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The Duchess Society #6
Three Sins and a Scoundrel
Meet the newest member of the Leighton Cluster! The final novel in the popular Duchess Society series by USA Today bestselling author Tracy Sumner!
Beneath his disguise lies a secret life…and a secret love.
Jasper Noble is the most feared man in London, a ruthless scoundrel with a reputation as dark as the rookery alleys he prowls. But behind the grim facade lies a man of hidden nobility with a past shrouded in mystery. Once a gentleman, Jasper’s life was torn apart by love’s betrayal, forcing him into the shadows of espionage and intrigue.
However, he’s never forgotten the woman he lost.
Cece Willoughby married to save her family from ruin, yet her heart remains chained to memories of the man she once adored. A widowed countess with the freedom to live as she chooses, she returns to London to find the life—and the man—she left behind. When fate brings them face to face, their long-buried passion flares anew. The love they tried to forget burns as brightly as ever.
Cece finds she must fight for their future, for the only man to capture her heart isn’t willing to forgive her for leaving him. Jasper, meanwhile, must decide whether to keep his secrets or embrace a second chance at love.
In a world where every truth is a weapon and every love is a risk, can they overcome the barriers that threaten to keep them apart forever?
Beneath his disguise lies a secret life…and a secret love.
Jasper Noble is the most feared man in London, a ruthless scoundrel with a reputation as dark as the rookery alleys he prowls. But behind the grim facade lies a man of hidden nobility with a past shrouded in mystery. Once a gentleman, Jasper’s life was torn apart by love’s betrayal, forcing him into the shadows of espionage and intrigue.
However, he’s never forgotten the woman he lost.
Cece Willoughby married to save her family from ruin, yet her heart remains chained to memories of the man she once adored. A widowed countess with the freedom to live as she chooses, she returns to London to find the life—and the man—she left behind. When fate brings them face to face, their long-buried passion flares anew. The love they tried to forget burns as brightly as ever.
Cece finds she must fight for their future, for the only man to capture her heart isn’t willing to forgive her for leaving him. Jasper, meanwhile, must decide whether to keep his secrets or embrace a second chance at love.
In a world where every truth is a weapon and every love is a risk, can they overcome the barriers that threaten to keep them apart forever?
246 pages, Hardcover
Published September 2, 2024
264 people are currently reading
2591 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Sumner
59 books1,630 followers"Witty dialogue and steamy sensuality.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
The USA Today bestselling author's storytelling career began when she picked up a historical romance on a college beach trip, and she fondly blames LaVyrle Spencer for her obsession with the genre. She’s a recipient of the National Reader’s Choice, HOLT Medallion, Golden Leaf and MAGGIE among others. She lived in New York, Paris and Taipei before returning to NYC.
When not writing sizzling love stories about feisty heroines and their temperamental-but-entirely-lovable heroes, Tracy enjoys reading, snowboarding, college football (Go Tigers!), yoga, and travel. She loves to hear from romance readers!
Find me everywhere on social here!
https://linktr.ee/tracysumner
—Publisher’s Weekly
The USA Today bestselling author's storytelling career began when she picked up a historical romance on a college beach trip, and she fondly blames LaVyrle Spencer for her obsession with the genre. She’s a recipient of the National Reader’s Choice, HOLT Medallion, Golden Leaf and MAGGIE among others. She lived in New York, Paris and Taipei before returning to NYC.
When not writing sizzling love stories about feisty heroines and their temperamental-but-entirely-lovable heroes, Tracy enjoys reading, snowboarding, college football (Go Tigers!), yoga, and travel. She loves to hear from romance readers!
Find me everywhere on social here!
https://linktr.ee/tracysumner
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
August 7, 2025
4.5 stars
Crispin and Cece fell in love at first sight when Crispin was fifteen and Cece thirteen, they began kissing and groping in stables and woods a couple of years later, and were caught at the ages of nineteen and seventeen in bed together. Crispin’s offer of marriage was rejected by her father who didn’t think a lowly baron’s son with asthma and a stutter was good enough for the daughter of an earl, and Cece was immediately betrothed to an older peer to avoid ruinous scandal. Crispin was beaten by his father so badly he left home for good.
Seventeen years later…and you’re thinking, “Oh, no, no way. That’s too long. Seventeen years and a second chance romance? Nuh uh. Nope. Too sad, too dull.” Wrong. Buckle up, because things are about to catch on fire.
Cece’s old earl has finally died after abandoning her during their marriage. She waits for Crispin to come and get her and when he doesn’t come, she goes to London to get him. Cece is no shrinking violet; she knows what she wants, what she’s always wanted, and she’s bold and clever. Crispin has changed his name and his persona, and has put some miles on himself. He’s been a spy, he’s now in trade. There have been women, lots of them, but they were his attempt to heal a broken heart.
Napalm has nothing on Crispin and Cece, and it ignites the instant they meet again.
Did the scheming little counterfeiter think he didn’t want to take her? Turn her over his knee, bend her over his desk, climb atop her and sink inside, never to leave? Taste her until she screamed, this time knowing what he was about. Once a man had delved deeply into the only woman made specifically for him, the rest were bland versions of reality.
But he resists: he’s a different man, she’s a countess, he can’t risk the remaining pieces of his heart, he’s too old, he doesn’t need this, he’s scared of being a father to her adopted child. Who is he trying to kid? Even his thoughts of resistance reveal how deep his feelings are.
If she was—hopelessly—still the chit he longed to stumble upon in a roomful of people, he would feign disinterest until he got the hell back in Bloomsbury. If she was the chit he dreamed of, he would ignore his dreams until he could find someone else to infiltrate them.
Ha! How’s that been working out for you for the last seventeen years, Crispin, you self-delusional dolt?
(If you need further evidence that Crispin has never put Cece in the rear view mirror, read the chapter headings.)
Cece sees the differences in Crispin, and wonders if any part of the awkward, ardent boy she loved remains inside the hardened, decisive 36-year-old man before her. Not that the man before her is a disappointment.
The hint of vulnerability surrounding such a formidable man attracted her in ways the boy hadn’t. He was ruthless, yet kind, determined, yet caring, his complexities bundled up in a captivating package. [His] storied past would have been more than young Cece could handle. His scars and his cynicism, not to mention the fight she’d had to wage to bring him around, demanded a woman’s will, not a girl’s.
The thread that ties Crispin’s heart to Cece’s is so strong, the love so unwavering, this doesn’t feel like a second chance romance because the first chance never truly went away, seventeen years or no. It was always there, always burning, always causing pain, always giving pleasure.
And when Crispin and Cece lay hands on each other…I mentioned napalm, right?
So what if I had trouble keeping up with the games these two played with each other. So what if the Leighton Group sounded more like a coffee klatsch of elderly ladies than a business conglomerate of once-rough men. So what if Crispin couldn’t tell Cece that he loved her without his guy posse’s input and advice. So what if a whole section of the book made no sense other than to introduce some side character from Spitalfields, who isn’t even the MMC of the next book in the series because this is the last one? I’m deducting a meaningless .5 star for these transgressions, and still recommending this book.
This is a new-to-me author who writes beautiful prose and with whom I expect to be spending a great deal more time.
Crispin and Cece fell in love at first sight when Crispin was fifteen and Cece thirteen, they began kissing and groping in stables and woods a couple of years later, and were caught at the ages of nineteen and seventeen in bed together. Crispin’s offer of marriage was rejected by her father who didn’t think a lowly baron’s son with asthma and a stutter was good enough for the daughter of an earl, and Cece was immediately betrothed to an older peer to avoid ruinous scandal. Crispin was beaten by his father so badly he left home for good.
Seventeen years later…and you’re thinking, “Oh, no, no way. That’s too long. Seventeen years and a second chance romance? Nuh uh. Nope. Too sad, too dull.” Wrong. Buckle up, because things are about to catch on fire.
Cece’s old earl has finally died after abandoning her during their marriage. She waits for Crispin to come and get her and when he doesn’t come, she goes to London to get him. Cece is no shrinking violet; she knows what she wants, what she’s always wanted, and she’s bold and clever. Crispin has changed his name and his persona, and has put some miles on himself. He’s been a spy, he’s now in trade. There have been women, lots of them, but they were his attempt to heal a broken heart.
Napalm has nothing on Crispin and Cece, and it ignites the instant they meet again.
Did the scheming little counterfeiter think he didn’t want to take her? Turn her over his knee, bend her over his desk, climb atop her and sink inside, never to leave? Taste her until she screamed, this time knowing what he was about. Once a man had delved deeply into the only woman made specifically for him, the rest were bland versions of reality.
But he resists: he’s a different man, she’s a countess, he can’t risk the remaining pieces of his heart, he’s too old, he doesn’t need this, he’s scared of being a father to her adopted child. Who is he trying to kid? Even his thoughts of resistance reveal how deep his feelings are.
