Cover Image: Undercover Duke

Undercover Duke

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Sheridan is the last single duke in this series of brothers who are trying to determine who murdered their fathers. Sheridan is tasked with questioning Vanessa's mother as a potential suspect but she is difficult and rude, to say the least. He has tried to keep Vanessa in the dark and has let her believe he is courting her to make another man jealous, even though his family repeatedly tells him to include her. She ends up figuring out who and why, helping the family to find closure after so many years of questions. This is a great plot with wonderful characters and witty dialogue. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

The fourth and final book in the Duke Dynasty, was awesome. We saw a little bit of Vanessa's spunk in the last book. Sheridan really brings it out in her now. I loved his reaction when his preconceived ideas of her start crumbling. The ending wrapped up the mystery of the whole series very nicely.

Was this review helpful?

This book was a delightful story about how. The heroine has been attracted to the hero for over a year. She has been telling everyone about a new playwright, and this has lead to her being seen as having a love for the playwright. But she was only saying it to be obstinate to the hero. The hero is investigating the death of his mother's husbands, including his father. But he needs to speak to the heroine's mother. So he has been fighting an attraction to the heroine since she left the school room. And that has been many years ago. He offers her a courtship to make the playwright jealous and hopefully he will ask the heroine to marry him, but the hero doesn't want the courtship to end.
This book was enjoyable in that it was about the aristocracy, and it did include 'party life's scenes, but the two main characters grew up in poor conditions where they had to make do with very little money. The heroine had to redo her gowns and kept the books for her father. The hero grew up with a gambler father who was unable to save the estates. It is a wonder they didn't see their attraction to each other. This book was such a nice read. I liked how the characters developed and grew to trust and love each other. There was no errors and the book just flew by. I recommend this story with 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

This ended up being a just okay read for me. This was my very first Sabrina Jeffries book, and obviously the first in this particular series, so I think I may have set myself up not to like it as much as I could have. I really did enjoy the author’s writing style, and would be willing to try something from her again in the future.

Honestly, I may try and give the other books in this series a shot first and then circle back to this one and give it another go.

Was this review helpful?

This is the fourth and final book of the Duke Dynasty, a series that starts with Project Duchess and that I am a fan of. This book can be read as a standalone but I absolutely recommend starting with the first book, as all four books follow the same family and investigative a mystery throughout the books that is solved in this book.

The family tree is kinda confusing. You have to understand that the matriarch of the family was married three times and had four children by her different husbands before the age of 25. This book is about Sheridan, the Duke of Armitage, who starts out pretending to be the fiance of his half brother Grey's cousin, Vanessa. Ofcourse they both have feelings for the other that bubble to the surface during their pretend courtship.

Sheridan and Vanessa definitely have angst and heat between them and I am happy with how the series ended. Sabrina Jeffries is a strong writer and this book is the perfect amount of steam, mystery and character development.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this historical romantic mystery. The main storyline was the romance between Vanessa and Sheridan which was completely captivating and satisfying. The other storyline was equally intriguing, the continuing investigation of the murders of Sheridan's father and stepfathers. I had no problem following the plot that started in the previous books. It made me want to pick up the previous installments in this wonderful series. Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me the pleasure of reading and reviewing this wonderful read. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

So good, so good, so good! Loved every page! fabulous, she knows what she wants and plans to get it.
I never write a spoiler, but really, this is great .I can't wait!! for the next book..

Was this review helpful?

Sabrina Jeffries  writes in a way that I can easily picture the the characters and their surroundings. When reading her stories, I always feel as if I'm in the room and included in the conversations.  
   I realky enjoyed the  characters in Undercover Duke . They are interesting, the dialog is witty, the circumstances believable, and the descriptions not too detailed as to be overwhelming.   All in all it is a very entertaining story.
   NOTE: While this book is part of a series, it is not dependent upon having read the previous books.  In fact, the ongoing thread of mystery, is only a brief tease running through the earlier books.

Was this review helpful?

