Valerie Bowman gives us (the reader) a look at an interesting life choice and what fuels the romance that ensues. General Mark Grimaldi works for the British government as a spy and wants to be the running the show. He has worked long and hard at attaining his goal. Until he's told that it would be seen in a better light if he's married (his superiors are under the assumption that he is single). Lo and behold the man is married, although he hasn't seen his wife in ten years. Now he must get his wife on board with being 'his wife' so he can get the promotion. And the wife in question has been living in France and her 'clock' is ticking and she wants a baby (his will do fine). The couple are estranged for the oddest reason. The General is a member of the upper crust society but does not acknowledge it and believes his wife is more interested in this aspect of their lives and is really not in love with him. Now the story gets interesting as the wife (Nicole) has also been a spy working for the British and understands the lifestyle. Her family is more interested in the social side. The story becomes more interesting as the General (Mark) must come to terms with his social heritage when his cousin is murdered and he's next in line for the title. The reader learns why Mark feels the way he does. Now with Mark and Nicole together in an agreement to get Mark is promotion and Nicole her baby they must also solve what actually happened to his cousin and why Mark is truly the next in line to inherit  the title. There are a lot of life lessons revealed and the hunt for what happened to the cousin brings the couple closer together. We learn a lot about what kept Mark from being closer to his family and why he feels Nicole married him for all the wrong reasons (and that they were estranged before their marriage actually had a chance). This book keeps you reading (almost not wanting to put it down until it's finished) through good times and bad and comes to a surprising conclusion to the cousin's death and a happy ending for Mark and Nicole.

A thoroughly enjoyable romance.  Intriguing plot line and interesting characters.  Looking for more books by Ms Bowan

This was a fun, interesting read about a second chance at love.  The story starts off with the couple married, but estranged.  The reason for the estrangement is near the end of the book, but it builds up over time.  Check this story out if you are looking for a second chance at love with a unique plot!

I'm the first to admit that you really have to suspend disbelief about a lot of this plot. However, it's a fun, engaging story with a very likeable hero and heroine.

The aforementioned hero is General Mark Grimaldi. He's an accomplished spy who's served his country admirably for years. Now his dream promotion to Home Secretary, head of the Home Office, is within his reach. He also has an ingrained hatred of the British aristocracy despite (well actually, because of) his own familial ties to them. 

In order to cinch his promotion, Mark needs to demonstrate that he's a settled family man. The irony is that he's been married for 10 years, but he and his wife have been apart most of that time. So, off he goes to France to beg a favor from his wife: return to England with him and pretend to be a loving spouse.

Madame Nicole Grimaldi is not the usual society wife, and she certainly wasn't the usual debutante when she first came out in society and met Mark. She's an adrenaline junkie - still loves racing her horse wearing men's breeches. She managed to talk her way into a position as assistant to the Bow Street Runners and then moved to France to work as a British spy when her 3-month-old marriage fell apart. Now she has her own wish for the future that only her husband can grant.

We're treated to the couple's adversarial banter from the moment they reunite. We're also privy to their insecurities behind all the blustering and posturing. It's obvious to the reader early on that these two are perfect for each other; it's only pride that keeps them apart. The reasons they split have everything to do with pride and stubbornness, too. Their history together is revealed ever-so-slowly in patchwork fashion via flashbacks. 

One problem they DON'T have is sexual chemistry. It takes longer than is probably logical for the two to finally get it on, but that serves to build up anticipation for the reader as much as the characters. We're eventually treated to some very well-written, steamy bedroom scenes.

It's not long after they return to London together that the story becomes a drawing room mystery, as Mark's cousin is murdered. Mark is still obsessed about keeping his relationship to the deceased a secret even while he heads the investigation into the murder. Nicole also investigates, assisted by the eager Lady Regina (another of Mark's cousins). The culprit isn't one that's apparent to the reader and is cleverly exposed.

The story's lack of believability would bother me if the tone of the writing wasn't so light and playful. I enjoy the main characters despite their obvious stupidity when it came to each other. Once we get the flashback describing Mark's childhood memory of his mother's father, we finally understand why that family- and, by extension, the entire upper class- is such a hot button for him. He makes the perfect stoic "stone man" hero. And Nicole has that clever, grown-up tomboy thing going for her. 

Bottom line here is the writing flowed well with a nice turning point, the storyline itself kept my interest, and I cared about the characters. What's not to like?

Received an ARC from netgalley. Opinions are my own.

I usually do not like books about second-chance romance, so I was skeptical when I started reading. I was surprised, however, to find myself drawn in to the story of Mark and Nicole as they had their reunion in France.  I was intrigued by the "mystery" of why they became estranged, as well as how they met, but I enjoyed their scenes as they encountered each other again. But, then the author began to use flash-backs to tell the story of how they met.
The first flash-back was interesting and added to the narrative, and it helped tell the story of Mark and Nicole's relationship. However, subsequent flash-backs seemed to just be stuck in wherever. They did not feel organic at all, and felt either too-little too-late, or superfluous.
Then a murder mystery was thrown in and muddied the water even further. The book did not need the added tension of someone being murdered--the uncertainty of Nicole and Mark's relationship, along with the hoped-for promotion of Mark was more than enough conflict.
This book started off great, but floundered toward the middle. The focus of the story should have been the reconnecting of Mark and Nicole. By the time I reached the second-third of the book I had a hard time feeling invested in whether or not they could find each other again--at least in a way that felt organic and natural. I did not enjoy this book.