If she was—hopelessly—still the chit he longed to stumble upon in a roomful of people, he would feign disinterest until he got the hell back in Bloomsbury. If she was the chit he dreamed of, he would ignore his dreams until he could find someone else to infiltrate them.
Ha! How’s that been working out for you for the last seventeen years, Crispin, you self-delusional dolt?
(If you need further evidence that Crispin has never put Cece in the rear view mirror, read the chapter headings.)
Cece sees the differences in Crispin, and wonders if any part of the awkward, ardent boy she loved remains inside the hardened, decisive 36-year-old man before her. Not that the man before her is a disappointment.
The hint of vulnerability surrounding such a formidable man attracted her in ways the boy hadn’t. He was ruthless, yet kind, determined, yet caring, his complexities bundled up in a captivating package. [His] storied past would have been more than young Cece could handle. His scars and his cynicism, not to mention the fight she’d had to wage to bring him around, demanded a woman’s will, not a girl’s.
The thread that ties Crispin’s heart to Cece’s is so strong, the love so unwavering, this doesn’t feel like a second chance romance because the first chance never truly went away, seventeen years or no. It was always there, always burning, always causing pain, always giving pleasure.
And when Crispin and Cece lay hands on each other…I mentioned napalm, right?
So what if I had trouble keeping up with the games these two played with each other. So what if the Leighton Group sounded more like a coffee klatsch of elderly ladies than a business conglomerate of once-rough men. So what if Crispin couldn’t tell Cece that he loved her without his guy posse’s input and advice. So what if a whole section of the book made no sense other than to introduce some side character from Spitalfields, who isn’t even the MMC of the next book in the series because this is the last one? I’m deducting a meaningless .5 star for these transgressions, and still recommending this book.
This is a new-to-me author who writes beautiful prose and with whom I expect to be spending a great deal more time.
October 10, 2024
He’d done the infatuation dance with this woman before, and he wasn’t doing it again. A heart, after all, could only be broken once.
Oh, wow. I’ve highlighted 250 sentences/passages in this book, do I need to say more? This is an almost perfect second chance romance full of emotion, wrapped in beautiful words. And it has all the emotions: angst, despair, hurt, yearning, denial, sexual chemistry, and love, so much love.
Both heroes are great, Cece even more than Jasper, as she’s the one who goes for the love of her life after 20 years in a forced marriage. She’s fearless, feisty, and absolutely sure that they belong together, finally. He struggles, though, afraid of his feelings, remembering all too well the heartbreak after their passionate affair in their youth. In the end, the powerful and dreaded man with his formidable contacts and many secrets, stands no chance against the breathtaking woman, who won’t take no for an answer and fights with teeth and claws for him and their love. Their sexual encounters are extra class—intense and sizzling hot. And I include not only “real” sex here, but also heated glazes, stealthy touches, longing kisses, lustful bites, and quick fingering.
This was my first book by the author and the final book in the Duchess Society series, and maybe it was not the best idea to start with it. There are a lot of characters from the previous books who are connected, and at times I was quite confused and didn’t know who was who, who belonged to who and who was working with who. (On the other hand, if I had to read the other five books in the series first, who knows if I would have ever gotten to this one, so I’m fine with it!)
Sometimes the author is a bit repetitive and tells the same attributes or events over and over again. Furthermore, there’s a lot of musing and a lot of inner dialogue, but not much dialogue between Cece and Jasper. Additionally, the actual dialogue is puzzling from time to time. It is often interrupted by long trains of thought, so you don’t remember what was said before. Sometimes it also felt like something was missing, the reactions or answers not matching the words spoken before. I went back several times to reread the text, but it still didn’t fit.
Despite these flaws, it was a stunning book and I was completely blown away by the main characters and the deep love they share. So I’m rounding up my rating from 4.5 to 5 stars.
October 2, 2024
4.5 stars rounded to 5
This was a wonderful ending to an amazing series!
Finally, Jasper Noble’s story. The little glimpses of him in previous books piqued my curiosity and I was so hoping we’d get his story. And what a story it was… second chance done to perfection, filled with longing, yearning, angst and heartache. A story of true love that transcended time, from two teenagers wildly, passionately in love, through twenty years apart, to the present. During all those lost years in between, they remembered, kept tabs on each other, yearned for the love they found when they were young.
God I loved Jasper Noble’s character. A complex man who reinvented himself as a way to cope, and move on (so he thought) from a lost love. The young son of a baron, heart crushed, turned his back on his former life and remade himself into a rookery thug who worked in service to the crown. Tough on the outside (and sexy AF), as much as he tried to deny it, that young man yearning for his one true love remained deep inside.
He felt most at home in Shoreditch, among the rabble… but his bedside table in Bloomsbury was strewn with books written in Latin. He spoke imperfect but passable French. Played billiards like a criminal but rode his mount like a Duke.
And when CeCe, now widowed, left the countryside and headed to London to find him, the feels were still there, and the chemistry intense, delicious, and explosive. Oh the angsty goodness was fabulous.
He really put up a fight, at first, acknowledging only the physical desire they shared…
They held steady, pressed together like two pages in a book. Fighting a battle that was much more than physical. Realizing she was crawling inside his head like always, his blood pulsed, his chest tightening. The jolt to his cock was unwelcome, but the jolt to his heart was unacceptable.
…but CeCe stood strong, never gave up, and finally, finally, true love prevailed. I’m certain the raw, powerful, incredibly hot sex they shared didn’t hurt any. Damn did they burn and oh I was there for it. I’m still fanning myself. I’d give 10 stars if I could, just for the incredible chemistry. Wowza.
If lost love found, second chance romance is your jam, you’ll love this story.
”Reading helps a man sleep. I’m glad you made me see the pleasure of escaping into other worlds when the one we live in is a blimey dismal lot some days.”
Many thanks to the author, publisher and BookSirens, for an eARC in exchange for my review.
This was a wonderful ending to an amazing series!
Finally, Jasper Noble’s story. The little glimpses of him in previous books piqued my curiosity and I was so hoping we’d get his story. And what a story it was… second chance done to perfection, filled with longing, yearning, angst and heartache. A story of true love that transcended time, from two teenagers wildly, passionately in love, through twenty years apart, to the present. During all those lost years in between, they remembered, kept tabs on each other, yearned for the love they found when they were young.
God I loved Jasper Noble’s character. A complex man who reinvented himself as a way to cope, and move on (so he thought) from a lost love. The young son of a baron, heart crushed, turned his back on his former life and remade himself into a rookery thug who worked in service to the crown. Tough on the outside (and sexy AF), as much as he tried to deny it, that young man yearning for his one true love remained deep inside.
He felt most at home in Shoreditch, among the rabble… but his bedside table in Bloomsbury was strewn with books written in Latin. He spoke imperfect but passable French. Played billiards like a criminal but rode his mount like a Duke.
And when CeCe, now widowed, left the countryside and headed to London to find him, the feels were still there, and the chemistry intense, delicious, and explosive. Oh the angsty goodness was fabulous.
He really put up a fight, at first, acknowledging only the physical desire they shared…
They held steady, pressed together like two pages in a book. Fighting a battle that was much more than physical. Realizing she was crawling inside his head like always, his blood pulsed, his chest tightening. The jolt to his cock was unwelcome, but the jolt to his heart was unacceptable.
…but CeCe stood strong, never gave up, and finally, finally, true love prevailed. I’m certain the raw, powerful, incredibly hot sex they shared didn’t hurt any. Damn did they burn and oh I was there for it. I’m still fanning myself. I’d give 10 stars if I could, just for the incredible chemistry. Wowza.
If lost love found, second chance romance is your jam, you’ll love this story.
”Reading helps a man sleep. I’m glad you made me see the pleasure of escaping into other worlds when the one we live in is a blimey dismal lot some days.”
Many thanks to the author, publisher and BookSirens, for an eARC in exchange for my review.
September 9, 2024
Jasper Noble is the most feared man in London, a ruthless scoundrel with a reputation as dark as the rookery alleys he prowls. Cece Willoughby married to save her family from ruin, yet her heart remains chained to memories of the man she once adored. A widowed countess with the freedom to live as she chooses, she returns to London to find the life and the man she left behind.
The finale of the Duchess Society & another unputdownable romance, it could be read on its own but this series has been brilliant so why start at the end? I loved everything about it, it ticked all the boxes for me. Strong characters, well paced story, sizzling chemistry, secrets, second chances. Whilst I’m sad that this series has finished I’m now eagerly awaiting what’s to come next
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
The finale of the Duchess Society & another unputdownable romance, it could be read on its own but this series has been brilliant so why start at the end? I loved everything about it, it ticked all the boxes for me. Strong characters, well paced story, sizzling chemistry, secrets, second chances. Whilst I’m sad that this series has finished I’m now eagerly awaiting what’s to come next
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
September 3, 2024
When Jasper first made an appearance in the Duchess Society books, I was a bit skeptical about letting a new member into the Leighton Cluster. However, as we learned more about his past, I became more intrigued and at last was waiting for his book eagerly.
