death of Morris. Wracked with guilt, Jon promises Morris that he will find Morris’s daughter Tory an appropriate husband once he is returned to London.

Jon makes his way home after Napoleon is sent to Elba. He finds that he is now the duke after the drowning deaths of his two older brothers. He immediately meets Tory, who is governess to Jon’s sister Chloe. The two are immediately attracted to each other, but class differences and secrets conspire to keep the course of true love from running smoothly.

I had a little trouble with Jon. He was written as if he was the same 18-year-old who left on his Grand Tour. Aside from a couple of mentions of nightmares, he seemed to have no impacts from his decade as a detainee. I still enjoyed the book. It’s the first in a series with an over-arching mystery and I’m invested enough to be on the lookout for the next books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the eARC. Opinions are my own.

Readers, unfortunately I’m not leaving a full review for this book. Honestly I could not complete the book.

Perhaps I need to go back to it later.

Thank you

As a longtime fan of Sabrina Jeffries, I came into The Hazards of a Duke’s Heart with high expectations—and she didn’t disappoint. Jeffries once again delivers her signature blend of wit, swoon-worthy romance, and emotionally layered storytelling. The duke is the perfect mix of charm and vulnerability, and the heroine brings a refreshing boldness that makes their dynamic truly shine. With crackling tension, clever banter, and just the right amount of scandal, this book is a standout in an already stellar body of work. A must-read for anyone who’s followed Jeffries through her delightful world of nobility and passion.

I always enjoy Jeffries books, and this is a welcome addition. I do like that her series' have some overlap (the wedding planners in this book are from the previous series.)
The most interesting part of this book is the learning of what happened to British subjects who were caught in France after Napoleon announced that men from 18 to 40 were to be detained while the war was on. Some families were stuck there for 11 years. The characters in this book were in Verdun (and knowing what happened there in WWI made it particularly sad).
Our hero Jon was a wild youth, and his father, a Duke, sent him on a grand tour with a tutor, Mr. Morris. In Verdun, they lived as hostages, but it was not a prison. Eventually, they tried to escape, were betrayed, and sent to an actual prison.
These are not spoilers as this is the beginning of the book.
When the war ends, Jon and his 3 friends return home, all damaged in some way. I presume the next 2 books will be about these friends). Eleven years takes its toll and much has changed in London.
Jon is now a Duke, and along with all the responsibilities he must fulfill a dying wish.
He has come home to find Mr. Morris 's daughter is now his sister's Governess.
I like the way this book progresses. we see Jon's thoughts throughout and how he is dealing with all his problems.
Tory is a very strong character, an artist who knows what she wants her future to be. She has a secret that takes a long time for us to discover, and Jon is hiding things from her also.
There is an overarching mystery that I am sure will be solved in book 3. I am looking forward to the next book already.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington books, for the EARC.

This story is an interesting mix of history and romance, with some spicy scenes thrown in.
Jonathan Leighton, a newly minted duke, arrives back in England after being detained in France for 11 years during which time his mentor passed away. When he arrives home, he meets his mentor's daughter, Tory, who is his sister's governess.
The chemistry is undeniable between Jon and Tory, but they both have secrets.
There are a lot of interesting plot twists in the story, interesting secondary characters and a bit of a mystery, that makes the story a very enjoyable read.
I am looking forward to the next in the series.

This was overall an enjoyable novel. What I enjoyed most was the banter between the hero & heroine when they found themselves together, particularly alone - it was witty, flirty and delightful, showing the quickly budding chemistry between the two. While the relationship seemed to progress somewhat quickly and some of the hurdles a little overmuch, they still worked with rather than distracted from the over all story -- a story of love finding a way to bring two guarded individuals together and learning to trust and have hope again -- that will have the reader laughing and hoping for their HEA

Beautiful book, Jeffries never ever disappoints! I particularly appreciated the historical part of the book, with the story of the English détenus in France during the Napoleon wars, which was really fascinating and new to me. I love learning new things about history while reading about a great love story! That’s why historical romance is my favorite genre. The characters were really wonderful too. Tory is definitely the best: she’s smart, witty and determined. Jon is slightly irritating at times, but it’s understandable: he lost 11 years of his life and went through terrible experiences. Both are very believable and well fleshed out characters. I also loved this family and friends and I can’t wait for their stories.

