I am new to this series, and come in reading the third book. I was worried that I would be lost. I was happily surprised that I was quickly carried along in this fast moving and sexy book. The mystery is for sure a big part of the story, but it is a vehicle that allows the h/h to be in proximity of each other. The relationship of Olivia and Thorn is smoldering and sexy and grabs you from the beginning of the book. I loved their banter, and their push pull relationship. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend even if you have not read the series. You can bet I will be grabbing the previous books as I could not put this down.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is the third book in her engaging Duke Dynasty Series. There is also a novella after book 1 that I recommend as well.

You just read the first two books in this series in order to get the big picture of the mystery woven through the entire series.

This book focuses on Thorn (second Duke) and a woman from his past. Thorn in previous novels is tall, handsome, smart, funny and speaks German. At his sister Gwyn’s ball he runs into Miss Olivia Norley. Olivia was caught kissing Thorn nine years ago.... she is a chemist and was helping him get some stains out of his shirt. Unbeknownst to her, Olivia’s stepmother attempted to blackmail Thorn into proposing. Thorn was shocked and angered by being turned down and the blackmail threat. So he has some hard feelings...but neither of them have forgotten that unforgettable kiss they shared. In the present, Oliva has been hired by Thorn’s half brother, the Duke of Greycourt, to test if his father was poisoned. Thorn insists he must accompany and off we go.

I loved the MCs in this installment a lot! So many sparks flying, medium steam and a lot of sweetness. Olivia’s career as a chemist is delightful. Thorn also has a secret career we learn all about!

Love the large family in this series and I’m looking forward to reading what is next!

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

#WhoWantsToMarryADuke #SabrinaJeffries #KensingtonBooks #historicalromance #NetGalley #SecondChanceAtLove #historicalromancemystery

This book is part of a series about the children of a woman who has married three dukes (although one wasn't a duke when she married him) I have not read the rest of the series so I was a bit confused about brothers both being Dukes but the relationships soon made sense. I didn't feel that I was lost by starting in on the 3rd book.

Our hero, Thorn, and heroine, Olivia, meet in the prologue when the hero was 21 and just arrived in London after spending most of his life in Prussia, where his stepfather served as ambassador. They end up being discovered in a compromising position by Olivia's stepmother who blackmails Thorn into offering for Olivia. When Thorn, does, Olivia turns him down. In order to provide an explanation and protect Olivia, her stepmother tells all that Olivia turned him down due to his rakish reputation. The blacking of his reputation and the family secret that Olivia's stepmother was blackmailing him with set him on a course of not believing in love and living up to that reputation.

Nine years later, both are still unwed. Thorn's brother Gray "hires" Olivia, who is a chemist, to see if she can determine whether his father was poisoned. When Thorn hears this, his distrust of Olivia has him coming to Gray's estate with them so he can "watch" her. After a time, they are able to discuss what happened and clear the air and admit they was an attraction all those years ago.

There is still the mystery of Gray's father's death and when Olivia's lab is destroyed they know someone is trying to stop them. They move to Thorn's estate to continue the experiments and continue to fall in love. Thorn has a secret that comes between them but is resolved when he finally admits he does love Olivia.

The mystery of the Dukes' deaths is not resolved by the end of this book but Gray and Thorn's mother is finally told of what they suspect as is the rest of the family. There is one more brother left and I anticipate this last book will resolve all.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't get caught up in the mystery as much as the love story. and didn't feel lost by not reading the earlier books/novella.

My thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own

3.5 stars. I really enjoyed most of this story!

Olivia is an aspiring chemist and that's her main goal in life. Then she runs into Thorn at a ball and helps him clean his coat using her chemistry knowledge. They're caught in a compromising position though, and her mother tries to get him to marry her. When Olivia turns Thorn down, he's shocked and also mad that she tried to trap him. Several years later, they meet again because she's hired by his brother to investigate the potential murder of his father using her chemistry skills. Because Thorn doesn't trust her, he keeps a close eye on her and of course shenanigans ensue.

