“Anyone who loves romance must read Sabrina Jeffries!” —Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling authorAn Amazon Best Romance of the Month A USA Today Bestseller A sexy and distracting rake is tamed by a scholarly heroine with a penchant for the sciences in this dazzling and witty tale of Regency London. A past kiss with adorably bookish Miss Olivia Norley should be barely a memory for Marlowe …
A past kiss with adorably bookish Miss Olivia Norley should be barely a memory for Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock. After all, there are countless debutantes for a handsome rakehell to charm beyond a young lady whose singular passion is chemistry—of the laboratory type. But Thorn has not forgotten—or forgiven—the shocking blackmail scheme sparked by that single kiss, or the damage caused to both their names. Now Thorn’s half-brother, Grey, has hired the brilliant Miss Norley for her scientific expertise in solving a troubling family mystery. And the once-burned Thorn, suspicious of her true motives, vows to follow her every move . . .
For Olivia, determining whether arsenic poisoning killed Grey’s father is the pioneering experiment that could make her career—and Thorn’s constant presence is merely a distraction. But someone has explosive plans to derail her search. Soon the most unexpected discovery is the caring nature of the reputed scoundrel beside her—and the electricity it ignites between them . . .
“Intoxicating…Jeffries’s perfect blend of romance, mystery, and suspense is sure to have series readers anxious for more.”
—Publishers Weekly
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The newest edition of The Duke Dynasty Series by Sabrina Jeffries is just as exceptional as the first two in the series. Thorn the Duke of Thornstock has met his match. Olivia is a clever young lady who has no interest in becoming some neglected gentleman’s wife. She is a chemistry scientist and determined to prove that she is as good as the men in her field. Both of them are stubborn, clever, and want nothing to do with each other. The only problem is that they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Thrown together by circumstance in the mystery of who is killing off Dukes who were married to Thorn’s mother. Mystery abounds with moments of peril and more questions than answers. The chemistry between Thorn and Olivia is palatable and erotic. They get their happy ending but the mystery of the murderer is not resolved in this book.
I enjoy Sabrina’s writing very much, that said all the Dukes and sons and stepsons were a little confusing for me. I had to refer to previous books in the Series to keep them straight. Overall this is a great read and I can recommend this book. It can be read as a stand-alone. However, I suggest reading the first two in the series then this one.
There are very few authors who I pre-order, Sabrina Jeffries is one of them. I love this series and was anxious to read it. It was worth the wait, another fabulous story.
Women of strength and substance people Jeffries’ novels, the latest heroine is chemist Miss Olivia Norley. When she offered to clean a stain from the new duke’s waistcoat at a party, Thorn, aka the duke of Thornstock, Marlowe Drake believes she set him up to get caught so they would have to marry. When she refuses his proposal, he misconstrues her reasons.
Years later the pair finds themselves teamed up when Thorn’s half-brother Grey needs a chemist to prove his father was murdered. The attraction is still there but Thorn’s secret could tear them apart.
Raised to believe that every young woman wants to marry a duke and will stop at nothing to catch one, Thorn is twice surprised when Olivia refuses him. What will it take for the beautiful and intelligent chemist to say yes?
Sabrina Jeffries makes the reader believe in possibilities. For a moment we can believe in a world where a young woman of the ton carries the necessary chemicals in her purse to clean wine from a vest. We believe in love at first sight. She even makes us believe in the strength of a young woman’s character that she would refuse a proposal not given with his whole heart. We also believe that love will win in the end, that the truth will come out and the bad guys will be punished.
I impatiently wait for the next story in The Duke Dynasty Series.
WHO WANTS TO MARRY A DUKE is Sabrina Jeffries’ third book of the Duke Dynasty. Just like the first two books of the series, the step-siblings continue their investigation behind the mysterious deaths of their fathers, and Thorn, the Duke of Thornstock, is not pleased when his half-brother, Grey, hires Miss Olivia Norley for her expertise as a chemist. Thorn has not forgotten—nor forgiven the shocking blackmail scheme by Olivia’s mother and vows to follow her every move, but he soon becomes protective of her when someone tries to stop her. Olivia is determined to find out if arsenic poisoning killed Grey’s father—that is if she could just ignore the sizzling chemistry between her and Thorn. Sabrina Jeffries brilliantly gives the Duke Dynasty series an endless supply of fascinating characters and compelling storylines. WHO WANTS TO MARRY A DUKE is filled with witty dialogues, intrigue, and steamy sensuality. Look out for Sabrina Jefferies’ next book UNDERCOVER DUKE in the summer 2021.
