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Duke Dynasty #4
Um duque à paisana (Dinastia dos duques Livro 4)
The wit and passion of New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries take center stage as members of a blended family uncover clues about their combined pasts—and blaze paths to their future loves...
Along with his stepsiblings, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined to finally solve the mysteries behind the suspicious deaths of their mother’s three husbands. Tasked with investigating a possible suspect, Sheridan finds himself in dangerous proximity to her captivating daughter, Vanessa Pryde. But still haunted by a tragically lost love, the duke is resolved to resist the attraction—and avoid any “scheming” husband-hunters. Besides, lovely Miss Pryde seems utterly smitten with a roguish London playwright...
Vanessa thinks a little scheming may be in order—for it’s Sheridan she truly has her sights, and her heart, set on. Her theatrical flirtation is intended only to break through his business-like demeanor and guarded emotions. And as Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two soon find themselves propelled into a scheme of an altogether different kind, involving a pretend engagement, a secret inquiry—and a perhaps not-so-secret leap into true love...
Along with his stepsiblings, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined to finally solve the mysteries behind the suspicious deaths of their mother’s three husbands. Tasked with investigating a possible suspect, Sheridan finds himself in dangerous proximity to her captivating daughter, Vanessa Pryde. But still haunted by a tragically lost love, the duke is resolved to resist the attraction—and avoid any “scheming” husband-hunters. Besides, lovely Miss Pryde seems utterly smitten with a roguish London playwright...
Vanessa thinks a little scheming may be in order—for it’s Sheridan she truly has her sights, and her heart, set on. Her theatrical flirtation is intended only to break through his business-like demeanor and guarded emotions. And as Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two soon find themselves propelled into a scheme of an altogether different kind, involving a pretend engagement, a secret inquiry—and a perhaps not-so-secret leap into true love...
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2021
823 people are currently reading
6137 people want to read
About the author
Sabrina Jeffries
87 books4,795 followersSabrina Jeffries is the NYT bestselling author of over 50 novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Whatever time not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze of dreams and madness is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music. With over 11 million books published in print and electronically in 25 different languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world.
She always dreams big.
She always dreams big.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
February 28, 2022
Arghhhh! I can hardly bear to think Undercover Duke as being the last full book (I’m holding out for the novella or a Christmas collection story) in the delightful Duke Dynasty. Well, except for the murder part, I shouldn’t refer to murder as delightful.
Imagine if you would a world where one lovely woman marries three times, each time to a duke, bearing a future-actually in two cases not so much future- duke, plus two other children.
In the first book, Project Dynasty, the penny dropped for Sheridan, the current and unexpected Duke of Armitage and his two half brothers. Sheridan finally realized too many dukes had died unexpectedly from illness or strange accidents. Sheridan never expected to be a duke, with an uncle and his father between him and a dukedom. Eventually the shocking idea of murder became the only reasonable explanation.
These dukes and one of their in-laws are truly amateur detectives, going off on tangents and suspecting everyone; everyone except the most obvious but the one with the most obscure motive.
Which is fine, because at least they are smart enough to begin to investigate and most importantly to fall in love with women who match them, or more accurately, sometimes outmatching them.
I’ve enjoyed all of the books in this series, but I will admit to have anxiously been awaiting Sheridan and Vanessa’s story. They aren’t star-crossed but common sense crossed; there were a few times I just wanted to shake them. Snap out of it! One was deeply in love and resorted to subterfuge, the other refused to love again after his fiancée died from consumption.
Jeffries does banter so well, snappy and amusing although at times I thought the comments were a bit too modern. Sometimes I think authors include such comments as a wink and a nod to modern readers.
I think Jeffries historical research is impeccable, with the settings and details of dress, and mores etc drawing me into the story.
I am invested in all her characters and pleased they did not disappear from one book to the next. From female scientist to gamekeeper’s sister the women were never caricatures or empty-headed. They were a match for the men in every way, with Vanessa no exception.
Sheridan may have been the most stubborn, prideful and hardheaded of the three dukes, making Vanessa his perfect match.
Undercover Duke was an enjoyable romance on every level, and the murder mystery had a satisfying ending; I was wrong in many of my conclusions.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sabrina Jeffries for the ARC.
Imagine if you would a world where one lovely woman marries three times, each time to a duke, bearing a future-actually in two cases not so much future- duke, plus two other children.
In the first book, Project Dynasty, the penny dropped for Sheridan, the current and unexpected Duke of Armitage and his two half brothers. Sheridan finally realized too many dukes had died unexpectedly from illness or strange accidents. Sheridan never expected to be a duke, with an uncle and his father between him and a dukedom. Eventually the shocking idea of murder became the only reasonable explanation.
These dukes and one of their in-laws are truly amateur detectives, going off on tangents and suspecting everyone; everyone except the most obvious but the one with the most obscure motive.
Which is fine, because at least they are smart enough to begin to investigate and most importantly to fall in love with women who match them, or more accurately, sometimes outmatching them.
I’ve enjoyed all of the books in this series, but I will admit to have anxiously been awaiting Sheridan and Vanessa’s story. They aren’t star-crossed but common sense crossed; there were a few times I just wanted to shake them. Snap out of it! One was deeply in love and resorted to subterfuge, the other refused to love again after his fiancée died from consumption.
Jeffries does banter so well, snappy and amusing although at times I thought the comments were a bit too modern. Sometimes I think authors include such comments as a wink and a nod to modern readers.
I think Jeffries historical research is impeccable, with the settings and details of dress, and mores etc drawing me into the story.
I am invested in all her characters and pleased they did not disappear from one book to the next. From female scientist to gamekeeper’s sister the women were never caricatures or empty-headed. They were a match for the men in every way, with Vanessa no exception.
Sheridan may have been the most stubborn, prideful and hardheaded of the three dukes, making Vanessa his perfect match.
Undercover Duke was an enjoyable romance on every level, and the murder mystery had a satisfying ending; I was wrong in many of my conclusions.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sabrina Jeffries for the ARC.
August 5, 2021
“Un duce sub acoperire” este o carte plină demiterea, ce-și propune să elucideze enigma morții a trei duci, ce aveau în comun un singur lucru: erau căsătoriți cu aceeași femeie...Lydia!
Astfel, Sheridan Wolfe, duce de Armitage, împreună cu frații săi, decid să elucideze acest mister vechi de decenii.
Tânărul duce de Armitage se vede nevoit să profite de prietenia lui cu Vanessa Pryde, verișoara fratelui său vitreg... și totul pentru a o putea interoga pe mama acesteia.
O lectură interesantă, cu siguranță! Cu personaje puternice, dispuse să descopere adevarul indiferent de consecințe.
Vanessa este hotărâtă să îl facă pe Sheridan să o observe, iar pentru a reuși este decisăsă acționeze. Tânărul duce de Armitage este convins că Vanessa, deși în atrage fizic, nu este menită să devină soția lui.
Dar, comploturile puse la cale par a conduce către un deznodământ cu totul neprevăzut. Pasiunea fulgerătoare dintre Vanessa și Sheridan se transformă treptat în sentimente cu mult mai puternice. Tânărul nu vrea să le recunoască și luptă cu aceste emoții.
Sabrina Jeffries este o autoare aparte. Cu acest volum m-a convins că are talent și ingeniozitate, reușește să își ia prin surprindere cititorii.
O poveste de dragoste plină de piedici, cu pericole ce amenință din fiecare pagină. Și doi eroi care reușesc să ne încânte!
Astfel, Sheridan Wolfe, duce de Armitage, împreună cu frații săi, decid să elucideze acest mister vechi de decenii.
Tânărul duce de Armitage se vede nevoit să profite de prietenia lui cu Vanessa Pryde, verișoara fratelui său vitreg... și totul pentru a o putea interoga pe mama acesteia.
O lectură interesantă, cu siguranță! Cu personaje puternice, dispuse să descopere adevarul indiferent de consecințe.
Vanessa este hotărâtă să îl facă pe Sheridan să o observe, iar pentru a reuși este decisăsă acționeze. Tânărul duce de Armitage este convins că Vanessa, deși în atrage fizic, nu este menită să devină soția lui.
Dar, comploturile puse la cale par a conduce către un deznodământ cu totul neprevăzut. Pasiunea fulgerătoare dintre Vanessa și Sheridan se transformă treptat în sentimente cu mult mai puternice. Tânărul nu vrea să le recunoască și luptă cu aceste emoții.
Sabrina Jeffries este o autoare aparte. Cu acest volum m-a convins că are talent și ingeniozitate, reușește să își ia prin surprindere cititorii.
O poveste de dragoste plină de piedici, cu pericole ce amenință din fiecare pagină. Și doi eroi care reușesc să ne încânte!
April 19, 2021
Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is working with his siblings to solve the mystery of suspicious deaths in his family. One witness he need to question is mother to Vanessa Pryde, a captivating miss with a secret crush on the duke. Vanessa fakes an attraction to another man and, when Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two find themselves in a compromising position.
This is the fourth book in the Duke Dynasty series. It is best read in order with the other books because of the overarching investigation and complex family tree. Many of the couples and characters from the previous novels play a role.
This story was an enjoyable read, although I cared more about the intrigue with the murders than I did about Vanessa and Sheridan's relationship. They enter into a fake courtship as Sheridan is trying to accomplish dual goals: interrogate Vanessa's mother, and prove to Vanessa that the man Sheridan thinks Vanessa wants is actually a cad. There was an additional "roadblock" of Sheridan not wanting to marry (and an explanation why) that I thought could have been omitted in order to streamline all the other secrets and intrigue that kept stacking up.
The foreshadowing was very good. I guessed the villain early in the story, but there was a twist that kept it from being completely predictable. Overall, it was a satisfying conclusion to the series.
Tropes: Secret Crush, Fake Relationship, Compromised
Eggplant Rating: 2
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #UndercoverDuke #NetGalley
This is the fourth book in the Duke Dynasty series. It is best read in order with the other books because of the overarching investigation and complex family tree. Many of the couples and characters from the previous novels play a role.
This story was an enjoyable read, although I cared more about the intrigue with the murders than I did about Vanessa and Sheridan's relationship. They enter into a fake courtship as Sheridan is trying to accomplish dual goals: interrogate Vanessa's mother, and prove to Vanessa that the man Sheridan thinks Vanessa wants is actually a cad. There was an additional "roadblock" of Sheridan not wanting to marry (and an explanation why) that I thought could have been omitted in order to streamline all the other secrets and intrigue that kept stacking up.
The foreshadowing was very good. I guessed the villain early in the story, but there was a twist that kept it from being completely predictable. Overall, it was a satisfying conclusion to the series.
