This was a super cute book! I'm not used to reading HRs and really don't care to accurace to historical facts, but loved learning about Napoleonic wars, checked the authors website for the information she talks about in the end of the book.

The romance happens a little too fast, I'd love to see more yearning. I'm always looking for more romance acts!

People talk about the cringy dialogues in the book, but I love it!!!

So sad I'll have to wait for the next books of the series, because I really want to know what happens to the other characters of the book. Looking foward for it.

Loved the narrator Beverley A Crick, she is wonderfull at creating different accents and voices for the characters, it's so easy to know who is talking at what time.

I felt this book wasn’t Sabrina’s usual witty historical romance. I couldn’t connect with the characters much and the story felt a bit boring to me. It didn’t really have anything to drive the conflict and the main characters felt a bit flat. Overall it was a light romance read.

The Duke of Falconridge’s third son, Jon, leaves for France on a grand tour. Instead of all the fun, he ends up detained in a French prison during Napoleon’s war. He’s stuck there for years with his two best friends and his tutor, William Morris, who becomes a dear friend and father figure to him. On Morris’ deathbed, he asks Jon to help his daughter, Victoria (Tori), find a good husband when he gets home.

Finally, they’re released and—surprise—Jon learns he’s the new Duke. Riddled with guilt for Morris’ injury and death, Jon creates a dowry for Tori and tells her that her father amassed a fortune in France. Only Tori has no interest in marrying; her dream is creating a school for female artists who have nowhere to develop their skills.

Neither can ignore their attraction and growing feelings, though they are determined to deny them. Jon’s in awe of Tori’s intelligence, creativity, determination, and beauty (of course), among other things. Tori sees a passionate and thoughtful man (if at times high-handed and arrogant) who’s haunted by something. I loved the tension between them, the dialogue, the character development and chemistry, the palpable emotions. The secrets/relationship impediments did drag a little longer than I’d prefer, but I absolutely loved the book.

The narrator, Beverley A. Crick, always does a fabulous job with historical romance. Loved her tone, inflection, and ability to differentiate the many voices so I always knew who was speaking.

Highly recommend!

Will someone please save me from crusading Historical Romance heroines? Where can I find an old-fashioned bodice ripper these days? All the HRs published lately have heroines who are just not interested in finding their hero and are set on some quest, be it personal or political. I'm tired of it. I want an old-fashioned romance. Deep breath. Rant over. Now for the review.

"Hazardous to a Duke's Heart" met only one of my expectations: That Beverley A. Crick would deliver an awesome narration. She deserves better material to work with but performed a great job with what she had to work with. Jon, our hero, was a typical nobleman in a lot of ways but because of his experience, he showed a lot of empathy and a lot of guilt over how Torie's father died. Tory was carrying a heavy load and not willing to share why with anyone. The whole thing just didn't click for me. I guess what I wanted was a hot bodice ripper, what I got was a tepid romance with a lot of angst and martyrdom.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary audio Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

Jeffries is one of those romance writers who steadily produces solid, well-written romances, conventional but reliable. Add Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart to her oeuvre if you’re looking for a solid listen. To the publisher’s blurb to fill in the details:

Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfill his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria—even if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony . . .

Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the talented beauty, revelations from his past—and their connection to her father’s demise—threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and thrust them into a danger they can only escape together.

Jeffries’s romance could have used with a major prune. I don’t know if that impression was amplified because I listened to it, but there are too many pages “read” to Hazardous, too many love scenes (tedious), too much tacked-on intrigue, too many ruminations, especially on the hero’s part. The gist of the matter is that Jeffries never convinced why these two should not be together. She peopled her world with two good people surrounded by decent people, finding silly reasons why they should not marry. First, the cross-class element is hoisted on its own narrative petard when the hero contrives to give the heroine a dowry. Secondly, Jonathan’s reasons for not marrying someone who amuses him, is compatible, beautiful, intelligent, well-bred if not wealthy, and attractive, who’s RIGHT THERE in his house as his sister’s governess, is some kind of night-time PTSD, except he never suffers from it, merely ruminate-declares it so. Victoria’s reason, not the school as the blurb suggests, for not being with Jonathan is more convincing until it isn’t (without spoiling, it requires care and understanding about a certain situation and Jonathan proves he is both). There are one too many dark moments when the couple breaks apart, unconvincingly. And there are epilogues upon epilogues…

