Lorraine Heath writes an excellent historical romance and The Return of the Duke, third in the Once Upon A Dukedom series, did not disappoint! Marcus the son of a disgraced Duke teams up with his father’s mistress Esme to expose a treasonous plot and while they absolutely do not trust each other, they are inconveniently super attracted to each other! This was an action packed read dripping with sexual tension from start to finish!

A brilliant addition to the series! Lorraine Heath always comes through with a great story that keeps you enthralled through every page. Marcus, the present Duke has lost everything. And with nothing to lose he goes after his late fathers mistress. And thus begins the tale. Fabulous as always!

Heath really delivered on more of an adventure/spy novel than anything I've read from her previously, in my opinion, and balanced the intense plot out quite well with the romance pacing. Unfortunately, the late in the game separation of the romantic interests really irked me, but otherwise, I think The Return of the Duke brought about a successful close of the Once Upon a Dukedom series and wrapped up plot threads begun at the end of the last series with aplomb. It was lovely how everything came together and I look forward to where Heath is taking us in the future!

Specifically, this book somehow manages to take a really aggressive meet disaster that I wasn't sure HOW a romance could recover from to mutual pining while thinking the other person could NEVER be interested (and based on the meet disaster, that was definitely believable) to fake marriage to, well, you get the idea. And it was quite the ride. I had a good time with this book, though it was a bit more plot heavy than I prefer. And honestly, the meet disaster being based on the fact that Esme was believed to be Marcus' father's mistress had me distinctly uncomfy. But then I was uncomfortable with how it was resolved too. Sometimes historical shenanigans are just rough for me, you know? Also, for all who are on the look out for childfree historical romances, this book delivers!

I've been reading romance books for 30 years and the authors I've read have changed except for Lorraine Heath. Her novels always have such depth with storylines that flow, characters that have personalities that change and alter as the story progresses, and plots that are believable and yet surreal.

The Return of the Duke was amazing. It had a great plot and storyline. Our two leads were wonderfully written in such a way that you feel as if you knew them. The Return of the Duke was another winner, another Lorraine Heath book that I will read and reread.

Easily 5🌟/5🌟. I just reviewed The Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath. #TheReturnoftheDuke #NetGalley

Definitely not my favorite in the series, but not a terrible book. It was nice to get closure with the siblings. Wish the siblings were in the book more.

Thank you to Lorraine Heath and the publisher for the arc via Netgalley

Marcus Stanwick, Duke of Woford, lost everything when his father is hanged for treason. He now spends his time trying to find others involved in the plan to kill Queen Victoria. He is eventually led to the door of his father's mistress or is she?

They work together to find the perpetrators, and each has secrets the other does not know.

Two adrenaline junkies team up to investigate a plot to assassinate Queen Victoria. Marcus's father has been hanged for treason, the Dukedom, home, and all possessions stripped from the family. He's trying to find who else was behind the plot, hoping to restore his and his family's good name. He seeks out his father's mistress, Esme, hoping she has some answers. Esme has her own reasons for helping with the investigation. (I won't give it away here!) The two take to the backstreets of London and to the Queen herself to solve the puzzle. Action, adventure, mystery, spies, and an unusual and strong heroine, all make for an exciting story. This is book three in the series. We see more of the Trewloves from a previous series, and Marcus's brother and sister.

I liked Esme, she was confident and complex. Her love affair with Marcus is interesting, because she was *kind of* his father's mistress. They fall for each other hard and fast despite that weirdness. I am glad they didn't stew about getting together for too long.

The espionage plot was alright. It didn't detract from the love story too much, but it was a bit odd and jarring to have Queen Victoria herself be a character. I know there's not reason not to, it's just an unwritten rule that the monarchy never actually appear in Historical Romance.

Overall nothing terribly amazing and yet the execution was pretty great. I gave it a whole extra star just for the great spicy scenes though.

The Return of the Duke is the third book in Lorraine Heath's Victorian romance series Once Upon a Dukedom. The previous book, The Duchess Hunt, is one of my favorite books. Though I really enjoyed this installment, it didn't quite grab me the way Hunt did. Our hero Marcus in this story appeared in the previous two books, but you won't be lost if you haven't read them yet; each romance stands alone. I love spies in my historical romances, so this one was right up my alley.

