Her Deceptive Duke

Wicked Husbands #4

by Scarlett Scott

Georgiana, Duchess of Leeds, hasn't seen her husband since he left her on their wedding day for an extended hunting expedition and never returned. But she isn't the sort to wait around pining for an arrogant oaf who can't bother to recall he has a wife, no matter how sinfully handsome he may be.

She finds all the fulfillment she requires in caring for the stray cats and dogs of London's streets. Until, that is, the duke returns, and she uncovers the truth about where he's been...

Kit, Duke of Leeds, never wanted to be duke. He was content with his life as one of Her Majesty's most dedicated spies until his brother's unexpected demise left him forced to marry an American heiress to save the family estate from ruin. The day he married her, he left for a secret assignment in America, with no intention of returning.

Seriously wounded and his cover ruined, Kit's forced back to London where he finds a townhouse brimming with creatures and a wife who can't bear the sight of him.

With husband and wife beneath the same roof at last, their marriage of convenience sparks into a passion that's as undeniable as it is unexpected. But is desire enough to bring two wary hearts together? And once Kit's wounds are healed, will Georgiana's love be enough to make him stay?
WARNING: Contains explicit language and steamy scenes.

Her Deceptive Duke is the fourth book in the Wicked Husbands series and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel or read as part of the series.

If you love steamy Regency and Victorian romance and second chance love stories, don't miss the Wicked Husbands.

Fiercely independent, dazzlingly beautiful, and married to handsome scoundrels, these American heiresses are ready to turn the tables on the insufferable English lords they've wed.

What happens when their wicked husbands start falling for the wives they never thought they wanted?

Corsets come off, bed chambers ignite, the passion sizzles,and more than one stubborn English rake gets reformed by love.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Regency, Adult, Erotica

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2018

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author Scarlett Scott writes steamy Victorian and Regency historical romances with strong, intelligent heroines and sexy alpha heroes. She lives in Pennsylvania and Maryland with her Canadian husband, their adorable identical twins, a demanding diva dog, and one zany cat.

For Scarlett's latest releases, exclusive excerpts, contests and more, visit her website, http://www.scarlettscottauthor.com

Reviews

[Ivy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, solid effort !

An endearing, lovely, sweet and romantic second chance/marriage in peril story that I enjoyed. It wasn't as fabulous and awesome as Her Reformed Rake, but it captivated my attention nevertheless.

So, it's gonna get a cute "Paw 2 Palm" high 5 from me:




I'd been waiting for this book to be published ever since I'd read Her Reformed Rake and developed a liking for Georgiana, based on her animal loving personality. Anyone who adores animals ( especially dogs and cats ) will enjoy this novel, because the heroine's pets are always at the core of the story. In fact, the pets are used as an adorable plot device to soften the H's cold heart and forge a strong love bond between the MC's. The author also employs the internal monologue device skilfully, to allow the reader to see how each MC's feelings for the other is progressing as the tale unfolds. I loved all the pets, but I did have an uneasy feeling or two whenever the family of mice were mentioned.




Yes ! A family of mice called the Lilliputians. Lol.

Georgiana, the heroine, adores animals and has taken in a wide array of stray/homeless dogs, cats, a squirrel and others into her elegant London townhouse. She is a born healer who can't bear to see a living creature in pain so she uses her wealth to provide a safe harbour for these creatures. The heroine is estranged from her husband Kit. He's the Duke of Leeds and he'd only married her for her huge dowry after he'd inherited a bankrupt duchy from his dissolute, manwhore dead brother. The novel is set in circa 1880-81 during the era when many impoverished British aristocrats married American heiresses for their dowries. Theirs was a rather unorthodox marriage of convenience because the H, Kit, left his bride on the very same morning of the wedding ! It was sad and horrible !



I thought I'd hate him for the rest of the story ! That's because I'm very mean and unforgiving to H's who treat their heroines like this. But, Kit definitely redeemed himself by the end of the story and I grew to love him and forgive him for being such a unfeeling asshole at the start of the story. The 2 main reasons why I was able to forgive Kit were:

1. He'd been celibate during the entire period after he'd left Georgiana. In fact, Kit wasn't a manwhore type of H. He hadn't even had sex with a woman in a long time even before his marriage to the heroine.

2. Kit was a covert operative/spy who worked for a special government organization and he'd been tasked with a special mission that was important for the safety of the homeland. His superior officer had sent him to New York to infiltrate the Irish terrorist organization called the Fenians.

It's hard to hang on to hate for a guy who is doing his James Bond duty in order to destroy a nasty group of terrorists who had detonated bombs in a couple of British towns in Her Reformed Rake. Plus, Kit was mega sexy too ! I didn't find him as hot and scrumptious as Sebastian from Her Reformed Rake, but he was a close second best, in my opinion.

This is the H Kit, the Duke of Leeds:




And this is the heroine, Georgiana:



I fell in love with this pair of mismatched spouses who are reconciled only after the H is shot in his leg and returns home to recover. At first they loathe and resent each other; the heroine is determined to get a divorce and the H thinks he's living in a zoo because all the pets are in every room of the mansion. The funniest part is that the heroine had been so mad after he'd deserted her that she'd allowed a group of dogs to live in his ducal bedchamber !




