I really enjoy this series. Each book has been interesting and this one is no exception. I love the characters and the setting. As usual this story immediately sucked me in and kept me engaged throughout. The twists and turns are so expected and unexpected at the same time. Love it.

Entertaining Regency Romance

Win was no ordinary duke. He inherited a title he never thought he would inherit. Not too many of his peers would have done what he did. He searched for the by-blows of his dead, cruel, and unbeloved brother.

Sera risked her reputation to become a governess for his nephews. The decision would change her life. She is about to lose her heart, but Sera did not believe she was duchess material, and neither did Win. What would it take for them to change their minds? Would love be enough? What are the requirements for a duchess, anyway, and did it matter in the end? Two mischievous boys, an adventurous and kind lady, and a duke with a heart of gold make this a worthy read.

Dubious About the Duke by Alexa Aston is the fifth book of the Second Sons of London series. Colonel Winston Cutler never expected to become a duke as a second son. But when the older brother he loathed suddenly dies in a fire, Win must do his new duties. His first bit of business is locating the two by-blow nephews that his brother didn’t care for. Win is determined to do right by them and get them off the streets and into a loving home. But Win soon finds that no one is willing to take in the unruly children. Taking them upon himself, he struggles to find a governess willing to stay. Seraphina Nicholls has returned to England after being stuck in Canada during the war. Sera is excited to see her twin sister again. The plan is for Sera to attend a house party where she hopes to find a match. Instead, Sera has volunteered herself as governess to Win’s nephews. She successfully wins over the boys. But she is struggling with the fact that she is falling for Win. She feels her shy nature makes her unfit to be a duchess.

This is a super sweet story. I loved how Win gradually bonded with the children. He and Sera were great together romantically and as caregivers for Freddie and Charlie.

I'm still somewhat new to this genre of books but let me say I absolutely love them. It's definitely a nice refresher from some of the books I read. I loved the characters so much in this book I could definitely see myself reading this again.

If you haven't yet read any of the Second Sons of London books, then I definitely recommend you do. This is the fifth book of the series and is just as fabulous as the others. This story is about Sera, the twin sister of Minta from book four. If you've read book four, you know that Minta falls in love with the shy and reserved Percy who she recognized so well because those are exactly the characteristics he shared with Sera. Sera comes to London to be with her sister, and makes Win's acquaintance. Win is a duke, and newly returned from war. He is also now in charge of his deceased brother's children. The children are more than a handful for him, and when Sera offers to act as governess, he accepts her offer. He never expected to be so drawn to the shy and kind wallflower, but he only wants a marriage of convenience, not love. And that is exactly what Sera wants, a love match. As Win spends more time in Sera"s company, he realizes that he does not want to let her go. But can he give her what she really wants?
This was such a sweet story and I really enjoyed seeing the growth of the characters, especially Sera. She goes from being shy to a more confident woman and her beauty shines even more. I really enjoyed the romance and the sweet moments between the two. This was such a joy to read and a wonderful addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Every single story that I have read from Alexa Aston has been extraordinary and Dubious About the Duke is no exception. Colonel Winston “Win” Cutter has just become the Duke of Woodmont and the guardian of his two nephews, Freddie & Charlie. Seraphina Nicholls returns to England after being stuck in Canada due to war with the Americans, she intends to attend a house party and hopefully find a man, she never thought she would end up as a governess to two little rascals. Brought together by chance…or was it…Win and Sera couldn’t be more different from each other. Sometimes the best match is between opposites and these two certainly don’t lack passion!

I enjoyed this opposites attract romance and the readymade family aspect works well between the MCs. This story also features the classic “I-am-not-good-enough” romance qualities mixed with the “Oh-my-she-has-been-right-in-front-of-me” drama. So if those types of stories annoy you, you will likely get frustrated while reading this story. 😉

I always enjoy seeing the couples from previous books, Aston makes sure we know about everyone’s HEA ❤️

I am wondering what Aston will bring us next … can’t wait to find out!