This was a somewhat entertaining and suspenseful tale, and I liked the unusual heroine for her commitment to her chemistry career. She was not your typical bluestocking. Although this was a new-to-me author, and clearly the third book in the series, with the help of the family tree at the beginning of the book, I was easily able to keep track of the characters. The hero was too much of a rake for me and his redeemable qualities that would have made him more of a sympathetic figure just weren’t believable. The romance and dialogue were not immersive or convincing. I just didn’t feel invested in the protagonists or the outcome, and I’m only mildly curious about the resolution of the mystery. The steam level of this story was unexpected…definitely 4 out of 5 teakettles, with some fairly graphic description.
#NetGalley
Intrigue, suspense, betrayal, murder, mystery and romance. This story runs at a quick pace and is a page turner. Every page, every scene, every dialogue was easy to follow and segued from one topic to another smoothly. I loved all the characters. They were well written, had intelligent conversations and ideas, their feelings and emotions were very realistic. The storyline of Thorn and Olivia falling in love was well executed. It was not rushed nor was it insta-love. It was a buildup of them getting to know each other, realize their compatibility and fighting against what they always believed about relationships and marriage. The subplot was investigating the deaths of the prior dukes of Thorn’s family. Now that Olivia confirmed their suspicions were correct it was time to look for the murderer. I can’t wait for the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Absolutely do not pick up here if you haven’t read the first two books in the Duke Dynasty series, because the overarching plot about the deaths of Lydia’s three husbands is finally starting to get interesting, and if you haven’t read the previous two books, you’ll be quite lost.
If you HAVE read those two books, you’ll enjoy the way things are finally starting to come to a head, with the heroine of this book a chemist recruited to test the remains of one of the dead dukes to determine if his death was due to suspected arsenic poisoning. Sabrina Jeffries writes the best heroines, capable, confident women, and Olivia fits in perfectly here. A lady chemist, she is utterly disinterested in taking part in the marriage mart… even though she once turned down a proposal from none other than the Duke of Thornstock after being caught scandalizingly kissing him at a ball.
I loved Olivia, but Thorn… well, Thorn behaved absolutely horribly. From their first meeting where he made assumptions about Olivia despite the evidence being right in front of him that she was precisely what she claimed to be, to in the present day him making MORE assumptions about her basically so he could tell himself she was the one in the wrong, I thoroughly disliked him. Yes, he eventually did a grovel, but I couldn’t understand why, long before that, Olivia was even tolerating his presence, never mind allowing him to take all sorts of liberties with her.
There were parts about their relationship I liked; though Thorn doubted Olivia’s skills at first, once he recognised she really did know what she was doing, he respected what she said and didn’t question her. The scene where she ordered him out of her laboratory was one of my favourites, though it did mean we didn’t get a scene where he watched her work and admired her skills, something I always like to see when there’s a heroine with special skills in a story.
I was also slightly bemused with the sub-plot of Thorn being a playwright; I feel like this is something that’s going to prove important in the next book, but here it was just a distraction. There’s just a bit too much going on and we really needed the focus to be on less things; the romance between the two, Olivia’s chemistry skills, and the murder plots was plenty.
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series but I’m honestly a bit disappointed in this one. Several of the sex scenes felt shoehorned in at the expense of necessary plot and character development. I’ll keep reading because I’m invested in knowing the answers to the murder mystery, but I’ll hope for an improvement in the next one. This isn’t BAD – I don’t think Sabrina Jeffries knows how to write a bad book – but it’s not up to her usual amazing standard. I’ll give it four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
Miss Olivia Norley and Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock have a turbulent past. He kisses her and her mother tries forcing him to marry her, but she turns him down knowing he was forced to marry her and ruined both their names. Now a few years later she’s going to help his brother uncover I his father was married has to wonder what her ulterior motives are towards his family. The two are like fire and water, they have a instant attraction they cannot deny, but they’ve both been wounded before and it’ll take a lot to earn the others trust. A captivating story of a bluestocking chemist and a duke who doesn’t trust her to not see his family ruined for good. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.