That was awesome. It's exactly the kind of revenge I'd resort to if my husband ever got on my bad side like that.

Moving on...

The beauty of this story rests in the fact that these were 2 MC's with tortured pasts who have been hurt many times by relatives that were supposed to love them. In fact, there is a minor storyline about the heroine's relatives trying to assassinate her in order to get her money. Neither MC knows how to trust another human being, the H is cynical about love and the heroine pours all her love into her pets. The sexual chemistry between them weakens their initial antipathy for each other and I enjoyed seeing how obsessed, besotted, possessive and jealous Kit acted. His jealousy of the "not-Butler" Ludlow was also extremely humorous. Ludlow was also an undercover spy who'd been sent to protect Georgiana while working as her butler. Kit, as an alpha male himself, was very threatened by Ludlow's presence in his wife's life and his numerous jealous tantrums were very entertaining.

Kit tried to put her out of his mind but that task was impossible:


All such inclinations were assisted, of course, by her undeniable beauty. And Christ was she riveting. Enough, even, to distract from her unsuitability as his duchess and her disturbing penchant for filling his home with beasts. He had forgotten how magnetic her lure was. How vivid her emerald eyes, particularly when they flashed with anger at him. How glossy and sleek her chestnut mane. How tempting and full her bosom, how narrow her waist, how lush her lips… Bloody hell. His cock was not twitching to life at such an inopportune time as this,

Scarlett Scott. Her Deceptive Duke (Wicked Husbands Book 4) (Kindle Locations 1156-1160). Kindle Edition.

Kit learns a lot from Georgiana; he learns how to open his heart and accept the love that is freely offered to him from the heroine and from her pets. In fact, an important character in the story is the heroine's cat, Lady Philomena Whiskers. The H had started off hating Lady Philomena Whiskers but the cat had developed an instant fondness for him and refused to leave him alone. The cat would even follow him into the bedroom, jump on the bed, perch her plump little self on his chest and refuse to be moved !

This is Lady Philomena Whiskers:



This story was poignantly beautiful and funny, with 2 sexy MC's and lots of adorable pets ! I wished the MC's had consummated their relationship earlier in the story but I understood why it took them so long. There were even a couple of important life lessons to be learned too, about the powerful healing function that a pet can have in the life of an injured human. Lady Philomena Whiskers definitely helped the H to change from his gruff, growly and resentful Scrooge-like persona into a warm, loving and kind man who was willing to able to open his heart to love. The cat never left his side, never gave up on him and that taught him not to give up on himself. And, when he was in danger of being murdered at the very end of the story, it was Alice the English mastiff, who saved him by attacking the Fenian terrorist.

This is Alice:



Some readers might not enjoy the emphasis placed on all the pets but I loved it ! And in the epilogue, the H ( who had previously disliked the pets ) even buys a building to open a home for rescued and homeless animals. How can I not love a man who does that ?

There was a lot more going on as well. There was the continuing Fenian terrorist plot storyline that was started in Her Reformed Rake and will probably be shifted to the author's spin off series. And, I was elated at the cameo appearances by Sebastian and Daisy. They were the MC's from Her Reformed Rake and my favourite couple, from this entire series. I hope the devilishly rakish and scorchingly sexy Duke of Carlisle ( the spymaster leader ) will eventually get his own novel with a sweet young thing that's worthy of his roguish charm. I also look forward to reading Ludlow's story because the teaser ( at the end of this novel ) looks good.

I do have one question for the author though: WHAT HAPPENED TO PUPPENSTEIN ? I'd loved him in Her Reformed Rake and thought he would be in this story since he was one of Georgiana's pets in that novel.

Safety: No cheating, no OW, no OM.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cats, mice, dogs, and squirrels oh my!

What a crazy book with a zany heroine and her animal menagerie. It was wonderful. Georgie, our heroine was married and abandoned on her wedding day. That scene broke my heart and I hated the hero for around 35% of the book. I felt so bad for her. Six months later he comes back and is wounded and branded a traitor. She nurses him back to health using her veterinarian. That was priceless when he found out. She had a new butler named Ludlow and I just loved him. He was a big guy and wasn't the greatest butler but he helped her with her strays. I love evenings hero comes home he wants to go to his room but she had turned it into the 'Dog Chamber'. So fitting. It was hilarious but once he is mending you can see him start to fall in love with her and vice versa. He was so jealous of the 'non-butler' it was entertaining. There is intrigue and spies and betrayal all around her and I am not going to spoil that. It is a safe read and a thoroughly enjoyable one. I do admit that in the beginning I was bored with all the animal stuff and put it down for a couple of days. But when I came back I was absorbed. Just have been an off day. I totally loved this book and I am hoping that she does one for Carlyle and Ludlow. But please please please don't have the heroes cheat or be with OW after they meet. I know with Carlyle that will be hard but I really want to read their stories and I won't if they are untrue. I am sad that I can't read the Wicked Husband series because of that. That is a personal preference and opinion so no hate please. I think she is a wonderful writer but I hate cheating tropes. Again no hate! I know many people love that.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a marriage of need, not love when Georgiana, an American heiress and Kit, the reluctant Duke of Leeds took their vows. Georgiana’s father wanted a title in the family and Kit’s estate is in need of good old American dollars. Before the ink was dry on the license, before the wedding breakfast was served, Kit was out the door on an extended stay, “on business.”

