I didn't like the previous book in this series much so perhaps I should have stopped there but I hope for better as I usually like this author. However I found the beginning jumped around in time too much.. There were too many characters, too many plot threads, which were resolved but just caused thing's to drag so much . I had to skim most of the book because it also seemed to have little happening including the romance which there wasn't enough of. 2.5 stars. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
They spent an unforgettable month in France both knowing their affair would inevitably end. The rules were simple, the boundaries clear, and then he went and botched things up breaking both their hearts.

He's Guy Darlington, once the staple of the scandal sheets and a duke. He knew he would have to marry for wealth, title and duty. He never expected to lose his heart and fall in love. Overcome, he made her the most idiotic and disrespectful offer, and ruined everything. And then, he lost it all. His title, his life and whatever was left.
The silver lining: he’s now free to fight for the woman he loves. Earning her forgiveness almost impossible, but determination, hard work and major grovelling light a simmer of hope…

She’s Cecile Tremblay, born and raised in France as the only daughter of an expert gunsmith. Fleeing the French Revolution at fourteen she lost everything: her father, her innocence and her future. Hiding her white marriage to a dying duc and the dishonourable treatment her distant English cousin made her suffer, left her working as a markswoman at Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre. A Fayre she now owns.
Barely a year after he broke her, he comes crawling back. She knows she’s lost the moment she hires him, but she’ll put up one hell of a fight!

📚 Dry humour, witty banter, vivid imagery and a colourful cast of side characters - including a uniquely talented raven - make this a thoroughly entertaining tale against a backdrop of loss, loyalty and love. A little mystery, a dash of suspense and a slow unravelling of her history. Secret admiration, steamy passion and a good deal of stubbornness. An enthralling love story!
📚 Enemies to lovers, open door, steamy, second chance, class difference, major grovel, reformed rake, hidden identity heroine

Thank you to Minerva Spencer, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Dueling Duchess, Book 2 of Minerva Spencer’s Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, is a sweeping historical romance that provides a unique and original spin on several romance tropes. The Prologue begins in revolutionary France in 1794 and then takes us to the novel’s present – 1816 London with a short detour to events that took place the year before. This brief foray into the past overlaps with the first book and fills in details about the two main characters. Consequently, this book can be read as a standalone.

The heroine of the novel, Cecile Tremblay, a French ex-pat, is a sharpshooter and erstwhile gunsmith now performing in the female circus she owns and operates. The hero, Gaius Darlington (known as Guy), Duke of Fairhurst, after beginning a relationship with Cecile, insults her by offering her carte blanche while he intends to marry a wealthy heiress to sustain the duchy. Thus ends their affair until an unknown cousin appears in London to claim the duke’s title. His world changes overnight, and he moves to win back Cecile by working for her and groveling at every opportunity. Understandably, she is too angry to take him back, but revels in making him suffer through some truly awful work. The novel follows this second-chance romance while also covering some very original and twisty plot points.

What I most like about this book is the strong female characters and Spencer’s effort in making that work for the time period. The banter between Cecile and Guy is witty, often acerbic, and sometimes downright funny. The point-of-view mostly follows Cecile and Guy with occasional shifts to secondary characters which helps to set up some excellent dramatic irony and enriches the novel overall. There is also a delightful raven who becomes a charming secondary character. Both main characters are likable and sympathetic. Guy’s groveling is especially entertaining but without alienating the reader from Cecile.

The sweeping story covers more than is typical of many romance novels. The careful way Spencer makes the various plot threads come together is admirable. Her skillful writing and ability to build emotional tension makes this an immersive and enjoyable read. There is lots of steam and the ending is satisfying while also setting up the next book which will follow Elliot and Josephine.

I highly recommend this novel for readers who like strong female characters fighting the patriarchy, second-chance romances, class difference obstacles, complex plots, well-written stories, spicy love scenes, and some delicious poetic justice.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The second book in the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, a well written story that held my interest throughout. Cecile Tremblay becomes a markswoman in Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre after escaping the French Revolution. Gaius Darlington(Guy) has lost everything to a long lost relative that claims his title, possessions, fiancée and property. The story has drama, suspense, danger, lies, villains and a second chance. The story was well worth reading. I received a copy of this book via Last NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Talk about badass fmc’s! Miss Cecile Tremblay belongs wholeheartedly in that category. And did I mention the big golden retriever called Guy Darlington? No? Well he is just that. Absolutely gone for Cecile and this book is one big grovel and banter fest.