Jasper’s story exceeded my expectations! I loved this book as much as I loved Toby’s, Mac’s, and Dash’s stories (those are my favourite in the series).
As we learn, Jasper was a vulnerable boy in many ways. As a man, he tries to conceal his vulnerability, from hiding his asthma from his Leighton Cluster friends to pretending he doesn’t believe in love.
I admire Cece was going after what she wanted - which is Jasper. Second chance romance is one of my favourite tropes. This book had the right amount of angst - from Jasper trying to fight his feelings to Cece trying to accept that Jasper may not want her the way she wishes he did.
The steam level in the book was REALLY good. The very first intimate scene was VERY hot, and the MCs hadn’t even taken their clothes off! I loved the chemistry between Jasper and Cece. As usual, Tracy is good at creating strong chemistry between the characters.
Tracy also did an amazing job at making Jasper feel REAL. From his spectacles to his bad knee and general tiredness, he felt like a real person rather than a fictional character. And he was so lovable.
I also loved seeing more of the Leighton Cluster. Toby and Hildy played an especially big role in this book, making me want to re-read their story. It was great seeing the Leighton Cluster interactions.
Please read the books in the Duchess Society series in order for a richer experience!
I’m so sad that this is the last book in the series, but Tracy very heavily hinted at the start of a new series at the end of this book, and I’m very much looking forward to that!
Jasper’s story exceeded my expectations! I loved this book as much as I loved Toby’s, Mac’s, and Dash’s stories (those are my favourite in the series).
As we learn, Jasper was a vulnerable boy in many ways. As a man, he tries to conceal his vulnerability, from hiding his asthma from his Leighton Cluster friends to pretending he doesn’t believe in love.
I admire Cece was going after what she wanted - which is Jasper. Second chance romance is one of my favourite tropes. This book had the right amount of angst - from Jasper trying to fight his feelings to Cece trying to accept that Jasper may not want her the way she wishes he did.
The steam level in the book was REALLY good. The very first intimate scene was VERY hot, and the MCs hadn’t even taken their clothes off! I loved the chemistry between Jasper and Cece. As usual, Tracy is good at creating strong chemistry between the characters.
Tracy also did an amazing job at making Jasper feel REAL. From his spectacles to his bad knee and general tiredness, he felt like a real person rather than a fictional character. And he was so lovable.
I also loved seeing more of the Leighton Cluster. Toby and Hildy played an especially big role in this book, making me want to re-read their story. It was great seeing the Leighton Cluster interactions.
Please read the books in the Duchess Society series in order for a richer experience!
I’m so sad that this is the last book in the series, but Tracy very heavily hinted at the start of a new series at the end of this book, and I’m very much looking forward to that!
September 13, 2024
I don’t even know where to start with this review. series has taken root in my mind, heart and soul. The Leighton Cluster - the found family of my heart. These characters stepped out of fiction and became a very real piece of me. It is with equal parts joy and sorrow that I finish this series. I know I will come back to it over and over again as I will never say goodbye. Jasper Noble, the enigmatic, mystery man, won me over quickly with his tender, though hidden, heart. No matter how hard he tries to bury the past, the tender hearted boy of his youth was always there peeking through his jaded exterior. Cece, countess on a mission, carved out every piece of happiness she could in her tortured life. A huge heart longing for family, as is evidenced in her son and their bond. This is a woman who paid her dues and is now determined to claim the future she had always dreamed of. The path to HEA is littered with anguish, angst and no small part of tension. Paired with undeniable chemistry, this story comes alive in passion, joyful and angry. The combination equaling a masterful love story, a coming of age even after a small lifetime. This is second chance at its finest, the kind you only find in first love reunited. Sumner has this way of writing that simply burrows into your soul. A nuance I can pick out in just a few words, uniquely her own. Though it saddens me to say, this was the ending this series deserved with appearances from most of the Leighton Cluster to wrap it up with a pretty bow, leaving me with a certain glow that I’ll carry with me always.
September 4, 2024
“She stood toe-to-toe with him, and bloody hell, he loved her for it.”
“The truth is, I’m not good enough for you. Nevertheless, I want you with every beat of my heart. If one night passes without you, it’s going to be one too many.”
All wonderful things must come to an end sometimes 😔. Three Sins and a Scoundrel is the final book in the Duchess Society series and parting truly is such sweet sorrow. But what a way to go…..Crispin “Jasper”and Constance” Cece “ were once teenage friends then lovers before they are discovered and forced apart. 16 years later, Cece is now widowed and has come to get her man-even if he thinks that man is dead and gone. Their road to come back together is full of action, some danger, and a lot of steamy times. I could have shaken some sense into Jasper at times but with all the gang back together - well let’s just say the smile never left my face. Their HEA shows that life is gloriously messy at times - this story lifts your mind and spirit. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this story.
“The truth is, I’m not good enough for you. Nevertheless, I want you with every beat of my heart. If one night passes without you, it’s going to be one too many.”
All wonderful things must come to an end sometimes 😔. Three Sins and a Scoundrel is the final book in the Duchess Society series and parting truly is such sweet sorrow. But what a way to go…..Crispin “Jasper”and Constance” Cece “ were once teenage friends then lovers before they are discovered and forced apart. 16 years later, Cece is now widowed and has come to get her man-even if he thinks that man is dead and gone. Their road to come back together is full of action, some danger, and a lot of steamy times. I could have shaken some sense into Jasper at times but with all the gang back together - well let’s just say the smile never left my face. Their HEA shows that life is gloriously messy at times - this story lifts your mind and spirit. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this story.
September 3, 2024
This Is the Best One!
This whole series has been so very enjoyable. Each story was better than the previous one, grabbing my attention and making sure that I didn't put it down.
In this one, Jasper and Cece play a cat and mouse game in their exciting and very hot second chance story.
I really enoyed the way Jasper handled things and Cece was just as cunning and devious as he could be and this was what made their story so entertaining.
I am sorry that this series has come to an end and look forward to the next one from this very talented author.
I happily read an early copy of this story and my voluntary review is above.
This whole series has been so very enjoyable. Each story was better than the previous one, grabbing my attention and making sure that I didn't put it down.
In this one, Jasper and Cece play a cat and mouse game in their exciting and very hot second chance story.
I really enoyed the way Jasper handled things and Cece was just as cunning and devious as he could be and this was what made their story so entertaining.
I am sorry that this series has come to an end and look forward to the next one from this very talented author.
I happily read an early copy of this story and my voluntary review is above.
September 11, 2024
I told myself I wasn't going to stay up all night and finish this book when after work existed, but who was I kidding? Cece, is a woman that is denied what she wants in life (to be loved by Jasper) and forced in to a marriage she never wanted. Her marriage was as happy as could be as her husband mostly just left her alone. After her morning period ends and the man of her everything doesn't come for her, she goes looking for him. After her first attempt at gaining his attention does not go as she wants she tries a more in your face way by seeking out the societies' help. Jasper, is a man that is in DENIAL from the get go. She was his obsession that he has been trying to let go for 17 years unsuccessfully. This book had some of my favorite things (house party and supportive friend groups)and things I don't like (men who hold a grudge against someone that is considered property and men "love" from a far by sleeping their way through London -.-). Regarding my last thing I don't like, she does actually hold that against him which I freaking loved. AS SHE SHOULD! I am sad that the series is over, I really enjoy this group of couples and their love and friendship they each bestow to one another.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 25, 2024
A wonderful final story to this splendid series. I especially liked this book because of the storyline. Crispin and Cece were young lovers, and then because of her arranged marriage to a much older earl, they didn’t see each other for about 20 years. Both utterly devastated as they wanted to marry.
When she becomes a widow the rediscovery of their enduring love is poignant, and filled with scorching hot passion. A joy to have the others from the previous books actively included in this one. The whole series is filled with love, family and friendship! Exquisite writing by the author that conveys the deeply emotional story. A minor quibble for me… at times it’s a bit modern in word choice, phrases and tone so doesn’t ring true to the era. Nevertheless, a terrific book and series.
When she becomes a widow the rediscovery of their enduring love is poignant, and filled with scorching hot passion. A joy to have the others from the previous books actively included in this one. The whole series is filled with love, family and friendship! Exquisite writing by the author that conveys the deeply emotional story. A minor quibble for me… at times it’s a bit modern in word choice, phrases and tone so doesn’t ring true to the era. Nevertheless, a terrific book and series.