Who Wants To Marry A Duke, by Sabrina Jeffries, is available at booksellers on 8-25-2020. Who Wants is book 3 in Ms Jeffries Duke Dynasty series. We’re working our way through an entire family but it still works as a standalone story. I missed the first two books and still enjoyed number 3. It actually made me want to get the other two.
An entire family of titled gentlemen, and one sister, is a great playground for a series. Our current hero, Thorn, has been raised by his mother and stepfather in Germany so England is a cold water in his face. He doesn’t really like it but has to stay for his estates. He’s a likeable fellow and who doesn’t understand a fish out of water story. Olivia, our heroine, is another fish out of water. She’s convinced a husband will put a stop to her career, and most would have. She and Thorn are thrown together by accident but they are absolutely perfect for each other. An enjoyable story with a happy ending.
I quite like this story. Miss Olivia Norley is a brilliant scientific hired by the Duke of Greycourt to find out if his father was killed with arsenic.
Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, is Grey’s half-brother and he has not forgotten—or forgiven—the shocking blackmail scheme sparked by a single kiss with Olivia, or the damage caused to both their names. So he feels he can´t trust Olivia not to hurt his family, and decided to follow her and Grey to the country to check on this pioneering experiment.
But neither of them can´t fight the explosive chemistry between them—nor the laboratory type either!
The dialogs between Olivia and Thorn are really fun. I love that she is so sure of herself, and fights for everything she wants, included Thorn. He keeps telling himself he is not the marrying type, but after spending time with Olivia he might change his mind. Is love in the cards for him?
I give this one 4 stars because I love Gwyn and Joshua´s story a bit more. But it´s an enjoyable reading and I highly recommended it!
What a good read from Jeffries. I really liked these characters and the plot of this story. I enjoy seeing characters from previous books as well. I am so looking forward to reading the next installment just wish we didn’t have to wait so long.
4.5 stars
Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, might’ve been able to forget a passionate kiss nine years ago with Miss Olivia Norley, but he can’t forget or forgive her stepmother’s attempt to blackmail him into marriage and the resulting damage to both of their reputations. He has had no contact with Miss Norley in the succeeding nine years, but that’s about to change since Thorn’s half-brother, Grey, has hired her to employ her expertise in chemistry to help them investigate a family mystery. Suspicious of her motives and protective of his family, Thorn is determined to shadow Olivia while she’s on Grey’s estate.
Olivia is keen to help Grey and his family and also highly aware of the fact that determining whether Grey’s father was poisoned with arsenic can establish her as a respected chemist. But when she gets close to a result, it becomes clear that someone is keen to stop her research. Perhaps even more surprising is the lingering connection between Olivia and Thorn and the caring nature hidden beneath his layers of rakish artifice.
I really enjoyed this book, though not quite as much as its predecessors. Thorn was very jaded and rather arrogant and only really became likable for me closer to the end of the book, though very rapidly so at that point. It took me a little bit to warm up to Olivia as well, mostly because of how exagerratedly awkward she was at times, and yet at the same time this was oddly charming and relatable. Olivia didn’t cut Thorn any slack, but that was exactly what he needed to get his head on straight. I wound up loving these two as a very charmingly unconventional couple and the thread of mystery still running through this series is a delightful touch. I’ve always enjoyed a bit of suspense in my romance and now I can’t wait for Sheridan’s story and the culmination of the likely conspiracy against Lydia’s family.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Who Wants to Marry a Duke by Sabrina Jeffries is the third book in her engaging Duke Dynasty Series. There is also a novella after book 1 that I recommend as well.
You just read the first two books in this series in order to get the big picture of the mystery woven through the entire series.