I really liked how strong Olivia is and how much those around her are really trying to support her goals of being a renowned chemist, despite her "good breeding". Thorn's reasons for hating her are really frustrating though. He somehow manages to hold on to it for too long and it gets resolved too fast in the story, which I'm not sure how is possible. I enjoy the mystery aspect, but why does it have to go through the entire series? I want to know the outcome now!

I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy other historical romance, especially when there are strong-willed women and mysteries involved.

Olivia and Marlowe have history with one another. Many years ago, Olivia's step mother tried to trap him into marriage with Olivia. She turned down his offer of marriage, but Marlowe has never gotten over the duplicity of it.

Now they find themselves staying at the home of Marlowe's bother. Olivia is there is determine whether or not the former duke was poisoned. But after what happened in the past, Marlowe doesn't trust Olivia and is determined to keep an eye on her.

But the attraction they felt all those years ago, is still there. Can they get over past hurts to make a future for themselves?

I loved these two together! I loved that Olivia has pursued something that she loved even though it was not the thing for ladies of the time. I also loved that Marlowe was willing to do anything to protect his family against someone he thought could end up hurting them. They, of course, ended up working through the issues and finding their HEA. This was a great addition to the Duke Dynasty series!!

In the Duke Dynasty, a woman marries three dukes and gives birth to three more dukes. There are also an assortment of others including spare, twin, niece, nephew and cousin. These are their stories.
In Who Wants to Marry a Duke, the third installment of the Duke Dynasty, Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock finds himself once again in the presence of the woman who was part of a scheme nine years ago to blackmail Thornstock to into marriage. Thornstock goes by Thorn amongst his family and friends.
Thorn’s half brother, the Duke of Greycourt, better known as Grey has hired Miss Olivia Norley to determine if his father had been murdered by arsenic when Grey was a baby. Olivia is delighted by Grey’s faith in her tests to find arsenic in exhumed bodies as she is determined to make a name for herself as a chemist. As the book takes place in 1809, Olivia is a woman ahead of her time.
No wonder she doesn’t have time for Thorne’s nonsense now or nine years ago. Since then Olivia wonders what if she had only said yes to Thorne’s grudging proposal. Thorn has wondered the same thing for nine years, while also wondering if his suspicions of Olivia’s participation in her step-mother’s scheme might have been misplaced.
The possible murder of all three of the dukes, plus a few other duke uncles has been the intriguing mystery arc of the Duke Dynasty with the mystery heating up in Who Wants to Marry a Duke.
Now the Dukes and their spouses, have their causes of deaths and a list of possible suspects. There are also new attempts on the lives of the half-siblings and Olivia Norley. I really can’t guess the killer and I’m pretty good at figuring the murderer. Is it the obvious red herring who is not the red herring? Is it the woman we will all love to hate? Or is it someone from out in left field?
This series might be emphasizing the mysterious deaths more, but it does not neglect the romance and what a hot romance! High on the asbestos scale. Once again a woman done wrong does not make the man grovel enough, but truly, when has it ever been any different in any historical romance? Ever. On the other hand, Thorn seems awfully forgiving of the step-mother who caused him such misery for nine years.
However what does set this book apart is Olivia’s determination to reach acceptance as a chemist and to have her tests finding arsenic in exhumed bodies also accepted. Usually the only women in the sciences in the early 1800’s were astronomers. FYI, Olivia’s work in finding arsenic is not a fantasy on the part of the author. Chemists in Germany were developing tests to find arsenic.
I was happy to be able to continue to read about the characters from the first two books. Who Wants to Marry a Duke can easily be read as a standalone but then you would be missing stories that also touch upon original characters who have had very real and serious backgrounds or problems not often touched upon in HR books. I look forward to discovering the murderer, but not the end of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions of this review are my own.

Who wants to Marry a Duke is the third book in a series by Sabrina Jeffries. I have to say that I couldn't get in to the first book and didn't read the second book at all. Even thought there is an overall mystery arch tying these three stories together, I don't think I missed anything by only reading the third one. In fact, I think it can be read as a stand-a-lone with no trouble as you get enough recap so you understand everything. Of course, it would certainly be better if you read all three. As far as this book, I loved this one! In fact, I cant want to go back and read the other two now. I think I was too hasty in putting down the first book because I love Sabrina Jeffries writing style. I loved the bookish, smart, chemistry loving heroine! While sometimes I was frustrated at the hero, overall it was a great story and I cant want to read more!!

