This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.The side characters were such an integral part of this story as well. This is the love story i needed to read at this time. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you

I liked both Nicole and Mark, but sometimes I felt they both were acting a bit childish in the way they didn't talk about their problems at all. They let a little misunderstanding keep them apart for 10 years and I have to say that those kind of miscommunications can be quite bohtersome haha.  It gets me frustrated. Whenyou get to the point when things progress more, that's when I started to really like the story and enjoy it more, but it took a bit longer than I wished. 

Overall, it was a quick read to pass time, a story that was enjoyable but in the end it's not a memorable one to me. I'd definitely pick up another book by this author because I liked her writing style, the settings and the depth in her writing very much.

Grimaldi is seen across the Playful Brides books as the spy master, but even the master of spies does not have all the answers.  When up for a promotion he has worked his whole life for he is told if he wants to be considered he better get married....to everyone's surprise he already is.  Mark is forced to seek out his wife Nicole after a 10 year estrangement.  They married young and Mark soon learned that she was just like the rest of the aristocracy but had she changed.  Nicole would agree to Marks proposal because she wanted something in return.  As Mark and Nicole head back to the ton of London together we are given passion, romance, and a hard headed man who cannot see what is in front of him.  We have appearances from some of my favorite Playful Brides characters and a get to watch Nicole and Mark fall in love all over again, this time for keeps.

A well-written story. The reader quickly connects with the characters, and the added mystery captivates and adds interest to the love story.

A Duke Like No Other is a second chance romance between already married Mark and Nicole. This is a sweet story of people with a past learning to love and trust each other.

A delightful book in every way.  This book artfully interweaves so many elements, creating a wonderful read in the process.  Of course it’s a romance—one with ten years of history and animosity in the best of an enemies-to-lovers storyline.  We’ve got a stoic, tortured hero, and a strong, independent, capable heroine; see any issues there?  Their history has kept them separated; their future brings them together again in a most intriguing way.  There’s also a secondary romance and a big mystery to solve.  The book takes many twists and turns to keep things so interesting, I just didn’t want to put this one down.  Appropriate heat, and a great HEA (after they solve the ‘who dunnit’ of course).  I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.  This is my freely given, honest review.

Nicole escaped to France after a falling out with her new husband, General Mark Grimaldi, she busied herself working as a spy in Paris and then retreated to the Lavender fields of the French countryside. Ten years later her estranged husband comes visiting to ask her for a favour, she’s not about to give in unless she gets her secret wish fulfilled. An intriguing and unusual story with a dramatic plotline. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Honestly, when I read historical romance, this is what I'm looking for.

Mark and Nicole had one of the most interesting and authentic romances I've read in a while. She was a very strong female main character, but it didn't bash you over the head with Mark realizing that she was strong, and able to be strong at this time.

There was miscommunication, and just flat out not communicating, but it was done so well, and you could really see the two of them grow separately and together.

Fun, fun, fun. I would have no hesitation in handing this to a fan of Tessa Dare...where the plots border on over-the-top but somehow work and you just enjoy yourself the whole time. My first Valerie Bowman and not my last, fans of Regencies will definitely enjoy this one.

First and foremost, a charming Regency read.  I happen to be a fan of Regency romance novels.  I like the time period, true, but my favorite part of these novels is when I can tell that the author has done their research.  This time and place in the world had such a wealth of rules, traditions, expectations, and so forth.  There were important things happening in the world, dynamics between countries shifting and changing.  When an author includes details like these in their novel, the story becomes so much richer, more vibrant, and much more enjoyable to read.  I feel utterly transported on the back of the author's efforts.



In "A Duke Like No Other," there were some efforts made, clearly.  Mark Grimaldi being half-Italian was an interesting feature that I've not encountered often in other books.  I liked that dynamic very much.  Certain other tropes were heavily relied upon, however, and that was a little disappointing for me.



Our leading man is fiercely determined to make his own way in the world, without ever acknowledging or relying upon the aristocratic ties he has on his mother's side of the family.  And he thrives, succeeding beyond all expectations.  In the end, he is faced with a situation of having accomplished his goals, and being needed by his family to take on an aristocratic role anyway.  So he gets to be in the highly enviable position of having his cake and eating it, too.  His main difficulty is his own pride - something he has the ability to affect at any time of his choosing.



I was far more impressed with Nicole.  Though she came from aristocracy herself, she is a fiercely independent and headstrong individual.  She wants to be useful.  She is courageous, a bit wild, and highly intelligent.  I absolutely loved reading her.  She is a good match for Grimaldi, but honestly, he often did not deserve her.  He did her a cruel injustice that was never accounted for.  Though this is a HEA story, it came on the back of a lightning-bolt epiphany, not a deliberate choice to change, to be worthy.  



Yes, Mark Grimaldi was a self-made man, highly accomplished, and brilliant in his own right.  But he was also a jerk who cruelly mistreated his own wife.  It rankles me that he got a HEA without accounting for his wrongdoings.

A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman was a delightful historical romance to read. The two main characters are married but estranged, yet there is still hope for them to rekindle their love and get what they want out of life. But first, they must solve a mystery in order to get their happily ever after. I adored reading this book and will recommend everyone who enjoys a refreshing and suspenseful romance to read this book.