Tropes: Secret Crush, Fake Relationship, Compromised
Eggplant Rating: 2
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #UndercoverDuke #NetGalley
May 6, 2021
THIS WASN'T THE ENDING THAT I EXPECTED
Actual rating: 2.5 ⭐
I have really enjoying this series - the romance, the mystery, the lovely banter. So perhaps my expectations were simply too high for this conclusion 🤔🤷♀️
👍 What I Liked 👍
Old couples: This series has had so many wonderful couples, so it might not come as a surprise that my favorite part of this last book was how much we got to see of the previous couples and their lives after the end of their own books.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Mystery: This entire series has built up to the point where we finally learn who murdered the four dukes. But when it all came down to it, the conclusion felt more like an afterthought than anything else. It didn't really play a part of this book until the very end and then it just seemed... inconsequential.
Relationship: Sheridan and Vanessa's relationship didn't connect with me fully. I kind of wanted more preface in order to really get into their relationship. I know we've seen them together in previous books, but it just didn't carry for me. It just didn't feel like enough.
Sheridan: Now, I don't dislike Sheridan. I dislike the way he thinks and makes decisions. I found his reasoning for pushing away Vanessa both thin and clichéd. I really wanted him to not be just another HR trope...
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Actual rating: 2.5 ⭐
I have really enjoying this series - the romance, the mystery, the lovely banter. So perhaps my expectations were simply too high for this conclusion 🤔🤷♀️
👍 What I Liked 👍
Old couples: This series has had so many wonderful couples, so it might not come as a surprise that my favorite part of this last book was how much we got to see of the previous couples and their lives after the end of their own books.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Mystery: This entire series has built up to the point where we finally learn who murdered the four dukes. But when it all came down to it, the conclusion felt more like an afterthought than anything else. It didn't really play a part of this book until the very end and then it just seemed... inconsequential.
Relationship: Sheridan and Vanessa's relationship didn't connect with me fully. I kind of wanted more preface in order to really get into their relationship. I know we've seen them together in previous books, but it just didn't carry for me. It just didn't feel like enough.
Sheridan: Now, I don't dislike Sheridan. I dislike the way he thinks and makes decisions. I found his reasoning for pushing away Vanessa both thin and clichéd. I really wanted him to not be just another HR trope...
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Follow me for more book loving content!
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Blog Post: 15 Bookworm Problems
May 11, 2021
Series: Duke Dynasty #4
Publication Date: 5/25/21
Number of Pages: 352
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, bright, kind, vivacious diamond of the first water who married a duke during her first season. After his untimely death, she married two more dukes and had a total of five children before the age of five and twenty. Luckily for all of them, the last duke managed to live long enough to raise and be a father to all five of those children. Upon his untimely death, those now-grown children begin to put two and two together and realized that someone had been killing off their mother’s husbands. Who would hate their mother that much? As we’ve worked through each of her children’s books - Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt and Beatrice Wolfe (Project Duchess), Lord Heywood Wolfe and Cassandra Isles (A Perfect Match – a novella in the Seduction on a Snowy Night anthology), Lady Gwyn Drake and Joshua Wolfe (The Bachelor), and Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock and Miss Olivia Norley (Who Wants to Marry a Duke) – we’ve gotten more and more hints about who the murderer is. You may have figured out who it is – or not – but not the true reason behind it and you won’t know that until the murderer is revealed.
Since the murders have been solved and all of the step-siblings have found their HEAs, I think this must be the last book in the series. There is a novella coming out near Christmas that will feature a recurrent character, Juncker, in this series, but I don’t really think it is part of the series. Anyway, this book was a delightful, exciting, twist-and-turn, cannot-put-it-down wrap-up for the series. All the threads are wrapped up and we get to visit with all of the step-siblings. It is well-written, delightfully complex, and wonderfully sensual – not to mention breath-holding while in pursuit of the villain.
Sheridan Wolfe, new Duke of Armitage, was the one to put the puzzle together and recognize that all of the deaths in his family may not have been what they appeared to be. With the death of his father a year ago, Sheridan inherited a duchy that was on the brink of insolvency. It seems that no matter what he does, how hard he tries, he cannot bring the estate around to make it pay for itself. He doesn’t blame his father because he was only the duke for a few months. His father was never supposed to be the duke, but when his uncle died unexpectedly, his father had to return to England and assume his role as duke. It was his uncle who bankrupted the duchy. Sheridan – known to his siblings as Saint Sheridan – always tries to do what is right, what is correct and honorable and he just cannot see a way to save the duchy. He certainly won’t consider marriage to an heiress; he just can’t do that. He supposes he’ll have to marry and produce an heir someday, but that will be far in the future if at all. He loved once and it nearly killed him – he won’t do it again.
Vanessa Pryde has been attracted to Sheridan Wolfe since the day she met him. However, if he notices her at all, he treats her as a little sister. She is so frustrated that he won’t notice her as the grown woman she is! What is a girl to do? Well, she’ll just do a little scheming and make him jealous by pretending to be interested in the poet/playwright Juncker – and she’ll ask Sheridan to help her make Juncker jealous. Convoluted – Yes! Misguided – Yes! However, it is fun to watch Sheridan stew because he hasn’t been as unaware of her as she thinks. Of course, he has his own motives for agreeing to help her – and they aren’t exactly aboveboard either.
I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is delightfully entertaining with wonderful, very likable, and relatable characters. The book, the plot, the characters, the romance, was so engaging I couldn’t put it down and read it straight through in one sitting. If you try it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Publication Date: 5/25/21
Number of Pages: 352
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, bright, kind, vivacious diamond of the first water who married a duke during her first season. After his untimely death, she married two more dukes and had a total of five children before the age of five and twenty. Luckily for all of them, the last duke managed to live long enough to raise and be a father to all five of those children. Upon his untimely death, those now-grown children begin to put two and two together and realized that someone had been killing off their mother’s husbands. Who would hate their mother that much? As we’ve worked through each of her children’s books - Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt and Beatrice Wolfe (Project Duchess), Lord Heywood Wolfe and Cassandra Isles (A Perfect Match – a novella in the Seduction on a Snowy Night anthology), Lady Gwyn Drake and Joshua Wolfe (The Bachelor), and Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock and Miss Olivia Norley (Who Wants to Marry a Duke) – we’ve gotten more and more hints about who the murderer is. You may have figured out who it is – or not – but not the true reason behind it and you won’t know that until the murderer is revealed.
Since the murders have been solved and all of the step-siblings have found their HEAs, I think this must be the last book in the series. There is a novella coming out near Christmas that will feature a recurrent character, Juncker, in this series, but I don’t really think it is part of the series. Anyway, this book was a delightful, exciting, twist-and-turn, cannot-put-it-down wrap-up for the series. All the threads are wrapped up and we get to visit with all of the step-siblings. It is well-written, delightfully complex, and wonderfully sensual – not to mention breath-holding while in pursuit of the villain.
Sheridan Wolfe, new Duke of Armitage, was the one to put the puzzle together and recognize that all of the deaths in his family may not have been what they appeared to be. With the death of his father a year ago, Sheridan inherited a duchy that was on the brink of insolvency. It seems that no matter what he does, how hard he tries, he cannot bring the estate around to make it pay for itself. He doesn’t blame his father because he was only the duke for a few months. His father was never supposed to be the duke, but when his uncle died unexpectedly, his father had to return to England and assume his role as duke. It was his uncle who bankrupted the duchy. Sheridan – known to his siblings as Saint Sheridan – always tries to do what is right, what is correct and honorable and he just cannot see a way to save the duchy. He certainly won’t consider marriage to an heiress; he just can’t do that. He supposes he’ll have to marry and produce an heir someday, but that will be far in the future if at all. He loved once and it nearly killed him – he won’t do it again.
Vanessa Pryde has been attracted to Sheridan Wolfe since the day she met him. However, if he notices her at all, he treats her as a little sister. She is so frustrated that he won’t notice her as the grown woman she is! What is a girl to do? Well, she’ll just do a little scheming and make him jealous by pretending to be interested in the poet/playwright Juncker – and she’ll ask Sheridan to help her make Juncker jealous. Convoluted – Yes! Misguided – Yes! However, it is fun to watch Sheridan stew because he hasn’t been as unaware of her as she thinks. Of course, he has his own motives for agreeing to help her – and they aren’t exactly aboveboard either.
I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is delightfully entertaining with wonderful, very likable, and relatable characters. The book, the plot, the characters, the romance, was so engaging I couldn’t put it down and read it straight through in one sitting. If you try it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 21, 2021
This series started when after the deaths of 3 husbands and her brother-in-law, the Duchess of Armitage’s children begin to wonder if foul play was involved and set out to discover the truth. After a lot of frustration and dead ends, the siblings have narrowed their suspects down to three ladies that were present at the time of the deaths of the duchess’s first two husbands. One of the ladies is the Duke of Greycourt’s aunt, but with his wife entering confinement with their first child, Grey tasks his half-brother Sheridan Wolfe, the Duke of Armitage with interviewing his aunt, Lady Eustance. With no real reason to call on her, Sheridan forms a plan to pretend to woo her daughter, Vanessa Pryde. An idea that takes wings when Vanessa agrees to play along if Sheridan will help her make the playwright, Konrad Juncker jealous enough to offer for her.
Vanessa has no interest in Mr. Juncker, Sheridan has always been the man she wanted, but he has never paid any interest in her at all and has made it clear that he is not looking to marry any time soon. She is hopeful that if he spends time with her, she can change his mind. But what she doesn’t know is that Sheridan’s heart was broken years ago and he refuses to risk it again – no matter how much Vanessa tempts him. But when they are caught in a passionate embrace, the only way to protect Vanessa is to marry her. Sheridan rationalizes his eagerness by thinking that he is keeping her out of the clutches of the rakish Mr. Juncker, that her dowry will help shore up his failing estate and he will have credible access to her mother for questioning – that is his story and he is sticking to it!
After they marry, Vanessa learns the real reason he started wooing her and is hurt, but she wants to clear her mother’s name and offers to help. But Sheridan was not the only one with secrets and these two will have to come clean and open their hearts to get their HEA, assuming that the killer doesn’t strike again before they get the chance!
This was a good book, well-written and nicely paced with wonderful characters and the conclusion to a series-long, well-thought-out, and perfectly executed murder mystery. The book is full of secrets, steamyish love scenes, great characters, cameos from previous heroes/heroines, a hero with a broken heart, a heroine who knows what she wants, and a nail-biter ending as well as a very sweet and satisfying epilogue. I enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it. This is the fourth book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone, I would strongly recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *
Vanessa has no interest in Mr. Juncker, Sheridan has always been the man she wanted, but he has never paid any interest in her at all and has made it clear that he is not looking to marry any time soon. She is hopeful that if he spends time with her, she can change his mind. But what she doesn’t know is that Sheridan’s heart was broken years ago and he refuses to risk it again – no matter how much Vanessa tempts him. But when they are caught in a passionate embrace, the only way to protect Vanessa is to marry her. Sheridan rationalizes his eagerness by thinking that he is keeping her out of the clutches of the rakish Mr. Juncker, that her dowry will help shore up his failing estate and he will have credible access to her mother for questioning – that is his story and he is sticking to it!
After they marry, Vanessa learns the real reason he started wooing her and is hurt, but she wants to clear her mother’s name and offers to help. But Sheridan was not the only one with secrets and these two will have to come clean and open their hearts to get their HEA, assuming that the killer doesn’t strike again before they get the chance!