Years later, he arrives back home, a broken man, on a crutch, but his home has become an animal sanctuary in his absence and the wife he never wanted is the Dr. Doolittle of the Ton. With all he has lost, from his position as a spy to the use of his leg, will coming home become a nightmare of fur and feathers or will he find the true meaning of home and hearth with the strong woman he never got to know?

Scarlett Scott’s HER DECEPTIVE DUKE is a sizzling and passionate tale of love where it is least expected. Enjoy moments of humor, of compassion and of pig-headedness as Kit and Georgie butt heads time and time again…but isn’t that what makes life so interesting?

Feel what happens when two passionate people turn their passions towards each other and be careful not to singe your heartstrings on the heat these two create!

I received a complimentary copy from Scarlett Scott!

Series: Wicked Husbands - Book 4
Publication Date: September 18, 2018
Publisher: Scarlett Scott
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 294 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't bring myself to give this less than two stars because the H was faithful to his wedding vows. I know that seems like a low standard, but trust me, for this author it seems like a rarity instead of the norm. This is a completely safe read. It wasn't historically accurate, neither the MCs nor the plot was fully developed, and there were some absolutely ridiculous details. However, it was what I was looking to read at the moment. It was a silly and safe way to pass the time.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5

Georgina was an American that had a fortune, who was married to Duke, Kit who was broke. Marriage of convince. But Georgina was hoping for a real marriage. Not Kit, married for money for his estate. He was going to continue his undercover work for the crown. He leaves for an assignment the day of their wedding. Georgina is hurt and angry (who can blame her).

Kit is gone for months on end but returns after a near fatal wound. During Kit's absence Georgina has found her calling and a way to fill her empty life. She takes in animals, lost or wounded. On the return Kit finds his home filled. But Kit also returns still recovering from his wound. And it's almost fatal. Georgina nurses him back to health. Kit is determined to find out who betrayed/framed him on his assignment.

During Kit's recovery he and Georgina banter and dialogue quit profusely. In fact I thought Kit was a jerk a lot of the times. I appreciated Georgina standing up to him and speaking her mind. Major part of their story is the development of the attraction and relationship. I thought its was done okay/fair. But also thought it didn't have as much depth, could have done better in that area. Other secondary issue is Kit's discovering who betrayed him and keeping his wife alive, as each has developed feeling for each other and of course eventually declare their love.

It was a good read to pass the time. I liked the secondary characters and loved the animal and pet addition.

[Sangria · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this book was fantastic.

Full of romance and mystery. Actually I’ve loved the whole series and Georgiana was a hilarious, wonderful, empathetic, yet strong and passionate heroine. Furthermore her mystery man aka wayward husband Duke of Leeds, finally returns home.

We met our Georgie girl thru Daisy, from the previous book. We already knew she had been left after a hasty marriage but we didn’t know why. We know they are both Americans.

These Dukes all belong to an organization that fights for the Crown against the Fenians called The League.An Irish terror group doing much of their work from America.

Georgie, had married the Duke, 6 months prior, to Save his Ducal estate. Kit, our Duke, never wanted to be Duke. His brother died and left the Dukey broke. So he married her and went right back to his spy business.

Georgiana isn’t any ole American Miss. She’s well read, but a farm girl. Her Uncle left her half his wealthy estate and her terrible father sold her to the highest bidder. She married Kit for her freedom and she finds it. There’s mystery that surrounds her father as well.

6 months later Kit returns on his ducal doorstep, shot, barely alive and into a house full of a menagerie of animals. Georgie has a penchant for keeping everything, even a family of mice called the Lilliputians.......LOL. The first 1/4 of the book was pretty funny.

Watching a surly, brooding alpha fall for a cat, come on!

We meet Ludlow, the assasasin for the league and thinks Kits a traitor until the Duke of Carlisle shows up to piece it all together. He IS THE LEAGUE!

(BTW, I want Carlisle’s book SO BAD!!! Please give Mr Mysterious a book! I beg you SS!).

Anyway, in the course of Kits healing and Georgie trying to forgive him for deserting her, a lot of fun animals and a Lady Philomena cat with kitties, the two fall into a slow burn love.

Well written, great supporting characters, Full of animals, his surliness, her wariness and a kiss scene that will MELT any historical romance readers dream!

Recommend.

[HR-ML · Rating 1 out of 5]

England 1881. DNF at 44% mark. I jumped ahead
and went backward. 1 star.

Christopher, a spy for the Crown & reluctant Duke,
arranged a MOC to an American heiress with a
$3ooK dowry, and abandoned her after the wedding
but before the wedding feast. Georgiana, said heiress,
displayed embarrassment when he abandoned her.
Then he returned home, wounded, after being away
6 months.

"Kit" fit all his descriptions- pretentious, stilted,
condescending, aloof, surly, a heartless boor. And let's
throw in immature.