The best part of Jeffries’s romance is the banter; these two are smart and fun. The sculpting and art talk are good too. The secondary characters are gently droll, especially Jonathan’s mother and sister. In a nutshell, Jeffries’s romance is competent, but predictable. Were it historical category length, it would have worked better. The narrator too is competent (though I don’t like listening to love scene after love scene as narrative filler), but has a bizarre catch to her voice that broke the narrative flow often enough that I noticed. Overall, a nice enough way to while away a few walking hours for this listener, but given a year from now, I will remember neither narrative nor narrator.

Sabrina Jeffries’s Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart, audiobook version, releases today, April 29, and is produced by RBMedia. I received an audio file, from RBMedia, via Netgalley. The above is my honest, AI-free opinion.

4.25 Stars
Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognises, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfil his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria. Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists.
The start of a new series & a very good starter, I was lucky enough to get both the ebook & audiobook from NetGalley so I feel I had the best of both worlds. The narrator brought the book to life & it was great playing in the background whilst I was gardening & then I was able to relax & read it. I really liked both Jon & Tory, their chemistry sizzled but secrets kept them apart. I was fascinated by the plight of the detenus, something which isn’t referred to very much. I felt that Jon adaptation to life back in England as a free man was swept under the carpet & more could have been made of his struggles. A very well written thoroughly enjoyable book which left the ongoing arc of who had betrayed the friends unsolved so I expect that this will run throughout the series. I look forward to the rest of the series
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I listened to the audiobook version of Hazardous to a Duke's Heart, which is the first book in the new Lords of Hazard series by Sabrina Jeffries. Despite being set immediately after the Napoleonic Wars, like many historical romance novels, it is unique in that it centers around détenus, who were civilians residing in France who were interned as "enemy aliens" and treated as prisoners of war.

The story begins right before our hero Jonathan is released from prison after spending 11 years as a détenus. A few days before his release, he makes a deathbed promise to his mentor to help his daughter, Victoria, find a husband. When he returns home, he finds out that his two older brothers tragically died in an accident and he unexpectedly inherits a dukedom. The rest of the story is his accumulation into his new-found role that he never expected and his fulfillment of his deathbed promise. Victoria, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with marriage and instead wants to open a school for women artists. The two, of course, experience an instant attraction, and chemistry that sizzles. While I really appreciated the hero's maturation throughout the story, Victoria’s character felt underdeveloped. How did she acquire her love of sculpting and how did she become the governess for the Duke's sister?

Beverley Crick narrated the story and she was excellent. She provided varying voices for all the characters and really brought the characters to life. I look forward to the next book in the series, which I'm sure will focus around another détenus who was in prison with our hero.

Returning from years as a French prisoner of war, Lord Leighton inherits a dukedom and a promise to marry off his late mentor’s daughter. But Victoria, a talented artist, has her own plans, and secrets from the past threaten to destroy them both.

This is a fun, spicy story with well-developed characters and a heartwarming found-family feel. The attraction between Victoria and Jonathan is strong, but they both have good reasons to be careful. I loved the audiobook narration by Beverley A. Crick and look forward to reading more of this series.

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

Hazardous to a Duke's Heart by Sabrina Jeffries is a captivating historical romance set after the Napoleonic Wars. Lord Jonathan Leighton, recently freed from 11 years as a prisoner of war, returns to a changed England and unexpectedly inherits a dukedom. He’s determined to fulfill a deathbed promise to his late mentor by helping his daughter, Victoria, find a suitable match. But Victoria, an ambitious woman who dreams of starting a school for women artists, has no interest in marriage. The chemistry between Jonathan and Victoria is undeniable, and their evolving relationship is filled with banter, emotional depth, and intense attraction. While the plot focuses mainly on their romance, it’s rich with historical details, making the story engaging. The narration by Beverley Crick is fantastic, bringing the characters to life. A wonderful blend of history, romance, and compelling character development. I’m excited for the next book in the series!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

ALC Review: Hazardous to a Duke's Heart by Sabrina Jeffries
Pub Date: April 29
Narrator: Beverley A. Crick

Jonathan Leighton is a recently released detenu after an 11 year imprisonment in Napoleonic France. He returns to England only to find that he has unexpectedly inherited a dukedom. Jon is harboring guilt regarding the death of his tutor who was accompanying him and to whom he made a deathbed promise, to find his daughter and make sure she was married off successfully so that she is provided for. Unbeknownst to him, the daughter - Victoria - is his sister's governess. The only problem? Tory has no desire or plans to marry.