This was a good book, well-written and nicely paced with wonderful characters and the conclusion to a series-long, well-thought-out, and perfectly executed murder mystery. The book is full of secrets, steamyish love scenes, great characters, cameos from previous heroes/heroines, a hero with a broken heart, a heroine who knows what she wants, and a nail-biter ending as well as a very sweet and satisfying epilogue. I enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it. This is the fourth book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone, I would strongly recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *
June 14, 2021
Dukely deaths unmasked!
A convoluted plot as Sheridan Wolfe, the Duke of Armitage, and his siblings try to discover who might have killed the various Dukes, and their fathers, their mother, the Dowager Duchess Lydia Pryde Drake had married. Their suspicions have landed on three women. That investigation was to take place at a house party by Sheridan’s half brother Grey, the Duke of Greycourt, but that’s now not possible, so it’s up to Sheridan. This leads to Sheridan pretending to be engaged to Vanessa Pride, whom it seems is “too attractive for Sheridan’s sanity.” Vanessa has her own reasons for joining in this deadly farce. Something to do with a playwright, Konrad Junker she’s “gushing” over. Vanessa’s woven a web of deceits that she’s afraid she’ll find hard to untangle. Hmm!
Vanessa is one of the best aspects as we come to the unveiling of who’s been disposing of the Dowager Duchess’s Dukely husbands over the years. Another great episode in Jeffries highly readable, yet deadly, regency romance saga!
A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
A convoluted plot as Sheridan Wolfe, the Duke of Armitage, and his siblings try to discover who might have killed the various Dukes, and their fathers, their mother, the Dowager Duchess Lydia Pryde Drake had married. Their suspicions have landed on three women. That investigation was to take place at a house party by Sheridan’s half brother Grey, the Duke of Greycourt, but that’s now not possible, so it’s up to Sheridan. This leads to Sheridan pretending to be engaged to Vanessa Pride, whom it seems is “too attractive for Sheridan’s sanity.” Vanessa has her own reasons for joining in this deadly farce. Something to do with a playwright, Konrad Junker she’s “gushing” over. Vanessa’s woven a web of deceits that she’s afraid she’ll find hard to untangle. Hmm!
Vanessa is one of the best aspects as we come to the unveiling of who’s been disposing of the Dowager Duchess’s Dukely husbands over the years. Another great episode in Jeffries highly readable, yet deadly, regency romance saga!
A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
October 23, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
Sheridan Wolfe, the Duke of Armitage, and his colorful array of half siblings are convinced the untimely deaths of their mother’s three husbands can only be explained by foul play and they’re determined to at last uncover the truth. Sheridan is tasked with questioning one of the most difficult ladies in the Ton, which brings him closer to her intriguing daughter, Vanessa Pryde. But since the death of his fiancé years ago, Sheridan has been determined to guard his heart from potential hurts and remain a bachelor. It’s of no consequence anyway as Vanessa is said to be wildly in love with a well-known, rakish playwright.
Even knowing how Sheridan despises schemes, Vanessa believes some may be necessary if she hopes to catch him. Her flirtation with the playwright is only meant to rouse Sheridan’s jealousy and cause him to truly notice her. As her scheme begins to work, perhaps a little too well, Sheridan and Vanessa find themselves involved in a fake courtship, all the while Sheridan attempts to conduct his quiet questioning, and their mutual attraction becomes impossible to ignore.
At last, the murders have been solved! I’ve loved the mystery aspect of these stories and would definitely recommend reading the series in order. I enjoyed this one, though I must say I figured out the villain frustratingly early and Vanessa’s scheming left me more annoyed than charmed. Vanessa had to grow on me a lot because I wanted her to stand up to her awful mother and work openly for what she wanted instead of the underhanded manipulation going on so long. Sheridan was relatably reticent, but I did want more from him. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but just more somehow. I’d hoped for more honest, openness from both Vanessa and Sheridan but it was so late in coming that the ending felt rushed and the love/relationship itself could’ve used more depth. I would’ve liked a bit more time for Sheridan and Vanessa to be together after they were finally honest with each other and the scheming was over, rather than having so much of the book devoted to said scheming, but we did get a very satisfying, Christmassy epilogue with all the previous main characters present. The conclusion was a bit quick to be the culmination of a storyline that has continued for so long, but it was still satisfying enough. I think I just wanted to see a bit more of the development of their love beyond the physical attraction. As an aside, their first time was also one of the most awkward, cringeworthy bedroom scenes I’ve ever read and some of the following scenes with Sheridan’s mother just made it weirder. Neither Sheridan nor Vanessa were my favorites, but they were still solid characters and I liked that it was Vanessa who helped him with his learning disability without this being the main focus of the book. Overall, this book didn’t wow me and I would’ve liked more romance, but it was enjoyable and I look forward to Juncker’s novella.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Sheridan Wolfe, the Duke of Armitage, and his colorful array of half siblings are convinced the untimely deaths of their mother’s three husbands can only be explained by foul play and they’re determined to at last uncover the truth. Sheridan is tasked with questioning one of the most difficult ladies in the Ton, which brings him closer to her intriguing daughter, Vanessa Pryde. But since the death of his fiancé years ago, Sheridan has been determined to guard his heart from potential hurts and remain a bachelor. It’s of no consequence anyway as Vanessa is said to be wildly in love with a well-known, rakish playwright.
Even knowing how Sheridan despises schemes, Vanessa believes some may be necessary if she hopes to catch him. Her flirtation with the playwright is only meant to rouse Sheridan’s jealousy and cause him to truly notice her. As her scheme begins to work, perhaps a little too well, Sheridan and Vanessa find themselves involved in a fake courtship, all the while Sheridan attempts to conduct his quiet questioning, and their mutual attraction becomes impossible to ignore.
At last, the murders have been solved! I’ve loved the mystery aspect of these stories and would definitely recommend reading the series in order. I enjoyed this one, though I must say I figured out the villain frustratingly early and Vanessa’s scheming left me more annoyed than charmed. Vanessa had to grow on me a lot because I wanted her to stand up to her awful mother and work openly for what she wanted instead of the underhanded manipulation going on so long. Sheridan was relatably reticent, but I did want more from him. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but just more somehow. I’d hoped for more honest, openness from both Vanessa and Sheridan but it was so late in coming that the ending felt rushed and the love/relationship itself could’ve used more depth. I would’ve liked a bit more time for Sheridan and Vanessa to be together after they were finally honest with each other and the scheming was over, rather than having so much of the book devoted to said scheming, but we did get a very satisfying, Christmassy epilogue with all the previous main characters present. The conclusion was a bit quick to be the culmination of a storyline that has continued for so long, but it was still satisfying enough. I think I just wanted to see a bit more of the development of their love beyond the physical attraction. As an aside, their first time was also one of the most awkward, cringeworthy bedroom scenes I’ve ever read and some of the following scenes with Sheridan’s mother just made it weirder. Neither Sheridan nor Vanessa were my favorites, but they were still solid characters and I liked that it was Vanessa who helped him with his learning disability without this being the main focus of the book. Overall, this book didn’t wow me and I would’ve liked more romance, but it was enjoyable and I look forward to Juncker’s novella.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
March 14, 2021
What a great ending to this exceptional series!
I love a heroine who knows what she wants. Put her in a historical romance where society’s conventions put a restraint on those desires, and that provides all kinds of fun outcomes. Ms. Jeffries took Vanessa’s desire for Sheridan and turned his world upside down. I loved how Vanessa was smart enough to maneuver the situation to fit her needs. Sheridan didn’t have a clue he was being gently manipulated.
Watching Sheridan manipulate Vanessa, unknowing that he was the one being manipulated, was just too much fun. It was plain to see how he truly felt, despite his ignorance of his own feelings. Give me a hero that is jealous to the point of acting impetuously, one that is protective beyond reason, and I’m a happy reader. Poor Sheridan. He never had a clue.
This is a fast read with so much wit and fun throughout, involving all the characters from the series. I adore the way this family harassed each other with love. There is plenty of drama as the whole group continues to investigate who the murderer might be. Along with the relationship angst between Sheridan and Vanessa, there are also some pretty hot and steamy scenes with this couple.
Overall, a perfect book to wrap things up all while giving us a happily ever after for Sheridan.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
I love a heroine who knows what she wants. Put her in a historical romance where society’s conventions put a restraint on those desires, and that provides all kinds of fun outcomes. Ms. Jeffries took Vanessa’s desire for Sheridan and turned his world upside down. I loved how Vanessa was smart enough to maneuver the situation to fit her needs. Sheridan didn’t have a clue he was being gently manipulated.
Watching Sheridan manipulate Vanessa, unknowing that he was the one being manipulated, was just too much fun. It was plain to see how he truly felt, despite his ignorance of his own feelings. Give me a hero that is jealous to the point of acting impetuously, one that is protective beyond reason, and I’m a happy reader. Poor Sheridan. He never had a clue.
This is a fast read with so much wit and fun throughout, involving all the characters from the series. I adore the way this family harassed each other with love. There is plenty of drama as the whole group continues to investigate who the murderer might be. Along with the relationship angst between Sheridan and Vanessa, there are also some pretty hot and steamy scenes with this couple.
Overall, a perfect book to wrap things up all while giving us a happily ever after for Sheridan.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
November 2, 2021
3,5 stars!
June 10, 2021
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖 4 books
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 3 butterfly
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 3 broken hearts
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ 3 lightnings
Romance: 💞💞💞 3 hearts
Sensuality: 💋💋 2 kiss
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 4 peach
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, some decent banter sprinkled throughout.
This is the 4th book of Sabrina Jeffries’ latest series. This series is best read in order, as there is a ‘mystery’ all the children of the duchess are trying to solve. You do find out the villain in this one, so if you don’t want to ruin the mystery in the others, start with book 1, Project Duchess. A bit more is given away each book. If you don’t mind missing out on that, this book is okay as a standalone – there is a touch of character overlap from previous books, but nothing extensive. I thought this one was the last in the series, but Juncker’s story will be a novella in A Yuletide Kiss titled When We Finally Kiss Goodnight.
Sheridan is faced with investigating a suspect in the murder of his mother’s 3 dead husbands. He must try to coax the truth from Lady Eustace but he has no idea that her daughter, Vanessa has a tendre for him and has for a number of years.
Give this book a try if you want:
- Mid/late 20s MC - hero is 29 and heroine is 25
- While not explicitly full figured heroine – she is described as the opposite of tall and willowy and elegant – a short, voluptuous vixen
- 1809 time period (pre-regency)
- Mid steam - a few kisses and a few full scenes - locations at end of review under spoiler
- Fake relationship trope! These two "pretend" to be interested in each other to make Vanessa's supposed love interest jealous
- A bit of a jealous hero - he's not over the top but he is watching, and snapping at people looking at his woman, punching people that touch his woman....love 🤣
- Unrequited love - Vanessa has adored Sheridan for some time but he is a bit clueless
So, not going to lie, this whole series was a little bit meh for me :( There hasn't been a single book I adored, nothing that had my breath catching, my heart pounding. I'm not sure, it might just be me and normal people will totally enjoy this.