October 3, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. I've enjoyed the Duchess Society series so far and I am a sucker for second chance romances, so this one worked for me.
In this story, Jasper Noble is reaquainted with Constance Edgerly, the girl he had been in love with when he was a Baron's son, Crispin Sinclair. When "Cece" was found with him she was essentially forced to marry Earl Edgerly and she sent Crispin away. Crispin reinvented himself as Jasper Noble and became a spy, later joining the "Leighton Cluster" of men who have been paired off in previous books.
Cece has also been known as a forger, and comes to find Jasper after becoming a widow and beginning to raise her former husband's mistress' son. I enjoyed these three characters (including Josiah, the aforementioned son) and I love second chance romances so I wanted them to get together and the scenes with Jasper and Josiah were adorable.
The rest of the story, however, didn't seem to be that compelling or fleshed out. The Duchess Society is supposedly trying to find Cece a match, they're against her being with Jasper, she's "kidnapped" by Jasper and then once they are essentially reunited she is kidnapped by another thug who wants her to do forgery for him. I'm not sure how the book coulld have been better but there wasn't much else tying the couple together except Cece made a plan to find Jasper again.
That being said, I would still read more in this series because ultimately I like the characters and have enjoyed the others so far.
I recieved an advanced copy and am giving an honest review.
In this story, Jasper Noble is reaquainted with Constance Edgerly, the girl he had been in love with when he was a Baron's son, Crispin Sinclair. When "Cece" was found with him she was essentially forced to marry Earl Edgerly and she sent Crispin away. Crispin reinvented himself as Jasper Noble and became a spy, later joining the "Leighton Cluster" of men who have been paired off in previous books.
Cece has also been known as a forger, and comes to find Jasper after becoming a widow and beginning to raise her former husband's mistress' son. I enjoyed these three characters (including Josiah, the aforementioned son) and I love second chance romances so I wanted them to get together and the scenes with Jasper and Josiah were adorable.
The rest of the story, however, didn't seem to be that compelling or fleshed out. The Duchess Society is supposedly trying to find Cece a match, they're against her being with Jasper, she's "kidnapped" by Jasper and then once they are essentially reunited she is kidnapped by another thug who wants her to do forgery for him. I'm not sure how the book coulld have been better but there wasn't much else tying the couple together except Cece made a plan to find Jasper again.
That being said, I would still read more in this series because ultimately I like the characters and have enjoyed the others so far.
I recieved an advanced copy and am giving an honest review.
September 19, 2024
This is my 13th book by Tracy Sumner. Honestly I have to say some of her books are a hit or miss for me. I don’t mean that in a bad way, they just seem all over the place. I have notes on various reads, some are good reads, some are great reads and some I actually DNF and returned them but I actually have been liking this series so hopefully it follows along with the others in that respect.
So I’m not sure how I feel about this book. At times I was confused. Not really sure what was going on. I know this is book 6 in the series so maybe some of the confusing stuff to me were more detailed in the previous books. They’ve been so spread out and I have read SO MANY books in between I have no recollection of who is who or what is what, so not sure if that is why. Personally, I did realize until reading this that that I don’t really like when a couple have already been together when the book starts. I don’t think it builds the relationship up enough and us to see how it developed until they talk/think in flashbacks which doesn't give you the same feeling of reading it fresh from the beginning. I don’t really remember the other characters, his friends, from previous books so I don’t get warm and fuzzys reading about them and their relationships with each other. I liked Jasper but I’m not sure I really liked CeCe. I don’t know…just a strange read.
So I’m not sure how I feel about this book. At times I was confused. Not really sure what was going on. I know this is book 6 in the series so maybe some of the confusing stuff to me were more detailed in the previous books. They’ve been so spread out and I have read SO MANY books in between I have no recollection of who is who or what is what, so not sure if that is why. Personally, I did realize until reading this that that I don’t really like when a couple have already been together when the book starts. I don’t think it builds the relationship up enough and us to see how it developed until they talk/think in flashbacks which doesn't give you the same feeling of reading it fresh from the beginning. I don’t really remember the other characters, his friends, from previous books so I don’t get warm and fuzzys reading about them and their relationships with each other. I liked Jasper but I’m not sure I really liked CeCe. I don’t know…just a strange read.
September 9, 2024
I'm usually not the kind of reader who reads outside the order a series has been published, but for this book, I made an exception. @tracysumnerromance has been so kind to gift me an ARC of the last Duchess Society novel, and I got started as quickly as I could.
My personal highlight has been Tobias Streeter and his cats. Obviously.
But the 2nd chance romance between Cece and Jasper has been a sweet yet emotional whirlwind. Including Leighton cluster shenigangs. We're talking about setting a house on fire and staging a kidnapping alle in the name of love. The arson wasn't the only thing hot and steamy, the spice in this was one was emaculate.
I'll definitely have to catch up on the rest of the series, but for now, I can only recommend the last instalment. I mean, we're talking about silver foxes with glasses and kittens. Obviously, that's peak romance.
Again, much thanks to Tracy for my early birthday gift!!
My personal highlight has been Tobias Streeter and his cats. Obviously.
But the 2nd chance romance between Cece and Jasper has been a sweet yet emotional whirlwind. Including Leighton cluster shenigangs. We're talking about setting a house on fire and staging a kidnapping alle in the name of love. The arson wasn't the only thing hot and steamy, the spice in this was one was emaculate.
I'll definitely have to catch up on the rest of the series, but for now, I can only recommend the last instalment. I mean, we're talking about silver foxes with glasses and kittens. Obviously, that's peak romance.
Again, much thanks to Tracy for my early birthday gift!!
September 13, 2024
4 1/2*STARS*
A doomed love as teenagers, leaves no hope for Cece and Cris. Forced to marry to protect her sister, Cece sends Chris away with a broken heart. Sixteen years later, Cris isn't Chrispin Sinclair, heir to a barony anymore, he's a man with a secretive past and lives under the name Jasper Noble. Friends with the Leighton Cluster, a group of lords that come from various parts of Society. He's envious they are married to their wives in a love match. Jasper is tired of his life of drinking and carousing. He wants a home like his friends, but doesn't know how to get it. Jasper's seduction of the widowed Cece keeps him distracted and unfortunately he keeps messing up. He needs a plan.
A little subterfuge never hurt.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.
A doomed love as teenagers, leaves no hope for Cece and Cris. Forced to marry to protect her sister, Cece sends Chris away with a broken heart. Sixteen years later, Cris isn't Chrispin Sinclair, heir to a barony anymore, he's a man with a secretive past and lives under the name Jasper Noble. Friends with the Leighton Cluster, a group of lords that come from various parts of Society. He's envious they are married to their wives in a love match. Jasper is tired of his life of drinking and carousing. He wants a home like his friends, but doesn't know how to get it. Jasper's seduction of the widowed Cece keeps him distracted and unfortunately he keeps messing up. He needs a plan.
A little subterfuge never hurt.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.
September 9, 2024
Jasper Noble, originally a Baron’s son who went by the name Crispin Sinclair, was once very much in love with Constance Willoughby, Cece, before she was caught in a compromising situation with him and forced by her parents to marry an old Earl. Fast forward 20 years to when Cece comes up with a way to get Jasper to meet with her face to face and the fun begins. I like that Cece is stronger (emotionally) than Jasper and works to discover if the boy she loved still exists in the man he became. Jasper is the final single of the Leighton cluster, so it was great getting his story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 24, 2025
4 stars. Beautifully written and touching story. The reader roots for them the whole way through the book.
Lots of inner thoughts, which I sometimes skimmed.
Lots of inner thoughts, which I sometimes skimmed.
October 5, 2024
I loved this second-chance historical romance! It fed the Bridgerton fan in me, but with an edgier, bad-boy main character. The writing was fantastic, and the tension between the two leads kept me hooked. My only gripe was that their conflicts felt a bit too easy to resolve—I would have loved a little more drama to really tug at my heartstrings. The spice was well done, and even though it's book six in the series, it works perfectly as a standalone. I’m definitely curious about the other books and can't wait to dive into them. Thanks, @estela.reads.romance , for recommending this author!
December 6, 2024
What an awesome ending to the Duchess Society series!
