I usually like to read my books in chronological order. I would rather wait for a series to end before I even pick up its first book. I somehow missed doing that here, ending up reading the last book of the series! (gasp)

Did that though ruin things for me? No.
Was I confused by the many secondary characters involved? No.
Now that I know who the murderer is, will it stop me from wanting to read the other first books? No.

That is the mark of a good book and a great writer. Even though it is the last book, it can still be read as a standalone and be enjoyable. Which it was in spades. I will not go into detail describing what the main plot is about- the blurb for once does a great job of that for this book. I will reiterate that it was immensely fun.
Both the lead characters were attracted to each other but were loath to admit it to anyone. Vanessa did not want love to be used against her in life. In Sheridan’s case, he had too many excuses to deny himself some happiness, which goes hand in hand with his stoic saintly character. He always had to do the right thing and wanting Vanessa for himself just did not seem like that, so he stayed away from her- until forced to be around her at the request of his eldest brother, Grey. Venessa was a darling. Her antics and feelings were a delight to read. Poor thing has been infatuated with Sheridan since she first met him, and to throw others off the scent, especially his eldest half-brother and her first cousin, she pretends she is in love with someone else.

This caused so many amusing scenarios. I loved how they both were lying to each other, themselves and the people around them- just so that no one would know their true motives, whether its her unrequited feelings for him, his attraction to her, his secret investigation of her mother, her ploy to make him jealous, his plans to make her see that her playwright was not worthy of her etc etc.

On top of that, there was a triple murder to solve, scandals to avert and a dukedom to save from insolvency. This book was not boring for a minute. Yes, its peppered with many anachronisms, the characters speech and their manner of interactions at the top of it, but I found myself forgiving that because I was so entertained throughout. The murder mystery too was obvious, and I cannot believe it took so long for these people to figure out who was behind it all. Then again, I have not read the other books (which I now plan to!) and not everyone can always have the deductive reasoning skills of Sherlock Holmes when they are nothing more than aristocratic lords and ladies.

The romance was not slow to pick up, and two thirds into the book, our leads get married. I had no problem connecting with the characters and their confusing lies and thoughts. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

I have read other books by Sabrina Jeffries and I like her writing style and especially her development of characters. I find myself interested in all of them and wanting to read about them. The playwright Juncker in this instance. Even though his upcoming novella doesn’t seem that it will have anything to do with this series, I will still be on the lookout for it, because I want to know what his and Flora’s story is and how they will end up.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review. Thoughts and opinions expressed here are honest and completely my own.**

3.5 Stars

Undercover Duke is the fourth book in the fourth book in the Duke Dynasty series by Sabrina Jeffries. Sheridan Wolfe, the Duke of Armitage, is committed to solving the deaths of his mother’s three husbands. During his investigation, he is assigned to look into a suspect that could crack the case and save the lives of his family. However, to get close to the person of interest, Sheridan will have to deal with her daughter, Vanessa Pryde. Vanessa is a confident woman determined to get Sheridan to see her as more than a young lady. She is willing to resort to a bit of scheming to do so, especially if it means igniting his jealous streak. Vanessa and Sheridan soon find themselves embroiled in an unexpected partnership, where attraction simmers beneath the surface, as does the lies.

As a full fledge Bridgerton fan, I was more than excited to delve into the historical romance. It had all of the makings of a top-shelf historical romance: arrangement of convenience, a dashing duke, assertive and resourceful female, secrets, and an impending threat. Sheridan constantly struggles against the obvious passion he feels towards Vanessa. He has sworn off love and is unwilling to reopen his heart again. Vanessa’s mom is determined to marry her off to the highest bidder, or the match that would secure an advantageous social position. Vanessa is determined to show Sheridan the happiness they could have together if he just let himself fall in love with her. The multiple points of view helped offer a free indirect perspective of both main protagonists.