Why the repetition? Ms Scott please note: endless
repetition may push away rather than attract readers.
It may also adversely affect the story's pacing.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

I like the heroine here. Georgiana is a very unconventional duchess. For one thing, she's an American heiress who married to get the title--her father's doing, not her own. For another, she was abandoned by her husband right after her wedding. Mostly, though, she's a bit peculiar because of all the stray animals she's adopted who fill the duke's London townhome.

The hero is another story. Yes, Kit, the Duke of Leeds, is a tortured individual, but when he turns up on the doorstep of his townhome half-dead after six months in America as a spy for the Crown, he's just miserable to her. The reader has the benefit of reading his thoughts (ad nauseum, but I'll get to that). However, Georgiana can't. It's beyond belief that she would fall so deeply in love with him when he is do verbally abusive and secretive. This storyline just feeds the unhealthy fantasy that the love of a good woman can change a man. No one could possibly love such a misogynist, though Georgiana is certainly in lust with him.

There's also a plot inconsistency. Kit spends half the book accusing Georgiana of sleeping with the butler, Ludlow, which both she and Ludlow vehemently deny. Yet when Kit and Georgiana finally get to the point of intimacy, he is clearly believes she's a virgin. When did he change his mind? No explanation.

There's WAY too much repetition of characters' thoughts and repetitive conversations with each other. Mind-numbimgly so. Ad nauseum! This would have been a much better book if it had been about half as long. Sections get really boring and skip-able.

The author's writing itself is good, with natural-sounding dialogue (although, again, there's too much of it), and this is well-edited from a spelling and grammar perspective. I enjoyed the small menagerie, and I think the basic plot could have been entertaining had Kit not been such a douchebag most of the time and had the excessive repetition been edited out.

Contains some mature content, including lots of profanity.

[Mahima · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 2.75 stars **
First time reader of this author maybe that's why I didn't get along with her writing style. Hopefully in the upcoming books I'll start liking it.

So there was no spark or fireworks between the characters. Apart from few hot scenes I really couldn't find the appeal in the couple.
They both are somewhat arrogant and full of pride in their own ways. Kit's injury made him even more guarded as he didn't want to be embarrassed or humiliated.

Plus, it was a very slow start. Until the middle I couldn't find the catch.

The story and plotting was rather good. Though I suspected Georgiana's father's involvement, stepmother was a bonus. So story was great.
All the stars for the great story.

[Jac K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this is a repeat from the last review, but both Her Deceptive Duke and Her Reformed Rake follow a spy/bomber plot, and would flow better if you read them together. This book had many of the same ingredients as Her Reformed Rake, but there’s a lot less going on… and I didn’t find the mc’s as entertaining… so, I didn’t enjoy it as much.

The prologue starts just after the marriage of Georgiana Dumont, an American heiress to Christopher Anthony Harcourt, the Duke of Leeds (Kit), and the fallout after the groom left immediately after the ceremony. This part was quite good, and the only time I really felt something as poor Georgiana’s hopes and dreams for a love match were crushed. The first chapter FFW’s 6-months later with an injured Kit returning home.

My issue was that there was too much downtime with nothing really happening. Kit is gravely injured so other than her nursing him, their relationship develops very slowly. The spy stuff is a backdrop until very late in the book, and there was WAY TOO much animal filler. I love animals, but not as the focal point of my romances, and my mind kept wondering to how badly the home must’ve smelled.

Bottom Line- This one was just OK for me. Like watered down chicken noodle soup… it’s not terrible, but I prefer the less bland concentrated version. There really wasn’t any drama… Georgiana and Kit aren’t bad, but neither are they exciting… and I wasn’t feeling the chemistry or steam. I feel at a loss where the author is going with this series because the next two books go back to the drama introduced in the second book… and we’ve just spent two books meeting a bevy of spy guys. I’m not an author, but as a reader it would make more sense to continue on with the newer characters like Ludlow or the Duke of Carlisle then backtrack two books. 🤷‍♀️ Regardless, I have no interest in Nell, so I’m stopping here.

Safety- Kit doesn't get around (no mistresses or ex's) and he's faithful during the separation.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

If heroine was not a sweetheart and no pets I may have given 2 stars. I should read a trainwrecky vintage to feed my angst thirst. :p

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had higher hopes for this but there was too much about pets in the middle. Review to come.

***Full review***

I'm not a big fan of nursing stories or heroines who have a personal menagerie, and I found the middle to be a very long discussion about how the hero can't love because of what happened to his childhood pets. I didn't find it as steamy as Scott's other books but I think that's because I'm usually expecting it in the first chapter. The beginning was the most intriguing and unexpected for me, particularly in how insulting the hero was to the heroine, but also how jealous he was of the heroine's relationship to the "butler."

Kit is a spy whose cover is blown in the US and he is sent back to England. Kit had married Georgiana for her fortune then promptly left right after the wedding ceremony to begin his mission in the US. However, he is discharged when his cover was blown, and is recovering from a life-threatening injury that he sustained when his undercover alias was blown. Georgiana has taken over his home, turning it into a menagerie, and she also decides to nurse him back to health, at first with the desire to look him in the eye when he is healthy and ask for a divorce...

Honestly, all the books from Scarlett Scott's Wicked Husbands series make me intrigued for the Duke of Carlisle's story!