2.5 Stars

Who Wants to Marry a Duke is the third book in Sabrina Jeffries’ Duke Dynasty series. Just a warning at the start, this series has an overarching murder mystery that does begin in the previous two books. I had not read these books prior to picking this story up on NetGalley and that was a mistake.

The story is about Miss Olivia Norley, a chemist and a bit of a spinster. She has no interest in society, seasons, or husband hunting. She’s been hired by the family of her nemesis Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock to get down to the bottom of a family mystery. Thorn has not forgiven or forgotten the scandal nine years ago that almost ruined his life. Olivia was at the center of that scandal, and he’s not sure her motivations to help with the mystery are completely pure. So he decides to keep close tabs on her while she’s helping out.

I’m a fan of other books by Jefferies, but this one did not grab my attention as much as others have in the past. I loved the character of Olivia, she was the type of historical heroine I like to read. She’s smart, passionate about her work, and not at all spoiled or vain or vapid. Thorn was a bit of a blank page, he was just like many other romance Dukes. A bit of a rake ad bit full of himself, and not super inspiring.

What shone for me in this book was the mystery plot. In fact after finishing this book I went back to read the first two books so I had a better understanding of the entire story. I liked that these step-siblings were working together to figure out why their mother’s husbands seemed to keep turning up dead. There was enough of the mystery to keep me entertained but not too much to make it feel less of a romance and more of a who-done-it.

As a whole the series is pretty good, but not as good as her School for Heiresses series which is my personal favorite. I felt like the whole misunderstanding for nine years between Thorn and Olivia was a bit overblown and that clouded a lot of my enjoyment of their love story. But I loved the smart and capable chemist even if she ended up with a bit of a dull rake. This ended up being a middle of the road read for me, so if you have the time read it. But it’s not a must read in my opinion.

~ Lindsey

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I love Sabrina Jeffries books - they are real escapism for me so was thrilled to be able to read this
She never disappoints and this is great

Loved the story and the characters interaction and development

While I completely enjoyed the story and the interactions between Thorn, his siblings and their respective spouses, it bothered me that Thorn had to almost be convinced he was in love with Olivia. Being that Olivia was so full of life, charm and honestly, any hesitation on Thorn’s part was a mark against him. Without excessive groveling, I was not satisfied that he knew the jewel he had in Olivia.
It was still a well written story and I will continue on with Sheridan’s story when it is available.

This is my first time reading Sabrina Jeffries and I'm not positive starting on book 3 of the Duke Dynasty was the best place to begin. The main idea behind the series is about a woman who has been married three times and given birth to various children. Some are full siblings and some are half siblings so because it can become a little confusing about who's who for newbies like myself, there is a family tree available at the beginning of the book. Each story in the series focuses on one of the grown up children finding love and Who Wants to Marry a Duke focuses on Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock (aka Thorn).

As a hero, Thorn is a bit of a jerk and to be honest, I didn't really like him much throughout the entire story. He's rude, stubborn, cynical and kind of narrow-minded. I would like to say he gets better as the book progresses but unfortunately, that just wasn't the case.

The heroine, Olivia, was interesting. She's quiet and "bookish" with no desires to marry. All Olivia wants is to establish herself as a chemist. I enjoyed watching her grow within her profession and become somewhat independent. Although her dependence is still questionable where Thorn is concerned.

Outside of the two main characters, I enjoyed the rest of the plotline and the mystery surrounding one of the late father's demise. It was a nice way to break up the lackluster chemistry between the hero and heroine, and add a bit more intrigue into the tale. Overall Who Wants to Marry a Duke was an okay read. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it to anyone unless they were already SJ fans but I definitely want to pick up another SJ book to compare it with since I've heard so many great things about her stories.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Kensington Books/Zebra for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke is a fabulously fun and fascinating enemies to lovers read. This is the third book in the Duke Dynasty series and you'll want to read them in order because there's an overall story arc that you don't want to miss.