A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman is a second chance, historical romance. General Mark Grimaldi has sacrificed everything for his military career, working his way through the ranks without the benefit of a nobleman’s title. Now, his years of dedication are about to pay off—with an offer for a prestigious promotion to Home Secretary. There’s only one condition: Mark must be married. Aside from the small matter of not actually wanting to be wed, Mark faces another troubling problem: he already has a wife. Nicole Huntington Grimaldi has spent ten contented years in France without her husband—and without regret. When Mark asks her to return to London and play the part of his beloved wife, she sees her chance. But neither of them is prepared for news that will throw Mark’s future into chaos…nor the undeniable desire they’ve rekindled. Maybe happily-ever-after can happen the second time around 

A Duke Like No Other is an engaging romance with dynamic characters. Nicole s lonely and wants someone to love her completely. Her estranged husband does not seem up to that task- so she tries t protect her heart while aiming for a child that will. Mark is an emotional mess trying to be strong and stoic- denying every attachment and emotion. Together again in order to reach their separate goals they are stuck dancing around family obligations and emotion in order to protect themselves. I liked the mystery aspects, and the combination of Mark and Nicole getting to know each other again and reliving the past was well balanced in the larger story. I greatly enjoyed the banter and the cast of secondary characters. As I was reading I often found myself grinning in the joy of the read and in reaction to some of the character's interactions. The book was simply fun and delightful reading, and I will continue reading books from this author.

A Duke Like No Other is a second chance story that I enjoyed. The trope is not my personal favorite, but it was well done and I loved the characters.

A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman
Series: Playful Brides #9
Subgenre: historical romance
Release date: 1 May 2018
Publisher: St Martin’s Paperbacks
Format: ebook and print
Length: 368 pages
RRP: $6.28 (ebook); $15.99 (print)
He is told he needs a wife for his promotion. So, he goes to France to bring her home.
General Mark Grimaldi is a self-made general which can be a hard feat in Regency England. He does have some relatives in the ton, but he does not want to be associated with them after the way in which they treated his Italian father. And it was Mark’s deathbed promise to his father that has made him the man he is today.
Lady Nicole Huntington is being thrown into the arms of a Marquess. Her mother and grandmother want her to marry the Marquess. She wants to be a Bow Street Runner. She has worked as an associate for the Runners with some success. Nicole agrees to return to England and play the wife while Mark goes for his promotion. She also has a condition. She wants a baby. Then Mark’s cousin, John, the heir to the title, dies.
Mark and Nicole are thrown together to investigate his cousin’s death which turns out to be murder. There are also other characters, Regina and Daffin (who we meet in the next book). As they investigate John’s death, Mark and Nicole are thrown together, and try to learn more about why they didn’t work ten years ago.
Throughout the book, the reader is taken back to Mark and Nicole’s first meeting and their ensuing relationship. There are some interesting twists to the tale and they discover how much they didn’t know each other before their marriage. As they decide to be together, they do learn those important things, especially when it comes to their love.
This story has the back story interwoven into the current. This ensures the reader really understands why they are where they are but also how Mark came to be the self-made soldier in Regency times. I liked that Nicole was able to do some detective work and able to use her intelligence for good.
I also enjoyed the way in which Mark has a beer with his mates, and then races off to find Nicole, and declare his love for her. An all-round satisfying story.
reviewed by Heather

I admit, when I first picked this book up, I thought "oh no, not another spy novel." I was getting tired of the trope. The setup all seemed familiar: the independent woman living on her on in France, left her husband far behind and doesn't miss him. Why should we want him back, then? The battle-hardened, stoic, soldier-turned-spy who pretends he doesn't have feelings and now has to get his wife back for long enough to secure a promotion which--as they always do--depend on the man being able to show he is family-man material, with a softer side, even though his job is intensely demanding and would in all reality lead him to neglect his wife and any children, most likely.

Anyway, I hung in there, and after a while, it stopped feeling familiar. The characters became Marc and Nicole, and I grew to like them once they were revealed in their earlier selves, the youngsters who had enchanted each other, fallen in love, had the world at their feet, for a little while. Bowman navigates quite wonderfully the complex feelings of having two older and mature, independent, strong-minded adults realize that, first, there is still something between them, but, second, they have some work to do to establish trust and intimacy.

Beyond the relationship, there was a fun murder mystery to solve that added some unexpected twists and turns, and some likeable--as well as very unlikeable--characters. In the end, I enjoyed the whole book a lot more than I thought I would. This is my first Valerie Bowman book, but I'll be reading more.

3.5 to 4 stars. I loved the first few books in this series, but lately I've had trouble liking the characters and plot's. I'm not super into the 'spy' parts of the books. Perhaps if it was just a few couples I might not have minded, but one after the other makes them all start to seem the same. I disliked the miscommunication issues because it just seemed so silly, but I did however like the writing and characters.

Mark and Nicole’s story was lovely. The story was well written. I highly recommend. I didn’t like Mark at first but as the story continues he grew on me.

Mark needs his estranged wife to appear happily married so he can get a promotion. Nicole wants something in return. They’re both determined not to let their hearts get involved. This novel could not decide if it was a romance or a murder mystery, and the tone was kind of uneven.

General Mark Grimaldi has sacrificed everything for his military career, working his way through the ranks without the benefit of a nobleman’s title. Now, his years of dedication are about to pay off—with an offer for a prestigious promotion to Home Secretary. There’s only one condition: Mark must be married. Aside from the small matter of not actually wanting to be wed, Mark faces another troubling problem: he already has a wife.
I’m not a huge fan of second-chance but since I liked this author, I decided to try it. It was a fairly quick read. I liked both main characters a lot. The lack of communication and repeated misunderstandings really got on my nerves though. 
 **I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

The first book I have read by this author. I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next book from her.

An intriguing read that has an edgy bite to it that keeps you needing to turn the pages of strong wills and passionate chemistry that heats up the pages! The characters are likeable. The story is well paced, The romance was sweet. I loved the interplay between Nicole and Mark, I liked that Mark isn't just a stony arrogant duke, but also a conflicted human being with emotions. Her emotions are conflicted but her mind is practical. 
An intense nail-biter with engrossing twists that at times make you feel like your there watching with a front row seat. ! An amazing must read!