This is the first book I read by Minerva Spencer and I have been itching to read one of her books for a while.
The Dueling Duchess is the second book in the women of whitechapel series and it can be read as a stand-alone. The timeline does have some overlap with the first book in the series: The Boxing Baroness.

Mentioning the timeline, I adored the way this book is set up. Second chance romances are not my favorite, but there are always these exceptions. This is the exception.
I mentioned in another review recently that feeling you get when starting a book and just knowing it is going to be special.
This was the same. I started it and just knew after the prologue, the first chapter and then the skip in time to a year earlier that this was special.

I love a good grovel in a book and to get a book where the grovel starts at around 25% is SUCH A TREAT.
Guy trying to get his head out of his ass and just throwing everything he can imagine at Cecile to make her forgive him is everything. Him realizing that he actually doesn’t know her at all and trying his hardest to accomplish getting to know her gets a major thumbs up.
The way that Cecile handles everything and tries to keep Guy from crashing down all the walls she has put up shows her fragile side. I loved Cat and George and how they helped Cecile to put everything in perspective for Guy. (I mean this big Himbo had to have it spelled out for him in every way possible).

That’s another thing I adored about this book. THE SIDE CHARACTERS! I want a book about Angus only. There. I said it. I want a book about that damn raven and I absolutely hate birds.

I can’t wait to read the third in this series because I loved Elliot and Jo! I’m excited to see their story especially with the way this book has been written.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington books for the chance to read this as an ARC.

I know the author for writing very unusual historical romances, I never read her steamiest one as they dealt with heavy topics but finally very few of her characters escape being molested at some time in their life, I read The Seducers series, which sees in book two the heroine raped (off page) in the middle of the book, and it was only one of the heavy issues in the book. So these stories are not for everyone.
Still this one being is presented as a sort of romcom, so I decided to give it a go.
I read romance for the finish line but once the main couple enters the scene, I like it to be about them.
Not to see them dwelling about past dalliances nor entertain others, yet as the story goes back and forth between the before and after their breakup, I gave them some leniency.
So to read that the hero realizes he is in love when in bed with someone else left me wondering if I would close the book or not definitely. But none of them were celibate during their time apart, he rampaging his way in ton willing ladies and she taking a lover, with whom she taunts Guy at one time.
There are also many subplots, some related to the previous story I have not read and while many hints are shared, I felt a few times lost.

Sure it is said Guy insulted her and while we have reminiscences of their time together, this moment was not shared when it is The crucial point of this story. Why?
Still here he is, ready to grovel for his faults, when part of them was doing his duty to his now lost title. Having nothing left but his self-esteem, being stripped of everything else, he is putty in her hands.
And while groveling goes hand in hand with forgiveness. Cecile appears like a dog with a bone once Guy is at her mercy. She tells she did not love him but for her wounded pride, she will make him pay the price, humiliating him at her convenience.
The one bright spot is it leads to Cat and George’s appearance and I loved them.
I also wondered how she protected herself from diseases and unwanted pregnancies without the use of French letters.
In all this is a book with a complexe heroine and a sweet man for all his flaws and interesting side characters.
3.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I liked the first book in this series okay and was excited for Guy and Cecile’s story since they had so much chemistry but this was unfortunately a let down. It felt like very little happened for the majority of the book and when there could have been plot things happening, everything was tidied up quickly in just a page or two. And it felt like too many plot lines and none were fleshed out well. Honestly the only thing that kept me reading was finally finding out all of Cecile’s past. Hoping Blade’s book will be better.