I really liked this book! I loved the evolution of their relationship and their banter was top notch. I love a story with reluctant lovers who know they shouldn't be together but just can't resist the pull. Their chemistry was jumping off of the pages and the spice was top notch.

Though this book didn't really have a whole lot of external plot going on, I was invested in the relationship enough that it absolutely was enough to pull me in without that other plot. I really liked learning about the detenus which is not something I had read about previously.

I liked the narration by Beverley Crick - all of the accents and voices served to keep me invested and engaged in the story and to keep listening. There were some odd pauses within the audiobook that hopefully can be taken out with another round of editing.

Thank you to Recorded Books for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Of course! Here's the revised version, still first-person, bringing in some love for the narrators without being too formal:
Hazardous to a Duke's Heart pulled me in from the first chapter. Sabrina Jeffries knows how to weave a story that feels lush with historical detail but still light enough to breeze through. I enjoyed watching Jonathan and Victoria's relationship unfold — it's not just banter and chemistry (although there's plenty of that) but emotional depth, too. I found Victoria especially refreshing; she's smart, ambitious, and unapologetic about wanting more from life than marriage. Honestly, half the time, I was rooting for her school for women artists, even more than the romance!
Jonathan's internal struggle — balancing his new role as a duke with his guilt from the past — added a richness to the story that made it more than just another Regency romance. And when do the secrets start spilling out? Whew, it got real fast. It could've been a little tighter in the middle, where the pacing dipped slightly, but it kept me hooked overall.
The narration was spot-on. The voices felt perfectly matched to the characters—witty, emotional, and full of nuance. It made the whole story come alive in the best way. This is the kind of book that leaves you smiling and wishing for just one more chapter with the characters. It's a great addition to the series.

NetGalley ARC Review of:
📚 Hazardous to a Duke's heart by Sabrina Jeffries.

I would like to thank #netgalley, and publisher: #kensingtonpublishingcorp and author #sabrinajeffries for my free Audible copy.

It truly was an enjoyable book!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(Photo credit: author and publisher)

✨️Historical romance that begins the plot in the 1800s during the Napoleon War. After the MMC is held for 11 years as a detainee, he is released to go home to London where he learns he has inherited a dukedom. He has one goal first, and that is to help his late mentor's daughter, Victoria, the FMC, find a husband. In the process, he falls for her. With Jon suffering PTSD and regrets, then throw in plot twists and secrets that don't make this relationship easy. Sabrina does a great job with character development and explaining the settings. You can tell she really spent time doing the research for this book! If you like Lords, Ladies, and romance, you're going to really enjoy this book! I know I did! The only thing odd to me was the verbage used during some of the sexual scenes. This is book 1 of the new Lords of Hazard series. . . Yes! I'll be reading the sequels!

A huge thank you to Net Galley for trusting me with this book!

Book can be pre-ordered now at various places for a release date of April 29th!!!! You ARE going to want to read this one!!

I love this Era! Tory and Jon are brilliant in this story. Tory with dreams unusual of a woman in that time and Jon a prisoner of war turned Duke. They are both unorthodox and wonderful! I love their banter!
Mysteries to be solved and forbidden love to be flourished.
I highly recommend! It is a fast and hard to put down story!!

I've read many historical romances in the past that feature MMC's that have fought in the Napoleonic Wars but never have I encountered a historical romance that features a MMC that was a prisoner of war during that time. The MMC's story was so interesting and the author has set it up for his and his fellow prisoners stories to continue with this series and I'm so excited to see what happens. In addition to learning something new the love story in this was beautiful. The MMC wants to ensure his mentor's daughter has a season and can find a husband, but never counts on falling in love with her himself. She just wants to keep her family safe and isn't sure how to unveil her secrets and if anyone will accept her. It was just beautiful from start to finish and I can't wait for the next books in the series.

