Sabrina Jeffries is back with the start of a new Regency romance series, and "Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart" sets the stage beautifully. If you’re a fan of slow-burn romance, historical intrigue, and complex characters navigating life post-Napoleonic wars, this one’s for you!

Jonathan Leighton, recently freed after years as a prisoner in France, returns to England to find his world completely upended. Not only has he inherited a dukedom, but he’s also burdened by a promise to his late mentor: to find a suitable husband for the mentor’s daughter, Victoria (Tory) Morris. (Side question: Would "Tory" really be a likely nickname given its political connotation in the UK?)

Here’s the catch: Tory isn’t exactly keen on the idea of marriage. She’s focused on her passion for art and her dream of opening a school for women artists. Oh, and she’s also employed as the governess to Jonathan’s sister—a setup ripe for tension, misunderstandings, and just the right amount of scandal.

I liked that Jonathan isn’t your typical perfect hero. He’s grappling with survivor’s guilt, adjusting to his new role as duke, and trying to make amends for past mistakes. Tory is equally compelling—a talented sculptor who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to challenge societal norms. Their chemistry feels authentic, and their journey from guarded allies to something more is satisfying to watch unfold.

One of the standout features of this book is how it weaves lesser-known history into the plot. The concept of “detenus” (British civilians detained in France during the Napoleonic wars) adds a unique layer of depth, setting this apart from other Regency romances.

While the book has a lot going for it, there were moments where the pacing felt uneven. Some sections leaned heavily into setup for the rest of the series, which, while intriguing, occasionally pulled focus from Jonathan and Tory’s love story. A bit more time spent fleshing out their emotional connection could have taken the romance to the next level. Additionally, while the subplot involving Tory’s art is refreshing, it sometimes felt secondary to the main plot.

Can’t wait to see what comes next in this series—I’ll be keeping an eye out for the stories of Jonathan’s friends!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

3.5 stars ✨

I enjoyed this story and I loved the complexity of some of the characters.

Jon, and 2 of his friends are released from a prison in France after Napoleon abdicates. One of their friends died in prison and Jon makes it his mission to uphold his dying wish- to look after his wife and daughter. Trying to navigate England and society again and learning what happened while they were away for over a decade, Jon finds out that the daughter, Tory, actually works in his household as his sister’s governess.


I hope we can find out more about Chloe and Jon’s 2 friends in the future.

I recieved an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Hazardous to a Duke's Heart via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is the first book in the new Lords of Hazard series written by Sabrina Jeffries. Lord Jonathan Leighton, third son to the Duke of Falkonbridge, finally returns to England after eleven years of captivity and detention in France, only to learn that he is now Duke, after the death of his father and also his two step brothers. His imprisonment has changed him, and he feels lost in the homeland he was born in. His mentor (who was imprisoned with him) makes a dying wish that Jonathan finds his daughter a good husband. As it turns out, Miss Victoria Morris is now working as a governess to Jonathan's sister. She is the only person who seems to ground him and make him feel something more than overwhelmed. Jonathan's guilt over how his mentor died and his attraction to Victoria play against his emotional upheaval. I enjoyed reading this story but felt it was missing the electricity that Ms. Jeffries' books often and almost always have. I wish there were more about how he was betrayed in France and his persistence to find the culprit.

Lord Jonathan Leighton was taken as a detenu in Napoleon’s France, along with his tutor, while on his Grand Tour. Eleven years later, he returns alone to England only to discover that he’s now the Duke of Falconridge. Jon has to navigate his feelings of guilt over the passing of his tutor and his feelings towards the tutor’s daughter, Victoria (Tory) Morris, who has become governess and companion to his younger sister. To satisfy both, he lies that his tutor left a dowry for Tory -- but she doesn’t want to get married and would rather use the money to open an art school for women.

I’m a big fan of Sabrina Jeffries and have always enjoyed her historical romances. There’s nothing wrong with this book, but nothing about it really grabbed me either. I think a lot of this book felt like it was world-building and setting the stage for the rest of the series, rather than being a compelling romance on its own. The stakes just never felt super high, and pieces that I would have expected to be part of some dramatic climax were left to be resolved in later books. The main conflict revolves around both Jon and Tory keeping secrets from each other, but I never believed that these secrets could be a deal breaker, or that revealing them would cause a big problem for either character. I think this will end up being a really good series, but I don’t know that this will be my favorite in it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Love this new series by Sabrina Jeffries. Three young men return from France after the war with France is over. Jon, one of the 3 men, is feeling guilt over the death of his teacher and close confidante Dr. Morris. In an attempt to assuage his guilt, he devises a ruse of a dowry for Tory, Dr. Morris's daughter, so that he can fulfill his deathbed promise to her father to find a good husband for her. This book has interesting background because of the war and how people erroneously were imprisoned and subsequently treated. Enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one!

