Historical Romance Book Club discussion

Discussion thread for the third BOTM for June 2025. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some HTML is ok' for instructions.)

Join us in reading this HR that features the theme Scandal!


Duke of My Heart, by Kelly Bowen

Synopsis:

Scandal can be handled...

Captain Maximus Harcourt, the unconventional tenth Duke of Alderidge, can deal with tropical storms, raging seas, and the fiercest of pirates. But he's returned home from his latest voyage to find a naked earl—quite inconveniently deceased—tied to his missing sister's bed. And he has only one place to turn. Now he's at the mercy of the captivating Miss Ivory Moore of Chegarre & Associates, known throughout London for smoothing over the most dire of scandals.

Miss Moore treats the crisis as though it were no more serious than a cup of spilt tea on an expensive rug. As though this sort of thing happened on the job every day. Max has never in all his life met a woman with such nerve. Her dark eyes are too wide, her mouth is too full, her cheekbones too sharp. Yet together, she's somehow...flawless. It's just like his love for her, imperfect, unexpected—yet absolutely true.

Happy reading!

Thinking about reading this one.....

I read this book as soon as I got it from the library and I loved it - the combo of mystery, unconventional main characters, and longing just does it for me!

I'm hoping to start this book next week 🤞

Got this one on the monthly plan. Glad you liked it, Eleanor.

I put it on hold at the library. So if what happens typically, I will have 0 books for a week and then have 5 come in all at once

I just got the audiobook from Hoopla. Read the first chapter and really enjoyed it

Merry wrote: "I put it on hold at the library. So if what happens typically, I will have 0 books for a week and then have 5 come in all at once"

Ha ha. Yep, been there.

Chapter 4. Really enjoying the audio version and the reader. Less than 16 hours post event and loving the tension between the main couple.

Just finished the book and it was a fun read that I really enjoyed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Well, this story starts off with a bang, or should I say, dead body. I'm interested where this plot is going

That's just what I thought, Lauren, when I started reading this yesterday. Very interesting opening scene. Definitely not typical.

I thought it was one of the most creative opening chapters I have read. Ivory as a fixer is hard to beat.

I agree with you both on the clever opening

I finished this book, and it was exactly what I thought it was going to be. This was a fun, modern romp with a very intriguing mystery thrown into the mix

The mystery was the best part! I spent most of the book wondering what happened to the sister. Bravo KB!

I didn't like how stupid the author made the H. Max wouldn't process information. He would just react. The poor h was always having to calm him down. Did anybody else notice that? It was too much for me.

Lauren, Yes Max's part was a weak link. For being a sea captain, he did have a bull in a China shop persona.

That's a good description. It's hard to see why Ivory is attracted to him. She is constantly trying to reason with him.

I would have been happy if this had been a series about Ivory being a fixer set in the Regency period. (So much of the plot could have taken place during any time period but her dialogue was good) the Captain was so secondary that the romance got lost

I agree with that idea, Merry. The romance is the problem. It would have made a great fixer series, but didn't this author already write one? Isn't that what they did in the Lords of Worth series?

Oleander, I was wondering why she was with him

Lauren, the first book I read by the Author was the Paris (5*) one and this is my second. I may have to read the Worth series. I started the second book in this series this week. But Ivory is what MADE this book so on the fence about the second one.

My 1st and favorite KB book is Got My Duke to Keep Me Warm. I highly recommend it. I'll be curious about your thoughts about the second book of this series. Ivory was very iconic, so Elise has her work cut out for her.

Thanks Lauren, I just added that one.

Merry wrote: "Lauren, the first book I read by the Author was the Paris (5*) one and this is my second. I may have to read the Worth series. I started the second book in this series this week. But Ivory is what ..."

Lauren, are you referring to the Paris Apartment? I haven't read it but the synopsis reminds me of The Alice Network which I really enjoyed. And coincidentally, The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is on my list but haven't read it yet.

Eleanor, Yes, it was the Paris Apartment. I really enjoyed it.