Marcus Stanwick was the heir to the Duke of Wolfford, but his family was stripped of everything when his father was implicated in a plot to murder Queen Victoria and was hanged. Marcus is determined to ferret out the others involved in the treasonous plot and return honor to his family. He is forced to join forces with Esme Lancaster, the "heartless harlot" he depises for her perceived betrayal of his family. Esme has secrets of her own which has her hunting for the traitors herself. She doesn't trust Marcus, and he doesn't trust her. Can they work together to solve the mystery and protect the Queen before the dastardly villains make another attempt on the monarch? When the flames are burning this hotly, they can't stay apart!

I really enjoyed the plot of this story, as I've always liked tales dealing with spies, especially in historical fiction. I enjoyed the characters, as well. Marcus and his family were left with nothing after the death of their father. His brother and sister moved on with their lives, but Marcus was determined to discover the others behind the treason and bring them to justice. He held himself apart from his family, often living on the streets in the shadows. He resented having to deal with Esme to find out what she knew about the situation, as she was connected with his father in a way that made him furious. But things aren't always as they seem... Even when he despised Esme, he was incredibly drawn to her. Esme was a badass heroine, a few years older than Marcus (which was a refreshing change of pace). She had a troubled childhood, but used her past to forge herself into strong woman who could hold her own in a man's world. She distrusted Marcus, but that didn't stop her from being deeply attracted to him. When they became intimate, things were steamy to the nth degree! It was incredibly hot and sexy. However, it did dampen my enthusiasm for the story just a tad. Why? With all the sex going on, it was hard to believe they had time to find the villain! I would have actually enjoyed more of the hunt than the constant intimacy. But I nonetheless enjoyed the story by one of my favorite authors of all time. I don't think Lorraine Heath could write a bad book if she tried!

Special kudos for the beautiful artwork that graces the cover of this book.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A great ending to a delightful series! Heath's books never fail to entertain. Her writing gets better and better.

The Return of the Duke Review

I was so thrilled that this book was more reminiscent of some of Lorraine Heath’s best work than the first two books in this series. Heath has always pushed the boundaries of historical romance with her readers and this book is closer to that style than either of the others in the series.

Marcus, the former heir to a dukedom, is noble yet pragmatic and has been surviving a transformed life while mostly adhering to his stringent foundational beliefs. He’s on a mission to clear his father’s and family name and resigned to live a common life afterwards.

Esme is an agent (spy) for the Queen, the former mistress of Marcus’s father, and at 33, is three years older than Marcus.

Some of the book is predictable, the dialogue is occasionally immaterial to character development or plot, and there are times when action scenes would have been more interesting than information through internal dialogue. I also wish there had been more updates on the Trewlove family when they make their appearance in the book.

That said, Heath more than compensates for my few complaints with her willingness and outstanding ability to push the boundaries and take us where we are rarely or never taken to in historical romance. I don’t want to say too much here because they may be spoilery, but I will add them at the end of this review.

Finally, the ending is so out-of-the-box satisfying and romantic that this avid romance reader shed a few tears and felt grateful that Heath I love is back!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#TheReturnOfTheDuke #LorraineHeath #NetGalley #HarperCollins #Romance #Historical Romance #Bookstagram #ReadingRomance

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Spoilers and content warnings:

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Groundbreaking and/or unusual in historical romance:
class-crossing; a non-virgin heroine with a career; discussion of self-pleasure; surgical scarring and loss of ability to bear children; hinting of lite BDSM; screw primogeniture; shatters the myths surrounding female pleasure.


There is a moment of dog abuse that I found extremely upsetting even though the dog ends up being okay, and there were lions in captivity in Marcus’s history but not his choice.

I think was my favorite book of Once Upon a Dukedom series by Lorraine Heath. The layers of complexity within the characters and how the unfold is by far one of the best I’ve read (at least recently). Between the incredibly plot that kept me intrigued, to the inter turmoil of the characters, to the steam there this is truly a gem of a book!

LOVES:

I loved Esme so much, she was a fascinating character that I really connected with and enjoyed reading. Her back story (no spoilers here) made her by far the most interesting character in this whole series. I just wish her and Penelope (from book 2) could have met in the book because I know they would have been besties. Truthfully I could easily take a whole additional book just on Esme and her past because it would be ENTERTAINING. Also, we love when the woman is older in the relationship–especially in historical romance!