It brings the characters who found a place in your heart back and you get to catch up with them. Three Sins and a Scoundrel is a second chance at love and unfolds beautifully and will hold you spellbound from the moment you begin the journey with Cece and Crispin until the very end. Tracy Sumner's stories are always interesting with with diversity of personalities who manage to grow and yet retain their individualities which captivates you from the beginning until the very end. It's emotional ride that keeps you turning the pages, with sizzling passion, witty banter, and an enjoyable plot. With setting descriptions and action sequences that are wonderfully vivid that brings the story to life and as the uncertainties escalates the suspense builds and feelings intensifies which brings this read together perfectly.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
It brings the characters who found a place in your heart back and you get to catch up with them. Three Sins and a Scoundrel is a second chance at love and unfolds beautifully and will hold you spellbound from the moment you begin the journey with Cece and Crispin until the very end. Tracy Sumner's stories are always interesting with with diversity of personalities who manage to grow and yet retain their individualities which captivates you from the beginning until the very end. It's emotional ride that keeps you turning the pages, with sizzling passion, witty banter, and an enjoyable plot. With setting descriptions and action sequences that are wonderfully vivid that brings the story to life and as the uncertainties escalates the suspense builds and feelings intensifies which brings this read together perfectly.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
September 14, 2024
A sigh for forbidden love!
Ah! My heart breaks for the young Miss Constance (Cece) Willoughby and Crispin Jasper Sinclair, “heir to a ragged barony.” So in love and separated at nineteen.
Cece is forced to marry the elderly, reclusive viscount, Lord Smithton, the Earl of Edgerly. Cecelia will be the Earl’s third countess. Crispin, changing his name to Jasper Noble, becomes an Intelligence Agent for the government. Fifteen years later he is embedded in the rookeries, a Shoreditch hooligan. He’s retired (a mystery here!) He becomes part of the Leighton Cluster. Crispin aka Jasper’s turned legitimate and in business with the group—Xander Macaughley, Tobias Streeter et.al. (Tobias’ wife Hildy owns the Duchess Society, an Investigative Agency, who look into potential groom’s backgrounds for concerned ladies.)
Cece, the widowed Countess of Edgerly, has moved from Northumberland to the Earl’s Mayfair terrace in London, a place she rarely visited in her fifteen years of marriage. Cece has decided to put her plans into place to find Crispin. (There’s many a secret here!)
A novel of second chance romance (definitely), of many surprises, of final happiness, despite the rocks strewn across that road, blocking moves at every turn.
A challenge only persons like Cece and Crispin/Jasper can thrive on.
As a reader I kept anticipating the worst, horrified that things might fall in a heap, yet at other times incredibly optimistic
Another super satisfying episode in Sumner’s Duchess Society series!
A Victory Editing ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Ah! My heart breaks for the young Miss Constance (Cece) Willoughby and Crispin Jasper Sinclair, “heir to a ragged barony.” So in love and separated at nineteen.
Cece is forced to marry the elderly, reclusive viscount, Lord Smithton, the Earl of Edgerly. Cecelia will be the Earl’s third countess. Crispin, changing his name to Jasper Noble, becomes an Intelligence Agent for the government. Fifteen years later he is embedded in the rookeries, a Shoreditch hooligan. He’s retired (a mystery here!) He becomes part of the Leighton Cluster. Crispin aka Jasper’s turned legitimate and in business with the group—Xander Macaughley, Tobias Streeter et.al. (Tobias’ wife Hildy owns the Duchess Society, an Investigative Agency, who look into potential groom’s backgrounds for concerned ladies.)
Cece, the widowed Countess of Edgerly, has moved from Northumberland to the Earl’s Mayfair terrace in London, a place she rarely visited in her fifteen years of marriage. Cece has decided to put her plans into place to find Crispin. (There’s many a secret here!)
A novel of second chance romance (definitely), of many surprises, of final happiness, despite the rocks strewn across that road, blocking moves at every turn.
A challenge only persons like Cece and Crispin/Jasper can thrive on.
As a reader I kept anticipating the worst, horrified that things might fall in a heap, yet at other times incredibly optimistic
Another super satisfying episode in Sumner’s Duchess Society series!
A Victory Editing ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
January 2, 2025
There's really nothing better than a Tracy Sumner book, it's my guilt pleasure. I've read a handful of this series and they don't get boring nor do I feel like I've missed anything by reading them somewhat sporadically (I've missed some books in the middle).
I did take off a star because some felt repetitive to itself and slowed it down but that could be me. It's a hectic time of year.
But if you're looking for great tension, spice and a quick read, this series doesn't miss.
Thanks so much to Tracy and Netgalley for the eARC. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.
I did take off a star because some felt repetitive to itself and slowed it down but that could be me. It's a hectic time of year.
But if you're looking for great tension, spice and a quick read, this series doesn't miss.
Thanks so much to Tracy and Netgalley for the eARC. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.
September 14, 2024
Tracy Sumner really needs more acknowledgement in the histrom arena, she is such a magnificent, hidden gem. Her stories continue to impress, and Jasper and Cece are no exception. Hidden desires, secret pasts, and of course a kidnapping, Three Sins and a Scoundrel is my favorite of the entire series yet. I am desperately waiting to see what brilliance Tracy concocts next!
September 7, 2024
Loved reading the engaging and amazing romance story. Cece comes to town with only one goal to get the love of her life back, Jasper Noble, but Jasper has remade himself and doesn't want to take the chance and get heartbroken again. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story by the phenomenal author, Tracy Sumner.
September 22, 2024
I always say, "These books can't get better" and there goes my theory. Sadly, this is the final book in the series and the best thing is seeing all the characters getting happily ever afters. Also, if anyone missed it... new character introduction, does that mean we are having a new series?
February 17, 2025
Absolutely Wonderful, Entertaining & Romantic.
This Story was Absolutely Wonderful.
Cece & Jasper were wonderful characters.
I look forward to reading more books by Tracy Sumner.
This Story was Absolutely Wonderful.
Cece & Jasper were wonderful characters.
I look forward to reading more books by Tracy Sumner.
October 14, 2024
Constance Willougħby and Crispin Sinclair were neighbors who fell in love and acted on their deep attraction to each other as teenagers. They were torn apart by her father, an Earl who did not think Crispin, an heir to a minor barony was good enough for Cece. She was married off to an elderly Earl who was not good to her or his tenants. A few years after the Earl died, Cece went looking for Crispin. Who she found was Jasper Noble, a commoner who may have been a spy for the government. Jasper was now a successful businessman with a group of friends known as the Leighton Cluster. The reunion between Cece and Jasper was combustible and though Jasper initially tried to fight the attraction he couldn’t. In order for them to be together, he had to expose who he really was to his friends and Cece had to learn and accept the “new” Jasper was not the same young man she fell in love with. An encore performance for the last installment of the series. I will read this series over again just to experience the characters and their stories.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 10, 2024
I feel bad to rate this as 3 stars, but it just was boring for me. I wanted to really like this book - the premise was very promising but as the story progressed, I found that it just droned on and on and was not very intriguing. The first interaction between Jasper and CeCe was a bit confusing - I didn't understand their dialogue. It was like something was missing in what they were trying to say.
And throughout the story, I think maybe there was a lot of thought processing and not enough dialogue between different characters. All in all, it was just an okay book for me.
I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
And throughout the story, I think maybe there was a lot of thought processing and not enough dialogue between different characters. All in all, it was just an okay book for me.
I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 13, 2024
Thanks to Wolf Publishing for an ARC of this book from my favorite author. Sumner doesn't churn out books the way some other writers do, but every one of hers is noteworthy. She's adept at evoking emotions and creating extremely memorable characters, and I find myself instantly enamored with every character she creates. Sadly, this is the last book in the Duchess Society series, but I did enjoy glimpses into the lives of some of the characters from previous books, especially Hildy and Tobias.
The first time I met Jasper Noble, in a previous book, I wasn't sure how I felt about him. The shell he had formed around his heart was really apparent, and although I was intrigued, I had trouble seeing him as a hero. Boy, was I wrong! In fact, the book opens with a scene in which he is so utterly destroyed that I immediately sympathized and became a fan. I also learned that he changed his name from Crispin after leaving his true love, as she'd requested.
The other person in the opening scene is Cece, compelled by her parents to marry someone else, even though she and Crispin clearly love one another. In a way, I felt like she was getting the worst of it, but it seemed to crush Crispin, whereas Cece was a survivor. Over 15 years later, finally widowed and mother to a little boy named Josiah, who’s a by-blow of her deceased husband, Cece comes to London to find Crispin, only to discover Jasper, a man who refuses to feel anything again that could lead to pain. Despite his insistence that he's not the same man, Cece catches glimpses of the caring man hidden behind his rough exterior and is convinced she can persuade him to give love another chance.
Jasper is just as convinced that he can resist Cece. After all, he’s spent the last 16 years risking his life and sleeping with innumerable women, and he thinks he’s done a pretty good job of forgetting her. Of course, he’s wrong. Once he’s around her again, he remembers all of the risks they took together and all of the passion they shared as teens, and realizes, “Only a girl who couldn’t entirely be trusted would be able to steal his heart.” Still, he’s determined, “detesting his preference for strong women, friend or lover, when weak-willed ones were so much easier to manage.”