This book was fantastic! It took me on several twists and turns (usually this is annoying, but Jeffries finds a way to make it charming). Saint Sheridan and Vanessa are the perfect combination of sugar, spice and timid behavior.

This can be read as a stand alone novel, but I wouldn’t recommend it. There are references to other books that probably made the book richer. This regency romance mystery gives us more than the characters to rely on and allows us a few chuckles.

Jeffries does it again!

Was this review helpful?

Sheridan Wolfe, the new Duke of Armitage, is sinking under the weight of his new responsibilities. The dukedom was in sad financial shape when his father inherited it and had no time to improve the situation before he himself died. Sheridan is worried, uptight, and barely hanging on as he makes hard financial decisions. To complicate matters he and his brother and stepsiblings are convinced their fathers' deaths were suspicious. The family have narrowed down their list of suspects and Sheridan is charged with investigating the awful mother of Vanessa Pryde, his stepbrother Grey's cousin. He feels a strong attraction to Vanessa, but isn't ready for any romance under the circumstances. This last entry of the series does a wonderful job of balancing romance, humor, family, and mystery.

Was this review helpful?

I am a huge fan of Sabrina Jeffries, I've read so many of her books and they are all super excited, adding romance and a mystery. I hadn't read the previous ones of this series,
The reason I've always enjoyed her books, because they are more then just regency romances. They don't take forever to get to the romance, and the hero and the heroine are always on a mission together, which is always fun.
This book is amazing the chemistry between "saint" Sheridan and Vanessa is amazing, especially when he constantly gets jealous of Juncker ( the entire book I thought he was "junky") I look forward to reading all about his romance in the Christmas book, coming this fall.
Ladies if you haven't read the previous books and want to read just this one, go ahead, the author gives you a briefing so your not confused on what is happening throughout the book.

I received this book from Netgalley, but all the opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I'd give this book like a 3.5/5 stars. Very middle of the pack, solid historical romance, but nothing mind-blowing. I will say that this book is the first of this series that I have read (and my first Sabrina Jeffries book ever), so while I quickly caught on to the different siblings and their familial ties to one another, I wasn't as invested in the family mystery as other readers who have been with this series from the start may be. There was a decent amount of time spent uncovering who was responsible for the murders of the dowager duchesses' husbands, and I frankly wasn't very invested in that storyline. It was obvious that Vanessa's mother wasn't the perpetrator, so Sheridan's multiple attempts to interview her were a bit of a drag. Also, it never really made much sense to me why Bonham wouldn't have just killed the dowager duchess when he had the chance in the last year of knowing her as opposed to trying to befriend her.

As for the romance between the main characters, I really do not like the "hero is scared of falling in love" trope, I find it to be so overdone and frankly, the reasoning almost always comes off as immature, especially once feelings start to build for the heroine but they end up pushing her away because of past hurts. I also felt like Vanessa being sexually innocent came out of nowhere, it kinda seemed out of character for her. In general, I feel like the character development wasn't too strong, but it also wasn't insanely weak, for example, I liked that Vanessa was good at accounting. Overall, the damaged hero trope always falls flat to me and makes me annoyed with the hero for not letting himself be happy and pushing away/purposely self-sabotaging his relationship with someone he obviously really likes.

I love historical romances, and fans of the genre who read this book probably won't hate it, they just likely won't be wowed either, it's nothing special or revolutionary but is a decent, run of the mill regency romance with a plot structure that will be familiar to seasoned HR readers.

Was this review helpful?

The mystery is finally solved. Unfortunately, the romance fell by the wayside with all the investigating going on. This was probably the weakest book in the series.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the premise of this and I loved the interactions of the two leads.

Fake dating and nasty guys are two of my buzz words.

The story had me at the beginning then unfortunately lost me towards the middle

Was this review helpful?

.
I received "Undercover Duke" from Netgalley and voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Sabrina Jeffries is an exceptional story teller. She weaves her readers into her tales. Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage wishes to find out who killed his father, and one suspect is the mother of Vanessa Pryde, the woman of his fascination. Caught in a compromising position,  one thing leads to another and secrets of the past are revealed. Superb story!