I do think this one was my favorite so far, but not by much. There was a little feeling of immaturity with how the heroine is trying to get the hero. Her plan just didn't seem that well thought out or logical. But still, I do enjoy fake relationship, so I let it slide.
I did like that Sheridan was quite jealous. I don't think he really understand what was going on with his feelings for Vanessa but he kept showing them through his behavior. (I know jealousy can be problematic, so if that's not your thing, take note)
There was some pleasant banter and romance mixed in throughout the book. I was a bit bored with some of the investigation stuff. It would seem like I would just be getting into their relationship and then it would be family drama/investigation time again and I would get bored.
I also do get annoyed with heroes that CAN NEVER MARRY or CAN NEVER FALL IN LOVE and....well I have just come to expect that from Sabrina Jeffries heroes. It's a plotline that I see a lot in her books and it's not my favorite. BUT in this book, it wasn't the main obstacle, and even though the hero was against marriage, it didn't stop him from doing the right thing. (Some of her other books it was dragged out until the end until they just magically realize it's okay to get married. So I'm glad that wasn't going on here)
Here's a sweet, romantic part of the book I enjoyed
Content warning:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖 4 books
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 3 butterfly
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 3 broken hearts
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ 3 lightnings
Romance: 💞💞💞 3 hearts
Sensuality: 💋💋 2 kiss
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 4 peach
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, some decent banter sprinkled throughout.
This is the 4th book of Sabrina Jeffries’ latest series. This series is best read in order, as there is a ‘mystery’ all the children of the duchess are trying to solve. You do find out the villain in this one, so if you don’t want to ruin the mystery in the others, start with book 1, Project Duchess. A bit more is given away each book. If you don’t mind missing out on that, this book is okay as a standalone – there is a touch of character overlap from previous books, but nothing extensive. I thought this one was the last in the series, but Juncker’s story will be a novella in A Yuletide Kiss titled When We Finally Kiss Goodnight.
Sheridan is faced with investigating a suspect in the murder of his mother’s 3 dead husbands. He must try to coax the truth from Lady Eustace but he has no idea that her daughter, Vanessa has a tendre for him and has for a number of years.
Give this book a try if you want:
- Mid/late 20s MC - hero is 29 and heroine is 25
- While not explicitly full figured heroine – she is described as the opposite of tall and willowy and elegant – a short, voluptuous vixen
- 1809 time period (pre-regency)
- Mid steam - a few kisses and a few full scenes - locations at end of review under spoiler
- Fake relationship trope! These two "pretend" to be interested in each other to make Vanessa's supposed love interest jealous
- A bit of a jealous hero - he's not over the top but he is watching, and snapping at people looking at his woman, punching people that touch his woman....love 🤣
- Unrequited love - Vanessa has adored Sheridan for some time but he is a bit clueless
So, not going to lie, this whole series was a little bit meh for me :( There hasn't been a single book I adored, nothing that had my breath catching, my heart pounding. I'm not sure, it might just be me and normal people will totally enjoy this.
I do think this one was my favorite so far, but not by much. There was a little feeling of immaturity with how the heroine is trying to get the hero. Her plan just didn't seem that well thought out or logical. But still, I do enjoy fake relationship, so I let it slide.
I did like that Sheridan was quite jealous. I don't think he really understand what was going on with his feelings for Vanessa but he kept showing them through his behavior. (I know jealousy can be problematic, so if that's not your thing, take note)
There was some pleasant banter and romance mixed in throughout the book. I was a bit bored with some of the investigation stuff. It would seem like I would just be getting into their relationship and then it would be family drama/investigation time again and I would get bored.
I also do get annoyed with heroes that CAN NEVER MARRY or CAN NEVER FALL IN LOVE and....well I have just come to expect that from Sabrina Jeffries heroes. It's a plotline that I see a lot in her books and it's not my favorite. BUT in this book, it wasn't the main obstacle, and even though the hero was against marriage, it didn't stop him from doing the right thing. (Some of her other books it was dragged out until the end until they just magically realize it's okay to get married. So I'm glad that wasn't going on here)
Here's a sweet, romantic part of the book I enjoyed
Content warning:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes
June 21, 2021
As this fabulous series by Sabrina Jeffies concludes, investigatons involving the deaths of three Dukes by their sons, half-brothers, Grey, Thorn and Sheridan, are getting closer than ever to the truth of what happened to their fathers. Their mother has been widowed three times over and this is now Sheridan's story.
Each of the brothers played a role when it came to trying to seek the truth. Sheridan is tasked with investigating Vanessa Pryde, a possible suspect. This is complicated by the fact that Sheridan is quite drawn to Vanessa and finds it near to impossible to resist her. However, it seems that Vanessa has set her sights elsewhere and both she and Sheridan strike a deal to make her apparent love interest jealous.
Things are not as they seem, however. In fact, both Vanessa and Sheridan have ultimate motives, especially Vanessa. I loved her scheming ways when it came to landing the man who truly captured her heart, all while she was more the subject of a secret investigation.
Oh the twists in this delightful story! As sexy as it was intriguing, Undercover Duke was my favorite book in this series and I am sad to see this series come to a close.
Many thanks to Zebra and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Each of the brothers played a role when it came to trying to seek the truth. Sheridan is tasked with investigating Vanessa Pryde, a possible suspect. This is complicated by the fact that Sheridan is quite drawn to Vanessa and finds it near to impossible to resist her. However, it seems that Vanessa has set her sights elsewhere and both she and Sheridan strike a deal to make her apparent love interest jealous.
Things are not as they seem, however. In fact, both Vanessa and Sheridan have ultimate motives, especially Vanessa. I loved her scheming ways when it came to landing the man who truly captured her heart, all while she was more the subject of a secret investigation.
Oh the twists in this delightful story! As sexy as it was intriguing, Undercover Duke was my favorite book in this series and I am sad to see this series come to a close.
Many thanks to Zebra and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 2, 2021
'Along with his stepsiblings, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined to finally solve the mysteries behind the suspicious deaths of their mother’s three husbands. Tasked with investigating a possible suspect, Sheridan finds himself in dangerous proximity to her captivating daughter, Vanessa Pryde. But still haunted by a tragically lost love, the duke is resolved to resist the attraction—and avoid any “scheming” husband-hunters. Besides, lovely Miss Pryde seems utterly smitten with a roguish London playwright...
Vanessa thinks a little scheming may be in order—for it’s Sheridan she truly has her sights, and her heart, set on. Her theatrical flirtation is intended only to break through his business-like demeanor and guarded emotions. And as Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two soon find themselves propelled into a scheme of an altogether different kind, involving a pretend engagement, a secret inquiry—and a perhaps not-so-secret leap into true love...'
_______________________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
Undercover Duke is the fourth book in Sabrina Jefferies Duke Dynasty series and is a historical romance with a touch of murder mystery.
I'm always happy to read an added mystery plotline and this one has been building over these four books and I am looking forward to getting some answers and see how things will play out. I liked both main characters and thought that they had a good dynamic together. I loved how Vanessa got herself into a bit of a sticky spot trying to cover her crush and so was made to invent a crush on someone else. Everyone around her has been made aware of it and now she's forced to keep up this façade. It was just silly enough that I found it really charming.
Sheridan really screwed things up by not sharing any details about the mystery his family has been investigating and Vanessa is obviously hurt when she learns the truth, especially walking in on a big family meeting and learning that everyone knows what is going on except her. And honestly with both of them holding back on how they were feeling with each other from Sheridan pertending that he didn't have an ulterior motive for spending so much time around Vanessa and Vanessa trying to make Sheridan jealous by also worried that he would consider her a scheming woman and so just continuing in the same vein. I just wish so much time hadn't been dedicated to the putting up false fronts because then once they were honest with one another things felt a bit rushed.
I would recommend reading this book in order within its series and not as a stand-alone. I had read only the second book in the series about a year ago and there were moments when I felt like I was missing something. There mystery is slowly unravelled across the 4 books of the series, so I definitely recommend reading them in order. Give this series a read if you like some mystery with your HR.
I'm wishing Heywood was a bigger part of this series, he felt like a random afterthought through most of the series. I know that he isn't a duke like the rest of his brothers and the series is called Duke Dynasty, but that doesn't make him less a part of the family. I feel like we see the other brothers so much more, even in the books where one or the other was not the main character, but we have only seen little glimpses of Heywood so far throughout the series and so he feels like such an enigma to me. I want to know more about him, so I might go back to read the novella featuring him to read his story.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books, Zebra for sharing an eARC of Undercover Duke with me. This is my honest review.
Vanessa thinks a little scheming may be in order—for it’s Sheridan she truly has her sights, and her heart, set on. Her theatrical flirtation is intended only to break through his business-like demeanor and guarded emotions. And as Sheridan’s jealousy becomes aroused, the two soon find themselves propelled into a scheme of an altogether different kind, involving a pretend engagement, a secret inquiry—and a perhaps not-so-secret leap into true love...'
_______________________________
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
Undercover Duke is the fourth book in Sabrina Jefferies Duke Dynasty series and is a historical romance with a touch of murder mystery.
I'm always happy to read an added mystery plotline and this one has been building over these four books and I am looking forward to getting some answers and see how things will play out. I liked both main characters and thought that they had a good dynamic together. I loved how Vanessa got herself into a bit of a sticky spot trying to cover her crush and so was made to invent a crush on someone else. Everyone around her has been made aware of it and now she's forced to keep up this façade. It was just silly enough that I found it really charming.
Sheridan really screwed things up by not sharing any details about the mystery his family has been investigating and Vanessa is obviously hurt when she learns the truth, especially walking in on a big family meeting and learning that everyone knows what is going on except her. And honestly with both of them holding back on how they were feeling with each other from Sheridan pertending that he didn't have an ulterior motive for spending so much time around Vanessa and Vanessa trying to make Sheridan jealous by also worried that he would consider her a scheming woman and so just continuing in the same vein. I just wish so much time hadn't been dedicated to the putting up false fronts because then once they were honest with one another things felt a bit rushed.
I would recommend reading this book in order within its series and not as a stand-alone. I had read only the second book in the series about a year ago and there were moments when I felt like I was missing something. There mystery is slowly unravelled across the 4 books of the series, so I definitely recommend reading them in order. Give this series a read if you like some mystery with your HR.
I'm wishing Heywood was a bigger part of this series, he felt like a random afterthought through most of the series. I know that he isn't a duke like the rest of his brothers and the series is called Duke Dynasty, but that doesn't make him less a part of the family. I feel like we see the other brothers so much more, even in the books where one or the other was not the main character, but we have only seen little glimpses of Heywood so far throughout the series and so he feels like such an enigma to me. I want to know more about him, so I might go back to read the novella featuring him to read his story.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books, Zebra for sharing an eARC of Undercover Duke with me. This is my honest review.