I loved it!
It was so really original and I loved the plotline. Valerie is really talented and I really enjoyed how she strayed from the usual regency template and that made me love her even more!
The characters really stood out and honestly, I do not want to share more because I really want you to read it and not take anything from you.
This is a lovely gem and I cannot wait for Valerie's next book.
I am going to very highly recommend it and I hope you love it as much as I did!

Valerie is a very good author , i ve always liked her books . " A Duke Like No Other " is one of the book l loved reading . its a no nonsense , straightforward beautiful Historical Romance set in d Regency Era ..the story has all d right ingredients , there is d spy angle, a bit of mystery, suspense , Romance, sex, sizzling chemistry .

This is once again a Second chance love where d estranged couples once more come together. Its quiet heart touching to see two people get a chance to repair,nuture there relationship which has shrivelled due to circumstances, misunderstandings , ego problems , misplaced emotions, feelings .I was smiling & sometimes had tears wen reading about the love of Mark & Nicole . i fell in love with both dis adorable characters.. 

The story is about General Mark Grimaldi, a man who is known for his stone face and unemotional responses to trouble., Mark is very ambitious , he is likely to be promoted as Home secretary but is told that they prefer a family man. Interestingly enough, he is married. Nicole Huntington Grimaldi was his wife. They were married several years prior and had lived apart without any contact for many years. That is when the story gets quite interesting. Mark is hier to a Duke but doesnt want to acknowledge d connections . 

Both Mark & Nicole come together for selfish reasons but end up realising & acknowledging there love for each other. The story was fast paced not at all boring ....i couldn't keep d book down once i started reading hence read it in one sitting late into d night ... Phew Lols !!!! 

Though d flashbacks were a bit disoriented or rather not in a sequence .i didn't loose interest as d story was well written & presented . superbly scripted. Nicole's character was strong, bold as opposed to Regency era which was refreshing..

overall a excellent book ... i would definitely RECOMMEND it ... pls read u wont be disappointed ... i for one am waiting to read more of Valerie's work . Well done Valerie keep up d good work ...

I have been a fan of Valerie Bowman’s work for some time, and this book is another winner. The book tells the story of Mark and Nicole Grimaldi, a married couple who have been estranged for 10 years. Mark is a spymaster in line for a promotion, but he needs to burnish his reputation as a family man in order to get it. Thus, he reaches out to Nicole for help. Nicole has something she wants as well, however, and she insists Mark help her get it before she'll agree to play the loving wife. If you like stories about reunited couples—with a murder mystery fior good measure—this is a good one! The conflict is believable, and there is a good balance between the romance and the mystery subplot.

A fun romp with an outlandish plot. The hero and heroine broke up their young marriage 10 years ago over a misunderstanding, and the author contrives to bring them together because he needs to be a family man to get a promotion and she wants a baby (but only with her lawful husband). They are both likable enough, if in need of having a serious conversation about their relationship. Halfway through the book turns into a murder mystery, with family angst and the set-up for the next book in the series thrown in. The ending has Hollywood written all over it.

There's nothing Valerie Bowman can write I won't read. I love this series and she is the master of chemistry and intrigue.

General Mark Grimaldi and Nicole Huntington Grimaldi - yes they're married - fell in love ten years ago. The love was pure and intense. And as with all historical romances, misunderstandings ensue. This causes a rift between the two, even though they still pine for one another.

However, in order for Mark to advance his career, he must return to England with his estranged wife and convince the Crown they are in love.

Shouldn't be too hard, should it? But Mark is like stone. Emotions are useless and revealing them even less so.

And Nicole is determined to not let her husband's refusal of their marriage ruin her. She moved to France, living out a life where she can try and forget the love of her life.

However, unlike all historical romance novels, Ms. Bowman has a gift for reinventing the estranged couple. We fall in love all over again, as realities v. assumptions are cleared. Moreover, Mark realizes all of his family is important, even the Duke who rebuked him and denied his existence. With his uncle now the duke, will Mark be open to accepting this side of the family who treated him with such pain and neglect?

And will Nicole and Mark eventually discover their love for each other never waned? Of course, they will. How they do it is magical with Bowman's writing. Love this series.

Nicole and Mark aren’t the usual couple. Shortly after marrying, the two split. In fact, they not only separated but lived in different countries for ten years--talk about estranged! After years as a soldier and spy, Mark’s ready for the challenge of Home Secretary of England. The only problem with the promotion, he needs his wife to return to the country of her birth and pretend to be the dutiful wife. Nicole left Mark after a bullheaded argument over his family. Since then, she’s made her home in France, spying for England and creating a new life as anything except General Mark Grimaldi’s wife. Secretly, she longs for a family that only Mark can give her and is willing to accept Mark’s conditions and return as his wife. But the emotions she feels are far from pretend despite both of their efforts to keep their relationship a simple business arrangement, and when a member of Mark’s family is murdered, he and Nicole band together to find the murderer, driving them even closer. Will their forced romance become the real thing once again?



