The idea of two grumps falling in love is such a novel one these days in romance! The trend typically is to have one sunshiney characters who laughs and charms their way into the heart of the grumpy counterpart. However, in this story, we had two thoroughly grumpy grumps who had no giggles to spare and tolerated each other for quite some time. I loved the quiet angst that flowed between them for much of the novel, and I found myself forgetting that this book had an atmosphere of the paranormal. In fact, it made the paranormal feel...normal. While there were an array of shifters present in the story, they didn't shift often, and their mannerisms were just like everyone else. It was so interesting reading a paranormal from that perspective, thinking of how this is how things could actually be, if shifters were real. We wouldn't even realize if one worked alongside us!

The widowed Marchioness of Castleton, Beatrice, has been kept alive by keeping the closely guarded secret of the prince regent - that shifters are real and live among us. After discovering the secret by accident while married to her late husband, a man who blamed her for never begetting an heir, she seized the opportunity to survive by holding close valuable information and ensuring the prince would protect her from harm. But now he has called in the debt she owes him, threatening her loved ones if she doesn't obey, and she finds herself reluctantly marrying once more. Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn, never had any intention of marrying, decided the carrying on the family line could be left to his younger brother. But even a duke must listen to a royal, and he is called upon to marry to continue their species and protect the land his father fought and died over. They are two people who have no interest in falling in love, and they spend most of their days apart. But when Beatrice discovers a shocking revelation, she realizes a different future could lie in front of her...if only she can convince her husband of the same.

I just adored the two grumps of this story. Beatrice was dubbed Lady Frost, for her cool demeanor and utter lack of interest in appearing appealing to the opposite sex. Arthur held up the walls in most ballrooms, watching all but dancing with no one. They were alike in so many ways, but neither really saw it until they were forced into each other's company. As Beatrice was given the run of his home, I loved seeing the change in her - the spark, the fire that came from her feeling needed and appreciated. It was funny watching Arthur become flabbergasted watching this woman who he believed to be without interest in anything show interest in reviving his home. There was a bit of hilarity in that she didn't find out what type of shifter he was for a while, and so she kept chatting with random animals thinking perhaps this one is him. When she finally did confront him, her calm demeanor served her well. As for Arthur, my favorite part of him was his inner bear. It had a mind of its own, often arguing with Arthur inside his head, and I was often on the bear's side. This is the second time now I have read a shifter book where I find the animal spirit's mind even more appealing than the human's mind, perhaps because it speaks without artifice. It's a rare thing and I love it.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series, which is teased at towards the end. It is sure to be as entertaining, if not more so, than this one.

I received an arc copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an interesting book for sure, Regency romance mixed with a shifter romance. Actually a very good mix! I love books like Bridgerton or worlds with different fantasy creatures so I thought I would give this world a go. Very creative and original. I’ve not read anything quite like this book. Some parts were very slow and I had a hard time getting through them that’s why I rate 4 stars instead of 5. But I would still give it a chance and I would read the next book!

This paranormal historical romance series is so unique, and fun!

Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn, is an Alpha bear shifter, or Versipellis, and he's been ordered by The Prince Regent (a fellow bear, and his cousin) to marry a human widow in order to keep the secret of their existence, which she learned while married to her first husband, a wolf shifter. It's time for Arthur to settle into his family home, where no one has lived in many years, and pop out some cubs. Arthur never had any intention of doing that, EVER. But now, he is forced to VERY reluctantly agree.

Beatrice, the widowed Marchioness of Castleton, was married to a monster of a man, who has now thankfully died. She has money now, and is able to live mostly as she likes, but The Prince Regent, George, knows she knows their secrets, and now, he's requiring her to marry another shifter. She is less than thrilled, though the idea of finally running her own home is very exciting.

Neither Arthur nor Beatrice is happy about their forced marriage, but they both try to make the best of it, in their own ways. Their attraction is slow, but steadily rises as they get to know each other, and I loved watching them gradually fall together. They were each other's opposites, and yet the perfect match!

Arthur's family (and his household servants!) were delightful, and I loved getting to know them all, and the ways in which their bear sleuth was different from the wolf pack in book 1. We did get a peek at our couple from book 1, as they are neighbors to Arthur's land, so that was fun too!

Both Arthur and Beatrice had big issues from their past that they had to overcome, and I enjoyed they ways they helped each other face those issues, sometimes without even realizing it. They really were perfect together, and I was pulling for them both so much.

This author's pacing is still slower than I prefer, which is a problem I had with book 1 as well. Also, the use of some "purple prose" kind of threw me off a bit at some points. But overall I really enjoyed the storyline a lot, and I loved the characters so much. I'm also very curious about book 3, with two characters we met in this story: another human heroine who knows the shifters' secret, and a lion shifter hero who refuses to shift after a traumatic past. I'm looking forward to it!

I found this to be novel, but it fell flat for me.

It's novel in that the Prince Regent is actually a character as opposed to a figure in the background, and all the Dukes are shifter Alphas. And there are a wide variety of shifters. It's not all bears and wolves.

I enjoy a marriage of convenience and this had many of the hallmarks of what make it work. For me, the delight in this book lay in many of the side characters, particularly the household staff, who were shifters of smaller creatures - turtles, mice, fox, etc.

Beatrice is a strong character who has been through traumatic events. But she ignores that trauma rather than deal with it, which is a bit of a let down. It left me feeling that it wasn't that big of a deal, when in fact it was probably an extremely big deal.

Two things stand out that made this less successful for me: 1) the author has a distinct voice and uses words that are quite uncommon. I don't think I've ever had to look up so many words, and I consider myself to have a strong vocabulary. 2) There's an external baddie who shows up quite suddenly toward the end of the book (after the romance is resolved). There's a low level of menace throughout, but not enough to really concern me.