May 20, 2021
Undercover Duke
Book 4 in the Duke Dynasty Series
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.
This is the fourth book in the series and it could of been a four star book but I lost a little interest towards the end of the book. The conflict between Sheridan and Vanessa was very anti-climatic. I needed more angst! I liked how they start off by being very attracted to each other but due to certain situations in their lives they can not be together, therefore they lie to each other about how they really feel for one another. When some certain truths are revealed for the real reason of Sheridan getting close to Vanessa and her easily agreeing to their rushed marriage I felt that their conflict as a couple were too easily resolved to make way for the second story line in the book.
We join Sheridan and his family in trying to solve the murders of family members of this extended family. We also get to see the characters from the previous books (since they are all related in a certain way). To be honest I was not really interested in this story line. I feel it took away from the romance between Sheridan and Vanessa.
Book 4 in the Duke Dynasty Series
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.
This is the fourth book in the series and it could of been a four star book but I lost a little interest towards the end of the book. The conflict between Sheridan and Vanessa was very anti-climatic. I needed more angst! I liked how they start off by being very attracted to each other but due to certain situations in their lives they can not be together, therefore they lie to each other about how they really feel for one another. When some certain truths are revealed for the real reason of Sheridan getting close to Vanessa and her easily agreeing to their rushed marriage I felt that their conflict as a couple were too easily resolved to make way for the second story line in the book.
We join Sheridan and his family in trying to solve the murders of family members of this extended family. We also get to see the characters from the previous books (since they are all related in a certain way). To be honest I was not really interested in this story line. I feel it took away from the romance between Sheridan and Vanessa.
May 23, 2021
Reviewed for
Wit and Sin
The last of the Dowager Duchess of Armitage’s children meets their match in Undercover Duke . Sheridan and Vanessa are both characters who intrigued me in previous Duke Dynasty books so I was eager to dive into their story. With this book Sabrina Jeffries has penned a solidly entertaining romance and a satisfying wrap-up to the overarching Duke Dynasty mystery of who murdered the Dowager Duchess’s three husbands.
Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined not to fall in love. He’s known heartbreak and he doesn’t want to feel that kind of pain again. But with his sister-in-law nearing the end of her pregnancy, the task of questioning his half-brother’s aunt about the mysterious deaths plaguing their family falls on him. Sheridan needs a way to get the woman to talk to him and the opportunity is presented to him by his half-brother’s cousin, Vanessa Pryde. Vanessa wants to catch the eye of a rakish playwright and she wants Sheridan’s help making the man jealous. Pretending to court Vanessa will put Sheridan in a good place to question her mother. The only problem is, the longer he’s around Vanessa the more difficult it is to resist her. And there’s one thing he doesn’t know: it’s actually him Vanessa has set her sights on.
Undercover Duke works because Vanessa and Sheridan have an easy chemistry that makes them work as a couple. They complement one another perfectly and though there are secrets and mix-ups worthy of a Shakespeare play in this story, I trusted Jeffries to bring everything together, which she did. It was easy to fall into Vanesa and Sheridan’s romance and the smooth rhythm of their story made it a great comfort read. The other storyline – that of who murdered Sheridan’s mother’s husbands and why – finally comes to a conclusion in this book. I enjoyed watching the pieces of the puzzle come together was satisfied by how everything played out. All in all, I greatly enjoyed Undercover Duke ; it has likeable leads, solid chemistry, and a fast-paced romance with just enough mystery to tie everything together.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The last of the Dowager Duchess of Armitage’s children meets their match in Undercover Duke . Sheridan and Vanessa are both characters who intrigued me in previous Duke Dynasty books so I was eager to dive into their story. With this book Sabrina Jeffries has penned a solidly entertaining romance and a satisfying wrap-up to the overarching Duke Dynasty mystery of who murdered the Dowager Duchess’s three husbands.
Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, is determined not to fall in love. He’s known heartbreak and he doesn’t want to feel that kind of pain again. But with his sister-in-law nearing the end of her pregnancy, the task of questioning his half-brother’s aunt about the mysterious deaths plaguing their family falls on him. Sheridan needs a way to get the woman to talk to him and the opportunity is presented to him by his half-brother’s cousin, Vanessa Pryde. Vanessa wants to catch the eye of a rakish playwright and she wants Sheridan’s help making the man jealous. Pretending to court Vanessa will put Sheridan in a good place to question her mother. The only problem is, the longer he’s around Vanessa the more difficult it is to resist her. And there’s one thing he doesn’t know: it’s actually him Vanessa has set her sights on.
Undercover Duke works because Vanessa and Sheridan have an easy chemistry that makes them work as a couple. They complement one another perfectly and though there are secrets and mix-ups worthy of a Shakespeare play in this story, I trusted Jeffries to bring everything together, which she did. It was easy to fall into Vanesa and Sheridan’s romance and the smooth rhythm of their story made it a great comfort read. The other storyline – that of who murdered Sheridan’s mother’s husbands and why – finally comes to a conclusion in this book. I enjoyed watching the pieces of the puzzle come together was satisfied by how everything played out. All in all, I greatly enjoyed Undercover Duke ; it has likeable leads, solid chemistry, and a fast-paced romance with just enough mystery to tie everything together.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 1, 2021
Who has been killing their mother’s husbands off? This fourth novel in the Duke Dynasty series, which involves four duke stepsiblings, solves the mystery that has been ongoing in the series. This story is about Sheridan, a man who never wants to open himself up to love, and Vanessa, a woman who has always loved him, who decides to go for him. A great story! I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.
June 18, 2024
vanessa said i WILL marry sheridan!
April 9, 2021
Undercover Duke (Duke Dynasty #4) by Sabrina Jeffries, a fav author to this reader is just downright entertaining and engaging. Although I have not read the others in this series, it appears that this book most definitely held my attention from start to finish.
The story is about the new Duke of Armitage, Sheridan Wolfe and Lady Vanessa Pryde. It seems that Sheridan is in dire straits with his estate and does not have any interest in Vanessa, although she has been carrying a torch for him since forever but opts to confess her affections for a playwright. Sheridan must marry for a generous dowry to save the estate and he wants to find the culprit that has been murdering his mother’s husbands. On the other hand, Vanessa’s mother is doing everything in her power to marry her off to anyone she deems acceptable even if they are of a senior age or have loads of gambling debts (haha).
Luck has it that both Sheridan and Vanessa meet and devise a plan to pretend to be a couple in order the make the playwright jealous, all the while Sheridan is needing Grey to get close to Vanessa’s mother to uncover information without her ever becoming suspicious. In the process of this courtship, there is mystery and intrigue as to who murdered Sheridan’s father and the father of his siblings. For Vanessa, she believes that this courtship will bring out the underlying feelings that she knows he has for her. There is that bit of angst between the H/h, but there is also heat and passion between them as well. I enjoy Sabrina Jeffries as a writer because I can always look forward to just the right amount of everything that is plotted. She puts in the perfect amount of humor, steamy intimacy and development of all her characters in her stories. Wishing that I’d had a chance to read the others in this series. Quite sure they were just as enjoyable.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.
The story is about the new Duke of Armitage, Sheridan Wolfe and Lady Vanessa Pryde. It seems that Sheridan is in dire straits with his estate and does not have any interest in Vanessa, although she has been carrying a torch for him since forever but opts to confess her affections for a playwright. Sheridan must marry for a generous dowry to save the estate and he wants to find the culprit that has been murdering his mother’s husbands. On the other hand, Vanessa’s mother is doing everything in her power to marry her off to anyone she deems acceptable even if they are of a senior age or have loads of gambling debts (haha).
Luck has it that both Sheridan and Vanessa meet and devise a plan to pretend to be a couple in order the make the playwright jealous, all the while Sheridan is needing Grey to get close to Vanessa’s mother to uncover information without her ever becoming suspicious. In the process of this courtship, there is mystery and intrigue as to who murdered Sheridan’s father and the father of his siblings. For Vanessa, she believes that this courtship will bring out the underlying feelings that she knows he has for her. There is that bit of angst between the H/h, but there is also heat and passion between them as well. I enjoy Sabrina Jeffries as a writer because I can always look forward to just the right amount of everything that is plotted. She puts in the perfect amount of humor, steamy intimacy and development of all her characters in her stories. Wishing that I’d had a chance to read the others in this series. Quite sure they were just as enjoyable.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.
March 17, 2021
For readers of the Duke Dynasty series, this is an okay conclusion to the series. For readers starting the series here, put the book down and go back to Project Duchess if you hope to follow the plot.
The central mystery--who killed off a trio of dukes, all of whom married the same woman and whose sons and daughter are the characters finding romance in this series--does finally get solved in this last installment. However, to follow the mystery to its end and find the conclusion satisfying, you might have been needing to take notes when reading prior installments. That's where all the clues are, and until Vanessa Pryde is filled in on this central mystery 2/3 of the way through the book, you won't get any sort of recap about the amateur detective work done by the characters in past books.
If you're here for the romance and not the mystery, you might be wondering why this even matters. Well, as Sheridan admits at one point, he might never have thought of romancing Vanessa had this mystery not existed. He is asked by his older half-brother Grey, who is also Vanessa's cousin, to subtly interrogate Vanessa's mother, one of three suspects in the ducal murders. Vanessa has long had a crush on Sheridan and wants to marry him, and has been misdirecting everyone by claiming to actually have feelings for a playwright-poet. Sheridan wants to get closer to Vanessa and her mother to tease out information without her mother being the wiser, so he agrees to pretend to court her to make the playwright jealous. Vanessa hopes this will uncover feelings she is sure he has for her, and lo and behold, it works.
My problem with the mystery is that to solve it along with the characters, you needed to have come into this book with all the clues from past installments at hand. My problem with the romance is that so much attention is paid to the mystery that it felt at times like the romance was progressing because it was time to move to the next step, not because we are seeing the characters' love develop. The lust (such as it is) is there is from the beginning, but going strictly from what's shown on the page, the love we're told is between Vanessa and Sheridan feels unearned.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
The central mystery--who killed off a trio of dukes, all of whom married the same woman and whose sons and daughter are the characters finding romance in this series--does finally get solved in this last installment. However, to follow the mystery to its end and find the conclusion satisfying, you might have been needing to take notes when reading prior installments. That's where all the clues are, and until Vanessa Pryde is filled in on this central mystery 2/3 of the way through the book, you won't get any sort of recap about the amateur detective work done by the characters in past books.
If you're here for the romance and not the mystery, you might be wondering why this even matters. Well, as Sheridan admits at one point, he might never have thought of romancing Vanessa had this mystery not existed. He is asked by his older half-brother Grey, who is also Vanessa's cousin, to subtly interrogate Vanessa's mother, one of three suspects in the ducal murders. Vanessa has long had a crush on Sheridan and wants to marry him, and has been misdirecting everyone by claiming to actually have feelings for a playwright-poet. Sheridan wants to get closer to Vanessa and her mother to tease out information without her mother being the wiser, so he agrees to pretend to court her to make the playwright jealous. Vanessa hopes this will uncover feelings she is sure he has for her, and lo and behold, it works.