Valerie Bowman's new novel A Duke Like No Other is like no other romance I've read.  This is a novel of reminiscence. Nicole and Mark have been estranged for 10 years. A large portion of the novel revolves around the prior romance before the estrangement. During the telling of the current plot line, both Nicole and Mark remember their relationship before their falling out. I thought this was an interesting concept, but there were times it felt a bit forced and disjointed. Initially, I really liked the “fade to past” scenes, but as the novel progressed the sometimes lengthy passages showing this past caused the current plot to become lost. I found myself skipping through this reliving to get back to the story at hand. So while interrupting the current plot to show the couples’ past relationship was different than anything I had read prior to this work, there were times I didn’t like it. But overall, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story.



Bowman does a fantastic job of creating lively, interesting characters. Nicole is spunky as you would expect the novel's heroine to be. Mark is the handsome stoic hero who must find his own deficiencies as the plot culminates. And while this is common to most romance novels, Bowman always finds a way to make her characters different from the rest. I've read several novels in this series of spy characters and have found all both familiar and unique. Mark’s insistence on refusing his birthright and not wanting an heir is most definitely not a common trait in the novels. Bowman even sent us up for what can possibly be the next novel in the series, and I will be first in line to read the next one. (And you hardcore romancers won’t be disappointed in the steamier aspects Mark and Nicole’s story either.)



4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book! A great blend of romance and mystery. Mark and Nicole have been estranged for ten years. He needs her help though to secure the promotion of a lifetime and she agrees with some conditions of her own. An unexpected death leads to a mystery and some shocking revelations with lasting impacts for the couple.

I usually don’t like reunion romances that go back and forth between present and past, but the author wrote this in a way that the flashbacks blend in with present day and the story flows well. I love the Bow Street runners in the story and the fact that women were helping investigate the mystery. This is part of a series, but it was my first read of the series and it is a standalone.

If you love historical romance and mystery, I highly recommend this book. I will definitely read more by this author.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

I loved Mark and Nicole. This book was filled with heartbreak and misunderstandings. It was well written and I was happy they finally found their HEA.

This is the first time I read Valerie Bowman's novel, and I liked it better than many historical romance. Especially because of the smart heroine. It's in a way a typical plot involving a long separated couple because of a misunderstanding and miscommunication. 

Mystery part is very predictable, but it's a nice addition to otherwise simple romance novel. One thing I disliked was that the hero was too selfish and self-absorbed. The heroine should've let him learn his behavior was not acceptable in a cleaver way. I don't think it's a good idea to make female readers believe that we women have to put up with and accept that kind of behavior. Even romance novel has a sort of social duty, I think.

"A Duke Like No Other" by Valerie Bowman
One fine Regency Romance with a who-dun-it twist that is what you will get in this story. I was one of the lucky ones gifted with an ARC copy of this story via NetGalley.  My job, to read the story and give my honest review.  This story was a pleasure to read.  I loved this  story.  It kept me turning the pages with anticipation to find the answer to two questions. Will pride and protecting ones heart keep Mark and Nicole apart?  Will I correctly guess the who in who-dun-it before the story reveals the answer?.

A Duke Like No Other ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Valerie Bowman

This is my first read of a novel by Ms Bowman and I found it captivating. When General Mark Grimaldi returns to France, to convince his estranged wife Nicole to come to London with him, he learns she too wants something in return.

Mark has been told his next promotion as head of the Home Office really will only consider a family man.  At this point, he admits to being married for ten years. Now to convince Nicole to play the role of a dutiful wife. 

Talk about miscommunications, these two take the cake.  How two people who genuinely love each other not talk things out.  Each of them to stubborn and resistant.  Neither has strayed from their wedding vows and this united front could possibly be what they need. Nicole only wants a child from Mark. She wants no commitment from him but that doesn’t suit Mark. 

This is an easy read and has some mystery in it to which they join together to solve. I received this from Netgalley for an honest review.

A Duke Like No Other is the first book I have read by Valerie Bowman, thanks NetGalley! I enjoyed the premise: an estranged married couple who are forced back together again. I felt however that too much time was spent on the spy/suspense part of the story and wished there was more focus on the romance. I really enjoyed the flashbacks of Mark and Nicole's first meeting and courtship and wished the story hadn't been so much about the mystery, which was kind of boring, but rather, about the reconciliation of Mark and Nicole after being apart for ten years, how they had changed, what they'd done in the meantime.

who doesn't love a military man? This story has it all. action, love, and great chemistry

I really enjoyed this book. The main problems for the couple was that they could not communicate to save their lives. I felt like some of the emotional aspects were never resolved, even if the plot was.

Valerie did it again. She made this series one of my favorite historical book series on the market. These two characters were just sizzling and sexy. I just love the trope that it’s them keeping them apart. I can’t wait for the next book.