Overall 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄

I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is Book 5 in the Second Sons of London series and this is the story of Serafina, known as Sera, the shy twin sister of Araminta from book 4. She missed her sister and travelled from Canada to be with her, finding out that she has married in the meantime. Her family decides that she would spend time with either Minta, who is now pregnant, or with her aunt and uncle, before being presented during a London Season to seek a husband. Sera, being very shy and reserved, is not looking forward to being presented, and is also feeling a bit of a third wheel, spending time with her sister and her new husband on their estate.

She meets her new brother in law's best friend, Win Cutler, the Duke of Woodmont, on arriving to Britain from Canada. They are attracted to each other, but are so different in personality they decide there is no point in trying to further any kind of relationship with each other.

Win Cutler inherits his Dukedom after his rather despised brother passed on in a fire. He finds out that his brother left behind a couple of bastard children, and sends people out to find them and take care of them financially. He finds two of them in quite straitened circumstances. The two young boys are left to run wild in an impoverished section of London as the only relative they know, their mother, is dying from consumption. Win finds her and hears her and their sad story just before she dies, and he finds himself left with the responsibility of caring for the boys, rather than just distantly spending funds for their upkeep.

He tries to do the right thing by them to find them a home and provide for their security, while staying at a distance. But they are young, and have just suffered such loss and trauma, that they act out horrendously and drive off potential governesses and families. Win is at a loss and take his concerns to his best friend.

When Sera hears about the plight of the two boys, it touches her heart, and she knows she can help, since she has a greater affinity for children than she does for adults. She acts quite boldly and against convention and packs up and goes to the Woodmont estate and plays the role of governess to see what she can do to help the children and Win.

The two boys are wild hellions, but they captured my heart because they were so young and had so much drama and loss in their young lives, that I could totally understand why they would act out, when what they really wanted was some positive attention, reassurance, some way to express their feelings and inner turmoil, and some love and security. Sera provided that. Through her actions, Win learned to appreciate her all the more through the strength of character, warmth, and wisdom she shows. In those senses, this was a lovely story.

However, considering how shy and reserved Serafina was described as, I do question where the gumption to overthrow conventionality and to boldly go and invade Win's household comes from. Also, how disappointing that both twins went to London and married before their poor parents were able to travel back to Britain to witness for themselves - not judging that point of the story - just and observation.

3.75 stars out of 5

One definite advantage about reading Regency Romance it that it is pure escapism into a world that can be crafted to fit into reader’s expectations, based in a time where the rules of society where strict. To break them or flaunt them was surely instant discredit and definitely death to any idea of advancing through the ranks by marriage.
So what happens when a shy beauty meets a reluctant Duke, Winston ‘Win’ Cutler, who is struggling to accept his role in Society as the Duke of Woodmont on the sudden death of his brother; a brother for whom he had who he no respect.
Seraphina ‘Sera’ Nicolls is returning to England from Canada to visit her beloved twin sister Araminta ‘Minta’ who has married Percy, the cousin of Win, and is hopeful she may make a marriage that will see her happily settled in England as well. But as she is so shy she is doubtful she will attract anyone she may possible like to marry.
Win has decided he will marry for convenience, follow societies rules for Dukes and live a very ordinary life safe in the country at his Estate. When he meets Sera he is intrigued as is she by him, and they chat easily together on the carriage from the docks to ride to Minta’s new home.
But the Dukes’ very carefully created plans are about to be rapidly changed when he discovers he has two nephews, children of his brother’s Mistress, and that their mother has consumption with only has days left to live. The boys specialise in running away, getting into trouble and generally behaving badly and it is not too long before Sera finds herself volunteering to be nanny to the boys.
Societies rules are being bent to the limit as Win, Sera and the boys will all be living in the same house, all be it a very large house. It is not long before the Sera and Win realise they have a lot of interests in common and their feelings for each other are growing into a more than polite association.
Nicely written with a quirky sense of humour running throughout the plot Dubious About The Duke is the fifth book in the Second Sons of London series but can be read as a stand-alone. If you are looking for a comfortable read for a little self-indulgent time out, in a time and period not all that long ago, Dubious About The Duke fits the bill nicely.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to liked this book but this entire series has felt like a lesser version of her last series.
Win the last one of his friends to gain a title he was never expecting to get. He is now a duke and determined to provide for his brother's bastards.
Sera has just returned from Canada. With her sister wed. It is her turn. Except Sera is painfully shy
Sera agrees to act as governess to Win's nephews.
Sera was dull, the story was slow. I just didn't care about Sera, Win, or the nephews
This just didn't work for me.