[Topastro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I should have loved this but nothing about it held my attention. The inner dialogue was repetitive and I found myself skimming. Certainly not the worst book in history but I won't ever need to reread it.

[Tanya Sridhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars.

I received this book from Netgalley and the author for a honest review. This does not in any way impact my views or opinions.

My first Scarlett Scott and I do think her writing style is something I enjoy, I'll be sure to look out for other books from her. Overall I tentatively enjoyed the book, it has all the makings of HR's that are widely loved - so I believe a lot of my hesitance is due to personal likings. Hence, I'll just list down what worked for me, and what didnt.

Georgina, Duchess of Leeds and former American farm girl can't believe how her life has changed - almost overnight. She's received an unexpected fortune from her beloved uncle to suddenly married to an impoverished Duke. She's naive, bright and has a soft heart - and most of her heart goes to all manners of strays and creatures that require love and care. Christopher aka Kit, the Duke of leeds is a former spy for the crown who is trying to put a stop to the fenian menace. You'll understand a few things about him as soon as the book starts; he's not meant to be duke, he was the spare until his brother had the misfortune of ending up dead, he's surly and downright crude (a result of his loveless upbringing) and he seems to have no tact when it comes to his wife.

Kit abandons his wife on their wedding day to go back to New York for his mission, and he doesn't even have the courtesy to be nice to his sweet, confused wife before leaving her. He's rude, crude - but even worse, he's indifferent. 6 months later, he returns with bullet wounds and realizes - supposedly - out of the blue that his wife is thic in the right places. Which leads to boners.

My problem with them as a couple started here, too much of their feelings for each other has to do with the physical. And while the intimate scenes are written wonderfully and do have everything you'd wish - it just seems like that's it. Maybe that's me and my problem, but I would liked it if he had warmed to her personality, her quirks and her tender nature before he realized he wanted her on a physical level. Simply put, it doesn't feel like love then. It just feels like lust - not what you want in a romance.

Also, he apologizes for the way he behaves way way way too late. And there's a scene in a carraige much later when they're arguing and he basically overpowers her and uses his ability to pleasure her as a tool against her. That did not sit right me. It's manipulation of the highest order. A lot of aspects needed to be fleshed out for me, but it was still enjoyable enough.

If you're looking for a dramatic HR, with good dialogue, lots of steam and just a touch of angst then give this a shot!

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely loving Scarlett Scott and her writing style, not too angsty and not too boring. Could do with a little more humor but overall loves it

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical romance is my guilty pleasure genre. If anyone asks what I like to read I will usually tell then crime and thriller, but the truth is I will read anything. However, historical romance is never a genre I think to shout out about. This has nothing to do with shame (despite the looks some people receive when stating their enjoyment of bodice rippers) but is a reflection of how rarely I read the genre. When I do read the genre, I tend to stick to the same authors. With Her Deceptive Duke, I have found a new historical romance author I will be following.

Her Deceptive Duke is the fourth book in Scarlett Scott’s Wicked Husbands series, but it works perfectly fine as a standalone novel. There were clear references to other books and characters, events and drama that have clearly already played out in the series, but such does not hinder your enjoyment of this one. It does, however, leave you wanting to go back and read the prior books. Such is something I now wish to do, something I’m rather eager to do. It’s not just to fill in gaps, but because I was addicted on so many levels and am desperate for more.

From the very first chapter I was sucked into this story. The drama begins instantly and does not let up. We’re sucked into the story, and every page leaves us ever more desperate to see how everything comes together. It wasn’t just the events that are gripping, though, as the characters have an even stronger hold. I adored the characters and found their chemistry to be amazing. I could not put the book down once I started, as I could not bring myself to leave the wonderful development between the two behind.

With fantastic characters, a story I adored, and more action than I’m accustomed to in my historical romance reads, Scarlett Scott more than won me over with Her Deceptive Duke. In fact, I was so in love I’m now more than willing to dive into Nobody’s Duke – the first book in the spin-off series, League of Dukes, which tells the story of a character I adored in Her Deceptive Duke.

[Julie Keyser · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed

I hate that I’m giving Scarlett a bad review bc there isn’t one book of hers that I’ve read that I don’t love! The other books in this series are amazing ...However I’m really disappointed in this one. More than half the book is all about Kit injured and in the House- we know he’s an agent but in all this time we don’t really know why he’s injured, who wants him dead ... and there’s no connection as to when his feelings became sensual for the wife he abandoned. There’s more time discussing all the animals in the house than there is with any real plot about Kit and Georgianna. I couldn’t even finish it .

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋💋
This is a brilliant read , it’s funny , emotional, sexy, and adventurous.
It has a Duke you would happily fall for, and a Duchess you can’t help but love and stick up for , together with a Not-Butler your going to adore ,and a menagerie that would drive a man to drink , this is one fantastic book .
You’ll never want it to end .
My thx to Netgally for the advance readers copy of this book, this review was voluntary and is my own words .

[Tmstprc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel somewhat duped by this series, Wicked Husbands is the sub-title. It doesn’t fit. But, who would click on slightly wicked, self absorbed husbands.

A well written spy tale, includes cute animals with silly names, I found myself more interested in reading about the butler, not butler. I wonder if he has a book?