I was immediately drawn in by the push and pull of Vanessa and Sheridan’s relationship. I was intrigued to read more. I admire Sheridan’s fortitude to discover the murder and do everything in his power to protect those he loves. But, closer to the middle of the book, I felt like it didn’t necessarily add depth to his relationship with Vanessa. I read the Undercover Duke as a standalone book. While I was able to grasp the characters and plot easily, perhaps not having read the other series in order, I didn’t feel like, as a reader, I had an opportunity to bond with the other family members so frequently mentioned in the book. Instead, the other family members felt like a block to their romance. I would have liked to see more interaction between Sheridan and Vanessa’s other suitor, Mr. Junker. Their relationship was dynamic and funny. It brought out Sheridan’s less refined characteristics, which I didn’t mind seeing. While the blend of mystery and romance is amiable, it falls a bit flat in this occurrence to me. I did appreciate the strength of Vanessa’s character and her grit to fight for what she wants and what she thinks she deserves. I found Sheridan’s immediate switch in emotions from desire to avoidance a bit flat and mercurial. There seemed to be a slow burn that snowballs into a marriage of convenience.

I would consider reading the first book's first instalment to gauge the difference between what is covered in the first book to the fourth.

This is the final book in the Duke Dynasty series.
There are 2 story lines going on here. One is the romance between Sheridan and Vanessa. I enjoyed their fake relationship plot. They each had their reasons for entering into the fake relationship but in the end their mutual attraction to each other won out.
Vanessa is a very strong minded heroine, not afraid to speak her mind, and who is not afraid to go after what she wants.
Sheridan is a very serious, proper Duke who has no time for fun.
They balance each other out wonderfully.
The second storyline is one that has been carried through the series. And that is the murder of the Ducheses husbands and attempts on her family.
I'll admit I had no idea entering this book who it was but as soon as I started this one, I knew. It was well done. A very good conclusion to that story line.
5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

First off let me make it clear that this will most likely be a hard one to understand and enjoy if you haven't read the prior novels. This is mainly due to the fact that the over-reaching story-line that connects all of them has to deal with the murder of the Dowager Duchesses three husbands (and a couple of other people). Each of the prior stories reveals a clue or two about what happened and just who the culprit might have been, those threads coming together in this final novel.

Because there are two story-lines going on at once I am going to review each separate one before going into my thoughts on this story as a whole.

The romance aspect of this was decent. While these two were obviously attracted to each other, they didn't immediately jump into bed or take liberties with each other (other than the one time that landed them in hot water). This was something I enjoyed because in the prior novels those characters seemed to barely be able to control themselves so it was fun watching the banter fly between these two. I was a bit turned off at first by the fact that they were both using each other to try and achieve different ends, but that was quickly overshadowed by them actually developing feelings for one another aside from the superficial.

The whodunnit aspect however? Left a bit to be desired. I enjoyed the way they were able to work through the clues to eliminate certain suspects while at the same time adding others to their pool of probable villains. Where this one fell apart for me was in the way that one certain character suddenly became the obvious choice. And by obvious I mean it got to the point where I was becoming irritated with the characters for not looking into what was literally right in front of them until the book was nearly finished.

As a whole, this was an enjoyable story. I especially enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous novels and seeing what happened to them once their own happily ever after had been achieved. While I wish certain things had been changed along the way, I do believe this will be a satisfying conclusion for most of the readers of this series.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This was a great ending to the series. I enjoyed every book, but was eagerly awaiting this one. Sheridan was a bit too pompous and unwilling to ask for help, but it wasn't surprising. Vanessa could have been a bit stronger, as compared to the other heroines, but she does come into her own. I did figure out the villain a bit sooner than I would have liked, but it was to be expected.

Such an enjoyable read! This is my first book by this author, so I have not read the previous books of this series, but after reading this one, I realized I have been missing out and I would love to go back and read them all! Plus I think the whole murder mystery will make much more sense if I start from the beginning. That being said, I was still able to enjoy this story. It pulled me in right away and I was captivated till the end. Ms. Jeffries does an excellent job of bringing the story and the characters to life. The characters were well-developed and worked well together. The storyline flowed smoothly and the plot twists kept me turning the pages, anxious to see what happens next. The romance is a well-written enemies to lovers story and the interactions between Sheridan and Vanessa were entertaining and witty. I had so much fun reading this, I did not want to put it down! Ms. Jeffries is definitely going on my must read authors list! I can't wait to read more of her books!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy. The opinions posted here are my honest and voluntary review.

