Alexandra Prince may desire adventure outside of London, but now she can explore Detective Inspector Benedict Drake in The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle!

I enjoyed the mystery in this historical romance, first of the Princes of London series. There were twists that kept me guessing what is happening and who is making the unfortunate events happen. The ending chapters was definitely a page turner.

I enjoyed that Benedict aka Duke and Allie got caught up in each other’s world in this slow burn. They’re both ambitious and driven yet she unraveled his buttoned-up ways and he kept her safe. She turned out to be who he needed and we learned how much of a cinnamon roll he can be. He turned out to be who she needed, someone how would support her less dangerous activities.

If you enjoy mystery and suspense in a historical romance plus adventure with the law, then I highly recommend this book!!!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I'm always on the lookout for new regency romances, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. I love romances featuring Scotland Yard or Bow Street detectives and always wish we had more of them. This book is swoony, the romance is *chef's kiss* and I highly recommend it to everyone interested in Julia Quinn/Lisa Kleypas/etc type of Regency romances

I must admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for a Bow Street/Met Police, etc., detective or law enforcement hero and Ben delivered all the elements that make me like this type of hero. I loved that he was a little bit tortured, very driven, extremely protective, but also very lonely. Alexandra exhibited that same loneliness and I loved seeing her shake up his regimented life and challenge his ideas of what he wanted for his life. I loved that we had a hero and heroine who worked for a living, no titles in sight. I loved how Allie and Ben came together and established a true relationship without shying away from their feelings. Even when Ben was afraid of their closeness causing harm to Allie, she remained steadfast and refused to allow herself to be left out of anything ever again, even a potentially dangerous situation. I loved the chemistry between these two, the mystery element of the story and especially how sweet tough guy Ben was with Alexandera. My only complaint is a wish that Ben's superior got an on page telling off. I look forward to more installments in this series and this is a book I'd read again.

I both read and listened to this book. The narrator was one I've never heard before, but I really liked her and hope to see her doing more narrations in the future.

I voluntarily read and listened to an advanced/audio advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a beautifully written story. The history and backstory was wonderfully done. I love the depth is the characters. All of the characters really leap off of the page. The plot was a wonderful thing to behold. I love how intricately balances the romance and the mystery were balanced. I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this story! It had all of the elements that make up a great book for me; interesting characters, romance, mystery, and action. Ben and Alexandra have an immediate attraction, he seems to understand her impulsive behavior in ways that her family never did. As they solve a mystery together, we get to watch them also fall in love. 5 stars!

4.5 stars rounded up

I loved this. Christy Carlyle is a new author for me and she took a trope I’m getting pretty annoyed with lately— one professional, usually the MMC, plus an FMC who insists they can help with the mystery/adventure/intrigue despite having no applicable skills— and she still made it work for me. I’ve been running into this storyline so often, usually compiled with a hefty dose of misogyny, it makes me want to cry into Susan Lazarus’ skirts. But here, not only is Allie not overly insistent/doesn’t constantly insert herself when real danger is involved, but when she can help, Ben listens. Even when she’s being impulsive, she makes smart decisions. These two reach a lovely balance of partnership and it makes the story work all the better. Plus Allie is wonderfully autistic-coded, and we love the representation.

Oh and ps, for a book with the word Duke in the title and Prince in the series, there are no dukes or princes directly involved. (He’s nicknamed Duke, her last name is Prince.) Oh and she’s not a lady and isn’t terribly scandalous either. I wish HR marketing didn’t think titles are all histrom readers care about— honestly I’m so over dukes, so I was glad it was a misdirect.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins/Avon and HarperAudio for the ARC and ALC of this book to review.

I enjoyed the lead characters in this and as always carlyle creates lead characters with depth and nuance especially in those times. I listened to the audio book which was nice too!

Alexandra isn’t like other women. She works in her family’s shop and longs for an adventure of her own. Benedict Drake is an investigator . When Allie overhears a plot, their worlds collide.