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Deceptive Duke by Scarlett Scott is book Four in the Wicked Husbands series. This is the story of Georgiana 'Georgie' and Kit. I have read the previous book (and loved it) but feel this is easily a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Kit was happy with his life as a spy but when he brother died he must take the family title of Duke of Leeds which he finds that he is in need of money to maintain everything. Georgiana is an American heiress who need to get away from her family. Kit and Georgianna marry knowing that it isn't a love match but Kit ups and leaves shortly after the marriage on a 'hunting trip'. This leads Georgianna to start caring for homeless animals in need. Kit 'hunting trip' was actually another spy assignment which took him away but months later returned hurt and his cover blown. Returning to his home injured and to find it has been overtaken by animals. Kit also finds his wife to be a strong person who isn't falling for him and his ways. Georgiana works to take care of Kit and to get him back to better health while trying to keep her feelings to herself...but love always wins in the end.
Really enjoyed their story (animal lover her so I can see collecting those animals) and once I started reading I couldn't put it down...loved it!

[Nicole]

Dnf 9%

[Les Romantiques · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review posted on Les Romantiques – le forum du site
Reviewed by Rinou
Review copy by the publisher

Fourth volume in the Wicked Husbands series but can be read alone, Her Deceptive Duke features Kit when he comes back to London wounded and sees again the wife he abandoned the day of their wedding six months before.

In fact, Kit is a spy for the crown. He married Georgiana for her fortune and left her just before the wedding breakfast to go in America for a mission. He didn’t wait the end of the day, didn’t consummate their union, and found that totally normal because he married her only to shore up the coffers of the dukedom’s he’s just inherited. This kind of motive is often used in romances, the instant abandon very less (but if I had checked I’d have seen it’s also the theme of the previous volumes). I’m quite surprised there’s no allusion to the scandal his departure should have provoked.

Kit got on my nerves almost from the start. Yes he is wounded and feverish when he comes back home, but even when his health improves his behavior stays the same. To resume he is a condescending moron who spends his time insulting the heroine, belittling her because of her origins or her love for the animals she cares for, and accusing her of sleeping with the butler. Even when he starts to feel attraction for her he thinks she’s got nothing for her except her beauty and her fortune. We’ll have to wait the three quarters of the book for him to finally apologize for leaving her on their wedding day, when before that he only said he was forced to and staying one or two days more wouldn’t have changed anything – while thinking perhaps he should have stayed a little more.

Georgianna is an American girl who grew up in a farm and inherited a fortune from her uncle. His father decided to find her a husband in London (why London and not New-York?). At first she’s decided to care for her husband then get a divorce, but too soon she finds herself attracted to him to the point where her only reactions to his mean remarks are to notice he has a beautiful forehead or an alluring thigh (big sigh) (Kit’s wound is on his leg and she nurses him, she doesn’t have a hidden thigh fetish lol). Yes there’s a scene where she tells him what she thinks of his behavior, and two others where she thinks she shouldn’t feel anything for him because he’s too mean and she can’t trust him, but just after he is kind with the cat and the kitten and pff, the reason is forgotten and her ovaries quiver. (sigh again).

There are a lot of repetition throughout the story: the hero’s physical pain, his anger concerning the treason that led to he being wounded, concerning the fact there are animals everywhere in his house, concerning the fact his wife sleeps with the butler, then overnight after kissing her he knows she’s an innocent without us knowing how he changed his mind, and then he wants to keep her in his life.

So yes we see a big evolution in the hero. But he was so mean for so long that it was not difficult, and most of all it was too late for me. And then, as there’s a threat to the heroine, he finally takes a unilateral decision to protect Georgiana without asking her or even informing her. We can imagine how that pleased me as I hate lack of communication in a couple in romances. But in any way as I’d have preferred for the heroine to leave her verbally abusive husband, that didn’t make much difference.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgiana, Duchess of Leeds, hasn’t seen her husband since he left her on their wedding day for an extended hunting expedition to America. She finds all the fulfilment she requires in caring for the stray cats and dogs of London’s streets.
Kit, Duke of Leeds, never wanted to be duke he was always the spare & he was content with his life as one of Her Majesty’s most dedicated spies until his brother’s unexpected demise left him forced to marry an American heiress to save the family estate from ruin. The day he married her, he left for a secret assignment in America. Now Kit returns seriously wounded and his cover ruined to a townhouse brimming with creatures and a wife who can’t bear the sight of him.
This book is the fourth in the series & could well be read on its own but if like me you love series then I’d recommend reading the whole series. Georgie & Kit really don’t like each other & barely spoke before their marriage & he then left before they’d even had the wedding breakfast. She copes well in his absence & on his return nurses him. Kit however must be the worst patient ever! I think I wouldn’t have been nearly as compassionate & caring as Georgie, until quite some way into the book I disliked Kit & began to wonder how on earth he’d redeem himself. Georgie is a strong woman who won’t be walked over & whilst she was attracted to Kit she certainly wasn’t blind to his faults. The pace of the story was very good & had me engrossed from the start. I loved Ludlow, Lady & Alice who all added to the story. A well written story of a marriage of convenience with spies, Fenians & a menagerie all thrown into the delightful mix.