Oh I really really like this story!
Along with his stepsiblings, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined to finally solve the mysteries behind the suspicious deaths of their mother’s three husbands. Tasked with investigating a possible suspect, Sheridan finds himself near her captivating daughter, Vanessa Pryde, who seems utterly smitten with a roguish London playwright.
But it’s Sheridan who Vanessa truly has her sights, and her heart, set on. Her theatrical flirtation is intended only to break through his business-like demeanor and guarded emotions. And as Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two soon find themselves propelled into a scheme of an altogether different kind, involving a pretend engagement, a secret inquiry—and a perhaps not-so-secret leap into true love . . .
This two are just adorable. Sheridan lost his “one true love” when he was young and now he’s fighting his attraction to Vanessa because he doesn´t want to suffer again. Vanessa is strong and sassy, and I loved them together. The dialogs are witty and emotional and there are hot kisses and many sexy times. And there´s a bit of mystery too!
It´s a beautiful and enjoyable reading and I highly recommended it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined to once and for all find out who was behind the suspicious deaths of his uncle and father - along with his mother's other two previous husbands. With the help of his siblings, and their significant others, they know that events in the past play a key part in figuring out who is behind the murders. They each have their own person to question. Sheridan is tasked with questioning Lady Eustace, and the best way to do that is to get close to her daughter Vanessa. With Vanessa's affections caught up with a local poet, Sheridan feels like they can both benefit from a fake courtship: Sheridan will have ample opportunity to question Vanessa's mother, and Vanessa can make her unrequited love jealous enough to actually commit to her.

But Vanessa has a secret. She's not really in love with the poet. She's actually quite taken with Sheridan himself, but he's never seemed to notice her before. Vanessa hopes that being in constant close proximity with one another will force Sheridan to finally see her. But will they ever be able to reach one another with all the secrets floating around?

I've rather enjoyed this series. The big draw for me was following the murder mystery throughout each book. I liked how it linked each story together. If I'm being honest, I wish that it was more prevalent. I know that this series is romance first and the mystery is something extra, but I wish that we could have seen more cohesion in regards to putting the pieces together at the end. I think this is especially highlighted because we're at the end and readers are figuring on things getting solved. There was just still so much for the siblings to piece together that I would have appreciated some scenes from other characters' points of view as they question their respective suspects. Since each book focuses on a different sibling though, I understand why Sheridan / Vanessa were the focus. Sabrina Jeffries would have had to setup the flow of the story differently from the onset for it to have made sense at the end.

I won't say that the reveal was super shocking, but I always enjoy how the past ultimately influences the present / future and oftentimes revisiting the past will give us the insight we're looking for.

As it stands, Vanessa and Sheridan's road to happiness was a tangled web indeed. There were quite a few times I had to stop and remind myself why they were pretending to be together. Who it was supposed to benefit and what secrets were still being kept. I think, for the most part, Sabrina Jeffries handles the various points of their fake relationship rather well. I mean that if you take both Vanessa and Sheridan's parts and view them separately it makes a certain sense. It's also speaks a lot to things that we leave unsaid. To see the points where Sheridan and Vanessa's feelings for one another actually converge yet they've set their own roadblocks in between what they could have together, it's almost a bit comical dare I say. But I like them together and I like how well they kind of play off of one another.

The highlight for me is the family interaction. I think with this being the last book we get a good view of all the siblings and their significant others together quite a few times and I love seeing that connection especially given the fact that they are such a large blended family.

Overall, I've found this series to be enjoyable. I'd say you could definitely read these as standalones but you might miss the build up of the mystery that runs throughout.

Undercover Duke is the fourth and last book in the Duke Dynasty series. I have only read the last two but there really is no problem jumping in with this one.

The family of the dowager duchess have come to the conclusion that her three husbands (all dukes, although one wasn't when she married him) were murdered. They have narrowed down the suspects to three women who were guests at both events where the first two husbands were murdered. Our hero Sheridan's eldest brother Greycourt, was to question his aunt Cora, one of the suspects, but in his anxiety over his wife's impending delivery of their baby, asked Sheridan to do it instead. Sheridan reluctantly agrees. He is a bit concerned about dealing with Grey's cousin Vanessa,. who he is attracted to against his will. Vanessa is attracted to Sheridan but in trying to divert attention from that attraction she told her cousin she had a tendre for a poet and then when questioned by Sheridan she named Konrad Juncker, a friend of Sheridan and Grey's half brother. Sheridan agrees to help her get Juncker by appearing to court her to make Juncker jealous. His real reason is to get a chance to question Vanessa's mother.

