Last Duke Standing

After losing both of his elder brothers in the span of a few short years, Alex Haversham suddenly finds himself thrust from the position of army officer into the role of Duke of Fordham. Alex also finds himself burdened with the task of informing Lady Georgiana, his late brother Freddie's betrothed, of the late duke's demise. A distraught Georgiana refuses to believe the dreadful news and insists upon seeing Freddie's body herself. Alex obliges and brings Georgiana to the estate with him, butting heads with her on the way about their opposing political views. Upon viewing the body, Georgiana suspects Freddie was suffocated in his sleep and when the surgeon confirms her suspicions, she immediately suspects Alex since he technically benefits from his brother's death, which of course makes Alex rather dislike her. But her concern and genuine grief over his brother show Alex a softer side of the lady he'd thought to be cold and aloof and the two begin working together to find the murderer. Spending all that time together makes the attraction between them obvious, but any relationship between them would be wholly inappropriate. Wouldn't it?

There were some times Georgiana and her closed-mindedness got on my nerves and there was no steam to this book (which is usually a huge negative for me), but I liked Alex and the rest of the plot so much that it didn't even bother me. I enjoyed this one and would recommend it as an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Being the third son should mean you are safe from having the responsibilities of the duke. Alex is happy with his life but first his oldest brother dies and then his second brother dies in his sleep. Freddie has a group of friends there for a hunt. They leave without even knowing the current Duke of Fordham has died. Alex goes to tell his fiancee that he has died and she decides to come back to see Freddie before he is buried. He was healthy and ok the day before his death. Lady Georgianna believes Freddie was murdered. They decide to work together, letting everyone think it was by natural causes, to see who may have killed him. They find they are in tune with each other and there is an attraction there.

Alex and his friend retired to his brother’s estate to work on a bill to be brought forth in the House of Commons. His brother was busy with his hunting party at the time and he and Alex did not connect. By the following morning, it was too late. The Duke of Fordham supposedly died in his sleep leaving Alex to take the reigns of the dukedom and inform his brother’s fiancé.

Lady Georgiana Fenton didn’t have a whirlwind romance with her fiancé, but believed they would have a strong marriage and make a wonderful life together. Once his younger brother informed her of the duke’s death, she insisted on seeing the body. Even in her grief, she was practical and noticed more than one thing that made her believe the duke was murdered. She shares her suspicions with Alex, but doesn’t leave him out of the suspect pool.

Georgiana and Alex work to find the murderer before someone else becomes his victim. While Georgiana fights the attraction to her late betrothed’s brother, Alex lets himself feel for the first time in quite a while. The journey to unravel the mystery has them crossing out suspects as they fall in love for the very first time.

I loved Alex from the start. While his family was all of one political faction, he felt strongly enough to go against them joining the opposite party. He fought long and hard to win his seat in the House of Commons and was looking to do some ground breaking work for the people of his country. When he inherits the dukedom, his voice became even louder in the House of Lords. Bolen might not intend for this story to hint at the parallels of the political climate of today, but I did feel it drew them. Georgiana was somewhat on the opposite side politically from Alex, but over time she came to see what he and his sister were fighting for. She doesn’t jump sides completely, but is able to see both sides of the arguments. Something I wish many more people would do in the political climate of today.

Romance, politics, and a murder mystery all wrapped up in this adventurous tale. This is the third book in this series, which I adored so much, I will be going back to read the first two. Maybe, just maybe, Bolen may grace her pages with another story of the Lords of Eton.

I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Alex Haversham has become the fourth man in four years to hold the title of Duke of Fordham, when his elder brother, Freddie, is found dead. It is Lady Georgiana Fenton, the fiancée of Freddie who determines that he has been murdered. Lady Georgiana and Fordham are determined to find the killer.
Unfortunately, although an enjoyable story I would say it is more a romance story than the murder mystery tale I had hoped to read.
The book can easily be read as a standalone story even though it is the third in the series.