Jon comes back from a French prison after being detained for 11 years to find himself a duke. And the daughter of his mentor now lives in his house as his sister’s governess. Due to Jon’s guilt over his mentor’s death, he decides to secretly give Tori a dowry to see her settled into marriage, but he knows he’s not a prospective husband because she’ll end up hating him for what happened with her father. Tori’s totally uninterested in marriage due to her own secrets, and she’d rather use the money to open an art school. There’s a whole lot of bickering and banter between Jon and Tori, but they’re very much attracted to each other, and can’t quite seem to stay away. I enjoyed reading this book and learning all of the backstory and secrets our main characters are hiding. And of course Jon is a much better man than he’s giving himself credit for.

This is the first book on a new series. The first book is always a little bit long because it introduces all the characters in the next two books. It also introduces a mystery that will be carried on in the next books.
I found the book took some getting in to. I almost gave up twice but was glad I stuck with it . It finished much better than it started.
Because of the slow start I gave it 3 1/2 stars round up.
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my go to authors for historical romance. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book in this genre, the genre that made me a reader so very long ago! I’m always impressed when an author researches real events in history and adds romance and intrigue to a novel. It proves that most historical romance is not just fluff. The author brings us into the Napoleonic Wars and the aftermath when English prisoners of war return home to deal with the scars of their experiences. There’s just enough “spice” added with the romance of the two main characters Jon and Tory. I was thoroughly delighted with this first installment of The Lords of Hazard series and anxiously await book number two.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishers for this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Ok I really really enjoyed learning about the détenu of the Napoleon wars, that was fascinating. Jon frustrated me at times, keeping things from the people around him. Especially Victoria!! I loved her! She was so sweet and thoughtful and smart. She made the book so wonderful!

A lively and entertaining Regency romance with two strong characters in Jon and Tori. Jeffries does a good job of weaving the slow burn through with historical details. And the characters are terrific. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read for fans of the genre.

This is really a different book. I enjoy reading about things that are close to true in history. This book is done so well. The ups and downs will keep you turning the page. Just the right amount of romance and adventure. Can't wait to see what's next!

This was such a fun read! I’m always here for a historical romance with strong willed heroines and emotionally complicated dukes, and this one delivered. Victoria is smart, independent, and determined to live life on her own terms, while Jonathan is dealing with guilt, secrets, and a whole lot of unexpected responsibility. Their dynamic is full of tension and banter, and the slow burn romance had me hooked. This book also has a touch of mystery which I also loved. I flew through it, and already can’t wait for the next in the series!

Sabrina Jeffries is an auto-buy for me. I’ve been a huge fan of hers for years. This is an excellent start to a new series. It’s a fun and quick read in the regency romance genre. Loved the main characters and look forward to reading about some of the side characters in the future.
I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many plot scenarios that could have been explored more fully then this story provided. Jon is in a French prison for 11 years due to the wars, yet he returns home acting as if nothing affected him, he’s stuck in a time warp still acting like the 18 yr old who went off on a grand adventure. Tory is employed as his sisters governess and so he’s immediately smitten. There was little to no chemistry between them, just a lot of teenage hyperbole that didn’t reflect their ages or life experiences. Not the best I’ve seen from this author. I hope the next installment is better.

This was good. Did it require a little suspension of disbelief? sure. But did that make me enjoy it less? no.

It has insta-attraction on the side of the hero, some interesting mention of the Napolean war and the imprisonment of the english in france that I haven't really seen mentioned as much these days ( barb cartland had a whole lot of books with that setting), the heroine who had me bamfoozled with her reasonings as to why she didnt want to marry( It was not what i was expecting at all).

All in all, a quick , perfectly fine use of a few hours of reading time.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing (you guys are awesome).