I enjoyed the family dynamic and there were some funny scenes between the siblings and between Juncker and Sheridan. Sheridan is lusting after Vanessa from the beginning and won't admit to being in love with her so the romance is a bit flat to me. The mystery of the murderer is resolved at the end with a bit of drama.

I received an ARC from the publisher however the opinion expressed is my own.

"Undercover Duke" by Sabrina Jeffries
Loved this story!!
I did not skip a page nor a paragraph nor a single word in this Regency Romance-Mystery adventure. I had a difficult time putting the book down for any reason, including that my eyes were so tired it was difficult to keep them open and focused. This is a good romance story with an intriguing set of questions. Who is/was behind the deaths of 3 dukes, and Why. Will you figure out the Who? And the Why? Happy Reading ! !
Note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher. This review is my honest opinion.

Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is the fourth and final book in the series Duke Dynasty. I have enjoyed the series to date and was looking forward to Sheridan’s story. There was also that pesky mystery of who was killing the Dowager Duchess’s husbands. I like how the siblings were working together to solve the mystery. I also appreciated being totally clueless to the guilty party until this novel. (However, I did figure it out early on in this novel.)

Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage is determined to help his siblings solve the murders. He is also determined to save his land and tenants despite the lack of funds available. Vanessa Pryde’s mother is a complete and utter pill. She and her husband helped raise Grey (with a great deal of abuse and attempted theft of his heritage.) Sheridan is determined to use Vanessa to help him get close to her mother. She is determined to get him to pay attention to her even if it requires subtrafage.

I didn’t love the story between Sheridan and Vanessa until part way through the book and by then I had a strong suspicion who the guilty party was. Having said that I enjoyed reading the novel and am sorry there are no more siblings to marry in this family. Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is a good wrap up of the series.

This one was my least favorite in the series. I think it’s just because I never fell in love with Vanessa or Sheridan. The story was good but didn’t live up to the previous three books.

Sheridan and Vanessa are such a good couple! I love a historical romance with some mystery, especially when on of them is determined to find the truth. It always makes for a compelling story. Ms. Jeffries is such a good author when it comes to sexual tension, and both main characters have tons of it! Overall, the story and characters are so interesting in this novel. I loved reading this book, and it's so easy to read in one sitting when you love it so much!

Undercover Duke (Duke Dynasty, #4) by Sabrina Jeffries
This is a wonderful series full of mystery and a fantastic family of step siblings and their spouses. This story is Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage and Vanessa Pryde's story. There is a murder mystery to solve, angst, laughter, tears, love, distrust. plenty of twists and turns and steam to get us to their HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Happily Ever After Unpredictable Scary Romantic Twisted Tragic Easy-to-read Steamy Entertaining Funny Great world building Action-packed Wonderful characters Page-turner Tear-jerker

"Undercover Duke" was a great conclusion to the series about The Dowager Duchess of Armitage and her four sons and one daughter. It was great to learn more about Vanessa Pryde who we met in book one. Getting to know about more about the last duke - Sheridan, Duke of Armitage was lovely as well. Vanessa and Saintly Sheridan have great banter and laughter which always makes a book great to read. It was a fast paced story with some subterfuge and lies by omission. I'm glad the characters took the mature way of clearing up mistakes that were childishly created. The slow build to a long love was heartwarming. I'm glad the mystery of the deaths was finally solved. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. It was also nice to catch up with all the previous couples.




Small spoiler alert.....one sister-in-law was "due any day" in Chapter Sixteen, but then she is due "some time next year" in the epilogue -- an editor might want to catch that.

First off Fake Romance Tropes are divine. I get so sucked in by the whole are we dating? Aren’t we dating? And then BAM suddenly he’s acting like a real suitor who can’t abide his lady’s honour being compromised by the other man who he thinks she actually wants.

It was flawless. I couldn’t get enough of them both I had to just keep reading.

The murders/ plot of intrigue was secondary for me, so I wasn’t too upset that it didn’t take on a more dominant role in the book. I was very happy to put all of my energy into the relationship between our hero and heroine.