Meanwhile, Cece responds to Jasper’s suggestion to enjoy their limited time together before going their separate ways by thinking, “...friends would be lovely—but ownership would be better.” She’s playing for keeps. But she knows, “He hated to lose when she loved to win.” With her insistence that Crispin lies hidden within, Jasper tells her:
“‘He’s long gone, minx. Don’t expect him to show up ever again. The hope will destroy you.’
It wasn’t an answer. And it felt like a lie.
The falsehood sat between them with the past throbbing like a wound.
If this was a dare, she wasn’t in the mood to ignore it.”
Jasper struggles to rid himself of his desire for Cece, but she forces him to really take a look at himself. At one point, she tells him, “If you hurt me, you’ll hurt Crispin just as much. That, I can live with. Oddly, I trust you both.” And he begins to understand she’s right. “When he left Northumberland, he said goodbye to everything, and now here he was, trying to reconnect an amputated limb to a quivering baron’s body.”
But it was this insight that caused him particular difficulty: “He knew it was his fault they’d been caught in a compromising situation [as teens]. The man understood. The boy had not. Still, the man couldn’t quite get over it.” It was immediately followed by: “Because she was fearless. He was the frightened one.” And then another realization washes over him: his attraction to her is not limited to lust. “Sex was an infinitesimal factor, actually. Not close to the whole bit. Which was the scariest statement a man could think.”
Jasper is forced to seek the help of the Leighton Cluster, his friends, to win Cece. I loved this exchange:
Tobias says, “Figure out what she desires besides you. The independent ones always crave something. Usually dodgy, including some element you won’t appreciate… Then offer it to her. That’s what we did.”
“Give her a choice,” Dash added, “but not really. Underhanded, maybe, but who cares if you get the girl.”
There were a couple of images and statements that stuck out to me because I thought were so cleverly worded, I just have to include them. For example:
He “...sent the invitation waiting patiently on the escritoire an acid glance. The emerald hair clip atop it added a dollop of vexation, much like a cherry slapped atop a stale slice of cake.”
“Come to think of it, which he tried to avoid on good days…”
After Jasper cuts himself shaving… “Jasper separated himself from his feelings as another trickle of blood coursed down his jaw like a prophecy.”
“Five short or unbearably long days left.”
Jasper hoped that one of his friends was not the one to escort Cece home, thinking, ”Leighton would fill her ears with rubbish—all of it true.”
Josiah’s nanny didn’t care for Jasper. She “obviously believed him to be one rung beneath a court jester…”
“You could do worse,” he said, the most inelegant start to a proposal he’d ever heard.
I loved this book so much that I tried to slow my voracious reading to lengthen my time with these characters, but all good things must come to an end. When I have the time, I plan to read all of these again.
The first time I met Jasper Noble, in a previous book, I wasn't sure how I felt about him. The shell he had formed around his heart was really apparent, and although I was intrigued, I had trouble seeing him as a hero. Boy, was I wrong! In fact, the book opens with a scene in which he is so utterly destroyed that I immediately sympathized and became a fan. I also learned that he changed his name from Crispin after leaving his true love, as she'd requested.
The other person in the opening scene is Cece, compelled by her parents to marry someone else, even though she and Crispin clearly love one another. In a way, I felt like she was getting the worst of it, but it seemed to crush Crispin, whereas Cece was a survivor. Over 15 years later, finally widowed and mother to a little boy named Josiah, who’s a by-blow of her deceased husband, Cece comes to London to find Crispin, only to discover Jasper, a man who refuses to feel anything again that could lead to pain. Despite his insistence that he's not the same man, Cece catches glimpses of the caring man hidden behind his rough exterior and is convinced she can persuade him to give love another chance.
Jasper is just as convinced that he can resist Cece. After all, he’s spent the last 16 years risking his life and sleeping with innumerable women, and he thinks he’s done a pretty good job of forgetting her. Of course, he’s wrong. Once he’s around her again, he remembers all of the risks they took together and all of the passion they shared as teens, and realizes, “Only a girl who couldn’t entirely be trusted would be able to steal his heart.” Still, he’s determined, “detesting his preference for strong women, friend or lover, when weak-willed ones were so much easier to manage.”
Meanwhile, Cece responds to Jasper’s suggestion to enjoy their limited time together before going their separate ways by thinking, “...friends would be lovely—but ownership would be better.” She’s playing for keeps. But she knows, “He hated to lose when she loved to win.” With her insistence that Crispin lies hidden within, Jasper tells her:
“‘He’s long gone, minx. Don’t expect him to show up ever again. The hope will destroy you.’
It wasn’t an answer. And it felt like a lie.
The falsehood sat between them with the past throbbing like a wound.
If this was a dare, she wasn’t in the mood to ignore it.”
Jasper struggles to rid himself of his desire for Cece, but she forces him to really take a look at himself. At one point, she tells him, “If you hurt me, you’ll hurt Crispin just as much. That, I can live with. Oddly, I trust you both.” And he begins to understand she’s right. “When he left Northumberland, he said goodbye to everything, and now here he was, trying to reconnect an amputated limb to a quivering baron’s body.”
But it was this insight that caused him particular difficulty: “He knew it was his fault they’d been caught in a compromising situation [as teens]. The man understood. The boy had not. Still, the man couldn’t quite get over it.” It was immediately followed by: “Because she was fearless. He was the frightened one.” And then another realization washes over him: his attraction to her is not limited to lust. “Sex was an infinitesimal factor, actually. Not close to the whole bit. Which was the scariest statement a man could think.”
Jasper is forced to seek the help of the Leighton Cluster, his friends, to win Cece. I loved this exchange:
Tobias says, “Figure out what she desires besides you. The independent ones always crave something. Usually dodgy, including some element you won’t appreciate… Then offer it to her. That’s what we did.”
“Give her a choice,” Dash added, “but not really. Underhanded, maybe, but who cares if you get the girl.”
There were a couple of images and statements that stuck out to me because I thought were so cleverly worded, I just have to include them. For example:
He “...sent the invitation waiting patiently on the escritoire an acid glance. The emerald hair clip atop it added a dollop of vexation, much like a cherry slapped atop a stale slice of cake.”
“Come to think of it, which he tried to avoid on good days…”
After Jasper cuts himself shaving… “Jasper separated himself from his feelings as another trickle of blood coursed down his jaw like a prophecy.”
“Five short or unbearably long days left.”
Jasper hoped that one of his friends was not the one to escort Cece home, thinking, ”Leighton would fill her ears with rubbish—all of it true.”
Josiah’s nanny didn’t care for Jasper. She “obviously believed him to be one rung beneath a court jester…”
“You could do worse,” he said, the most inelegant start to a proposal he’d ever heard.
I loved this book so much that I tried to slow my voracious reading to lengthen my time with these characters, but all good things must come to an end. When I have the time, I plan to read all of these again.
October 8, 2024
Thanks to Wolf Publishing for an ARC of this book from my favorite author. Sumner doesn't churn out books the way some other writers do, but every one of hers is noteworthy. She's adept at evoking emotions and creating extremely memorable characters, and I find myself instantly enamored with every character she creates. Sadly, this is the last book in the Duchess Society series, but I did enjoy glimpses into the lives of some of the characters from previous books, especially Hildy and Tobias.
The first time I met Jasper Noble, in a previous book, I wasn't sure how I felt about him. The shell he had formed around his heart was really apparent, and although I was intrigued, I had trouble seeing him as a hero. Boy, was I wrong! In fact, the book opens with a scene in which he is so utterly destroyed that I immediately sympathized and became a fan. I also learned that he changed his name from Crispin after leaving his true love, as she'd requested.
The other person in the opening scene is Cece, compelled by her parents to marry someone else, even though she and Crispin clearly love one another. In a way, I felt like she was getting the worst of it, but it seemed to crush Crispin, whereas Cece was a survivor. Over 15 years later, finally widowed and mother to a little boy named Josiah, who’s a by-blow of her deceased husband, Cece comes to London to find Crispin, only to discover Jasper, a man who refuses to feel anything again that could lead to pain. Despite his insistence that he's not the same man, Cece catches glimpses of the caring man hidden behind his rough exterior and is convinced she can persuade him to give love another chance.
Jasper is just as convinced that he can resist Cece. After all, he’s spent the last 16 years risking his life and sleeping with innumerable women, and he thinks he’s done a pretty good job of forgetting her. Of course, he’s wrong. Once he’s around her again, he remembers all of the risks they took together and all of the passion they shared as teens, and realizes, “Only a girl who couldn’t entirely be trusted would be able to steal his heart.” Still, he’s determined, “detesting his preference for strong women, friend or lover, when weak-willed ones were so much easier to manage.”