My problem with the mystery is that to solve it along with the characters, you needed to have come into this book with all the clues from past installments at hand. My problem with the romance is that so much attention is paid to the mystery that it felt at times like the romance was progressing because it was time to move to the next step, not because we are seeing the characters' love develop. The lust (such as it is) is there is from the beginning, but going strictly from what's shown on the page, the love we're told is between Vanessa and Sheridan feels unearned.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
March 3, 2021
I have received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am a standing fan of the series so I just needed to find out whodunnit - yes, we do find that out in this one. I also enjoy a sassy heroine opposite a stuffy hero and Vanessa and Sheridan did not disappoint. It was rather satisfying that they do . I wish we would have seen more of Grey since he was sort of Vanessa's big brother but other than that it was a very satisfying story.
May 26, 2021
As the fourth book in the Duke Dynasty series about the children of a three-time Duchess, absolutely do not start here. You won’t have a clue what’s going on in the overarching mystery plot about who murdered Lydia’s husbands, and both hero and heroine have been introduced (and struck sparks off each other) in earlier books. This is a series you REALLY need to read in order.
With that said, it’s a series I have absolutely devoured and this fourth (and pretty final, though there is a novella upcoming which ties off a side character’s story, oh and there was another novella for Heywood’s story I haven’t read - so maybe it’s actually 6 in total) installment lives up to the promise of the earlier books. We get a great romance between Sheridan and Vanessa, and we finally get the answers to the mystery we’ve been tracking all along.
The last third of the book does suffer a little from having too much to do; we have to find out the who and why of the mystery, tie off a bunch of storylines AND get the conclusion of Sheridan and Vanessa’s romance arc. I think it’s the romance arc which loses out a bit, and I’ll be honest that the sex scene where Vanessa was just completely clueless about what to expect in bed did not ring true. She’s not an ingenue, she’s in her mid-twenties, she’s got a bunch of friends who are married. The whole ‘what’s THAT?’ schtick just made her looks stupid, which she isn’t. And then there’s a VERY weird scene afterwards with the hero’s mother basically inspecting the blood on the sheets of the marital bed which made me cringe. That was wildly unnecessary.
Overall, this is such a superb series. I really like the mystery which played out across all the books and tied them together so strongly; I liked that all the players were on the scene from early on (except Olivia, but there was good reason for that). The red herrings and false trails were beautifully laid, with plenty of not very nice people as perfectly valid suspects, the actual murderer there from early on, and just the motive being the final puzzle piece needed to understand what was happening. As an entire series, I would definitely give it five stars… BUT… this last book had weak points the others didn’t, and those wedding night scenes were cringeworthy enough I’m afraid I’m going to mark it down a star. I’m not disappointed with the conclusion of the series, but the romance here was the weakest link in the chain. Four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
With that said, it’s a series I have absolutely devoured and this fourth (and pretty final, though there is a novella upcoming which ties off a side character’s story, oh and there was another novella for Heywood’s story I haven’t read - so maybe it’s actually 6 in total) installment lives up to the promise of the earlier books. We get a great romance between Sheridan and Vanessa, and we finally get the answers to the mystery we’ve been tracking all along.
The last third of the book does suffer a little from having too much to do; we have to find out the who and why of the mystery, tie off a bunch of storylines AND get the conclusion of Sheridan and Vanessa’s romance arc. I think it’s the romance arc which loses out a bit, and I’ll be honest that the sex scene where Vanessa was just completely clueless about what to expect in bed did not ring true. She’s not an ingenue, she’s in her mid-twenties, she’s got a bunch of friends who are married. The whole ‘what’s THAT?’ schtick just made her looks stupid, which she isn’t. And then there’s a VERY weird scene afterwards with the hero’s mother basically inspecting the blood on the sheets of the marital bed which made me cringe. That was wildly unnecessary.
Overall, this is such a superb series. I really like the mystery which played out across all the books and tied them together so strongly; I liked that all the players were on the scene from early on (except Olivia, but there was good reason for that). The red herrings and false trails were beautifully laid, with plenty of not very nice people as perfectly valid suspects, the actual murderer there from early on, and just the motive being the final puzzle piece needed to understand what was happening. As an entire series, I would definitely give it five stars… BUT… this last book had weak points the others didn’t, and those wedding night scenes were cringeworthy enough I’m afraid I’m going to mark it down a star. I’m not disappointed with the conclusion of the series, but the romance here was the weakest link in the chain. Four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
May 25, 2021
The fourth and final book of the Duke Dynasty series was really middle of the road for me. There was an okay romance. An okay mystery. But nothing truly stood out.
The ending of the mystery was over very quickly, and pretty anti-climactic (since there was a build up to the "whodunit" for at least four books.)
There wasn't as much action as the previous book, and the hero, Sheridan Wolfe, was hard to get to know and even harder to like.
I wish we saw more of Grey, Wolfe's older brother and Vanessa's brother figure. I feel they needed some time together.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions were freely given.
The ending of the mystery was over very quickly, and pretty anti-climactic (since there was a build up to the "whodunit" for at least four books.)
There wasn't as much action as the previous book, and the hero, Sheridan Wolfe, was hard to get to know and even harder to like.
I wish we saw more of Grey, Wolfe's older brother and Vanessa's brother figure. I feel they needed some time together.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions were freely given.
May 8, 2021
Sabrina Jeffries write such feel good, comforting romance, it's passionate, witty and heartfelt. I liked this series, but Undercover Duke might be the best one for me. Recommend!
August 7, 2022
4 -
Con questo volume arriviamo alla conclusione di una quadrilogia "ducale", vivace e divertente.
Non dico ducale a caso, giacché la duchessa madre, lady Lydia Fletcher, affascinante e amante della vita, è riuscita a impalmare non uno, ma ben tre duchi, generando con ciascuno almeno un erede. E ancora frequenta balli e ricevimenti, attirando complimenti e corteggiatori (e potenziali mariti numero quattro).
Nel frattempo, i suoi (inutile precisarlo, altrettanto bellissimi) figli iniziano a sposarsi, anche se un dubbio continua a serpeggiare tra loro: per quanto la sfortuna possa colpire e ricolpire, le tre vedovanze della madre forse non sono da attribuire solamente a una tragica congiuntura.
E così inizia il retroscena d'indagine che prosegue in parallelo alle varie storie d'amore.
Se nel primo volume era stato il maggiore, il severo duca di Greycourt, a capitolare, in seguito abbiamo visto le storie di Gwyn e del suo gemello Drake, il donnaiolo duca di Thornstock.
Con l'ultimo volume tocca a Sheridan, duca di Armitage, soprannominato anche Sheridan il Santo dai familiari, per il fatto di essere stato sempre riservato e impegnato a studiare da "duca", chiuso nel suo studio mentre fratelli e fratellastri si godevano i vantaggi del loro status.
A Sheridan viene affidato il compito di carpire informazioni da una lady che figura nell'elenco dei sospettati ed è così che, per procurarsi una scusa, si ritrova a frequentare la figlia di lei, la signorina Vanessa Pryde.
Quest'ultima, d'altra parte, ha sempre avuto un'infatuazione per il duca, ma per ingelosirlo ha pensato bene di fingere interesse per un drammaturgo di successo.
Quindi i due sono un po' travolti dalle rispettive bugie, non vogliono ammettere i loro reciproci sentimenti, subiscono la pressione di avere due madri ex-amiche e che si detestano. Non proprio una base promettente per sviluppare un rapporto.
In effetti, ne risulta una storia striminzita sotto l'aspetto romantico.
Rispetto al resto dei parenti, Sheridan è meno incisivo; inoltre, non sono una fanatica del tipo tranquillo in apparenza, ma stallone all'occasione (in veneto lo definiremmo "na bronsa cuerta", scintille celate sotto la cenere), subito pronto a eccitarsi in ogni dove.
Vanessa è già più simpatica e fa del suo meglio, ma non le viene riservato molto spazio.
Al contempo, la soluzione del mistero mi è parsa affrettata, dopo ben tre volumi di ricerche e sospetti.
Nel complesso, per me è un quasi quattro stelle, anche grazie agli inserimenti corali, giacché qui ritornano un po' tutti i personaggi a dar man forte e io apprezzo sempre il ritrovare le vecchie conoscenze. Resta dunque una serie della Jeffries che consiglio.
N.B. Dubito che arriveranno in Italia ma, per chi come me ha apprezzato questa famiglia "allargata", segnalo ben due novelle a corredo: "A Perfect Match", dedicato al simpatico Lord Heywood, e "We Finally Kiss Good-Night", con protagonisti Flora Younger, l'amica di Vanessa, e Konrad Juncker, il drammaturgo amico di Thorn.
Con questo volume arriviamo alla conclusione di una quadrilogia "ducale", vivace e divertente.
Non dico ducale a caso, giacché la duchessa madre, lady Lydia Fletcher, affascinante e amante della vita, è riuscita a impalmare non uno, ma ben tre duchi, generando con ciascuno almeno un erede. E ancora frequenta balli e ricevimenti, attirando complimenti e corteggiatori (e potenziali mariti numero quattro).
Nel frattempo, i suoi (inutile precisarlo, altrettanto bellissimi) figli iniziano a sposarsi, anche se un dubbio continua a serpeggiare tra loro: per quanto la sfortuna possa colpire e ricolpire, le tre vedovanze della madre forse non sono da attribuire solamente a una tragica congiuntura.
E così inizia il retroscena d'indagine che prosegue in parallelo alle varie storie d'amore.
Se nel primo volume era stato il maggiore, il severo duca di Greycourt, a capitolare, in seguito abbiamo visto le storie di Gwyn e del suo gemello Drake, il donnaiolo duca di Thornstock.
Con l'ultimo volume tocca a Sheridan, duca di Armitage, soprannominato anche Sheridan il Santo dai familiari, per il fatto di essere stato sempre riservato e impegnato a studiare da "duca", chiuso nel suo studio mentre fratelli e fratellastri si godevano i vantaggi del loro status.
A Sheridan viene affidato il compito di carpire informazioni da una lady che figura nell'elenco dei sospettati ed è così che, per procurarsi una scusa, si ritrova a frequentare la figlia di lei, la signorina Vanessa Pryde.
Quest'ultima, d'altra parte, ha sempre avuto un'infatuazione per il duca, ma per ingelosirlo ha pensato bene di fingere interesse per un drammaturgo di successo.
Quindi i due sono un po' travolti dalle rispettive bugie, non vogliono ammettere i loro reciproci sentimenti, subiscono la pressione di avere due madri ex-amiche e che si detestano. Non proprio una base promettente per sviluppare un rapporto.
In effetti, ne risulta una storia striminzita sotto l'aspetto romantico.
Rispetto al resto dei parenti, Sheridan è meno incisivo; inoltre, non sono una fanatica del tipo tranquillo in apparenza, ma stallone all'occasione (in veneto lo definiremmo "na bronsa cuerta", scintille celate sotto la cenere), subito pronto a eccitarsi in ogni dove.