I have been waiting for Marcus’s book since the first in the series because you knew it was going to be a ride! And it was. Marcus really overcame a lot and I loved all of the softer moments he had with Esme. Like the spicier scenes still had me swooning with him because he was there for her the ENTIRE time. I mean if you read this and don’t think that he was the most during those scenes, let’s talk;).

Ok that plot though. I LOVED IT. I am a sucker for spy and political intrigue AND romance. So obviously this book was perfect for me. A balanced blend of discovering the motive and the actors and avoiding the ~feels~ for each other. Ugh, so good.

MEH:

Uhhhh I really don’t have anything besides maybe Esme and Penelope hanging out and being the superior beings. Because I know these two would have been the absolute best of friends.

Long Story Short

Do I recommend this book? YES! If it wasn’t obvious thus far I absolutely adored this book. To be honest I’m already debating rereading it. Yeah, it was that good. Do I think you need to read the first two books in the series to get this one? Not really, the first one, Scoundrel of My Heart, might be helpful to understand everything but you aren’t missing much. Overall this was a fabulous read that fulfilled every need I have in a book.

If You Liked This One…

Obviously the first two books in this series, Scoundrel of My Heart and The Duchess Hunt, are going to be my first recommendations. Both are amazing. Otherwise, A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman might be another good one. There’s blackmail, enemies to lovers, and excellent steamy scenes. I would also be mistaken not to include Emily Sullivan’s books as they all are similar themed in good plot with excellent romance, but a bit less steamy (the steam increases with each book). A Rogue to Remember (1), The Rebel and The Rake (2), and The Hellion and The Hero (3).

The third installment in Lorraine Heath's Once Upon a Dukedom series has all the components of a great historical romance -- but it suffers by comparison to its predecessors.

Three-sentence summary: Marcus Stanwick was supposed to inherit his father's title, Duke of Wolfford, but when the family patriarch is convicted of treason, their titles, funds, and property are stripped away. Marcus's mission to uncover the truth of his father's betrayal leads him to Esme Lancaster, his father's mistress, who turns out to have a more complicated role in the treasonous plot than Marcus could have imagined. Whispers of a new plot to assassinate the Queen bring Marcus and Esme together to stop a regicide and restore the Wolfford honor, and maybe even bring two people accustomed to living in the shadows back into the light.

If the "son + father's mistress" pairing sounds like a bridge too far for your romance-loving heart, you'll have to get through a solid 20% of the novel to have the ick-factor resolved. Because of the slow emotional start, and the anger/resentment fueling Marcus and Esme's initial physical relationship, the narrative can seem abrasive through Act I. Was it worth it in the end? Absolutely. But if you're coming down from the stratospheric high of The Duchess Hunt (Once Upon a Dukedom #2), you may find The Return of the Duke hits slightly off-center.

Notably, this book more than the others in series features characters from Heath's Sins for all Seasons series. If you've read it, I'm sure you'll be happy to see the veritable roll call of characters name-dropped throughout. But if, like me, you haven't read Sins for all Seasons, you might wonder why you're being treated to brief, two- to three-sentence biographies of a bunch of people with no bearing on the story. The only explanation I can see is that Heath knows we won't be able to resist reading Sins from start to finish while we wait for her next new release.

4/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I loved my time reading this book. The chemistry between these two (Marcus and Esme) was fantastic! I loved where this book went! I was interested and invested in the story within the first few pages. I didn't want to put down the book and was eager to find out what would happen next. I would highly recommend giving this a read. Such a great book from Lorraine Heath!

I was excited to read this book immediately after The Duchess Hunt. Marcus Stanwick was supposed to inherit the Wolfford dukedom, but his father was found to be involved in a plot to assassinate the Queen and hanged for treason. As a result, his family fell part, and Marcus was determined to find those who wronged his family. After a long time searching without much result, he finally came to meet the one person he'd never thought to confront: his father's former mistress.

Esme Lancaster is not who you (or Marcus) think she is. So don't be discouraged and keep on reading. She's a lot more than meets the eye. Without spoiling, I'll just say this book focuses a lot on the investigation process and how Marcus and Esme teamed up to solve the puzzle and save the Queen. I feel that the first half of the book was a bit dragging, and it just didn't pull me in throughout like the previous book did. But the second half picked up the pace and it got a lot more exciting. However, I wish the romance between them was stronger. They worked together as a great team, but somehow the sparks didn't fly. If you're a big fan of thriller and investigative plot, this book is for you. You can always trust Ms Heath to deliver some steamy scenes as well.