Meanwhile, Cece responds to Jasper’s suggestion to enjoy their limited time together before going their separate ways by thinking, “...friends would be lovely—but ownership would be better.” She’s playing for keeps. But she knows, “He hated to lose when she loved to win.” With her insistence that Crispin lies hidden within, Jasper tells her:
“‘He’s long gone, minx. Don’t expect him to show up ever again. The hope will destroy you.’
It wasn’t an answer. And it felt like a lie.
The falsehood sat between them with the past throbbing like a wound.
If this was a dare, she wasn’t in the mood to ignore it.”
Jasper struggles to rid himself of his desire for Cece, but she forces him to really take a look at himself. At one point, she tells him, “If you hurt me, you’ll hurt Crispin just as much. That, I can live with. Oddly, I trust you both.” And he begins to understand she’s right. “When he left Northumberland, he said goodbye to everything, and now here he was, trying to reconnect an amputated limb to a quivering baron’s body.”
But it was this insight that caused him particular difficulty: “He knew it was his fault they’d been caught in a compromising situation [as teens]. The man understood. The boy had not. Still, the man couldn’t quite get over it.” It was immediately followed by: “Because she was fearless. He was the frightened one.” And then another realization washes over him: his attraction to her is not limited to lust. “Sex was an infinitesimal factor, actually. Not close to the whole bit. Which was the scariest statement a man could think.”
Jasper is forced to seek the help of the Leighton Cluster, his friends, to win Cece. I loved this exchange:
Tobias says, “Figure out what she desires besides you. The independent ones always crave something. Usually dodgy, including some element you won’t appreciate… Then offer it to her. That’s what we did.”
“Give her a choice,” Dash added, “but not really. Underhanded, maybe, but who cares if you get the girl.”
There were a couple of images and statements that stuck out to me because I thought were so cleverly worded, so I just have to include them. For example:
He “...sent the invitation waiting patiently on the escritoire an acid glance. The emerald hair clip atop it added a dollop of vexation, much like a cherry slapped atop a stale slice of cake.”
“Come to think of it, which he tried to avoid on good days…”
After Jasper cuts himself shaving… “Jasper separated himself from his feelings as another trickle of blood coursed down his jaw like a prophecy.”
“Five short or unbearably long days left.”
Jasper hoped that one of his friends was not the one to escort Cece home, thinking, ”Leighton would fill her ears with rubbish—all of it true.”
Josiah’s nanny didn’t care for Jasper. She “obviously believed him to be one rung beneath a court jester…”
“You could do worse,” he said, the most inelegant start to a proposal he’d ever heard.
I loved this book so much that I tried to slow my voracious reading to lengthen my time with these characters, but all good things must come to an end. When I have the time, I plan to read all of these again.
The first time I met Jasper Noble, in a previous book, I wasn't sure how I felt about him. The shell he had formed around his heart was really apparent, and although I was intrigued, I had trouble seeing him as a hero. Boy, was I wrong! In fact, the book opens with a scene in which he is so utterly destroyed that I immediately sympathized and became a fan. I also learned that he changed his name from Crispin after leaving his true love, as she'd requested.
The other person in the opening scene is Cece, compelled by her parents to marry someone else, even though she and Crispin clearly love one another. In a way, I felt like she was getting the worst of it, but it seemed to crush Crispin, whereas Cece was a survivor. Over 15 years later, finally widowed and mother to a little boy named Josiah, who’s a by-blow of her deceased husband, Cece comes to London to find Crispin, only to discover Jasper, a man who refuses to feel anything again that could lead to pain. Despite his insistence that he's not the same man, Cece catches glimpses of the caring man hidden behind his rough exterior and is convinced she can persuade him to give love another chance.
Jasper is just as convinced that he can resist Cece. After all, he’s spent the last 16 years risking his life and sleeping with innumerable women, and he thinks he’s done a pretty good job of forgetting her. Of course, he’s wrong. Once he’s around her again, he remembers all of the risks they took together and all of the passion they shared as teens, and realizes, “Only a girl who couldn’t entirely be trusted would be able to steal his heart.” Still, he’s determined, “detesting his preference for strong women, friend or lover, when weak-willed ones were so much easier to manage.”
Meanwhile, Cece responds to Jasper’s suggestion to enjoy their limited time together before going their separate ways by thinking, “...friends would be lovely—but ownership would be better.” She’s playing for keeps. But she knows, “He hated to lose when she loved to win.” With her insistence that Crispin lies hidden within, Jasper tells her:
“‘He’s long gone, minx. Don’t expect him to show up ever again. The hope will destroy you.’
It wasn’t an answer. And it felt like a lie.
The falsehood sat between them with the past throbbing like a wound.
If this was a dare, she wasn’t in the mood to ignore it.”
Jasper struggles to rid himself of his desire for Cece, but she forces him to really take a look at himself. At one point, she tells him, “If you hurt me, you’ll hurt Crispin just as much. That, I can live with. Oddly, I trust you both.” And he begins to understand she’s right. “When he left Northumberland, he said goodbye to everything, and now here he was, trying to reconnect an amputated limb to a quivering baron’s body.”
But it was this insight that caused him particular difficulty: “He knew it was his fault they’d been caught in a compromising situation [as teens]. The man understood. The boy had not. Still, the man couldn’t quite get over it.” It was immediately followed by: “Because she was fearless. He was the frightened one.” And then another realization washes over him: his attraction to her is not limited to lust. “Sex was an infinitesimal factor, actually. Not close to the whole bit. Which was the scariest statement a man could think.”
Jasper is forced to seek the help of the Leighton Cluster, his friends, to win Cece. I loved this exchange:
Tobias says, “Figure out what she desires besides you. The independent ones always crave something. Usually dodgy, including some element you won’t appreciate… Then offer it to her. That’s what we did.”
“Give her a choice,” Dash added, “but not really. Underhanded, maybe, but who cares if you get the girl.”
There were a couple of images and statements that stuck out to me because I thought were so cleverly worded, so I just have to include them. For example:
He “...sent the invitation waiting patiently on the escritoire an acid glance. The emerald hair clip atop it added a dollop of vexation, much like a cherry slapped atop a stale slice of cake.”
“Come to think of it, which he tried to avoid on good days…”
After Jasper cuts himself shaving… “Jasper separated himself from his feelings as another trickle of blood coursed down his jaw like a prophecy.”
“Five short or unbearably long days left.”
Jasper hoped that one of his friends was not the one to escort Cece home, thinking, ”Leighton would fill her ears with rubbish—all of it true.”
Josiah’s nanny didn’t care for Jasper. She “obviously believed him to be one rung beneath a court jester…”
“You could do worse,” he said, the most inelegant start to a proposal he’d ever heard.
I loved this book so much that I tried to slow my voracious reading to lengthen my time with these characters, but all good things must come to an end. When I have the time, I plan to read all of these again.
September 14, 2024
Decisions. Decisions.
Do I stay up into the night devouring this new release I've anxiously anticipated? Or do I read each page one well-crafted moment at a time so I can be fully immersed in the feelings Tracy Sumner can evoke with her unparalleled wordsmithing? I did both . . . Allowed myself some escape the night it came out, then gave myself several reading interludes the next day after finishing different projects. I was not disappointed.
Three Sins and a Scoundrel is the final installment in the Duchess Society series. It closes this captivating saga with raw, breathtaking emotion. If you’ve read the previous books, you know Jasper Noble was a character cloaked in mystery. Some thought him kind, some crooked, some knew his inner steel as he worked as a covert operative. But to the core you find Jasper to be everything you crave in a Hero – kind, fiercely protective, ruggedly handsome, confident, loyal, passionate, with a sharp wit and unwavering devotion to the woman who once owned his heart. And did I mention he’s dangerously sexy to the depths of his soul?
In their teenage years, Cece and Jasper (known at the time as Crispin) were ferociously in love. Utterly consumed by each other, they gave into their desires three times (Three Sins), until the day they were caught. In a cruel twist of fate, she was forced to marry someone else, and he spent years running from the heartache. He reinvented himself and buried his pain under a new identity and a deadly career as a government operative.
Cece is an equally fascinating character. Fierce, fiery, and utterly unapologetic, she was trapped in a loveless union. When her philandering husband died, she took his illegitimate young son to raise as her own when the boy’s mother died. Cece went in search of her one true love. The man she finds is no longer the gentle soul she loved so intensely. He has learned to brutally guard his heart, afraid to lose his identity to a woman who caused him such pain.
They were older and, he believed, wiser now, and the past should have no hold on him. No matter how hard he fights it, the reminders of their love are relentless, overwhelming. “Memories of their glorious, youthful summer rose from the fog to choke him... He’d suppressed what he could of the past using the standard methods. Time, liquor, women. So many women in a desperate struggle to forget the one.” No matter his resistance or the distance he ran, no one ever touched his soul the way Cece had.