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her Deceptive Duke was a little to slow and boring. Georgiana Dumont, Duchess of Leeds had a passion for stray abandon animals. The story was doused with to many fury creatures running about. Her gowns covered in fur and animal saliva all over her was just a bit much. I am not an animal owner. I have always been highly allergic to the creatures. I don't dislike like animals. But I didn't enjoy reading about them in a romance story to the extent they were presented. They took up to much of the storyline.

Georgiana had been left by her husband Christopher Anthony Harcourt, Duke of Leeds right after there marriage vows were completed. He refused to even stay for the marriage Breakfast. The Duke of Leeds know as Kit was just so mean and condescending to Georgiana. He arrives home after 9 months of being on a spy mission in N.Y for the League. Kits was shot and framed as betraying the League. His gunshot wound has fester and he is feverish. Georgiana helps nurse him back to health and this begins there relationship as husband and wife being ignited. This is a Scorching Hot Sensual romance the two of them have.

The other problem I had with this story was the vallians didn't get there proper punishment. There needed to be more done to them then what they got. I like to see vallains in the story get the full treatment of punishment to fit the crimes they have committed. Not just jail. They needed to suffer more!!

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, what a fantastic book! It’s ultra hot, saucy, thrilling, exciting, sensual….I could go on but over the course of this review, I may bleat on a wee bit too much about how amazing this book is. I cannot believe that I have never read Scarlett Scott’s work before, why is that? I must have been walking around with my eyes shut to have missed this fine author, but that will soon be rectified as I will most certainly be reading more from Ms Scott.

This is book four in the Wicked Husbands series seeing as I hadn’t read any of the other before I can whole heartedly say that you really do not need to. I read this as a stand-a-lone, because the story is centred around the couple and not so much the spy network – we will get to that later 😉 I didn’t think that I had missed out on anything from the previous books, true I now need to read the other’s just because this was so darn good.

The story starts with Georgianna and Kit marrying, not voluntarily theirs was the typical arranged marriage of convenience; his Ducal family needed money and she has money as she is the daughter of a wealthy American. Match made in heaven? Not quite, seeing as the moment they are married and before the wedding day is even finished Kit swan’s off without a backwards glance at his new wife and Duchess. To say that poor Georgianna is riled doesn’t even come close to how she feels about her husband, all she can do is stand by and watch his retreating broad shouldered back walk away from her.

In the months while her husband was off on his so called ‘hunting trip’ she has had to find a way to take her mind of the hurt she was feeling when he left, that hurt soon turned into anger and now she feels nothing for the man she was made to marry. She started rescuing animals and nursing them back to health, she has literally filled the house with all manner of animals – which once her husband returns and finds dogs in his master chamber that makes for some very amusing scenes between estranged husband and wife.

He does sound like a cad and really he could have waited a day at least before he fled, but I do like Kit and there is a very good reason why he had to flee. Kit is not just a high and mighty Duke but he is also apart of a secret group of her majesties spies called ‘The legion’ he had to rush off on his latest mission, one that unfortunately for him is the one that nearly gets him killed. He turns up again months later; severely wounded after being shot when his cover was blown. He has no choice but to go home with his tail between his legs as everyone thinks him a traitor, let us just say he isn’t looking forward to the reunion with Georgiana.

I absolutely adore ‘enemies to lovers’ trope stories, I love the conflict between the couple and the HEA feels so much more earned and these two are fantastic. They argue, rant and rave, they throw abuse and insults at one and other as though it’s as easy as breathing and then there is the making up sex; my goodness me it mightily hot! Kit is gruff, broody, argumentative, he never wanted to be Duke he is far happier in his spying role, he never wanted a wife – especially one as free- spirited and feisty as Georgianna, who would be as happy as Larry to skewer him with something sharp; but the estate and the title needed the money. Yet beneath all that ruthlessness and cold heart there lies a good, loyal, decent and brave man who merely wants to do his duty. Georgianna is a wonderful lady, yes she does hate Kit with a passion for doing a runner, but when he turns up wounded she is the first to jump in and help her husband, but that doesn’t mean life is plain sailing for them especially with an unknown traitor on the loose and Georgianna ready to shoot anyone – including Kit – with her trusty pistol.

I love it!! It is such a great story; thrilling, imaginative fast-paced and supremely sexy. The character’s are well developed from the moment of meeting them you are instantly drawn to into their story but more then that they are immensely likeable and very funny; especially when they want to throttle each other. It is defiantly one that will be read and re-read again and again.

I do have to warn that there is a lot of strong language throughout, and the sex will make the reader rather hot under the collar. So if you don’t like explicit bedroom scenes and a foul mouthed hero then this may not be the best book for you, but I would say give it a go as the story is a corker. With a traitorous and complex plot, sexy spies, brooding dukes and fiery duchesses, plus a mansion full of vagrant animals; what’s not to love?

A must read for all historical romance lovers!

[Lady Nilambari Reads HR · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

Scarlett Scott has delivered a brilliant page-turner yet again!

