Second Duke's the Charm Review (Her Majesty's Rebels, #1)

Hello, all!

Kate Bateman is one of my favorite historical romance authors, so I was pumped to get an early copy of her latest release, Second Duke's the Charm. Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Pub Date: 12-26-23
Adult - Historical Romance

Tess Townsend wasn't looking forward to marrying the ancient Duke of Wansford, so she couldn't be more relieved when he dropped dead on their wedding night. That may have left Tess as the Dowager Duchess, but it also meant she was still a virgin. Determined not to fall back into her father's clutches, Tess played up the ton's gossip, and with her new independence, she and her two best friends opened up an investigations office. It doesn't leave much pleasure in her personal life, but it's still a satisfaction whenever she closes a case.

Justin Thornton is already a shipping magnate, but it turns out he's also a Duke. As the next in line to inherit Wansford, Justin is ready to do his duty, but he can't stand the thought of scheming mamas trying to throw their daughters at him. When he kisses a masked woman at a house party that turns out to be Tess, Justin has a brilliant idea: a marriage of convenience that would suit both their needs. Tess knows she must keep her job a secret, and her latest case for the Queen causes Justin to question his new wife's motives. Justin has always sworn he would never give his heart away, so it's not like he's in danger of falling for his wife, right?

Kate Bateman said, "Let's take Charlie's Angels and make it historical," and I'm a fan. I love picking up her books because I'm guaranteed a fun time, and this fits the bill. I loved the premise of this group of women working to take down criminals. Tess and her friends are a bunch of spitfires, and I loved their dynamic. I wished we got to see more of the case they were working on because I felt like that fell by the wayside in the middle. I liked the relationship between Tess and Justin. Their chemistry was off the charts. They had such playful banter, and I loved how they poked fun at one another. Justin was your stereotypical histrom love interest who swore off love only to find himself head over heels for the main character, but I'll eat that trope up every time. I thought this was a solid start to a new series, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Rating: 4.5/5