Oh Cecile... And Guy.... This is next level groveling.... The groveliest groveling, especially since it entails cleaning night soil pails (i.e. chamber pots). Cecile now owns the Feyre and is happy-ish but still sorta not really but totally missing Gaius Darlington, with whom she had a wonderful affair in France but ended so poorly when he basically asked her to be his mistress. Big mistake. Big. He has most certainly not gotten over her and realized that he was in love with her. Then he loses his title, and this allows him to come back to her, especially when she needs an assistant and someone to shoot at (for her performance of course). Cecile is still very hurt and a very passionate French woman so she makes his life very difficult. And she doesn't want to be hurt again like she was last time, as well as not trusting herself. Minerva Spencer provides just enough mystery to have you trying to figure out what happened but at the same time just invested in the present. Her flashback was just enough to provide context to the present and give you the juicy bits you want throughout the story since not much happens when there is so much groveling involved. These women really know how to make the men WORK. Guy is dashing and graceful even with his humbling circumstances which makes you love him so much even though he made a hash of things a year ago. The elements of continuing this theme of found family add a heartwarming layer which cushions a lot against the harshness of his treatment. They HEA comes in different layers and it is well deserved for people who have made the best of their situations in life. I can't wait for Jo and Elliott. The teaser chapter is so good and I love regency spy romances.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️
Grovel: 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I recommend that you read this series in seriatim in order to place some of the interrelated earlier scenes and some of the characters and their interrelationships. While not absolutely necessary, it will enrich your reading of this second book in Spencer’s newest series. Annie Oakley has nothing on the Dueling Duchess who sharpshoots with and without blindfold with deadly accuracy. In some ways, this is a lovers to enemies second chance at love story arc and powerfully told with realistic twists and turns, a plethora of malevolent bounders and rollicking good sex. Good enough to devour in a single sitting. The hero grovels deliciously to make up for being a thorough cad albeit he never intended the insult he lobbed injudiciously but not maliciously. The conversational byplay is lushly laced with lust, regret, apology, and yearning. A worthy read.

This is my first Minerva Spencer - I have a number of her books but they’ve always been TBR. I was pleasantly surprised by her upcoming release, The Dueling Duchess. We have a heroine in her late thirties, who essentially, is a circus worker who knows that her popularity will be waning the older she gets. Guy, is the former lover coming to grovel for a second chance.

The book is beautifully written, charmingly witty, and chock full of steam. The banter between Cecile and Guy is whip smart and filled with sparking sexual chemistry. The pacing works well - even with the jumps in time. Setting the novel at a circus in Regency England is an interesting idea and it certainly pays off. The epilogue is lovely and I eagerly await the next book in the series. Plus, I need to backtrack to the first novel in the series to fill in the blanks. I will say though this is definitely a standalone.

After escaping the French Revolution, Celeste becomes a markswoman in a circus. An improbable set of circumstances leads to an affair with nobleman Guy that ends in heartache. But when an unknown cousin appears, laying claim to his title, Guy seeks out Celeste, hoping to win her back. Can she forgive his past mistakes?

I loved the strong characters in this book, especially Celeste. She won't let Guy off the hook for the insulting offer he made her. She demands his respect and won't forgive him easily. Guy recognizes the gravity of his mistake. He's willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to her, no matter how humiliating. This is a passionate novel filled with raw emotion and fiery chemistry. The complex, twisty plot kept me guessing.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Book Review: The Dueling Duchess by Minerva Spencer.

Cecile and Guy had a torrid affair that ended badly. It is universally acknowledged (by everyone who knows about the affair) that it ended badly because of Guy and only Guy. You see, they made an agreement setting a boundary for the end of their relationship. Why? Well, Guy is the heir to a dukedom and Cecile is a circus performer, so they both knew that there was no future. Besides, Guy has to marry an heiress to keep his estates afloat.

But Guy is such a guy that he couldn't help himself: he was so in love with Cecile that he offered her carte blanche instead of allowing the relationship to peter off. Bye, Guy.

Now it's a year later and a long-lost cousin appears. He presents himself as the new heir to the dukedom, and Guy sees his opportunity: he can abandon his unwanted engagement and pursue Cecile. The issue? She's not sure she wants someone who's only with her because his life circumstances have changed.

She does realize that she has the perfect excuse to humiliate him, and makes him work in her circus as the butt of her jokes. It also turns a major profit because all of his old "friends" come to see him on stage. Will she eventually soften towards him?