Vanessa è già più simpatica e fa del suo meglio, ma non le viene riservato molto spazio.
Al contempo, la soluzione del mistero mi è parsa affrettata, dopo ben tre volumi di ricerche e sospetti.
Nel complesso, per me è un quasi quattro stelle, anche grazie agli inserimenti corali, giacché qui ritornano un po' tutti i personaggi a dar man forte e io apprezzo sempre il ritrovare le vecchie conoscenze. Resta dunque una serie della Jeffries che consiglio.
N.B. Dubito che arriveranno in Italia ma, per chi come me ha apprezzato questa famiglia "allargata", segnalo ben due novelle a corredo: "A Perfect Match", dedicato al simpatico Lord Heywood, e "We Finally Kiss Good-Night", con protagonisti Flora Younger, l'amica di Vanessa, e Konrad Juncker, il drammaturgo amico di Thorn.
February 3, 2022
Sheridan Wolfe, der Duke of Armitage, ist jetzt der Einzige seiner Familie, der noch unverheiratet ist.Viele Frauen reissen sich um den Junggesellen, allerdings ist sein Haus nicht gerade reich, aber er hat einen respektablen Titel!Ihm geht es aber derzeit mehr darum, herauszufinden, wer die Ehemänner seiner Mutter und auch seinen Onkel umgebracht hat.Dazu möchte er die Gäste der Hausparty damals befragen, die dabei waren, als einer der Ehemänner ermordet wurde.Dazu möchte er gerne Mrs. Pryde befragen.Deren Tochter Vanessa,ist für ihn, wie eine kleine Schwester und er möchte sie beschützen.Vor allem, als er erfährt, dass sie für einen Dichter schwärmen soll, der aber als recht rücksichtslos bekannt ist!Doch Vanessa hat diese Worte damals nur unabsichtlich ausgesprochen und eigentlich schlägt ihr Herz nur für Sheridan, der sie aber nicht als intelligente Frau anerkennen möchte!Bei einer Theateraufführung, versucht sie, ihn einzuspannen, um angeblich den Dichter eifersüchtig zu machen, doh das geht nach hinten los!Und Sheridan bietet ihr stattdessenan, ihr den Hof zu machen, um den Dichter eifersüchtig zu machen und ihn dazu zu verleiten, sein wahres Gesicht zu zeigen, da er ihn nicht als geeigneten Kandidaten für Vanessa hält.Und als ersie küsst, geht ihm auf, dass er ihr doch mehr Gefühle entgegenbringt, als er vorher gedacht hat!Aus Vernunftsgründen heiraten beide dann wirklich!Und Sheridan versucht weiterhinherauszubekommen, wer hinter den Morden steckt!Dann stolpern er und Vanessa über die Kontounterlagen des Hauses Armitage und merken, dass irgendetwas damit nicht stimmt!Und als sie weiterforschen, finden sie Unglaubliches heraus!Zum nävhsten Weihnachtsffest gibt es dann ein wunderschönes HappyEnd für die Beiden und ihre Familien!Wieder einmal eine sehr gelungene Verbindung von Kriminal- und Liebesroman!Einrichtiger Pageturner!Absolute Leseempfehlung!
May 28, 2021
3.5 stars
May 29, 2024
Kobo+ Mad About Series Challenge 2024. HRBC. Historical Romance Tropes: HR Mystery, ROM COM, Forced into Marriage, Extended Family and Friends. The last book in the Duke Dynasty series, Undcover Duke. MC's h Vanessa Pryde, 25, heiress and Grey's cousin, H Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage 29, son of Lydia and Maurice Wolfe former Duke. Lydia's children: Fletcher Pryde, Duke of Greylick, Marlowe Drake, Duke of Thornstock, Gwynn Drake, daughter,both twins, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, Heywood Wolfe, Colonial in the Army.
Marriages of Lydia's Children:
Fletcher (Grey) Pryde and Beatrice Wolfe, The Duke and Duchess of Greylick.(son Maurice)
Marlowe Drake (Thorn) twin and Olivia Norley, The Duke and Duchess of Thornstock
Gwynn Drake twin and Major Joshua Wolfe (Twins: Isobel and Andrew)
Sheridan Wolfe and Vanessa Pryde, The Duke and Duchess of Armitage
Coloniel Heywood Wolfe and Cass (Expecting a baby in the New Year)
In this case the Butler didn't do it. It was the estate manager or Man of Affairs.
Review I liked:Series: Duke Dynasty #4
Publication Date: 5/25/21
Number of Pages: 352
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, bright, kind, vivacious diamond of the first water who married a duke during her first season. After his untimely death, she married two more dukes and had a total of five children before the age of five and twenty. Luckily for all of them, the last duke managed to live long enough to raise and be a father to all five of those children. Upon his untimely death, those now-grown children begin to put two and two together and realized that someone had been killing off their mother’s husbands. Who would hate their mother that much? As we’ve worked through each of her children’s books - Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt and Beatrice Wolfe (Project Duchess), Lord Heywood Wolfe and Cassandra Isles (A Perfect Match – a novella in the Seduction on a Snowy Night anthology), Lady Gwyn Drake and Joshua Wolfe (The Bachelor), and Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock and Miss Olivia Norley (Who Wants to Marry a Duke) – we’ve gotten more and more hints about who the murderer is. You may have figured out who it is – or not – but not the true reason behind it and you won’t know that until the murderer is revealed.
Since the murders have been solved and all of the step-siblings have found their HEAs, I think this must be the last book in the series. There is a novella coming out near Christmas that will feature a recurrent character, Juncker, in this series, but I don’t really think it is part of the series. Anyway, this book was a delightful, exciting, twist-and-turn, cannot-put-it-down wrap-up for the series. All the threads are wrapped up and we get to visit with all of the step-siblings. It is well-written, delightfully complex, and wonderfully sensual – not to mention breath-holding while in pursuit of the villain.
Sheridan Wolfe, new Duke of Armitage, was the one to put the puzzle together and recognize that all of the deaths in his family may not have been what they appeared to be. With the death of his father a year ago, Sheridan inherited a duchy that was on the brink of insolvency. It seems that no matter what he does, how hard he tries, he cannot bring the estate around to make it pay for itself. He doesn’t blame his father because he was only the duke for a few months. His father was never supposed to be the duke, but when his uncle died unexpectedly, his father had to return to England and assume his role as duke. It was his uncle who bankrupted the duchy. Sheridan – known to his siblings as Saint Sheridan – always tries to do what is right, what is correct and honorable and he just cannot see a way to save the duchy. He certainly won’t consider marriage to an heiress; he just can’t do that. He supposes he’ll have to marry and produce an heir someday, but that will be far in the future if at all. He loved once and it nearly killed him – he won’t do it again.
Vanessa Pryde has been attracted to Sheridan Wolfe since the day she met him. However, if he notices her at all, he treats her as a little sister. She is so frustrated that he won’t notice her as the grown woman she is! What is a girl to do? Well, she’ll just do a little scheming and make him jealous by pretending to be interested in the poet/playwright Juncker – and she’ll ask Sheridan to help her make Juncker jealous. Convoluted – Yes! Misguided – Yes! However, it is fun to watch Sheridan stew because he hasn’t been as unaware of her as she thinks. Of course, he has his own motives for agreeing to help her – and they aren’t exactly aboveboard either.
I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is delightfully entertaining with wonderful, very likable, and relatable characters. The book, the plot, the characters, the romance, was so engaging I couldn’t put it down and read it straight through in one sitting. If you try it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Marriages of Lydia's Children:
Fletcher (Grey) Pryde and Beatrice Wolfe, The Duke and Duchess of Greylick.(son Maurice)
Marlowe Drake (Thorn) twin and Olivia Norley, The Duke and Duchess of Thornstock
Gwynn Drake twin and Major Joshua Wolfe (Twins: Isobel and Andrew)
Sheridan Wolfe and Vanessa Pryde, The Duke and Duchess of Armitage
Coloniel Heywood Wolfe and Cass (Expecting a baby in the New Year)
In this case the Butler didn't do it. It was the estate manager or Man of Affairs.
Review I liked:Series: Duke Dynasty #4
Publication Date: 5/25/21
Number of Pages: 352
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, bright, kind, vivacious diamond of the first water who married a duke during her first season. After his untimely death, she married two more dukes and had a total of five children before the age of five and twenty. Luckily for all of them, the last duke managed to live long enough to raise and be a father to all five of those children. Upon his untimely death, those now-grown children begin to put two and two together and realized that someone had been killing off their mother’s husbands. Who would hate their mother that much? As we’ve worked through each of her children’s books - Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, 5th Duke of Greycourt and Beatrice Wolfe (Project Duchess), Lord Heywood Wolfe and Cassandra Isles (A Perfect Match – a novella in the Seduction on a Snowy Night anthology), Lady Gwyn Drake and Joshua Wolfe (The Bachelor), and Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock and Miss Olivia Norley (Who Wants to Marry a Duke) – we’ve gotten more and more hints about who the murderer is. You may have figured out who it is – or not – but not the true reason behind it and you won’t know that until the murderer is revealed.
Since the murders have been solved and all of the step-siblings have found their HEAs, I think this must be the last book in the series. There is a novella coming out near Christmas that will feature a recurrent character, Juncker, in this series, but I don’t really think it is part of the series. Anyway, this book was a delightful, exciting, twist-and-turn, cannot-put-it-down wrap-up for the series. All the threads are wrapped up and we get to visit with all of the step-siblings. It is well-written, delightfully complex, and wonderfully sensual – not to mention breath-holding while in pursuit of the villain.
Sheridan Wolfe, new Duke of Armitage, was the one to put the puzzle together and recognize that all of the deaths in his family may not have been what they appeared to be. With the death of his father a year ago, Sheridan inherited a duchy that was on the brink of insolvency. It seems that no matter what he does, how hard he tries, he cannot bring the estate around to make it pay for itself. He doesn’t blame his father because he was only the duke for a few months. His father was never supposed to be the duke, but when his uncle died unexpectedly, his father had to return to England and assume his role as duke. It was his uncle who bankrupted the duchy. Sheridan – known to his siblings as Saint Sheridan – always tries to do what is right, what is correct and honorable and he just cannot see a way to save the duchy. He certainly won’t consider marriage to an heiress; he just can’t do that. He supposes he’ll have to marry and produce an heir someday, but that will be far in the future if at all. He loved once and it nearly killed him – he won’t do it again.
Vanessa Pryde has been attracted to Sheridan Wolfe since the day she met him. However, if he notices her at all, he treats her as a little sister. She is so frustrated that he won’t notice her as the grown woman she is! What is a girl to do? Well, she’ll just do a little scheming and make him jealous by pretending to be interested in the poet/playwright Juncker – and she’ll ask Sheridan to help her make Juncker jealous. Convoluted – Yes! Misguided – Yes! However, it is fun to watch Sheridan stew because he hasn’t been as unaware of her as she thinks. Of course, he has his own motives for agreeing to help her – and they aren’t exactly aboveboard either.
