This is historical romance at its best - it was funny, light hearted and felt consistent to the time. We have our tortured MMC who needs to right wrongs that loom large in his mind and protect the (less than he thinks) helpless FMC

I laughed, the characters feel real and the plot didn’t rely solely on connivence as it’s only real option

If you like historical romance you will love this

Overall I enjoyed the book. The author seemed to know her historical elements and it was not too heavy of a read. It was not my favorite book by any means but I did enjoy it.

Sabrina Jeffries is starting a new series with this book, and I am already imagining how she will be writing the stories of some of the other characters in the future books in the series. I enjoyed getting back into this genre of book, even though it was somewhat predictable in following the social norms of the time, but there were a few daring exceptions to the rules and it spiced up the story! This was an easy read for me and just what I needed to lighten my mood for a few days. Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this advance copy and provide a fair review.

Hazardous to a Duke's Heart
by Sabrina Jeffries
Pub Date: Apr 29 2025

Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows 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 . . .

Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the talented beauty, revelations from his past—and their connection to her father’s demise—threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and thrust them into a danger they can only escape together.

This book was an absolute delight! The perfect mix of lighthearted fun, swoon-worthy romance, and a touch of mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. The hero, haunted by his experiences in France, was both compelling and endearing, while the heroine, hiding a well-kept secret, added depth to the story. Their chemistry crackled with just the right amount of spice, making every interaction sizzle with anticipation.

I also loved the vibrant friendships and rich family dynamics, which brought warmth and depth to the narrative. Though the mystery remains unsolved, it perfectly sets the stage for the next book in the series—and I can't wait to read more!

In "Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart," author Sabrina Jeffries introduces readers to Lord Jonathan Leighton, who returns to England after being detained for eleven long years in a French prison during the Napoleonic Wars. Upon his return, he discovers that he has inherited the dukedom of Falconridge following the deaths of his father and brothers. Haunted by guilt over the death of his mentor, who entrusted him with the care of his daughter Victoria Morris, Jonathan resolves to help her secure a suitable marriage. However, Victoria, a passionate artist with dreams of opening a school for women, has no intention of marrying. As Jonathan and Victoria navigate their complicated pasts and burgeoning feelings for each other, secrets unfold, and they must confront their own vulnerabilities. This story weaves a tale of guilt, redemption, and love, set against the backdrop of a society that has changed in his absence.
Romance readers will love this book for its rich character development and emotional depth. The author crafts a narrative filled with witty banter and palpable chemistry between Jonathan and Victoria, making their journey toward love both engaging and relatable. Readers will appreciate the strong, independent heroine who defies societal expectations, as well as the tormented hero grappling with his past. It’s a little countercultural as the duke is interested in a governess. The inclusion of steamy moments, combined with the unique historical context of Napoleonic France and the struggles of reentering society, adds layers of intrigue. With a beautifully woven plot and unresolved mysteries, this novel promises a delightful escape into a world of historical romance, making it a must-read for fans of the genre. It’s well written, it’s fun and I think most historical romance readers will enjoy it. The publication date is April 29, 2025 so put it on your pre-order list! Thanks to #NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a ARC.

Merciful heavens. This should have been a great book - it had an interesting premise. The hero, Lord Jonathan, is a 'detenu' in Napoleonic France, released and returned to England to find himself the new Duke of Falconridge. He had been on a grand tour as a young man, with his tutor, when war broke out. Along with other English men at that time, he was not permitted to leave France - for 11 years. His tutor, Mr Morris, dies in France after a botched escape attempt took them away from Verdun where they were held, to a prison called Bitches.

So - premise - interesting. I had no idea this was a thing in Napoleonic France. Sadly despite premise being great, the writing and the story is ... not great.

The writing is anachronistic ("grouchy"... REALLY?!), the characters barely sketched and the internal angsty dialogue more or less nonsensical. I was quite disappointed as I've read and enjoyed a few Sabrina Jeffries books.

Maybe it's also because I just read a bunch of Georgette Heyer ... the contrast is too much! I couldn't finish this one.

Received an ARC from Netgalley.

It was fine. Good plot with likable characters and interesting history. But I never got swept up in the romance. Everything between them felt rushed and superficial. And Jon’s arc about marrying for love and forgiving himself was underdeveloped. I was more excited to see Diana and Gregory from another series than watch Tory and Jon. I love this author and I’ll try the rest of this series but this one won’t be a reread.

Lord Jonathan (Jon) returns home after 11 years of being detained and then imprisoned during the Napoleonic wars. He is now a duke that has to find his way through his guilt of his mentors death, and his mentors last request of Jon, is to see that his daughter makes a good marriage. Victoria (Tory) has no intention of every marrying for reasons of her own. This book is a well written delightful romance with well developed characters. I enjoyed the last third of the book the most.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Do you like sexy fruit and art lessons that get a bit handsy? What about goal-minded heroines and heroes with a tormented past?