This is a romance, so you can bet your bottom dollar that there's an HEA. The fun is how they get there - and it really is fun! We had a great time following Cecile and Guy to France and back. While we were on Guy's side, we also understood Cecile's perspective. Add in some steamy scenes (both Guy and Cecile like it on the rough side), a cute kid named Cat with a dog named George, and some last-minute inheritance shenanigans, and it equals a fun HR!

CW to note: adolescent SA, not described in great detail; blackmail and coercion.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

The Dueling Duchess by Minerva Spencer is the second book in the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, which is set in a female circus, Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre. Cecile Tremblay is a sharp-shooter, still extraordinarily beautiful at thirty-six years old. Twenty-two years ago, in the uncertainty of the French Revolution, she was secretly married to an elderly duke in order to preserve his property, but the documents have been lost and Cecile has kept the marriage a secret. In the previous book, The Boxing Baroness, Cecile fell in love with Gaius Darlington, Marquess of Carlisle and heir to a dukedom, who, unwilling to realise how much he loved Cecile, had insulted her by inviting her to become his paid mistress while he financed his impoverished estates by marrying an heiress. Gaius, known as Guy, has now come to his senses and is determined to marry Cecile, but she will have nothing to do with him, so he joins the circus. The timeline leaps back and forth between Cecile's and Guy's love affair a year ago, when they were travelling through France in a circus caravan in search of another character's kidnapped younger brother, and the present in which another heir has turned up to usurp Guy's title and property and Cecile is being manipulated by a wicked cousin who knows her secrets. There are numerous minor characters and plenty of drama and plot twists.

Cecile is a few years older than Guy, which is a departure. I liked both main characters and was keen for them to sort out their many problems and end up happily together. I also liked the humorous repartee and the lively writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

Cecile is a French Duchess. She fled France after being married at 14 to a dying Duke. She is now 36 and is fantastic sharp shooter and performs in the Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre. She meets and becomes lovers with Guy (33) who believes he is heir to a dukedom. When he asks her to be his mistress saying he needs to marry an heiress she says no and they separate. A cousin show up with the paperwork claiming the Dukedom so Guy returns to Cecile and works in the Fayre. Of course things aren’t really settled with his title or her but I won’t spoil the story.

I found some of the going back and forth in time at the beginning confusing trying to get the back story. I did like the idea that she is a skilled markswoman and is independent. Also I like that they are in their 30’s and more mature. I’m not fond of other lovers once a couple meets but technically this is a second chance romance for them so I can’t object to what they do when they are apart. And clearly Guy is an active rake. But I wasn’t engaged by the story as much as I wanted to be. Parts were entertaining and it is plenty steamy. I’m new to the author and I may have needed to read the first in the series to be more prepared for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Book for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

The title alone is intriguing. It's a wonderful story with witty banter, steamy romance and action as well. She is feisty, smart, creative, a gunsmith and a sharpshooter. He made a mistake and grovels with utmost sincerity for her forgiveness. With a few past issues to resolve, they slowly found their way back together. I love the happy ending!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Kensington Books, for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Dueling Duchess is a second-chance love story of Cecile and Guy. We know early on that Cecile is a French duchess, but she doesn't tell anyone, and Guy is a future duke, which is why they break up initially. Cecile works at an all-female circus where she uses her shooting skills to entertain the crowd.
The story has a past section where we can see how they met, and a present one, where we see the progression of their relationship. It is a second book in the series, but I didn't get lost at all, everything that needed to be explained was there. And now I want to read the first book too, as well as the third one when it comes out :)

The plot is interesting, there is a lot of things happening, and a lot of subplots. I actually enjoyed that, that is one of the main reasons I read historical romance!
I loved the main characters a lot, both with strong personalities, honorable, and vulnerable as well. The conflict was justified, and I felt a lot of sympathy for both of them, most often for Guy when Cecile was especially hard on him. There was lots of groveling from his side which I enjoyed immensely. But then when more of Cecile's backstory is revealed, I felt very strongly for her too, she endured so much!

The fact that both main characters were in their 30s and the heroine was older than the hero was very refreshing.

In total, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend anyone to read it. I will definitely read the next one.