*Special thanks to Avon Books for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review. It's out now.

My most anticipated book of the year coupled with the fact that I received an ARC, set a high bar for Marcus’s story. I also was excited as I love a good spy/espionage plot, as well as an a h who is older than the H. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it over the bar. The chemistry between Marcus and Esme fell flat and the writing did not flow. It felt stilted and choppy and I had a hard time staying engaged.

Marcus was to inherit the Dukedom of Wollford, however, due to his fathers treasons acts, the family was stripped of the title and the land. Seeking to make the others involved in the plot to murder the Queen pay for their crimes, he confronts his fathers mistress, Esme.

Esme is not who Marcus thinks she is. An agent of the Crown, she was gathering information from the Duke, not sleeping with him. Her duty is to the Home Office, and while attracted to Marcus, she knows that nothing would come of a relationship with him. This of course does not stop them from entering in a relationship.

I am appreciative of Avon for granting the ARC and this has no bearing on my review.

Lorraine Heath created an amusing, enjoyable story with this particular novel. To some degree, suspending what I knew, or at least imagined I knew, about Queen Victoria and the workings of the British government and their view of women definitely needed to be suspended. Yet, there were parts that I can also imagine as more women's working over the last several centuries come to light allow a space in time for the heroine to do what she does within the chapters.

What I believe was my favorite part about Esme and Marcus, as in many enemies to lover romances, was the simple fact that they learned more about what they had in common. How beautiful our world would be if instead of only seeing the differences, we all lived in this idea of finding that we have one or two things in common with a person that we might be indifferent or in this case despise... The finding the common did not come easily to either of them, and yet when they did, they were able to unite in a way that could be relatable in our own lives. They viewed each other through lens and acknowledged that the imperfections and differences were what were needed to - in this case - solve the mystery as to who was behind the plot.

My favorite moment was when Queen Victoria used her own prerogative and threw a wrench into the plans.

Well worth the afternoon read in my view for a little escapism from the heaviness our world sometimes holds. And the view to know that perhaps, with a little ability to see the differences as strengths, we might have our own better world at the end.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

This book has everything I love - a strong and very smart female lead, Esme Lancaster, and Marcus Stanwick, who has to earn back the Dukedom by proving himself to the Queen (which really spoke to my first generation American ideals - he regained his title by his own work and merit and not by mere primogeniture).

Marcus, the former Duke of Wolfford, has his title stripped as a result of his father’s alleged crimes. In one act, Marcus lost title, wealth, and status. Marcus must now clear his name to regain his old life. However, Marcus does not anticipate Esme. This book has a feminist bent, political intrigue, and of course romance. I was so excited to read this book once I realized it was Trewlove adjacent (who doesn’t love Mik Trewlove??)!

CW: cancer/surgery and infertility. There is reference to surgery, tumors, possibly cancer in this book. One of us has a very similar scar to the character and is living with cancer. She found the use of this condition careful, kind, and yes, even romantic. Hats off to Ms. Heath for this. Check out the authors note for her inspiration. Very interesting.

Also, as a result of the cancer, Esme is unable to have children. But Marcus does not care and marries Esme anyways, even with a dukedom on the line. I have never read a romance novel where the heroine is truly unable to have kids - what a fresh concept.

I'm a big fan of Lorraine Heath's books so when I saw this one, I was excited to read it. Readers should know that this book is more about espionage than romance, but the espionage is fascinating. The romance develops very slowly as the focus is on discovering who was involved in a conspiracy to kill Queen Victoria.

Marcus Stanwick was the heir to a dukedom who lost everything - title, lands, wealth, reputation - when his father was convicted and hanged for conspiring to kill Queen Victoria. Although Marcus' sister eventually married into wealth and his brother now owns a profitable club, Griff - previously heir to the dukedom - is still working at menial labor. This did not make sense to me, as he could have been working with his brother in the club, which would have put him in a far better place to hear rumors about plots against the Queen.

Marcus, like the rest of society, believed that Esme was his father's mistress. He went to her house to confront her about her relationship with his father, and to question her about his father's activities. Marcus slowly discovers that there is far more to Esme than meets the eye.

I thought that Marcus' overly dramatic confrontation with Esme when the book opens was the weakest part of the book. Esme was my favorite character. My respect for her grew as her story unfolded. She was tough, intelligent, focused, and hard to rattle.

My thanks to the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance reader copy of this book. These are my own opinions of the book.