Their reunion is charged with the same intensity as in their younger years. No matter how Jasper fights it, the now-experienced man finds his desire for her burns hotter than ever. “He was mad to think attraction disappeared because a desperate soul willed it to.”
And while he’s watched his fellow members of the Leighton Cluster - a group of Dukes, Earls, Viscounts, reformed rogues and gutter rats - fall helplessly into once-in-a-lifetime loves, Jasper refuses to follow in their footsteps. He clings to his belief that he is too old and too hardened to ever give himself over to the feelings that almost destroyed him in his younger days. “Love … left one’s heart in a snowstorm without an overcoat.”
The journey of watching this stunning man, hardened by life and pain, surrender to the power of love is a story told with such beauty I find myself reading it again, only more slowly this time, savoring each word. If you haven’t met the Leighton Cluster yet, read the Duchess Society books. It doesn’t really matter which order you read them. You’re in for a treat. (My personal favorite is The Brazen Bluestocking.) If you’ve been with them all along, Jasper’s final piece of the puzzle is one you won’t want to miss.
Do I stay up into the night devouring this new release I've anxiously anticipated? Or do I read each page one well-crafted moment at a time so I can be fully immersed in the feelings Tracy Sumner can evoke with her unparalleled wordsmithing? I did both . . . Allowed myself some escape the night it came out, then gave myself several reading interludes the next day after finishing different projects. I was not disappointed.
Three Sins and a Scoundrel is the final installment in the Duchess Society series. It closes this captivating saga with raw, breathtaking emotion. If you’ve read the previous books, you know Jasper Noble was a character cloaked in mystery. Some thought him kind, some crooked, some knew his inner steel as he worked as a covert operative. But to the core you find Jasper to be everything you crave in a Hero – kind, fiercely protective, ruggedly handsome, confident, loyal, passionate, with a sharp wit and unwavering devotion to the woman who once owned his heart. And did I mention he’s dangerously sexy to the depths of his soul?
In their teenage years, Cece and Jasper (known at the time as Crispin) were ferociously in love. Utterly consumed by each other, they gave into their desires three times (Three Sins), until the day they were caught. In a cruel twist of fate, she was forced to marry someone else, and he spent years running from the heartache. He reinvented himself and buried his pain under a new identity and a deadly career as a government operative.
Cece is an equally fascinating character. Fierce, fiery, and utterly unapologetic, she was trapped in a loveless union. When her philandering husband died, she took his illegitimate young son to raise as her own when the boy’s mother died. Cece went in search of her one true love. The man she finds is no longer the gentle soul she loved so intensely. He has learned to brutally guard his heart, afraid to lose his identity to a woman who caused him such pain.
They were older and, he believed, wiser now, and the past should have no hold on him. No matter how hard he fights it, the reminders of their love are relentless, overwhelming. “Memories of their glorious, youthful summer rose from the fog to choke him... He’d suppressed what he could of the past using the standard methods. Time, liquor, women. So many women in a desperate struggle to forget the one.” No matter his resistance or the distance he ran, no one ever touched his soul the way Cece had.
Their reunion is charged with the same intensity as in their younger years. No matter how Jasper fights it, the now-experienced man finds his desire for her burns hotter than ever. “He was mad to think attraction disappeared because a desperate soul willed it to.”
And while he’s watched his fellow members of the Leighton Cluster - a group of Dukes, Earls, Viscounts, reformed rogues and gutter rats - fall helplessly into once-in-a-lifetime loves, Jasper refuses to follow in their footsteps. He clings to his belief that he is too old and too hardened to ever give himself over to the feelings that almost destroyed him in his younger days. “Love … left one’s heart in a snowstorm without an overcoat.”
The journey of watching this stunning man, hardened by life and pain, surrender to the power of love is a story told with such beauty I find myself reading it again, only more slowly this time, savoring each word. If you haven’t met the Leighton Cluster yet, read the Duchess Society books. It doesn’t really matter which order you read them. You’re in for a treat. (My personal favorite is The Brazen Bluestocking.) If you’ve been with them all along, Jasper’s final piece of the puzzle is one you won’t want to miss.
May 28, 2025
3.5 stars maybe?
I'm very much struggling to rate this one and I think my rating might be higher if this had been another character or if I hadn't read (nearly) the rest of the series first and experienced all the buildup of Jasper's character and anticipation of his story. I already am not a fan of the second chance trope as it is, but I so wanted to see the more human, emotional side of Jasper. I absolutely adored his inner monologue about how much he valued his friendships with the other men of the Leighton Cluster and how this made him want to be a better man. He even started to believe he could have the family life those other men had created. I always love a found family, and this one is one of my favorites, especially the strong emphasis on such healthy male friendships. It's clear then men all love each other like brothers, and I loved their scenes together, especially when Jasper finally confided in them the truth about his past and who he really was. Unfortunately, this might be the only part I really loved, apart from my slight enjoyment of Jasper's growing closeness with Cece's adopted son.
Now onto the rest. I honestly wanted to like Cece. But I didn't. I hoped she would grow on me, but she didn't. I found the first part of the book a bit boring in spots, especially seeing as Cece and Jasper didn't actually come together for a while, and all the game playing was very annoying. I wanted the desperation and longing to be together, and they both hid it for so long, then it felt like Jasper was the one doing the giving and pursuing nearly the entire time. I often felt like I was missing something in their conversations and banter as well, like something was just off. I'm not sure how to describe it. Cece repeatedly went on about how she came to London to fight for the man she loved, but all I saw was her playing stupid, nonsensical games with him, never having an open conversation with him, and pushing him away multiple times.
There were also a couple of plot devices employed here that just made zero sense to me. Why bring one of Jasper's former paramours in for a brief silly scene, in which Jasper did absolutely nothing wrong, mind you, just to cause more angst between a couple that already clearly had enough to work through. It made me want to throw the book down in disgust because it was just so silly. The introduction of another new character near the end in another weird plot device deployment is one I can excuse for now because I'm hoping maybe this is a set up for a new series, but who knows.
I just wanted more for Jasper, especially after everything he went through. Sadly, the best open expression of truthfulness, love, and acceptance was between Jasper and the men of the Leighton Cluster who became his family. He got what felt like the bare minimum from Cece, despite his giving her everything. Given his abusive, love-starved past, I just think Jasper deserved so much more and though the ending was satisfying, I was still left feeling a little disappointed with how we got there.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'm very much struggling to rate this one and I think my rating might be higher if this had been another character or if I hadn't read (nearly) the rest of the series first and experienced all the buildup of Jasper's character and anticipation of his story. I already am not a fan of the second chance trope as it is, but I so wanted to see the more human, emotional side of Jasper. I absolutely adored his inner monologue about how much he valued his friendships with the other men of the Leighton Cluster and how this made him want to be a better man. He even started to believe he could have the family life those other men had created. I always love a found family, and this one is one of my favorites, especially the strong emphasis on such healthy male friendships. It's clear then men all love each other like brothers, and I loved their scenes together, especially when Jasper finally confided in them the truth about his past and who he really was. Unfortunately, this might be the only part I really loved, apart from my slight enjoyment of Jasper's growing closeness with Cece's adopted son.
Now onto the rest. I honestly wanted to like Cece. But I didn't. I hoped she would grow on me, but she didn't. I found the first part of the book a bit boring in spots, especially seeing as Cece and Jasper didn't actually come together for a while, and all the game playing was very annoying. I wanted the desperation and longing to be together, and they both hid it for so long, then it felt like Jasper was the one doing the giving and pursuing nearly the entire time. I often felt like I was missing something in their conversations and banter as well, like something was just off. I'm not sure how to describe it. Cece repeatedly went on about how she came to London to fight for the man she loved, but all I saw was her playing stupid, nonsensical games with him, never having an open conversation with him, and pushing him away multiple times.
There were also a couple of plot devices employed here that just made zero sense to me. Why bring one of Jasper's former paramours in for a brief silly scene, in which Jasper did absolutely nothing wrong, mind you, just to cause more angst between a couple that already clearly had enough to work through. It made me want to throw the book down in disgust because it was just so silly. The introduction of another new character near the end in another weird plot device deployment is one I can excuse for now because I'm hoping maybe this is a set up for a new series, but who knows.
I just wanted more for Jasper, especially after everything he went through. Sadly, the best open expression of truthfulness, love, and acceptance was between Jasper and the men of the Leighton Cluster who became his family. He got what felt like the bare minimum from Cece, despite his giving her everything. Given his abusive, love-starved past, I just think Jasper deserved so much more and though the ending was satisfying, I was still left feeling a little disappointed with how we got there.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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