There were some factors that kept it from being a five-star read for me. First, the final conflict bordered on miscommunication. Second, in most chapters each separate section was showing one point of view, but in a couple of sections it seemed to have switched abruptly from hero to heroine and back, I don't know if that was intentional but it confused me a bit.

Dreams and fortunes, lost and found!

Manon Cecile Tremblay Blanchet and Gaius Darlington, the Marquess of Carlisle, the Darling of the Ton. Their story is essentially a second chance romance with heaps of moving parts.
Cecile is a French duchess by a sorry set of circumstances. Married at fourteen, in 1794, to the aged Duc de La Fontaine as he lay dying in the notorious French prison, La Force.
Cecile is a sharp shooter extraordinaire and a feisty woman who has had to make her way in the world from the time she and her father left Paris just after the marriage. Her father was personal gunmaker to Lewis XVI. He taught Cecile everything. He perished in the attempt to reach England. Her cousin was supposed to help Cecile, instead he stole her father’s designs then kicked her out.
Now, twenty-two years after Cecile left Paris she is a member of the Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre, as a sharp shooter.
The Fayre is going to Paris. Sin, the Duke of Staunton, needs to find out if his brother Ben is still alive. Guy is going with him. They are going incognito as circus roustabouts and assistants.
In this period Cecile and Guy become lovers, no strings attached. To keep the Dukedom financially viable he however has to marry an heiress. Cecile was insulted when Guy wanted to take a wife and keep Cecile as his mistress. She despised him for trying to have his cake and eat it. Exit Guy from her life.
Later Guy finds out that he’s not the heir to the Dukedom and it’s responsibilities, because a cousin who's turned up appears to have all the requisite papers. So Guy breaks off his engagement to the heiress, settles his mother and his two sisters who are unmarried, and gets himself rehired by Cecile again as a general dogsbody in the Fayre. More adventures!
Things begin to happen. The new duke is removing family treasures in the middle of the night. No-one wants to know including the family solicitors. Cecile is being pressed to marry by an old foe of Guy’s.
Blade and Eliot are still around proving remarkably elusive and yet adapt at sussing out information.
Just when things are settling down, Cecile’s title comes into play.
An enjoyable read, although somewhat confusing when I found myself looking back to see what happened when. The plot wanders between the past and the present quite readily, I not so much.
I often lost my place between the times. Ah well!

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I raced through the first book in this series so I was so excited for this book and to see the romance that was hinted at it Boxing Baroness. Generally this was a fun historical fantasy and I enjoyed how the author incorporated the past since there is a large overlap in timelines from this book to the first one. I adored Darlington, but while I liked Ceclia it felt like her motivation and character was a bit all over the place. There were times where the decisions seemed to contradict what we already knew about the character which made reading a bit frustrating at times. The book was full of twists and turns for both characters that pushed the book along to make a quick read.
While not my favorite this series is still a great read, and I cannot wait for the next one

Ms. Spencer never disappoints! I didn't have the pleasure of reading the first book of the series, but I didn't feel lost at all while reading about Cecile's and Guy's love affair within the confines of the circus. If you would like to know the details leading up to this book of the series, I highly recommend going back to read the first installment.

Cecile was such a joy to read about. She is a modern woman living in historic times, and I am here for it. She knows what she wants, is no stranger to hard work, and doesn't let past traumas dictate who she is. Despite her being dealt a harsh life since she was a baby, she has managed to make something of herself and her life instead of depending on the aid of others.

While Cecile is known for her strong persona and serious demeanor, Guy is a carefree charmer with much charisma and a warm smile for anyone who passes his way. He was raised on the rich side of the proverbial tracks, has known the life of luxury, debauchery, and duty. He makes mistakes throughout their love affair, but he learns from them which enables him to build his character.

Both the hero and heroine have such layered personas which enable readers to join them through their emotional coaster as their connection with one another grow. A friends- to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with all the juicy pickings. I enjoyed their chemistry, their little outbursts, their jealous hissy fits, and the fact that they mature in their relationship with one another.

These two lovebirds, along with a plethora of secondary characters ready to play matchmakers, make for an amazing weekend read for anyone wanting an entertaining circus love story filled with surprises and interwoven love stories.