Was this review helpful?

I have been looking forward to the story of Sheridan and Vanessa!

It was the perfect conclusion to the "who done it" theme that has been running though all the novel.

Part mystery, mostly romance, I enjoyed the banter and the heat between the two main characters. Sheridan has always seemed uptight, but his relationship to Vanessa showed us a different side to him that I loved.

Perfect ending to a great series!

Was this review helpful?

Sheridan Wolfe is the impoverished Duke of Armitage. He needs to marry a rich heiress to save his estates. However, Sheridan and his siblings need to solve the mysterious deaths of their mother’s three husbands. He re-acquaints with Vanessa Pryde, his older half-brother’s cousin, in order to question her mother. Sheridan tries valiantly to resist temptation. Will Sheridan finally let go of the past? Can he and his siblings find the culprit behind their fathers’ murders?
Miss Vanessa Pryde is the cousin of the Fifth Duke of Greycourt. She has always wanted Sheridan since his family’s return to England. Vanessa feigns romantic interest in a famous playwright to gain his interest. Her calculated scheme works, in a roundabout manner. Vanessa learns that Sheridan is secretly investigating the deaths of his mother’s husbands. Will Vanessa be beneficial in Sheridan’s investigation? Can she make her saintly duke fall in love with her?
Sheridan is so different from his older half-siblings. His phobia of losing those that he loves prompts him to keep people at a safe distance. I love Sheridan’s sense of duty and loyalty. He tries desperately to take care of everyone under his care, even stumble through his weakness with numbers. What I adore the most about Sheridan is his willingness to endure Vanessa’s shrewish mother. He knows how important family is, so he will never demand Vanessa alienate her mother.
I have been wanting Vanessa and Sheridan to pair up since book one. She is the perfect contrast to his stuffiness. And Vanessa did not disappoint me! I like how she does not make excuses for her mother’s abrasive behavior. Vanessa knows how difficult her mother can be, so she tries to spare everyone from having to deal with her, including her cousin and Sheridan. What I adore the most about Vanessa is how she does not adhere to society’s views on a noblewoman’s appetite. She refuses to starve herself over some silly rule.
UNDERCOVER DUKE is the fourth book in Sabrina Jeffries’ historical romance series, DUKE DYNASTY. It is essential to read the prior books and novella to understand the story’s sub-plot. I like how the author strategically stretches the investigation throughout the series, giving new bits of information in each book.
UNDERCOVER DUKE is a brilliant conclusion to a fun and entertaining series. I hear the author plans to write a Christmas novella involving the playwright Juncker. I cannot wait!

Was this review helpful?

I have known Sabrina Jeffries before reading Undecover Duke. Her writing is witty and the pace is well done. I love her works. Just to name a few, the hellion in her bed and don’t bargain with the devil are my favorites. Undecover Duke was not far from the quality of these books. This read was what I have really expected from her. It made me laugh a lot. Also, the misunderstandings between the main characters made me anticipate the ending. From start to finish it had my attention, there was no dull moment. Also, Vanessa and Sheridan were a very entertaining couple to read. The sexy scenes were well done too. No simpering maiden, but a goddess who shows confidence if needed. Also, the family aspect in this series was a treat to read. They tease and banter a lot. Sheridan and Thorn’s bickering and teasing were entertaining. Their family had a large problem but they took it in stride. I gave it a 4.5 hearts rating because I loved it but the ending was rushed. However, as a whole, it was a satisfying read.

Was this review helpful?

This was a strong end to the series. I’ve enjoyed both Sheridan and Vanessa over the course of the series, and it was good to finally see them get together. It was also good to have the mystery finally be sewn up. This wasn’t my favorite series by Ms. Jeffries, but it was enjoyable and ended well.

Was this review helpful?

I love Sheridan's honor. I love Vanessa's determination. Finally we find out....! No spoiler here! Only thing is the title of the book doesn't make sense to me! Fabulous story though!

Was this review helpful?