Cover Image: Last Duke Standing

Last Duke Standing

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Member Reviews

I like Cheryl Bolen's stories and this does not disappoint. Alex becomes a duke when his older brother dies inexplicitly. He as a third son did not expect his. His brother's fiance, Georgiana, demands an explanation as Freddy was healthy. Alex and Georgina do not tell anyone of their suspicions but decide to investigate together. They are attracted and dream to each other. It is entertainment til the end.

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As the third son of the Duke of Fordham, Alex never thought he'd become a duke. But he's suddenly catapulted to the lofty title after his slightly older brother dies in his sleep. Now Alex has the onerous task of announcing the death to the woman his brother was to wed. Ever pragmatic, Lady Georgiana Fenton insists on seeing the late duke's body, and when she does, she's convinced he was smothered as he slept. She and the new duke decide to secretly work together to uncover the murderer. But the longer they're together, the harder it becomes to resist the duke's scorching kisses--and even harder to dismiss him from the list of suspects. No one had more to gain by her fiancé's death. .
This was a pretty decent read. I liked Georgina and found Alex ok. I read through it rather quickly. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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The first 50% of this book was fairly interesting. At first, the stilted language got on my nerves, but I got used to it. The characters were fairly wooden. After the first half of the book, things got pretty slow and repetitive. I ended up skipping a lot of it in order to find out who the murderer was in the end. The romantic aspects of the book seemed very contrived and not at all supported by the characters or the plot. Overall, it was disappointing. Although, I do think that the writing was technically well done.

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Fantastic read from a talented author. Thank you to the author and publisher for a chance to read and review.

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Alex never expected to be the duke. After all, he is the third son. However, soon after he returns from the Peninsular War, he learns that his elder brother Freddy, the current duke, has died in his sleep. Alex believed his death to be from natural causes, even though his brother appeared to be in good health. But when Lady Georgiana, the former duke’s betrothed, notices a little detail, suddenly Freddy's death appears to have been murder by asphyxiation. Lady Georgiana and the new duke team up to try to figure out who might have wanted to kill Freddy. Neither really trust each other at first. He sees her as an aloof busybody. Lady Georgiana sees him as a potential suspect, since he had the most to gain from Freddy’s death, along with others who were in the house around the time of Freddy's death.

Will they figure out who murdered Freddy? Will they get over their dislike and distrust of each other? Is the current duke in any danger?

The author did a good job showing Alex's discombobulation at becoming the new duke. He never really did expect to assume the title. He doesn't like having to deal with his brother's former betrothed but can understand her need for answers as he has a similar desire for them. Lady Georgiana is a complex character. She's not quite like most other heroines in this type of historical romance. She's not sweet or naive, she's not drop-dead gorgeous, and her character is more than a little prickly. Yet she takes excellent care of her mother (who’s recovering from a stroke), and her grief about Freddy seems real, even though she didn’t really love him (was more fond of him). I found myself loving the scenes she was in because of her determination to figure out what's going on.

If you like historical romance with murder and suspense, you might find this book enjoyable.

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I received an ARC of this book from Net Gallery. I have read Cheryl Bolen's Regencies before but I don't recall reading the first two books in the Lord's of Eton series. Not impressed enough by this one to buy the others but I am curious enough to look through my stash for the out of print "inspirations". I enjoyed seeing a mature heroine come to grips with her familial relationships and her uncertain future after the loss of her fiance. The hero faced his own challenges as a political radical unexpectedly thrown into his brother's shoes. The murder plot was perhaps the weakest aspect of the book, with too many red herrings in the mix.

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I usually love to read these types of books. I had a hard time getting into the book, but once I did it was enjoyable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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The eighth duke of Fordham (Freddie) has died in his sleep; his fiancé Lady Georgiana Fenton think it is accidental, and that he has been smothered in his sleep. With the duke’s death, his brother, Lord Alex Haversham has the most to gain. Who killed the duke?

Lady Georgianna and Lord Alex Haversham, the new Duke of Forham join forces to discover who the killed the duke. Can Lady Georgianna trust Alex? Could she ever allow herself to become involved with the brother of the man she almost married?