My one criticism would be that when they found themselves in a marriage that was kind of but not really a marriage to start it was like they had flipped a switch and were acting so affectionately.

Maybe it’s just the masochist in me but I would have rathered the angst of being in a marriage with someone they loved but didn’t think could love them back to be stretched out a bit more just to really make them sweat and cause more suspense on the face of betrayals about keeping information from each other.

Over all- I adored it.

It had a reserved duke, a smart and wilful female protagonist, and fake relationships turned to true love.

What’s not to like?

What a great ending to this series! I have been waiting for this couple's book for so long and it was amazing. I loved their chemistry and the buildup of their romance.
I am giving it a four because I didn't like how the mystery ended.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I enjoyed book three in the Duke Dynasty series by Sabrina Jeffries, Who Wants to Marry a Duke, despite not having read the first two books. The series includes a murder mystery (at least three murders) that remained unsolved, but hinted at, at the end of book three. It left me intrigued enough to want to learn whodunnit.

Book Four, Undercover Duke, solves the mystery satisfactorily, but the romance fell flat.

The basis for the series is that Lydia Fletcher married three dukes in succession, all of whom died under mysterious circumstances. Her sons, by different fathers, have teamed up to solve the case. Previous novels have matched up two of the sons with feisty brides. The remaining son, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, has no wish to marry. When he was young, he had fallen in love with a woman who died of consumption before they could wed. He never wants to feel that pain again.

However, he is drawn to Vanessa Pryde, a distant cousin, who he first met about a year and a half earlier. She has an awful mother who is trying to marry her off. But Vanessa has carried a torch for Sheridan ever since they first met and is uninterested in anyone her mother pushes at her.

The hero and heroine refuse to admit that they are interested in one another. Vanessa pretends to be chasing after a playwright (who happens to be a close friend of her cousin, one of Sheridan’s step-brothers.) She is hoping to make Sheridan see that she is no longer a child and to make him jealous.

For his part, Sheridan is jealous. But he gets assigned the task of investigating Vanessa’s awful mother, who is one of the suspects in the murder investigation. So he pretends to court Vanessa to get close to her mother, while pretending to Vanessa that he is helping her make the playwright jealous. (This is NOT the most convoluted part of the plot; that would be the relationships between the brothers. I hadn’t found it hard to follow book three without having read the others, but this one suffers from the lack of detailed backstory. It would probably be best to read the whole series in order.)

Vanessa is a pleasant, intelligent heroine, who is far too forgiving of Sheridan’s lies and far too guilty about her own rather minor deception. Much of the book is overwrought worrying that could be readily dispelled by a simple conversation. Instead, she tries to win him over with sex.

Sheridan refuses to fall in love, but has no qualms about lusting after Vanessa. The novel relies too much on sex to drive the relationship and fill pages. His primary emotions seem to be jealousy and uncontrollable desire. He just isn’t likeable as a protagonist.

There is some entertaining banter, but also some clunky conversation. And the dialogues during sex were awkwardly corny/strained.

Overall, I think this book would have been more enjoyable had I been more invested in the series. I shouldn’t have started mid-series.

Undercover Duke is a gorgeous read in every way. Fun, feisty and passionate, this story keeps you entertained. Sheridan is swoon worthy and loyal and Vanessa quickly melts his heart towards her. What starts as a game of mystery and schemes soon turns into a game of true love. A wonderful happily ever after.

Mutual pining between the last duke on the list Sheridan and Vanessa, his half brother Grey's cousin.
This convoluted family might give you a headache trying to keep them straight, thankfully the books all have a lineage at the front to help with that.
Sheridan offers to help Vanessa make another man(that she doesn't care about at all)jealous, she's just trying to make Sheridan notice her.
Sheridan thinks she's a flighty, expensive girl that he could never afford to marry so he tries to treat her like a little girl/sister to avoid his feelings about her. Vanessa tells Grey one tiny fib about being in love with a poet to avoid telling him she has feelings for his brother and it gets blown all out of proportion over the course of the series until we get to this book and it all comes together in a bit of a convoluted and funny way.
The mystery murder plot is also wrapped up in this book, so I do recommend you read this series in order so you know what's going on.