While I found the story line interesting, I did not care for Lady Georgiana. It's one thing for a 24-year old young lady to be bold and unafraid of expressing her opinion, it's another to be downright nasty and rude, which I felt she was. at times. I could not see how the attraction - aside from purely physical aspects - could develop between the H and h. Their cooperative efforts in trying to find the late duke's murderer could have been improved as a tool to develop their relationship IMHO.
Georgiana's repeatedly voicing and thinking of the (supposed) inappropriateness of a possible marriage between her and her late-fiancé's brother annoyed me. She was supposed to be an intelligent woman; she should have known there would be nothing inappropriate in a such a marriage.
3* for maybe recommend.

***ARC was provided to me for a fair and honest review***

Overall rating: 3/5

Heroine (Georgiana): 3/5 She is the daughter of a marques that was a duke’s intended. She is a fairly intelligent lady at 24 and supports the Tory party.

Hero (Alex): 3/5 The third son of a duke now finds himself with the title. Very dedicated politician first in the House of Commons and now in the House of Lords supporting the Whig party.

Plot: 4/5 After just having lost his eldest brother, Alex the third son to a Duke has lost his other brother and has found himself the new Duke of Fordham. Alex must tell his late brother’s betrothed of his demise. Georgiana upon seeing the body insists that her fiance was murdered and her and Alex set out to solve it while trying to push any feelings for each other aside.

Personal Review: I had to do a quick google search to refresh my memory of what the Tories and Whigs supported; Tories = conservative, Whigs = liberal. Politics and the characters beliefs are important if you want to understand their various ideologies. I thought it was going to play more into the plot, but it’s more of reader fun facts about the characters.

I found the pair to be adequately compatible but I found Georgiana refusal to admit to even herself she had a thing for Alex irritating for the length of time it goes on. With the setup of the book it should be a cat and mouse game, a little give and take but Alex kisses her at point of zero romantic tension and then both harp on it until they give in and declare their love for one another.

Alex is the third so of the Duke of Fordham. He never thought to become the duke. Two brothers are ahead of him. The oldest brother died and left Frederick as the new duke. Frederick and Alex differed on politics, but they loved each other. While Alex was visiting, his brother dies in his sleep. His death left Alex as the new duke. Freddie had a fiancee and Alex needed to notify her of his brother's death. Lady Georgina is a spirited woman who doesn't believe he is dead unless she sees him. She goes to the estate to see for herself. While there, she notices something that doesn't seem right. She believes Freddie was murdered. The doctor believes it as well. Since no one knows of this, Alex and Georgina decide to find out who killed Freddie. They go to London together and look thru his personal papers. They make a list of suspects and investigate each one. Georgina and Alex are of opposing political parties as well. The attraction between them is noted by everyone, but Georgina is not sure Alex is innocent of murder. Who hated Freddie that much or is there another suspect that has nothing to do with him? After there is an attempt on Alex' life , they must reevaluate suspects. Could it be Freddie's ex mistress or a neighbor wanting land? I enjoyed reading this book. It is full of intrigue as well as love. The hero and heroine have a lot of chemistry together. I received this book from Net Galley and Harper and Appleton Publishing for a honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I have read just about every book this author has written. Just like the rest, this book did not disappoint. Great storytelling, mixed with great chemistry between the characters, plus enough conflict - equals an amazing read.

This is a very sweet and clean romance story suitable for any age as kissing is the only intimate contact they have. There is a small part that deals with the fact his brother was smothered in his sleep and the violence of when he is shot by highwaymen. Alex and Georgiana, his late brother’s fiancé, work together to try and uncover who murdered his brother and during this time an attraction between the two of them can not be denied. In the end there is a HEA but a lot happens before this comes about. The story is well written and an enjoyable read. I would recommend it as a good read.