I thought the plot was original and the characters and the dialogue were engaging. This book takes you on twists and turns, as they try to discover who killed the duke. I It is for the most part, a clean read, except for a few excerpts from the letters Freddie’s mistress wrote.

I received an ARC from Net Galley and this review is based on my honest opinion.

#NetGalley

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Mystery surrounds the death of the previous Duke, the new Duke's brother. The search is on to find the guilty party. Is it the new duke or some one else? Is the family cursed? The previous Duke's fiance is determined to find his killer even if it turns out to be his own brother. Where will their search take them and what secrets will they unveil along the way? You'll be waiting with baited breath for the next twist.

The story has a few slower spots but in all it's an excellent entertaining read

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It was a pleasure getting to know the characters as they learned about each other and unraveled a mysterious death. Who can you trust? Who has a motive? It was a thoroughly enjoyable story.

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I believe this my first book by this author. I really enjoyed reading it. Both hero and heroine we're likeable as we're the secondary characters. Will have to look at other books by this author

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Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish this book.

The dialogue was stilted and frequently cliche. The mystery and period details were intriguing but I was so irritated by the writing that I didn't even make it to the romance. i quit and read a few reviews and am satisfied with moving on.

I received a free ARC from netgalley.

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Enjoyed the suspense in this story. It was easy to read and kept me interested from start to finish. This book is a mix with murder, romance and a historical setting.I thoroughly recommend it to be read.

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Alex is a third son who never expected to inherit the dukedom until his slightly older brother dies in his sleep. Or did he. The late duke’s fiancée, Georgiana, after looking at the body, announces that the duke has been murdered. When a doctor confirms her suspicion, Alex and Georgiana join forces to find the murderer. This is a well-crafted and believable mystery that adds a gentle romance to the mix. Although it is the third in the Lords of Eton series, this book can be read as a stand-alone as characters from the previous stories only make brief appearances. Alex and Georgiana’s growing attachment is nicely portrayed, and Georgiana is a strong, positive and determined female character.

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I had not read the previous two books in this series. However that did not hinder this book in any way. Alex and Georgiana have a marvelous story that has just a hint of mystery to it. Alex and Georgiana must find a way to work together to find his brother's murderer. Romance, politics, and a murder mystery all wrapped up in this book.

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This is an exciting who-done-it story full of suspects but not reasons. When Alex's brother Freddie is found dead in his bed, all conceded that it was of natural causes. When Freddie's fiancée Georgiana viewed Freddie's body, she knew that he was suffocated in his sleep. There were signs to confirm this. Alex and Georgiana embark on a deadly mission to uncover the murderer. During that time Georgiana fights her growing attraction to Alex. Alex does not hide his attraction to Georgiana. There is a fly in the ointment, a former suitor of Georgiana seems bound to renew their acquaintance. Georgiana's character is admirable. She takes care of those she loves. She has a forthright attitude and has no problems sharing her thoughts. She and her family's political affiliations are with the Tory. Alex's family is also Tory. But Alex has converted to the Whig position. Alex is level headed and observant. He was a military officer in the war. He is used to discipline, deprivation and harsh conditions. He is for the common man and wants to better society by teaching them to read and write. He also wants all men to be able to vote. Georgiana's fears all these changes will cause the downfall of the aristocracy. Alex has hope that Georgiana will have an open mind to consider a different point of view. As the search for Freddie's murderer proceeds, Alex begins to eliminate suspects one by one. Georgiana discusses with Alex that perhaps he may be next to die, but the reason escapes them. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it.

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I loved the idea of a Regency romance combined with a murder mystery, but sadly this book didn't really work for me. I found the chemistry between the main characters lacking, the investigations rather simple, and the writing itself poorly Brit-picked.