Sabrina Jeffries does classic historical romance, and she does it well. I always find myself looking at her books when I’m desiring a cosy read with a deep romance to make me swoon. Her first book of her new Lords of Hazard series, Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart is no exception and a solid 4-star read.

Jon’s backstory added an overarching feeling to his POV that I haven't experienced in other novels. I thought it was very well done. There was a sense of melancholy emptiness. He was overwhelmed and returned to a home and family he didn’t quite recognize. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, as he required time to become reacquainted with society. I felt his struggles in his narrative of reconnecting with his past and emotions.

Secondly, Jeffries often writes determined heroines that are still believable in the setting. I loved Tory’s passion for art and her desire to teach other women artists. One of my favorite parts to the plot was Tory offering sculpting lessons to Jon, since it allowed her to become his teacher. This added even more romantic and sexy tension. The scene with the pear will not be leaving my mind any time soon.

While the book didn’t have many specific events to drive the plot, the development of the romance between Jon and Tory kept me moving forward. I am not sure I fully believed Tory’s reasons for her reluctance to the romance, as it seemed she was denying solutions to some of her challenges. At one point, it seemed like she was being practical in sacrifice of her emotions, and then it seemed like she was being emotional in sacrifice of practicality. Of course, being a historical romance, I knew it would all work out in the end anyway.

Unsolved mysteries and the cast of characters introduced in this book have me looking forward to the rest of the series. I am already shipping certain pairings, so I am crossing my fingers that I’m correct in my matches!

Lord Jonathan Leighton is in France when Napoleon decides to start fighting again after a short break. Thus, nearly every English person in France is moved into camps and detained for up to 11 years. While some camps are better than others, if you are caught escaping, you are sent to the worst camp—Bitche—commonly referred to as the ‘Mansion of Tears.’ This is what happens to Lord Jonathan Leighton and his friends as well as his tutor, who is with them at the time they are captured. Unfortunately, his tutor dies from an injury toward the end of that 11-year period. However, before he dies, he entrusts his daughter‘s future to Lord Jonathan. When they are finally released, Lord Jonathan learns that he is now the Duke after the deaths of both of his brothers as well as his father during the prior 11 years. When he finally gets home, it is to learn that his sister is no longer a child, and his mother has hired his former tutor’s daughter as his sister’s governess/companion/friend. To make matters worse, Duke Jonathan is very attracted to Victoria Morris, his tutor‘s daughter, but he is filled with guilt over his death. Victoria has her own secrets, and her biggest dream is to open a school to help female artists. She loves to sculpt.

This masterfully-written book contains intrigue, heartache, loyalty, guilt and redemption, (and other themes) as well as a beautiful love story. It’s fascinating, and evenly-paced. There’s a bit of a mystery that remains unsolved by the end of the book; however, two other stories remain to be told, so there’s ample opportunity to solve this mystery. Victoria is a very strong female character who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. This complex and nuanced tale was a fun and enjoyable read. This reader is looking forward to the next two installments of the story. Please note that this story is fully self-contained, and is not a cliffhanger…There just happens to be one over-arcing mystery that remains to be solved.

What a wonderful start to an amazing series!

Jonathan and Victoria were both hiding things from the other, a lot of it involving misdirected guilt. I was not familiar with the detainment of civilians by Napolean and was dismayed by their treatment but amazed by their strength and tenacity. Jonathan brought home a lot of baggage that impacted Tory and he was afraid to reveal it but finally learned that honest communication showed strength rather than weakness. These characters and the plot were well-written and demonstrated Ms. Jeffries talent for spinning a tale. I always enjoy her books and look forward to the next one. Highly recommended.
#netgalley

Jon, an Englishman, was detained in France when Napoleon came to power. After eleven years, he finally comes home and discovers he is now a duke. He is immediately attracted to his old mentor's daughter Tory. He sets up a dowry for her in order to help her to get married. However, he soon realizes that it is he who wants to marry her. Can they trust each other with their secrets? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.

This was a good, light read with some interesting historical elements but the last third of the book was so laden with cheesy dialogue and cringey sex scenes that I was a bit put off.

She called her 🐱 her fountain of love and I can’t with that nonsense. 🤮

But if you skip those parts it was really interesting to read about the hero’s back story as a détenu of the Napoleon wars and the heroine was a strong minded and determined sculptress. This was mostly Regency brain candy, and fairly conventional for a historical romance, but it was a quick and engaging read if you can get over the heavy corn at the end.

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the complimentary copy.

A very engaging read with guilt, atonement, yearning and love warring with each other in a man's heart. No wonder she is hazardous to a Duke's heart. Also a glimpse of what it was like to be a civilian detainee in the war with Napoleon. There are interesting secondary characters that promise the possible unravelling of the mystery of a traitor in their midst! Looking forward to the next in series!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

This was a cute book. I enjoyed reading it, even though the plot was very cut and dry for something of this genre.