Alex, the third son of the Duke of Fordham, finds himself the new duke, when his older brother Freddie, dies unexpectedly. One of his first duties is to tell his brother’s betrothed, Lady Georgiana Fenton, of the death. When Georgiana requests to see the Freddie’s body in order to comprehend the situation, she believes that he has been murdered. What follows, is both Alex and Georgiana joining forces to uncover the murdered, despite their feelings for each other.

This was an entertaining read, integrating romance, murder and the politics between the Tories and the Whigs. Both of the main characters are quite strong willed, with Georgiana showing herself to be a mature, intelligent woman whilst Alex, was noble in his manner.

Whilst this is the third in the series, it can be read as a standalone book.

I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The third book in the Lords of Eton series is a perplexing murder mystery. At least it is for Alex Haversham who has just become the Duke of Fordham and Lady Georgiana Fenton, his recently deceased brother’s betrothed. Once they discover that he did not die of natural causes, they work together to narrow the list of suspects, a list that includes Freddie’s former mistress, one of Georgiana’s former suitors, a neighbor, and to his dismay, Alex. It is a very well written classic ‘who done it’ with lots of clues and leads in many directions that keep the reader speculating. The love story is just as captivating and somewhat complicated. As they spend time together, Alex and Georgiana develop a strong attraction, but she was engaged to his brother, and they don’t agree on anything from the suspect list to politics. It might take more than solving the mystery to bring these two together.

Last Duke Standing is an exciting addition to the series. Alex and Georgiana are strong, independent, and intelligent. They are different in some ways, but these differences make them perfect complements. The other characters are terrific. Harry and SinJin and their wives, as well as Alex’s sisters are all here to help. Georgiana’s mother is delightful. The villain is callous and desperate. Murder, mystery, danger, friendship, romance, and the list goes on. It’s all here. I enjoyed and highly recommend the story and the series.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

A mystery and romance made this engaging story a pageturner until the end. Alex unexpectedly inherited the Dukedom after his older brother was found dead. Of course he was the third son, so never expected that to happen! His duty was to tell his brother's betrothed Georgiana, about his death and when she heard, she insisted on seeing the body. Foul play Mr Watson? Yes, I do believe he was murdered due to signs he was suffocated! Thus the mystery begins to track down the suspect and even Georgiana has left Alex on her list. Yes, he did have motive, did he not!
As the two work together, there begins a slow attraction and also many political conversations that keep them engaged. Will the two find love in the mist of sadness and feeling of betrayal to his brother
and if so will they act on it? Who killed his brother and why? There are many questions that will be answered and surprises to no end. Although part of a series this can be read as a standalone.

Lord Alex Haversham, age 29, is at his home, Gossingham Hall, with his long time friend, Lord Sinjin Slade. There, they are working on penal reform legislation. Alex’s brother is Freddie, the eighth Duke of Fordham, and Alex has just been informed that Freddie has died in his sleep. Alex is now the Duke. Alex is in shock as he is the fourth man in four years to hold the title.

Now, he must relay the sad news to Freddie’s betrothed, Lady Georgiana Fenton. She simply does not believe he could be dead and insists that she see Freddie herself. Georgiana is a strong young woman who had cared for her mother after she suffered an apoplexy, thus postponing her wedding to Freddie. When she sees Freddie’s body, she is convinced he was smothered which is later confirmed by the doctor. She can’t help but think it was Alex who killed him. She also knows that Freddie and Alex disagreed politically.
At the reading of Freddie’s will, he has left Georgiana in charge of his papers and correspondence. Now, Alex and Georgiana spend time together sorting through the paperwork and discuss who could have wanted Freddie dead.

Alex is a gentleman and is very worried about who could have wanted his brother dead. He is very gracious and sympathetic to Georgiana, but she comes across as a cold woman who would do best to remain a spinster. I did not care for her character at all.

Oh, dear. I had a difficult time reading this book. The political controversy and dialogue left me bored to tears. Trying to combine a love story, murder mystery, and political discussion all in one book, is just too much. I have read many books by this author and I truly hope she will return to writing her sweet, clean romances for which she is well known.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Alex never thought he would be the Duke of Fordham. After all, he was the third son. When his slightly older brother dies in his sleep, Alex is suddenly the Duke. One of the worst tasks he has to do is tell his brother's fiance that he has died.