Alex, the hero, is an affable chap who is easy to like. As the third son of a duke, he never expected to inherit the title, but the unexpected death of his older brother (after two previous bereavements) forces him into the role. I would have liked to see him learning to take on the reins of the dukedom and growing as a character, but he swiftly removes himself to London to work on finding his brother's killer. His brother's fiancée, Georgiana, insists on helping, and it becomes obvious that the two are meant to be together - because the narration and all the other characters tell us so, constantly. In their own interaction, they barely seem to like each other! Their first kiss came out of nowhere, and seemed to annoy both of them rather than have a positive effect. I'm not sure what it was, but they just didn't work together at all for me.

One thing that really annoyed me was the use of the name 'Sinjin' for one of the characters. I appreciate that the author tried to explain this as a childhood nickname, and there may be further explanation in the earlier books, but this is the correct British pronunciation of the name 'St John', not a separate name in and of itself. Even f the characters referred to this man with a name pronounced 'Sinjin', they would spell it 'St John' on the page. I found this very jarring.

Similarly, one of the characters is recovering from a stroke, and often gets her words mixed up - I thought this was a fantastic inclusion to the story. However, one thing she does is transposes the syllables in Alex's name, from Fordham to Hamford. This was very jarring to me, as there is no 'ham' sound in the pronunciation of 'Fordham' (rather, it would be Ford-um in a British accent), so this highlighted to me that the author was American, and jolted me out of the atmosphere.

I really did not find the political sub-plot at all interesting. The author seemed keen to show off her research about Whigs and Tories, but this had very little bearing on the plot other than to be one more tick in Alex's 'con' column for Georgiana. The murder mystery had a lot more interest for me to begin with, but it quickly devolved into Alex interviewing various suspects, one at a time, deciding that they loved his brother, and crossing them off the list. There was very little intrigue, and no doubt or ambiguity - once they were interviewed, they were exonerated.

Overall, there were several elements why this one didn't work for me, but I think first and foremost it's that the romance aspect itself was severely lacking, and what it was replaced with was not interesting to me. It's not a bad book, just an uninspiring one.

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Absolutely fabulously delightful and engrossing romance impinged with a bit of murder mystery, what a story. Alex and Georgina what a muddle they found themselves in, sadden by the passing of his brother and her fiancee, they now found a flame burning between compounding the worrisome situation. This has been a very worthwhile read, the storyline was an absolute doozy and the characters were awesome. I enjoyed this book, a true must read.

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Dukes a dying!

Alex, the newly minted Duke of Fordham by unfortunate happenstance (death of his older brother) was never more shocked when his seemingly healthy brother died in his sleep. Not only did he lose a brother, (admittedly they weren't that close) but he now had to give up being a member of the House of Commons and walk in the halls of the House of Lords.
More than that he had to notify his brother's fiancé, Lady Georgiana Fenton, of her betroth's demise.
What Alex didn't plan for was Georgina arriving on the doorstep with a hastily flung together portmanteau. Who was this unusual, 'take charge' woman who insisted on viewing his brother's dead body, then decided that they'd need a doctor's opinion to determine if he'd been smothered.
Now all Georgina and Alex need to do is find the killer. At the top of Georgina's list was Alex!
What neither of them had counted on was the strong attachment that might be more a hindrance than a help.
I loved Georgina but didn't warm to Alex that much. I must admit that the unmasking of the culprit was a bit of a surprise.

A Harper & Appleton ARC via NetGalley

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Alex, the new Duke of Fordham never thought he'd inherit the title, but when his older brother seemingly dies in his sleep, Alex is thrust into the title. When is deceased brother's betrothed Georgianna Fenton wants to see his body to say goodbye, she discovers that Freddie didn't die of natural causes, but was murdered in his sleep. Alex and Georgianna share the responsibility of going through Freddie's papers and they are on the hunt for a killer. The more time they spend together, the more they realize that are perfect for each other. Can Georgianna finally admit her feelings for Alex before it's too late?

I didn't read the first 2 books about Alex's two friends, but I was able to read this book without too much trouble. The plot moved along nicely and I enjoyed the lively banter between Alex and Georgianna. I had guessed the killer's identity about 1/2 way through the book, but certainly not all the particulars behind the motive. This was a most enjoyable story and fans of regency romance will certainly like this one.

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