I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is delightfully entertaining with wonderful, very likable, and relatable characters. The book, the plot, the characters, the romance, was so engaging I couldn’t put it down and read it straight through in one sitting. If you try it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2021
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
As the final unmarried sibling, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, knows that he'll need to marry, and soon, if his finance have anything to say about it. With his other siblings, they are investigating the deaths of their mother's three husbands, and his own uncle, as they have evidence they weren't all accidents, and foul play was at hand. There's three names they are considering for the villainess, and that includes Lady Eustace Pryde, aunt of the eldest sibling, Grey, and mother to Vanessa. In order to get close to Lady Eustace, Sheridan decides to increase his friendship with Vanessa, and his own jealousy over her infatuation with the renowned playwright, Mr Juncker. Little does he know, but Vanessa actually has feelings for him, and has done since his return to England a year and a half ago, and she used Juncker as a name rather than admit the truth. Pretending to be in a courtship, for their own reasons, it's soon clear that the chemistry and attraction between the couple is real, and when they are caught in a compromising position, will their marriage be able to become a real union, or will the past continue to haunt them?
Ever since I read Who Would Marry a Duke last year, I've been waiting for the final addition to the series, and once I was approved for Undercover Duke, I decided to binge the entire series. This time around, with the full backstory of the siblings and their romances, as well as Lydia's three husbands and their deaths, I was ready for Sheridan to get his happy ending, and for the mystery to finally be solved. And, it was a whirlwind, and such an amazing conclusion. First of all, the mystery which has been the overarching plot line across the series was built up perfectly, and dealt with amazingly. I honestly thought, half way through this book, that I had guessed at the murderer, but I was wrong, and couldn't believe how expertly Sabrina had created the story line. Then, we also have the addition of the previous couple, as well as Sheridan and Vanessa, and seeing the entire family, be one big, happy family, was phenomenal - especially after knowing that the siblings have had difficult relationships in the past.
But what made this book, was the romance between Sheridan and Vanessa. Sheridan was born in Berlin, while his father was the British Ambassador to Prussia, and only came to England when his father inherited the dukedom a year and half ago. It was here he met Vanessa, and after dancing together at three balls, she was smitten. But, his father died, and Sheridan was now the Duke, and in mourning, so she couldn't admit her feelings. Her closeness with Grey, though, made him ask her about her feelings for someone, and she quickly claimed it was Juncker, a poet and playwright, and someone who seems to now aggravate Sheridan whenever he comes up in conversation. Now that Sheridan wants to question Lady Eustace about the deaths of his half-siblings father's, he thinks that his friendship with Vanessa would be perfect, though every time he's around her, he realises his attraction may be the end of him. I loved the fake courtship between them, and it was clear from an early point that it wasn't fake to either of them, not really. They were definitely made for each other, and built the other up when they were faltering. Out of all the couples, I think these two might be my favourite, and though I'm gutted the series is over, I can't wait for Sabrina's next series!
As the final unmarried sibling, Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, knows that he'll need to marry, and soon, if his finance have anything to say about it. With his other siblings, they are investigating the deaths of their mother's three husbands, and his own uncle, as they have evidence they weren't all accidents, and foul play was at hand. There's three names they are considering for the villainess, and that includes Lady Eustace Pryde, aunt of the eldest sibling, Grey, and mother to Vanessa. In order to get close to Lady Eustace, Sheridan decides to increase his friendship with Vanessa, and his own jealousy over her infatuation with the renowned playwright, Mr Juncker. Little does he know, but Vanessa actually has feelings for him, and has done since his return to England a year and a half ago, and she used Juncker as a name rather than admit the truth. Pretending to be in a courtship, for their own reasons, it's soon clear that the chemistry and attraction between the couple is real, and when they are caught in a compromising position, will their marriage be able to become a real union, or will the past continue to haunt them?
Ever since I read Who Would Marry a Duke last year, I've been waiting for the final addition to the series, and once I was approved for Undercover Duke, I decided to binge the entire series. This time around, with the full backstory of the siblings and their romances, as well as Lydia's three husbands and their deaths, I was ready for Sheridan to get his happy ending, and for the mystery to finally be solved. And, it was a whirlwind, and such an amazing conclusion. First of all, the mystery which has been the overarching plot line across the series was built up perfectly, and dealt with amazingly. I honestly thought, half way through this book, that I had guessed at the murderer, but I was wrong, and couldn't believe how expertly Sabrina had created the story line. Then, we also have the addition of the previous couple, as well as Sheridan and Vanessa, and seeing the entire family, be one big, happy family, was phenomenal - especially after knowing that the siblings have had difficult relationships in the past.
But what made this book, was the romance between Sheridan and Vanessa. Sheridan was born in Berlin, while his father was the British Ambassador to Prussia, and only came to England when his father inherited the dukedom a year and half ago. It was here he met Vanessa, and after dancing together at three balls, she was smitten. But, his father died, and Sheridan was now the Duke, and in mourning, so she couldn't admit her feelings. Her closeness with Grey, though, made him ask her about her feelings for someone, and she quickly claimed it was Juncker, a poet and playwright, and someone who seems to now aggravate Sheridan whenever he comes up in conversation. Now that Sheridan wants to question Lady Eustace about the deaths of his half-siblings father's, he thinks that his friendship with Vanessa would be perfect, though every time he's around her, he realises his attraction may be the end of him. I loved the fake courtship between them, and it was clear from an early point that it wasn't fake to either of them, not really. They were definitely made for each other, and built the other up when they were faltering. Out of all the couples, I think these two might be my favourite, and though I'm gutted the series is over, I can't wait for Sabrina's next series!
April 9, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgallry in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
In my opinion, Sabrina Jeffries is one of the most dependable historical romance writers who consistently puts out good books.
Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, has vowed to never love again after losing those closest to him, and he keeps Vanessa Pryde directly in the "friend zone" which she desperately wants to break out of. Add in some mystery, romance, and a little bit of manipulation from both characters to see them achieve their happy ever after.
I enjoyed this story. I have liked Sheridan from the other books in this series I've read, and was happy to see him finally getting his HEA. I was excited to learn who dun it even if I guessed it midway through.
My only real complaint would be that I felt Vanessa and Sheridan's relationship took back seat to the mystery. I would have loved to have seen some intimate moments outside of the bedroom where they could learn more about each other after they married It also felt like he wasn't in love and then boom he was. Also, there were so many details about the murder mystery plot that sometimes it was hard to follow.
I wouldn't recommend reading this series out of order because there is a lot of information from previous books in these.
In my opinion, Sabrina Jeffries is one of the most dependable historical romance writers who consistently puts out good books.
Sheridan Wolfe, Duke of Armitage, has vowed to never love again after losing those closest to him, and he keeps Vanessa Pryde directly in the "friend zone" which she desperately wants to break out of. Add in some mystery, romance, and a little bit of manipulation from both characters to see them achieve their happy ever after.
I enjoyed this story. I have liked Sheridan from the other books in this series I've read, and was happy to see him finally getting his HEA. I was excited to learn who dun it even if I guessed it midway through.
My only real complaint would be that I felt Vanessa and Sheridan's relationship took back seat to the mystery. I would have loved to have seen some intimate moments outside of the bedroom where they could learn more about each other after they married It also felt like he wasn't in love and then boom he was. Also, there were so many details about the murder mystery plot that sometimes it was hard to follow.
I wouldn't recommend reading this series out of order because there is a lot of information from previous books in these.
Read
May 24, 2021In the last book of the Duke Dynasty series, we start to heavily get into the mystery of the deceased husbands of the family matriarch, the Dowager Duchess. In Undercover Duke we are in full blown mystery mode!
Sheridan has been heavily affected by the strange deaths within his family and he is taking the lead to get to the bottom if it… too bad that his investigation is going to make his get pretty cozy with the frivolous Vanessa, his brother’s cousin, in order to find out what her mother can tell them about some key events in the mystery timeframe.
Vanessa Pryde doesn’t know why Sheridan is finally paying attention to her, but she will do anything to keep it up! She has loved him since they met, but the feelings has seemed completely one sided until now. Using the idea that she is trying to get another suiters up to scruff, she and Sheridan hatch a deal to start a fake courtship…
Soon the lines between fake and real are blurred and a real marriage ensues! Now as part of the family, Vanessa is in danger and Sheridan and her need to come out with all their secrets for her safety and in order to make this marriage work!
I am a sucker for a good fake dating plot, and this one where both parties have their own secret agenda was really fun to see play out. The chemistry and attraction between These two really explodes and I didn’t expect that form up tight Sheridan! Very hot!
Another great thing about these characters is that they start off with very skewed perspectives of each other, as they continue to interact and the relationship develops, it was really sweet to see the or true selves revealed and appreciated by each other. As their true selfs, Sheridan and Vanessa make. Perfect pairing- thankfully this investigation Brough them together to see just that!
Also, we finally resolve the mystery of the murdered husbands and relatives! I wound give it away, but I liked how it turned out.
This book had plenty of continuing aspect, like the mystery and the family dynamics, but I feel that Sabrina Jeffries gave enough back story for those wanting to jump into the Duke Dynasty at this book.
Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is scheduled to release May 25th, 2021.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zebra, Kensington Book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Blog link: https://pinkcowlandreads.blogspot.com...
#UndercoverDuke #SabrinaJeffries #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads
Sheridan has been heavily affected by the strange deaths within his family and he is taking the lead to get to the bottom if it… too bad that his investigation is going to make his get pretty cozy with the frivolous Vanessa, his brother’s cousin, in order to find out what her mother can tell them about some key events in the mystery timeframe.
Vanessa Pryde doesn’t know why Sheridan is finally paying attention to her, but she will do anything to keep it up! She has loved him since they met, but the feelings has seemed completely one sided until now. Using the idea that she is trying to get another suiters up to scruff, she and Sheridan hatch a deal to start a fake courtship…
Soon the lines between fake and real are blurred and a real marriage ensues! Now as part of the family, Vanessa is in danger and Sheridan and her need to come out with all their secrets for her safety and in order to make this marriage work!
I am a sucker for a good fake dating plot, and this one where both parties have their own secret agenda was really fun to see play out. The chemistry and attraction between These two really explodes and I didn’t expect that form up tight Sheridan! Very hot!
Another great thing about these characters is that they start off with very skewed perspectives of each other, as they continue to interact and the relationship develops, it was really sweet to see the or true selves revealed and appreciated by each other. As their true selfs, Sheridan and Vanessa make. Perfect pairing- thankfully this investigation Brough them together to see just that!
Also, we finally resolve the mystery of the murdered husbands and relatives! I wound give it away, but I liked how it turned out.
This book had plenty of continuing aspect, like the mystery and the family dynamics, but I feel that Sabrina Jeffries gave enough back story for those wanting to jump into the Duke Dynasty at this book.
Undercover Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is scheduled to release May 25th, 2021.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zebra, Kensington Book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Blog link: https://pinkcowlandreads.blogspot.com...
#UndercoverDuke #SabrinaJeffries #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads
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