This book was breezy. And a true charmer. I liked the action and the love story.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Such a fun book. It has it all. Little bit of mystery and action. Then a fair amount of romance. The struggle between the detective and Miss Prince was so much fun.

DNF at 26%

Christy Carlyle always draws me in with her blurbs and comp titles....but then I actually get to reading the books and I'm just bored every time. I think that it is a case of the author's style just not being for me because clearly, it works for other people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Alexandra Prince is always left behind on her brother and sister's expedition trips, even though minding their shop, Prince's of London, makes her content and happy. Sitting in the coffee shop next door to Prince's, Alexandra overhears a conversation of plans to rob the crown jewels. Immediately she flees to Scotland Yard and meets Detective Inspector Benedict Drake. Though attracted to her, Ben doesn't take her seriously, until subtle clues lead to a mastermind known as M,
and puts Alexandra in danger. Like a game of chess, they must figure out how to stay ahead of his game. A passionate love story with a killer on the loose. Another interesting couple who fit together to solve crime.
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

This story is the beginning of a new series by the author called Princes of London. Alexandra Price is an antiques dealer, at a time when women had fewer opportunities. I appreciated her attitude about not wanting to lose her freedom to marriage. Then she meets detective inspector Benedict “Duke” Drake, and they begin a romance after she overhears a plot to steal the crown jewels. There’s an instant spark between them and likely their relationship wouldn’t have progressed as it did without the tenacity and directness of Alexandra.

Ben is adorably enamored with her but must overcome his personal issues with partnership. There are plenty of moments of intimacy and internality leading up to the climax of their relationship to make this feel more like a modern dating scenario between working-class people that don’t make this feel like insta-lust for me. I could empathise with why the characters made the choices that they did and I think they make a good match.

Alexandra and Ben find themselves having to work together to solve the big case. The reveal of the perpetrator at the end is quite a surprise. I found myself wanting to know more about this person’s history. I expect that will be explored in the next of the series along with the mystery of Ben’s father. This story seems to be laying a lot of groundwork for future plot lines.

Also, the cover for this book is beautiful!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Carlyle is off to a banging start with the first in the Princes of London series.

Remember the series The Duke and Miss Scarlet? Well, Carlyle’s latest has all those vibes. Though our heroine isn’t a daughter with a knack for solving mysteries. No, she’s the youngest in a family of antiquities dealers and archeologists. Alexandra Prince has never had an adventure, not once.

Instead, she’s been left to run the family shop and spent her years growing up as the one who reads about daring-do’s instead of being a part of them. Until one random day when she overhears a trio of men mentioning stealing the crown jewels. Alexandra can’t keep quiet, not with the urge to do what’s right, and takes off to Scotland Yard to tell someone, but she never expects him.

Him is Detective Inspector Benedict Drake. He’s the ruff, gruff detective who hasn’t met a case he hasn’t solved. With every intention of becoming the head of the yard at some point, Drake is poised for a fabulous future, then trouble walks in his door. But this is no 1930s noir; it’s something far more delicious —a pair of folks falling in love amid a mystery involving chess, disguises, blackmail, and thievery.

This book had all the things I love, a bit of action, a little trouble, and romance. I honestly couldn’t ask for more, except I wanted a little more detail about why the bad guy did what he did. The backdrop was scrumptious and set in the Victorian era, which fit Alexandra’s very open independence and the early rise of women being more on their own.

This book is for those who enjoy historical romance and want a story that takes you away from the ballrooms and nobility, straight to the working classes. For fans of Caroline Linden and Delilah Marvelle.