I loved Olivia. She's smart, strong, and determined. Thorn is a jerk but it's so satisfying to see those characters fall because they think they're immune to love.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the chemistry between Olivia and Thorn.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke
Duke Dynasty Series - Book 4
By Sabrina Jeffries

Kensington Books - September 2020

Historical Romance


Miss Olivia Norley was thrilled at the opportunity presented to her. Not that she was happy that someone's father may have been murdered, but that this was a chance to prove her scientific experiment. Going to the countryside to perform the tests would have thrilled her, except for the fact that Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstoke, was joining their group.

Thorn was as invested as his half-brother in learning if Grey's father had indeed been poisoned. There was also a good chance that his own father had been murdered. But they needed someone they could trust. Someone who was above reproach. Someone very much other than Olivia. Thorn already had a history with her and her step-mother, and had nearly been blackmailed into marriage to the miss. He had no intention of her scheming to earn her reputation in the scientific field by mishandling this investigation.

But when Olivia's life is threatened, Thron knows that the only safe place for her to continue her research is with him. What he never expects is to learn that is also where he wants Olivia to be. Always.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke was a fascinating romance with action, adventure, a continuing mystery, and love. It is easy to understand Thorn's feelings against Olivia, and it was entertaining to see all his efforts to undermine her thwarted. Olivia is a lovey heroine, so different than anyone Thorn has dealt with, so he is flummoxed by his reactions, and hers. I loved seeing them work through their past, and join together to work on solving this deadly mystery from the past, which is still threatening them now. I eagerly look forward to the next Duke Dynasty story.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

This is the 3rd book in the series and it can be read as a stand-alone. Olivia and Thorn have a bit of an unhappy history together. Even 9 years later Thorn is still angry. Grey, is Thorn’s brother and he has hired her to help him solve a mystery. Olivia is a chemist and she is to discover if Thorn’s stepfather was murdered. Sparks fly as they begin to work closely together. He also discovers the truth about what happened all those years ago. Can he keep her safe from whoever killed his stepfather? Fast-paced historical read with plenty of drama, suspense and steam. A good read.

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favorite historical romance authors when it comes to creating family dynamics intertwined with a mystery that evolves across the course of a series and keeping me engaged from beginning to end. I was intrigued by the concept of a thrice-married woman with five children, including three sons who are all dukes. Toss in the gradually developing mystery surrounding the deaths of those husbands, plus the death of a brother-in-law, and I was hooked.

In Who Wants to Marry a Duke, the siblings inch closer to discovering the truth regarding the deaths of their fathers and it's becoming clear their investigations are making someone very nervous. Miss Olivia Norley, a trained chemist and not your typical society miss, is hired to conduct tests on the remains of one of the fathers and Thorn, with whom she has an adversarial past, is determined to unmask her for the devious fraud he's certain she is. With him dogging her every step, an eventual explosion is inevitable. But what will happen when the dust settles around this plain-speaking, scientific-minded, inexperienced miss, and the suspicious, very experienced duke determined to seduce her, even while he doesn't trust her?

Okay, let me start by reviewing the things I liked about this book. I loved Olivia. She's such a breath of fresh air, with her brilliant mind and focused determination to have a successful career in her chosen field when that was way outside the norm for women. I was in her corner, cheering her on the entire way.

I enjoyed catching up with couples from the first two books and watching their relationships evolve post-marriage. I'm also enjoying learning more about their mother and am intrigued by the possibility of a new love interest for her.

Jeffries has woven an interesting mystery that still has me trying to figure out the answers. With multiple suspects, and still no clue as to the reason for the murders, I have a feeling she'll have me guessing right up until the reveal. I love when an author accomplishes that.

What didn't work well for me in this book was the romance and that was largely due to Thorn. He came across as immature and self-serving, and I really didn't like him or the way he treated Olivia for much of the book. I also wanted to feel emotional chemistry between him and Olivia, mostly for her sake, but I just didn't, at least not on his side. He does come around at the end of the book, and others may not have this issue with him, but he left me cold. When you read as many books as I do, that's occasionally going to happen.