A classic Sabrina Jeffries. Slightly formulaic but enjoyable. Unlike other romance books, it taught me something new. I did not know about detenus, always happy to learn history. The made me want to read the next installments. I did find the sculpture subplot a bit irrelevant and would have loved to know more about Jon’s family history (re: father and brothers….why were they so terrible ) but perhaps that will be explorer in Chloe’s book.

#HazardoustoaDukesHeart #NetGalley

Smack dab in the middle.
How I would rate this first of a new series.
This author set the bar high with the "Swanlea Sisters" followed by "The School for Heiresses" then "The Royal Brotherhood" and "The Hellions of Halstead Hall".

Wasn't too keen on the more recent "Designing Debutantes" series. Pleased to say that this newest publication surpasses that series but just out of reach of the series I noted above.

Our FMC in this books is more than just a pretty face. She's a sculptor. She's a devoted sister and great friend to the family. I liked that the author explored by virtue of the MMC a period and group of civilians hadn't known were affected by the Napoleonic war. A bit of a history lesson, if you will, that was informative and weaved in quite well. Now the MMC (he had his own physical and mental trauma) which I liked as too much physical male perfection can be unbelievable. Their romantic moments, however, felt haphazard and rushed.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Kensington Publishing, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I nearly fell out of chair when I saw I was approved for this ARC. This author is an automatic read for me and I was so excited that I did not have to wait until April for this release!

I wanted to save this for my flight this week so I could fully check out but I was too curious to start and then I couldn’t put it down.

As usual Sabrina Jeffries delivers a delightful sorry that is excellently paced with fantastic banter between the main characters. I could have used more pining and more banter but that’s just a personal preference to make this book longer so I could have lived in the story a bit longer. The third act break up was warranted and spoke to the FMCs strength. I’m excited to read the rest of the stories in this series.

This was a bit lukewarm. It was suddenly interesting suddenly not. Jon and Victoria were well matched though. Jon is thrown into a world of a dukedom and love after many years of being a prisoner, sonfor all that, I thought he took things in his stride. Overall it was a decent book, but I always felt something was missing.

Ms. Jeffries does it again with another fantastic addition to regency romance! From the main characters to the side, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the journey to happily ever after! I can’t wait to see these characters in future books! X

I feel like I can't give a fully accurate review when I don't have the completed book. Overall what I did read is very promising for an excellent book/series. I am looking forward to actually getting the chance to read the full novel.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

This was just an into so hard to truly rate it.

I became somewhat engaged but not fully. Felt like I was just getting invested but stopped.

So can't give an honest review but will give a average for effort and beginning of the story.

This is a lovely Taste of what is yet to come with this book. I am not going to recommend it for library reads just because this is not a full sample. But from what I have read the duke is lovely and his story is set up well. This is going to be a fun book and I have only had the pleasure of reading two chapters.

Thank you so much for allowing me this sneak peek.

Jon and his mentor, Dr. Morris are on a European Grand Tour when they are trapped and jailed, POW’s, as the Napoleonic Wars unexpectedly recommence. A decade later, on the very day they are to be freed Jon’s mentor dies. But not before giving his last request to Jon: see that Morris’s daughter Victoria is married and well taken care of.

Jon makes his way home and is reunited with his mother and sister. Reeling with how his pig-tailed little sister has grown into a woman and the fact that both his older brothers have died leaving him to be the Duke, Jon is introduced to his sister’s governess.

None other than his mentor’s daughter, Victoria. Instant attraction! But she must remain off limits because she is in his employ and because he was tasked with responsibility for her by his mentor. He cannot take advantage of her. How can this resolve?

I’ll be very excited when Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart is finally published. The first few chapters build a wonderful intriguing foundation with the promise of romance and passion.

This was great, so far. Historical romance, with a true focus on history. The author has certainly done some homework, which promises a fine series to come.

Sadly, I realized after I requested (and downloaded) that it was NOT the complete book. I would have held off until the full ARC was offered for review. I am too impatient with teasers like this. I “need” to read further but hate to wait.

I saw the author’s name and auto clicked. Sabrina Jeffries has always been a “go to” author for me in the historical romance genre.
The first two chapters introduce the characters involved, what the main male lead went through. A shame I will have a lengthy wait until I can finish.

Not realizing this was only the first two chapters of an upcoming release, I was disappointed upon downloading it. Cant wait for the book release as I am left wondering... Free ARC from NetGalley.

Just a hint not a full book. We see backstory and meet the three men featured in the trilogy. For me I want full book so will look when it comes out.

This is a promising teaser- I like the characters we've seen so far, and I'm interested in the dynamics at play with the families, the love interest and the duke. I would need to read more to get a sense of what the conflicts will be, though obviously there is survivor's guilt at play, as well as the duke's feelings about being thrown away by his parents. I will definitely be requesting the full ARC!