The narrator also did an amazing job and I hope she narrates the rest of the series!

I connected a lot with Mia being a first-gen American we come from different backgrounds but the experience and embracing our roots are practically the same. The dual timeline with her grandmother telling her story was an emotional and loving. Great story and beautiful writing with themes of love, family and identity. Also it was funny, Mia secretly does stand-up comedy and is hilarious and real.

First Thank you NetGalley for giving an early copy!

It was an okay audiobook. The story line was good, the characters were fine, but I never really got into the story. Nothing pulled me in.

I would give the author another read and look forward to reading another story by Sabrina Jeffries.

Beverley A. Crick does a fantastic job narrating this light-as-a-feather Regency romance set at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Beverley manages the different ages and accents of the characters, including French speakers. Her voice is fresh and enthusiastic and I was engaged with all the action. Author Sabrina explores a little known aspect of the war when English soldiers and civilians were imprisoned for an extended period in France. Third son Lord Jonathan Leighton was sent away to the continent by his family while still in his teens to keep out of trouble, get education and hopefully, grow up. He goes with a mentor and tutor, who dies just before they are freed, eleven years later.

The historical detail is intriguing but I can’t help thinking that there was a missed opportunity to explore the long term ramifications of their imprisonment. I’d expected too see more PTSD-like effects and a much stronger sense of dislocation from family and friends and everyday English life, but John settles in amazingly quickly, with only bad dreams as leftovers from his imprisonment.

John returns to find he has inherited a dukedom, and falls in love with his mentor’s daughter Victoria, who is living with his mother and sister as a governess and companion. John finagles a dowry for her as he believes she must marry, even as he wants her for himself. There’s plenty of threads to weave, and it all comes together in the end, as you’d expect and their romance is steamy and forbidden. John’s two friends in captivity are nicely set up for further novels. This is an easy read, light and angst-free which dodges all the possibly serious implications of their lives. Luckily for me it was made intriguing by a clever narrator.

🌟🌟🌟 for the novel.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 for the narration.

Thank you Sabrina Jeffries and RB Media for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

First the good then a very important heads up...

The storyline is amazing. I loved the mystery and the way the story was written. The narrator was phenomenal. I've never read this author and was pleasantly surprised by the writing style.

Having said that, this book is lacking the label of "erotica". This is a very important oversight that I want to warn others of so that they can avoid if that isn't something they want to read. Being as I listened on audiobook, once I was aware I was able to easily fast forward to skip these parts of the book and still enjoy the actual skillful writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a historical romance, and Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart really ticked all the boxes for me.

Set in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, our MMC John Leighton is finally freed from a French prison—though not before his friend and tutor, with his dying wish, charges him to ensure his daughter Victoria marries well. A lot has changed during John's imprisonment: Victoria Morris, now orphaned, works as a governess for John's sister.

Haunted by guilt over Victoria’s father's death, John forges a will to grant her a substantial dowry, hoping to secure her a good match. Little does he realise, he’s about to meet his match in Victoria, who has secrets of her own.

It’s clear that the author did her research on the time period, which made the story feel rich, factual, and immersive—something I truly appreciate. The narrator also perfectly suited the tone of the book, with fantastic range and distinct character voices.

The story feels nicely set up for book two, where it seems likely that the side characters will take centre stage. I’ll definitely be reading the next book and can’t wait to see where this series goes!

Hazardous to a Duke's Heart is a decent historical romance with an interesting premise: a young aristocrat was traveling in France when Napoleon decided to take civilians as prisoners of war, leading to an 11 year imprisonment. By the time he is able to return home his father and elder half-brothers have all passed away and he is now a duke. I enjoyed the fish out of water element, however the love story gave me the ick and I wasn't able to recover. While in captivity, the now-duke made a promise to his travel companion/tutor on his deathbed that he would ensure the tutor's daughter marries well. When the Duke returns to London, that daughter is now the governess/companion to his younger sister. The Duke decides on a scheme to claim the tutor left his daughter an inheritance on the condition she marries. He then proceeds to flirt and seduce this daughter who is completely reliant upon him. Social mores have changed just a tiny bit in the last 300 years, and unfortunately this one doesn't sit well with a modern feminist. The audiobook narrator does well with the material, however the editing needs some improvement to remove obvious breath breaks.