Still, hero issues aside, I liked the rest of the book, I'm enjoying the series, and I'm already looking forward to the next couple to take center stage.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

4.5 stars rounded up

When Marlowe “Thorn” Drake, the Duke of Thornstock first came to London, he met Miss Olivia Norley and after she gives him a lesson in benefits of chemistry in stain fighting, he gives her a mind-blowing kiss. Unfortunately, they are caught by her step-mother. Unbeknownst to Olivia, Lady Norley blackmails Thorn into proposing, a proposal she rejects.

Nine years later, Thorn is still angry at Olivia and her mother, but thankfully, there paths haven’t crossed, until now. He learns that his brother Grey has hired the still single Miss Norley to perform some experiments on his father’s remains to determine if he was poisoned. Thorn tries to get Grey to fire Olivia, but when he won’t, Thorn decides to go with them to Grey’s estate – to “keep an eye on her”.
Olivia isn’t sure why Thorn is so angry at her – she refused his forced proposal didn’t she? She doesn’t want to marry, she wants to be a chemist and is sure a husband will refuse to let her continue her work. She also has no desire marry a man who was being forced to marry her – so she refused him, which should have made him happy. But now he is causing trouble with her again, trying to get the Duke of Greycourt to fire her – this experiment could give her clout and recognition in the chemistry community and she will not let him ruin it for her! She will just ignore him and stop wondering if his kisses are really as good as she remembers.

Thorn is not going to let her forget him or his kisses, especially when he learns that he was wrong about her all those years ago. When Olivia’s lab is sabotaged, it becomes clear that whoever killed his stepfather, most likely killed both Grey’s and Thorn’s fathers too and is clearly willing to kill again to keep from being caught, Thorn will do whatever is necessary to protect her. They grow closer and seem like they are well on the way to HEA, but then Thorn’s secrets are revealed and he will have to find a way to trust her with his heart or lose her forever.

This was a great addition to the series, it is well written story that flows nicely and continues the ongoing mystery that has been woven into the series. Thorn and Olivia are very likable characters with strong personalities. I loved their interactions and laughed out loud more than once while reading this book. The book picks up where The Bachelor ended and centers on Grey and Thorn’s efforts to determine if the deaths of the Duchess’s husbands are related, producing a story rich with intrigue, secrets, mystery, steamyish love scenes, witty dialogue, lies, a hard won HEA and a great segue into the next book! This is the third book in the series and while it can be enjoyed as a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in order.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by the publisher.*

A stolen kiss that nearly lead to a scandal can’t be forgotten in Who Wants to Marry a Duke. Sabrina Jeffries’s third Duke Dynasty novel features Marlowe Drake, the secretive Duke of Thornstock. Thorn meets his match in Olivia, the young chemist he never forgot…and who he’s still both equally attracted to and suspicious of.

Even if I wasn’t already a Sabrina Jeffries fan, the idea of a Regency chemist heroine would have had me picking up Who Wants to Marry a Duke. I loved Olivia’s quick mind and determination to make her career. Thorn’s half-brother, Grey, has hired her to perform tests on the remains of his father. If she can prove the previous duke was poisoned with arsenic, it would give her the attention and respect of her fellow scientists. Thorn and his suspicions are merely a distraction from her goal… A very tempting distraction, she must admit.

But Thorn and his siblings aren’t the only ones interested in Olivia’s experiments. Someone is determined the truth stay forever buried and this puts Olivia in danger. Of course Thorn is on-hand to rescue her and his protectiveness takes over. Though Thorn can be frustrating with his stubbornness and wounded pride, once he gets past that he’s an interesting hero. Thorn has ambitions of his own outside the dukedom and projects he keeps secret from even those closest to him. I enjoyed seeing Thorn’s creative side come out and it made him a well-rounded character. He and Olivia are opposites in some ways, but they really click. The energy between them crackled and made the pages of their story practically fly by. Thorn and Olivia’s romance is passionate and sometimes prickly and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Thorn’s mother has been married and widowed three times and the overarching series mystery of who may have murdered her husbands truly picks up steam in this book. I loved the action and the dashes of excitement that sprang from this storyline. And I truly cannot wait to see how things turn out in the final Duke Dynasty book!