Lady Georgiana Fenton is shocked when she is told that her fiance has passed in his sleep. She demands to see the body and when she does, she tells the new duke that he was smothered in his sleep.

Alex decides to secretly investigate his brother's murder after the physician confirms that Lady Georgiana is correct. As they investigate, it becomes harder to resist the attraction while Georgina has to eliminate Alex from her list of suspects.

I enjoyed the characters in this book. I liked how Georgiana and Alex worked well together and how they learned to compromise. The murder mystery added an element of suspense to the romance. It was a great story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

I enjoyed this book, I loved Alex, the Duke of Fordham. I felt that Lady Georgiana could have been a little more agreeable though.

As the third son of the Duke of Fordham, Alex never thought he'd become a duke. But he's suddenly catapulted to the lofty title after his slightly older brother Freddie dies in his sleep. Now Alex has the onerous task of announcing the death to the woman his brother was to wed.
Ever pragmatic, Lady Georgiana Fenton insists on seeing the late duke's body, and when she does, she's convinced he was smothered as he slept. She and the new duke decide to secretly work together to uncover the murderer. But the longer they're together, the harder it becomes to resist the duke's scorching kisses--and even harder to dismiss him from the list of suspects. No one had more to gain by her fiancé's death.
The third book in the series & whilst it could be easily read on its own I think to fully appreciate it reading the previous two books will add to the enjoyment. A well paced book which combined a murder as well as romance. The characters are well fleshed & I loved both Alex & Georgiana. He was never expecting to become a Duke but was perfect for the role. Georgiana was a feisty, opinionated young woman, certainly no giggling debutante. I also loved the way their relationship developed & how their feelings for each other grew. A very enjoyable engrossing read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This lovely new book is a cross between a detective story and a romance novel.

When one morning the Duke of Fordham is found dead in his bed, his brother who was a third son inherits the title and the money. The fiancée of the recently departed Freddie, Lady Georgiana Fenton, does not believe in a family curse but proves to Alex the new Duke that his brother was smothered. Both set out to find the murderer but can Georgiana rule Alex himself out? He had a lot to gain did he not?

The detective part is well done. The romance part as well with a hero who intrigued with someone so unlike his former love interests and a heroine who has to deal with a brother who resembles her dead fiancé but is a total different person.

The writer paints a society where conservative and reformists split parliament and families and where actresses are kept by wealthy men who pass them on just like we give a cat to a friend. The reformist and the Whig party triggered me in wanting to read up on that.

There is one flaw in the storyline however although it does no harm to the story: Georgiana has read a lot of medical books while trying to nurse her mother back to health after she had suffered from what we call a stoke. That knowledge she uses to determine that Freddie is murdered. She does that by opening the lid of the eye of the corpse. Later on in the book she is said to faint upon seeing blood and has trouble helping dress wounds. Ehhh... I think that opening a dead eye and gazing into a bloodfilled eyeball would make me faint. So I think this is a mistake by the writer. Easily remedied by asking the brother to check the colour of the eyeball for her.

I had not read the previous two books in this series. However that did not hinder this book in any way. Alex and Georgiana have a marvelous story that has just a hint of mystery to it. Alex suddenly becomes a Duke after his brother dies under mysterious circumstances. Alex and Georgiana must find a way to work together to find his brother's murderer. All the while, Georgiana must decide if Alex played a part in his brothers death.

I really enjoyed this novel and I didn't think there was any frivolous wording just to keep the story going.

This was a very nice love story. I.enjoyed the murder mystery aspect to the plot and I felt that the romance was not rushed.