The story follows Jon, the new Duke of Falconridge, who finally returns home after 11 years of being a prisoner of war during the Napoleonic Wars. He finds out his father and two elder brothers who succeeded him have passed, and he now carries the burden of being Duke. In the midst of this, we are introduced to Victoria, or Tori, who is governess to Jon’s younger sister Chloe. Jon is lowkey traumatized from his years at prison, where he was accompanied by Chloe’s father, his tutor. To make amends for circumstances that happened at the prison and the internal guilt he feels, he makes up a dowry to give Tori for a chance to marry into good standing, but she is unwilling to accept the money as she doesn’t want to be married… she wants to open an art school. And thus the romance begins.

I thought this book was super cute with a few spice my scenes sprinkled through, although they weren’t super intense. It is written pretty well but some of the characters have some cringy dialogue sometimes lol. It was written in dual pov, but I feel like there wasn’t enough yearning or tension for me to be OBSESSED with it… it was a bit too instalove/lust and the 4th act brake up was very expected and unnecessary.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first NetGalley historical romance, and it was almost entirely enjoyable. I really liked the different angle of focus on the Napoleonic wars. I had never heard of the detenus and civilian prisoners, including nobles like Jon. It was both easier and harder to read about his PTSD struggles without having fought in the war. He hadn't been trained or aware of the dire situation he faced as a decade-long prisoner. I thought the novel gave a good amount of focus to reentering society and taking up ducal duties as a younger son never expected to inherit. Jon has quite a bit of emotional baggage while relearning how to be a lord, son, and brother.

As for Victoria, I thought she was a great character for the independence-minded heroine that authors like Liana de la Rosa and Diana Biller have introduced. She has the education of a highborn lady, but the freedom given to an orphaned young woman working as a companion/governess. Her devotion to family and her artistic pursuits were relatable and refreshing.

I thought our lead couple's romance was well-paced and quite steamy. I would say there were 3-4 truly spicy scenes in multiple non-traditional locales, which was delightful. I liked that Tory had some knowledge of The Marriage Duty (from her mother), but also that she asked questions and Jon talked her through the acts. Much better than how the Bridgerton men got things going, IYKYK.

Finally, a few things I didn't like. There were too many ellipses during Jon and Tory's intimate moments. I get what the author was going for, but it read more like fanfiction than professional novel dialogue. Also, Tory as a nickname raised the historical Tiffany problem for me. Not least that Tory became a real British policial party not soon after this time period.

I would read the next book in the series and follow the further developments of Jon and his friends as they emotionally recover from their detenu time in France.

The Napoleonic war is over and Jon has returned home from the French prison he's been in to find that rather than being a Duke's third son, he is a duke, and his sister's governess, Tory, is the daughter of his mentor who died in France. Jon is committed to finding Tory a suitable husband, even if she doesn't want to wed and he finds himself drawn to her.

I've never read a book about detenus before. I thought the history of this book was really interesting about Jon experience in France and his adjustment back into English society. There was so much going on with that, as well as Tory's backstory, that sometimes the characters and their romance felt a little flat to me, but overall I really enjoyed learning about this part of history, and I appreciated the author's note at the end with more resources to learn about detenus.

I normally love Sabrina Jeffries but the MMC really wasn’t for me. Too much angst and the intrigue wasn’t very compelling. Despite that I will still probably read her books as soon as I can when they come out!

Hazardous to a Dukes Heart is the first in a new series by Sabrina Jeffries, centered around a group of friends who bonded as "détenus" during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s. As the book opens, Jon Leighton is at his mentor Dr. Morris's bedside, as he is dying from an infected wound he received while trying to escape from the detention camp with Jon and his friends. Jon is tasked with returning to England and helping Morris's daughter Victoria make a good marital match. Upon his return Jon finds that he is the duke of his family's estate after his father and 2 older brothers have died, and Tory (Victoria) is his sister's governess. Tory is resistant to his attempts to convince her to marry, with undisclosed reasons why she will never marry. All of this sets up a classic Regency romance novel.
I have previously very much enjoyed Sabrina Jeffries books and was excited to read this one as well. The entry in history about détenus is not something I was familiar with, and I honestly would have enjoyed learning more about Jon's time in the detention camp and prison in France, beyond the brief flashbacks we are given. With regards to the romance between Jon and Tory, we are told they are instantly attracted to each other and of course have to work through their mutual issues before finding their happily ever after, but for me, their portrayal lacked the characteristic chemistry and tension I was expecting in this type of book. The book itself if very short, and the third act break up felt lacking and could have been developed and dragged out a bit more. It almost felt too easily resolved. Overall, I did find the book enjoyable and will certainly pick up the future entries in the series.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.