I am a huge fan of Alexa Aston. I really enjoy most of her books. This book, Sera and Win's story, is good, but not one of her best. Parts of it feel forced and unrealistic. The plot and writing style is good like always, but the character and relationships in this book just moved unbelievably fast. Overall, it is still a book I would recommend.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I have read most of Ms. Aston's books and most of what I have read are solidly 3.5-4 stars for me. This one, while enjoyable, didn't quite get there. The story centers on the last of the Second Sons, Win, who has returned home to take over a dukedom he never expected to inherit. The heroine is Sera, twin sister to Minta, who married another Second Son in the previous book. Perhaps it was because I read the books in this series all in a row, but the plot line here felt a bit repetitive. Hero unexpectedly becomes a peer, comes home planning to have the typical ton marriage, meets the heroine, everything changes for him but he doesn't bother to tell her, there is a reunion and a HEA.

Here, there were several times I felt like I was rereading Made for the Marquess, the third book in the series. And while many, if not most, regency romances have some form of insta-love, or at least insta-lust, the transitions here are remarkably fast. Win's quick switch does not feel like it came from true character development. Sera basically deciding to come be Win's unpaid governess (do we really think he would have let her stay in the room meant for the governess?) is somewhat bizarre in light of all that has been said about her shyness and discomfort in new situations. Not to mention how in the span of 24-hours Win went from distant guardian to loving uncle while in the same span of time two hellion boys become remarkably well-behaved. It just all felt a little nonsensical, even for a book of this genre.

All of that said, I still have mostly liked the Second Sons series and Ms. Aston's books and will continue to read both this series and her others. It is interesting that she is now branching into the secondary characters now that all 5 Second Sons have been married off. In conclusion, this was a 2.5 star read for me. I am rounding up because I know the author's other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions herein are my own.

Colonel Winston Cutler has become a Duke.. he is slowly getting used to the position when he finds out he has nephews, that were never cared for.
Seraphina Nicholls has just recently returned to England and agrees to become the boys' governess.
This is an engaging continuation of the series. I am glad the she involves the previous couples as it makes it more interesting. It also makes me curious to back and read the first in the series. You don't need to but it help to know who the people are.
I recieved a free copy so that I might tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book.

Although it was a well written book and I started to like the characters, I could not get past the overnight 180 the two main characters did. I didn’t believe the painfully shy Sera would make decisions like go live with the duke. And it seemed like the Duke changed his mind overnight. There were just too many overnight changes and unbelievable progression.

I did like the premise, I just wish the execution gave me a little more.

Just shy of 3 stars

I've read several books by this author (she is quite prolific), and I tend to have mixed feelings. A few books I've truly loved and others not so much. This one is just okay.

Win is the fifth and final Second Son to unexpectedly inherit a title. I'm not entirely sure if I read any of the previous books. I thought I had, but it turns out I was confusing this series with another of this author's series about five misunderstood school chums (Dukes Done Wrong). Anyway, here, Win meets Sera, twin sister of another Second Son's wife. He's a duke and needs a duchess. In spite of being attracted to Sera, he decides that she's too shy to fill the role. He's determined not to marry for love anyway, unlike how his four friends did, although I was never fully sure why he was so determined to avoid it.

His opinion changes on a dime, though he never bothers to tell Sera. Meanwhile, she's become an ad hoc governess for his two unruly nephews, who themselves are immediately charmed by her. That was another piece of the story that was a little strange for me. Sera is a young, unmarried woman about to have her first season, and going off to Win's house alone in a carriage to be a servant seemed out of the blue; it was an act that was surprisingly uncontested by Sera's sister and BIL.