London - 1800

Marlowe “Thorn” Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, age 21, along with his twin sister, Gwyn, lived in Berlin when they were younger. Their mother was widowed just before they were born when their father died in a carriage accident. Some years later, their mother married another duke who died after their son was born. Her son is Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, the Duke of Greycourt. Thus, Grey is Thorn and Gwyn’s half brother and they are best friends.

Miss Olivia Norley, age 18, and daughter of Baron Norley, is at the same ball that Thorn in attending. Olivia accidentally bumps into Thorn when he was drinking an aperitif and it spills down the front of his shirt. She apologizes and asks him to accompany her into the library where with some champagne and bicarbonate of soda manages to clean the stain off his shirt. Soon, her stepmother finds them together and insists that Thorn show up at their home the next day to propose to Olivia. Like a gentleman, he does as she asks but Olivia turns him down. She has no plans to marry because she is a chemist and wishes to devote her life to chemistry.

London - 1809

Thorn and his sister are attending a ball together. Secretly, Thorn pens stories as a playwright that are widely enjoyed. At the ball, he sees Olivia and learns that she is the acclaimed scientist that will be testing his stepfather’s body for arsenic poisoning.

Back in each other’s company and more mature, they know what they want from life. There is still that attraction to one another which is now stronger than ever. Can they now put aside their “problems” with one another and find a way to be together?

This book had a good start but I became rather aggravated with their constant back and forth with one another in not being able to agree. Both are strong headed but they do seem to agree on sex. I just don’t get the “jump into bed immediately” premise in so many historical romance books. To me, that’s a turn off. But if it sells books, so be it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sabrina Jeffries is a new author for me, and I haven't read the first two books in the series, but it didn’t matter at all. The characters of the earlier books are introduced well, and the sub-plot of a murder investigation that continues through the series doesn’t really kick in until here.

The main couple of this book is Olivia Norley and the Duke of Thornstock, or Thorne. They have a bit of past together. He has been forced to propose to her ten years earlier, but she’s refused. For some reason he’s held grudge for it ever since.

The murder investigation brings them together again. Olivia is an aspiring chemist, beggaring belief in those of us who want some historical accuracy (the book takes place in 1809), but it’s done well enough and I could let it stand. She’s hired by Thorne’s brother Grey to investigate the body of Grey’s father for traces of arsenic. Thorne wants to keep an eye on her, because he doesn’t trust her. But of the two, he’s the one who’s keeping secrets.

Olivia is a forthright character who is curious about everything new, including romance and sex. Thorne is slightly annoying with his hot and cold act, and the grudge he holds seems a little contrived and manufactured for the sake of drama. And when his secret is revealed, the following fight seems out of proportions for the transgression. They make up easily enough afterwards. But they’re a good couple together, Thorne especially grows as a person, and the naughty scenes are satisfying. All in all, a nice romance.

The murder investigation is the weakest part of the narrative and doesn’t really have much of a role despite starting the events. There’s a lot of conjecture about the identity of the villain(s) and their motives, but nothing concrete. The villains aren’t characters in this book, and despite some mayhem caused by them, there’s no suspense. And the murder isn’t even solved in the end.

What made me give only three stars, however, is that the book is one act too short. The last twist, the final push and test of the couple and their love never takes place. It’s even set up perfectly. There’s a probable threat to Olivia’s life, a mirror of an earlier attack, and Thorne rushes in to warn and protect her. But the attack never happens and the book just ends, followed by an epilogue that rehashes the murder investigation, lessening the emotional impact of the last chapter. So, a bit of a let-down in the end. But I liked the writing style well-enough that I’ll likely read the last book in the series, if only to find out who is offing the dukes and why.

Another fun read from Sabrina Jeffries. Who Wants to Marry a Duke is new series about an oft-widowed mother's grown children, and their quest for the truth about their fathers .Delightful characters whose chemistry is not just the laboratory type will keep you reading late into the night.