Lord Alex Haversham along with Lord Slade are at his brother's country estate. They are trying to write a bill for penal reform, and stay out of the way of the hunting party. The butler comes in and calls Alex " Your Grace", and Alex knows something is wrong. He was the fourth man to have the name of Duke of Fordham in the last four years.
Lady Georgiana Fenton was Betrothed to Freddie, the present Duke. She is the daughter of a Marquess and could not find a man that she could live her life with except Freddie. She could not believe he had died and wanted to see him for herself.
I was very entertained by this wonderful story. It had action, intrigue, guns firing, and so much going on. After a while, they had fallen in love. Georgiana believed, she could not marry Alex because she was betrothed to Freddie, even though he was dead.
The characters were so lively and the main H and h were fully developed. The description was lovely and added to the atmosphere of the tale and made it much better. It was just an overall great book.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

The Last Duke Standing by Cheryl Bolen
Book #3: The Lords of Eton Trilogy
Source: ARC from author and NetGalley
My Rating: 5 HUGE stars

As I come to the end of The Lords of Eton trilogy, I find myself wishing two very different things: 1) I wish the Lords of Eton had a great many more friends so the series can go on and, 2) I am so glad the series is limited to these three alone as it is such a strong series that I have truly enjoyed.

Alex never considered he would become the Duke of Fordham; as the third son, his role was never meant to be a leader but as circumstances and life have shown, situations can change quickly and without warning. In the wake of the untimely deaths of his two elder brothers, Alex has assumed the title of Duke of Fordham and he must now readjust his thinking and his life to accommodate his new role. In a most unfortunate turn, Alex’s first act as Duke of Fordham is to inform his brother’s betrothed of his death.

Lady Georgiana Fenton is not to be trifled with. As the first born among her siblings, she has always, despite her small stature, been a forceful and somewhat aggressive woman with a fierce intelligence behind her actions. She is pragmatic, somewhat stoic and not at all accepting of the explanation of the cause of her fiancé’s death. In fact, Lady Georgiana is certain he was murdered and with the help of the new duke, she intends to prove just that!

To say Alex is intrigued by Lady Georgiana Fenton is putting is mildly. She isn’t at all the type of woman he is normally attracted to and yet, he finds himself drawn to her. With her sharp tongue, quick wit, and keen intelligence, she is match for Alex in every way imaginable. With the investigation into his brother’s demise between them, Alex finds ways to spend time with Lady Georgiana and though she often infuriates and vexes him, she also fascinates him. From Lady Georgiana’s perspective the new Duke of Fordham is a stubborn and most unusual man who, though not intended to be entitled, seems to be taking to the role quite nicely. In fact, from where Lady Georgiana is standing, Alex is ideally suited to his new role and approaches it in a far more serious manner than her late fiancé did. This, much to her great consternation pleases (and irritates 😊) Lady Georgiana.

The Bottom Line: If I haven’t said it before, I’m saying it now: Cheryl Bolen is one of my absolute favorite authors across all genres! Bolen always delivers for me with characters who aren’t just interesting, but real. Alex is immediately likeable, Lord Wycliff and Sinjin are clear favorites, and Lady Georgiana is the star of the show. This is one of the elements of Bolen’s writing I have always appreciated, she never writes simpering, incapable, or weak women, but women with their own thoughts and feelings, clear intelligence, a core strength that sustains them, and attitudes typically well ahead of there time and place. Hands down, one of my favorite character types!! As with nearly every other book by Bolen, and especially this trilogy, I blazed through this book in record time. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guess, the various tensions running through the whole book, and the presence of so many familiar and wonderful characters all dedicated to helping one another. While I certainly hate to see these characters go, I am also glad they are leaving as they are, with a clear sense of friendship, devotion, and loyalty to one another that has permeated the entire trilogy. Pay attention, lovers of historical romance and intrigue because this trilogy is for you and you’re not going to want to miss it 😊

Description
As the third son of the Duke of Fordham, Alex never thought he'd become a duke. But he's suddenly catapulted to the lofty title after his slightly older brother dies in his sleep. Now Alex has the onerous task of announcing the death to the woman his brother was to wed.