Not much happens once they arrive back at Win's estate. The unruly boys are never again unruly, Sera continues to fret about how she'll have to watch Win meet and marry another woman, and Win smugly and inexplicably continues to keep his plans to marry Sera under wraps.

Win comes across as a bit of a jerk, though I didn't precisely dislike him. Sera is much more in interesting with her facility with children, her domestic talents (baking), and her genius with the violin (which is a big thing for about three pages and then is more or less never mentioned again).

Overall, there's nothing wrong with this tale. It just never really got past meh level for me.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm voluntarily writing this review, which reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

I've really enjoyed the Second Sons series, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. I don't know what the deal was, but this one felt like the inspiration for the series was gone and the book was written phoning it in. There was never really a plot, good dialogue development (some lines felt like they could have been cut and pasted from other books in the series or earlier in the book). It also lacked continuity from previous books in some parts, like there wasn't any thought towards the plot or actually continuing the story of the Second Sons.

I liked Sera, the heroine at the beginning, but towards the middle I started strongly disliking her. I never really gave any care to the hero, Win. The chemistry between the characters just wasn't there. It felt like they spent no time connecting, but then a lot of time connecting? And then their conflict and separation was too brief and unconvincingly fixed. Sadly, this book wasn't a good addition to Alexa Aston's series.

Apart from their shared experience in the military, the Second Sons of London also have a deep-seated loyalty toward one another and a sense of responsibility for those who cannot protect themselves. Thus, when The Duke of Woodmont, or Win as he is known to his friends, meets Miss Seraphina for the first time, he recognizes in her a woman who has taken refuge in her more vibrant twin's shadow, much as his cousin Percy found friendship under Win's wing and the guidance of the other Second Sons. Whether or not Sera would make a good duchess is another story altogether. However, when Win finds himself at his wit's end with his two young nephews that he found terrorizing the streets of London, he is surprised when Sera steps in and offers to be their governess. A gentle romance develops between Win and Sera, and whilst she is quite comfortable with the rambunctious boys, she is very hesitant about becoming involved with Win, despite her feelings for him. With the help of the other Second Sons and their wives, both Win and Sera finally come to recognize how much they need other. The novel is a standalone and comes to a sweet conclusion. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Enjoyable read that I was looking forward to from Alexa, and it didn’t disappoint me.
Great characters and a wonderful setting make this a must read for all fans of this series.

A storyline that kept my attention throughout and I very much loved the chemistry between the lead characters, it was also lovely to see past characters getting in on the act too.
Revisiting them, and them helping our hero was a great idea.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

I was happy to see the last of the second sons find their happy ending. Win is fun - a little more lighthearted than some of the others. I was a little baffled that Sera went off to be a governess, but... kind of worked for the plot I guess.
A sweet story.

I am so enjoying the Second Sons Series. As Second Sons, the men have all had successful careers in the military as they never expected to inherit their titles. They have a strong sense of duty as well as being strong leaders.
Colonel Winston Cutler finds himself a duke when his brother is killed in a fire. Win also finds he has two nephews, Freddie and Charlie, for whom his brother has never taken responsibility and are in desperate need of help when Win finds them.
Sera Nicholls returns to England aftr being stuck in Canada due to the war with the Americans. Sera and Win are initially planning on both going to a House Party in order to be introduced to people, and potentially meet a spouse. However, once Sera & Win meet, those amazing kisses seem to change their mind about what each initially wanted in a spouse.

This is been such a touching and special series since the beginning and I have enjoyed every story!

Winston finds himself the Duke, when his older brother dies.. When he ends up back in London from battle, he also finds her has two rowdy nephews to take care of!!

Sera has just returned from the America's, after being stuck there for years with the war going on. She finds her sister and just wants to make a match with a nice, calm man.

Well what we wish for gets a lot better in this wonderful romance when Sera agrees to watch after the nephews and she and Winston find a strong attraction!