This book was easy to read, and entertaining enough, but I won't be seeking out others in this series.

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

This book was a little all over the place for me, and maybe that's because I didn't read the first in the series so I really had no idea about the world going into it. But I liked both main characters and I always love reading a paranormal romance that has a historical setting.

I love the idea of mixing regency romance with the shifter romance genre - Very original and intriguing as a concept! In reality though, it didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t understand the hero’s reluctance to say what kind of shifter he was and I didn’t like the characters as much as I expected to. Great world building though, just needed a bit more zing!

We were excited to read a new-to-us historical PNR. This genre combines our most-loved historical romance tropes with that little extra edge you get from a PNR. Indeed, this book is a marriage of convenience in a Regency London where Prince George is a bear shifter, like the groom. Ultimately, though, we were left a little cold by this one. We liked the ideas, but the execution was a bit bland.

Very nice blend of fantasy and Regency romance. Throw in some home remodeling and you get a very nice read. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A Most Unusual Duke was a very... sui generis kind of shifter/regency romance. I don't think I've ever read one quite like it. However, that does not mean that it was better than others. On the contrary, I found it to be dull. There is an urgency or even an intensity that's missing to this novel. Not a lot about the characters or the development of the romance really stands out in a positive way to me. The fact that Arthur hid the kind of shifter he was for a long time was not understandable.
To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed as I really wanted to enjoy the book a lot more than I did.
2 stars.

I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if I read the other book in The series. I did thoroughly enjoy this one though. I liked the setting and world and I loved Arthur and Beatrice’s connection.

This is my first book in this series, and while I enjoyed it I definitely feel I would have loved it if I was reading them in order.

The world building is wonderful and I was really able to understand the background of the characters/ the world of shifters. The slow build up/ slow burn between Arthur and Beatrice while they also work through the different situations from their histories that they bring with them. Even thought they are forced together and to do things they didn't want to do, they both step up and make it work. I again will be going back to read the rest of the series because I was so drawn into this world.

A Most Unusual Duke is a beautifully heart-warming and amazingly stunning story of rediscovering family and a love worth living for. Brought together under duress, two of the most intriguing and opposite personalities must learn to live together and rebuild a precious community. Only working as one can they hope to revive the splendor and magic that once existed and is waiting to be reawakened.

Arthur knows what lies before him. He knows what is expected of him, and yet he is hesitant to go after it. He not only needs to find his courage, but he needs to find his heart. Beatrice has no future to speak of. Her dream died many years ago. Now, she finds herself in a very uncomfortable situation. However, the goal put before her she knows she can accomplish or at least give it her best shot. Can these two strong personalities work together to create a future that both can fight for, or will they walk away once they realize just how much they are being asked to accomplish?

Arthur and Beatrice both experienced way too much loss in their lives. However, together they had an opportunity to try for something truly amazing. I loved how neither backed down, but that they both found their courage and their heart at different times and through different ways. Their budding love was so amazing to behold. It was truly a spectacular sight!

Susanna Allen is a marvelously talented author who has once again stolen my heart with this fabulous series! I have such a weakness for a well plotted and we'll executed shifter story, and she delivered brilliantly on both counts. Her characters are unforgettable, and they have carved their names on my very soul. I am hoping there are more wonderful stories coming for this incredible series!

Arthur Humphries, Duke of Osbourne is being forced into marriage. Although he is an Alpha bear shifter he has never taken on his responsablities. Now the Alpha of all Alphas is demanding his obedience.
Beatrice, widowed Marchioness of Castleton has had one awful marriage and thought she could get away without another. As a human who knows the big secret, she hoped that gave her leverage.
Our heroine has a real talent for organization. With her wealth and a lot of help she can create a home.
Our hero is stubborn and has memories that make him worry about taking his rightful place.
There seems to be mischief happening, is it dangerous??
This is a paranormal/historical romance. This author's world gives us shifters of all sorts in England's highest ranks. The characters themselves are fascinating, and lots of fun. We see Georgie in way we never expected. Guessing the various characters "other " is all part of the fun for our heroine.
This is the second book in the series. You can read each book on it's own but will meet characters from the others so might spoil some of the surprises if you read the series out of order. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next one.
Really great fun.

Unfortunately, the writing style is not for me. 3 stars, as I need to be somewhat neutral

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

I sometimes struggle with paranormal romances, but this was an excellent story. I think I may have enjoyed it even more than the first book! The main characters are complex and richly described in detail. They have interesting story arcs, which held my attention throughout the book.

The Prince Regent insists his cousin and fellow bear shifter, Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn, take a mate to ensure the continuation of their species. After all, Arthur is an Alpha, so he must set a good example. The duke would very much prefer to continue his comfortable bachelor lifestyle, but the Prince Regent is not a bear to be poked.

Beatrice, the widowed Marchioness of Castleton, is in possession of a powerful secret. She knows all about Shifters, her horrible late husband being one of them. At any moment, Beatrice could reveal the secrets of the Prince and those like him—unless the Prince can make sure she marries another Shifter.

This was more of a three-star read for me, the fact being the royal family members don't tell you to marry this person they could just simply kill the person who is a threat to the people who are shifters and be done with it the royals were still allowed to order the death penalty for people dangerous to their rein. It felt like she was walking a tightrope on what would be considered treason I mean blackmailing a member of the royal family, though bears have been extinct for about 1500 years in Britain. As a British citizen, I know from birth that treason is the highest crime and blackmailing royal counts as treasonous I couldn't get past the treason even if it was sort of kind of thing.