Ever pragmatic, Lady Georgiana Fenton insists on seeing the late duke's body, and when she does, she's convinced he was smothered as he slept. She and the new duke decide to secretly work together to uncover the murderer. But the longer they're together, the harder it becomes to resist the duke's scorching kisses--and even harder to dismiss him from the list of suspects. No one had more to gain by her fiancé's death. .

My Thoughts:

To me this is maybe the best of the series. The .other two were just OK and didn't appeal to me enough to hold my attention.
This one did and was much more enjoyable than books one and two.
Still I have read better works by this author. As a whole I found this series disappointing.
I have this last book of the series 4.4 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a low sensual rating.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I loved this story. Alex is a great hero...nice sense of himself. Georgina is feisty. Their story flows well. Lady Hartworth is a wonderful secondary character! Enjoy!

Absolutely fabulously delightful and engrossing romance impinged with a bit of murder mystery, what a story. Alex and Georgina what a muddle they found themselves in, sadden by the passing of his brother and her fiancee, they now found a flame burning between compounding the worrisome situation. This has been a very worthwhile read, the storyline was an absolute doozy and the characters were awesome. I enjoyed this book, a true must read.

Alex, the new Duke of Fordham never thought he'd inherit the title, but when his older brother seemingly dies in his sleep, Alex is thrust into the title. When is deceased brother's betrothed Georgianna Fenton wants to see his body to say goodbye, she discovers that Freddie didn't die of natural causes, but was murdered in his sleep. Alex and Georgianna share the responsibility of going through Freddie's papers and they are on the hunt for a killer. The more time they spend together, the more they realize that are perfect for each other. Can Georgianna finally admit her feelings for Alex before it's too late?

I didn't read the first 2 books about Alex's two friends, but I was able to read this book without too much trouble. The plot moved along nicely and I enjoyed the lively banter between Alex and Georgianna. I had guessed the killer's identity about 1/2 way through the book, but certainly not all the particulars behind the motive. This was a most enjoyable story and fans of regency romance will certainly like this one.

Dukes a dying!

Alex, the newly minted Duke of Fordham by unfortunate happenstance (death of his older brother) was never more shocked when his seemingly healthy brother died in his sleep. Not only did he lose a brother, (admittedly they weren't that close) but he now had to give up being a member of the House of Commons and walk in the halls of the House of Lords.
More than that he had to notify his brother's fiancé, Lady Georgiana Fenton, of her betroth's demise.
What Alex didn't plan for was Georgina arriving on the doorstep with a hastily flung together portmanteau. Who was this unusual, 'take charge' woman who insisted on viewing his brother's dead body, then decided that they'd need a doctor's opinion to determine if he'd been smothered.
Now all Georgina and Alex need to do is find the killer. At the top of Georgina's list was Alex!
What neither of them had counted on was the strong attachment that might be more a hindrance than a help.
I loved Georgina but didn't warm to Alex that much. I must admit that the unmasking of the culprit was a bit of a surprise.

A Harper & Appleton ARC via NetGalley

Last Duke Standing by Cheryl Bolen. Harper & Appleton, 2019. Book 3, Lords of Eton series.

When Alex’s older brother Freddie dies in his sleep, Alex becomes the fourth Duke of Fordham in as many years. Freddie’s fiancé Georgiana determines that Freddie has been murdered. When the two join forces to discover the murderer, despite Alex being high on Georgiana’s list of suspects, they are surprised by their mutual attraction because other than in appearance, Alex and Freddie were not alike.

This historical romance is an engaging and enjoyable balance of both romance and history. Georgiana and Alex are described in a way that makes them seem like real people, believable, likeable and easy to admire. The writing is smooth and easy to read, the story moves along nicely, and the action is reasonable and entertaining.

I really liked this book and warmly recommend it. I had not read the first two in this series but will certainly look for them now.


Disclosure: I received a review copy of Last Duke Standing free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.