~ Landra

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Duke and Lady Scandal is the first in Christy Carlyle’s Princes of London series.
Set in the late Victorian era it follows Alexandra Prince – youngest daughter in a family of treasure hunters and Detective Inspector Benjamin Drake of Scotland Yard as they get caught up in a plot to steal the Crown Jewels.
Allie has always been left behind when her treasure hunting family have gone on their expeditions – first, because she was a sickly child and as she got older she had to stay behind to look after their mother. This has not stopped her from becoming an independent, courageous and often impulsive woman. When she overhears three men talking about a plot to steal the crown jewels she feels duty bound to report her findings to the police. She is gratified when the handsome Detective Inspector does not dismiss her out of hand and takes her seriously – but he warns her to stay clear of the investigation. Ben cannot seem to shake the tenacious beauty from the investigation or his thoughts. Allie and Ben become closer and both cannot hide their attraction. But as they delve deeper and realise the plot involves a criminal mastermind that has been eluding Ben, danger comes knocking at Allie’s door. Can Ben find the culprit or will he have to give Allie up for her own safety?
I am in two minds about this book. I like the premise of the book and the fact that it is late Victorian but not about the upper echelons of society is a nice change. I really enjoyed the start of the book and I really like Allie and Ben as a couple. Allie and Ben are really likeable characters and I loved their interactions.
But I came out of the story with so many questions! Ben’s parentage was hinted at but then never resolved, we never really found out why his boss was so petty with him about his promotion and the actual villains motives were as clear as mud. I’m still not entirely sure what he did, how he did it and what his motives were. The ending felt a little rushed as well. I’m hoping maybe these questions will be answered in the next book.
I am giving this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because at the end of the day I enjoyed the premise, the writing and Allie and Ben. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC opportunity and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

While I have loved previous Christy Carlyle books, "The Duke and Lady Scandal" was just okay for me. FMC Alexandra Prince is the youngest daughter in a swashbuckling family, generally left behind to run the family antique shop while her siblings track down 'treasures'. MMC Benedict Drake is a Scotland Yard detective who has spent years trying to get a certain promotion and finally let go of some of the ghosts of his past. Everything in this book was just okay - the chemistry between the main characters, the mystery they are trying to solve, and the feel overall. So many plot points come in briefly and are then dropped without resolution, The identity of Drake's father is the big one here. We also don't get enough detail on either of the main characters' back stories. And the entire story takes place in approximately a week - instalove is not my favorite. I would still pick up another book by Carlyle.

3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

This book is perfect for those who love historical romances full of witty banter, fast-paced action, and quirky heroines who find themselves in opposites-attract relationships. The story is set in the Victorian era and features exciting escapades and adventures that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. If you enjoy stories with strong female characters, humorous dialogue, and a touch of history, then this book is for you!

The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle is book one in the Princes of London series and it was a great kickoff to a new series by Carlyle.

Alexandra Prince is our fmc. She may be more outspoken and impulsive but she has always been overshadowed by her siblings. They are always off on expeditions and she's the one left to keep the family's antique shop going. But she longs for an adventure of her own and when she hears some suspicious customers whispering about stealing the crown jewels, she knows she needs to do something but she will need some help.

Detective Inspector Benedict Drake takes his duties at Scotland Yard seriously. When Alexandra Prince comes into his office to tell him about a crazy scheme she overheard to steal the crown jewels, he isn't sure what to think. Despite turning her away, she keeps popping up and even though he knows it can't be true, something happens that prompts him to believe her account and he has her help him stop the theft of the century.

I loved the build up of the relationship of these two characters. Ben is someone who is focused on his career and determined to advance but when Alexandra comes crashing into his life, he realizes that there is more to life than work. And Allie wants adventure and when Ben pulls her into his investigation, she finds it as exciting as she was hoping it would be but what they didn't expect was that it would put her life in danger.

This was a great read - I love it when there is a mystery tied into my historical romances and the couple is working together to solve it. I still want to know who Ben's father is...but overall this was an enjoyable story with well done characters. If you're looking for a new historical romance to pick up, consider grabbing this one.

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this title. I absolutely love this author—her storytelling never fails to pull me in. I especially appreciate the touches of humor she so effortlessly weaves into her stories. The romance between the characters creates the best of stories: heartfelt, engaging, and emotionally satisfying. It’s that perfect blend of charm and depth that keeps me coming back to her books every time.

★★★★☆

DNF at 38%
The premise of this book sounded so good, but I it's moving too slowly to keep me interested. I can only focus on it for a few minutes at a time before my mind starts wandering.