The Plot
Georgiana an American farm girl turned heiress turned Duchess, had a lovely wedding, the big fat kind. The only problem was that her groom decided to skip town, in this case, the country, 30 mins after the wedding! 6 months go by and still no husband! Now Georgie has decided, all she wants are her adopted/ rescued animals and divorce, what she does not want is her husband, especially not when he appears at the door, limping, bloodied, feverish, angry and alas, as handsome as ever!

Kit has always been a man of honour, a spy in the League of Dukes, he is married to his work and had no time for an actual wife! He married the American to save the impoverished Duchy and promptly left! Now he is back, injured, betrayed, minus a job, angry & bleeding to a house full of animals, a savage-looking butler/ non-butler and an unwanted wife who is hell-bent on saving him!

With villians afoot and danger lurking in every corner, how are they to find their way to a HEA?

Things I Loved
- Ah, the writing! It's sublime. The story was gripping, the plot was interesting, the characters were loveable and the flow was seamless.
- Seriously, every character, Ms Scott has created is unique & adorable (in most cases), Kit & Georgie were no exception. The secondary characters are also brilliant and have their importance and a place in the story.
- There is wit and humour aplenty, text & setting is historically accurate.
- The romance is utterly delightful and the steam is steamy!

What took away 0.5 stars
- The betrayal & revenge subplot was underdeveloped. It needed a bit more clarity. I am still not sure who exactly gave up the Duke.
- I know it's not Ms Scott's style to focus on the non-romance aspects but since this particular trope had intrigue potential, a detailed explanation would have helped.

The Hero
I loved Kit, every grumbly, angry, surly and sardonic bit of him! Initially, he was all angst over everything but he was in physical pain! Once he started recovering, he was a ball of fur! Talk about character development done right. I adored his reactions to the house full of animals, the cat, the squirrel, the "non-butler", Georgie's pant-skirt, his protective behaviour, his wooing, well everything! I loved everything about him.

The Heroine
Georgie was a sweet, lovable character. After the prologue, I never felt "Oh poor you". This woman knew how to manage things, take charge and I absolutely respected that! Her animals, Kit's injury, the Duke of Carlisle, the attempts on her life, the villain, she took everything in stride! Yay Victorian feminism, this is how you do social messaging, not like Engaged in Sin (personal vendetta fulfilled)!

My Recommendation
This is a late review, I finished this series and the next one too! Highly recommended, you can never go terribly wrong with Scarlett Scott!

[~Book Reviews by Trish~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is by far one of my favorites and one that I would re-read anytime. Definitely worth the 5 star rating I am giving the book.

Kit, Duke of Leeds, is an amazing male character. He seems so heartless in the beginning until you get to know him and realize it wasn't his fault for being the way he is. Kit is one of those characters that you hate at first then you fall in love with him just like the female character Georgiana does. Georgie is a character that I sympathyized with, she loves animals of all types and wants to care for them. She has every right to not trust her husband, but she can't help but love him either.

The story itself was very well written and thought out. The author did an amazing job with making the book flow smoothly. This is the type of book I would read when I'm stuck in book funk because it is written so well.

I would recommend this book to any romance lover not just historical romance lovers. I can't wait to read the other 3 books in this series along with the author's other books.

[Firstpella · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely surprise - and a new to this Reader, author to review their back log of other stories/buy. I was very eh about sitting down and investing a few hours to read since lately all kindle buys have been historical ( why do all my fav writers of numerous genres not coordinate their release schedules with each other to insure I have a new story every 3 days ) which tend to run together in a continuous loop of corsets, scoundrels, ‘Your Grace’, and buggering. It’s rare a new to me writer will capture my attention - which Scott did.

It may just be a one time fluke - the background here with the home zoo of injured pets the Heroine keeps has been done many a time before. The cold and abandoning his wife on their wedding day, Hero, is an old tripe. The clear as a windexed window non mystery of the bad guy behind the drama is this side of tired. But, here it still worked. And the sex, and language, is contemporary - which may not be authentic but certainly made the experience more...well...um...more. Let me clean my palate and order up a PNR next before sitting down with a new historical, which eventually will be another Scott.

[Lana Birky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story - I fell in love with our heroine, Georgiana "Georgie", Duchess of Leeds, & my heart broke when her husband left her before the wedding breakfast to go on a secret assignment in America & she didn't hear from him for 6 months. She was so kind & loving & she wasn't going to sit around & feel sorry for herself so she began rescuing stray & abandoned animals from London streets. Then Kit, the Duke of Leeds returns, wounded & close to death. She takes care of him, brings her Veterinarian in to heal him, even though he couldn't be bothered to admit he has a wife he abandoned. This was a marriage of convenience - she needed to get away from her father & stepmother & he needed her money. Kit never wanted to be a duke & he dedicated his life to working as a spy, but then his older brother died - leaving him with a destitute dukedom & a title.

When he returns to London, wounded & his cover broken, he finds his townhouse overflowing with creatures - even his apartment has been taken over by the dogs & his wife can't seem to stomach his existence (duh, can you blame her?). Can they find their way to love, to trust, & forgiveness?

This is a steamy romance with great a hero, heroine, non-butler & animals - I highly recommend this book & the whole series.

[Rose Maria]

H33,h20
I loved the storyline....and i loved the heroine....loved her love for stray animals
But don't know why i losing interest.....read until 16th chapter....then DNF