This book focuses on Thorn (second Duke) and a woman from his past. Thorn in previous novels is tall, handsome, smart, funny and speaks German. At his sister Gwyn’s ball he runs into Miss Olivia Norley. Olivia was caught kissing Thorn nine years ago…. she is a chemist and was helping him get some stains out of his shirt. Unbeknownst to her, Olivia’s stepmother attempted to blackmail Thorn into proposing. Thorn was shocked and angered by being turned down and the blackmail threat. So he has some hard feelings…but neither of them have forgotten that unforgettable kiss they shared. In the present, Oliva has been hired by Thorn’s half brother, the Duke of Greycourt, to test if his father was poisoned. Thorn insists he must accompany and off we go.
I loved the MCs in this installment a lot! So many sparks flying, medium steam and a lot of sweetness. Olivia’s career as a chemist is delightful. Thorn also has a secret career we learn all about!
Love the large family in this series and I’m looking forward to reading what is next!
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
#WhoWantsToMarryADuke #SabrinaJeffries #KensingtonBooks #historicalromance #NetGalley #SecondChanceAtLove #historicalromancemystery
This book is part of a series about the children of a woman who has married three dukes (although one wasn’t a duke when she married him) I have not read the rest of the series so I was a bit confused about brothers both being Dukes but the relationships soon made sense. I didn’t feel that I was lost by starting in on the 3rd book.
Our hero, Thorn, and heroine, Olivia, meet in the prologue when the hero was 21 and just arrived in London after spending most of his life in Prussia, where his stepfather served as ambassador. They end up being discovered in a compromising position by Olivia’s stepmother who blackmails Thorn into offering for Olivia. When Thorn, does, Olivia turns him down. In order to provide an explanation and protect Olivia, her stepmother tells all that Olivia turned him down due to his rakish reputation. The blacking of his reputation and the family secret that Olivia’s stepmother was blackmailing him with set him on a course of not believing in love and living up to that reputation.
Nine years later, both are still unwed. Thorn’s brother Gray “hires” Olivia, who is a chemist, to see if she can determine whether his father was poisoned. When Thorn hears this, his distrust of Olivia has him coming to Gray’s estate with them so he can “watch” her. After a time, they are able to discuss what happened and clear the air and admit they was an attraction all those years ago.
There is still the mystery of Gray’s father’s death and when Olivia’s lab is destroyed they know someone is trying to stop them. They move to Thorn’s estate to continue the experiments and continue to fall in love. Thorn has a secret that comes between them but is resolved when he finally admits he does love Olivia.
The mystery of the Dukes’ deaths is not resolved by the end of this book but Gray and Thorn’s mother is finally told of what they suspect as is the rest of the family. There is one more brother left and I anticipate this last book will resolve all.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn’t get caught up in the mystery as much as the love story. and didn’t feel lost by not reading the earlier books/novella.
My thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own
I really enjoyed this book overall. For some reason, I don’t remember Thorn being this grumpy but that’s okay I like grumpy heroes. Anyway, I liked that he was drawn to Olivia because she wasn’t anything like other debutantes. Olivia is a little socially awkward but he feels the same and being with her puts him at ease.
Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock first met Miss Olivia Norley nine years earlier. They shared a kiss, one he hasn’t forgotten. But he also hasn’t forgotten or forgiven that it lead to blackmail sparked by that kiss.
Now Thorn’s half-brother Grey has hired Miss Norley for her knowledge as a chemist to help solve a troubling family mystery. Thorn convinced that Olivia is up to no good invites himself to his brother’s estate to keep an eye on her.
Figuring out if Grey’s father was killed by arsenic poisoning might just be the experiment that helps launch her career. Thorn’s presence is proving to be distracting.
When someone destroys her laboratory, the brothers realize their suspicions might be right. Thorn whisks her to his estate so she can continue her work and he can keep her close and safe.
4.5 stars
I am new to this series, and come in reading the third book. I was worried that I would be lost. I was happily surprised that I was quickly carried along in this fast moving and sexy book. The mystery is for sure a big part of the story, but it is a vehicle that allows the h/h to be in proximity of each other. The relationship of Olivia and Thorn is smoldering and sexy and grabs you from the beginning of the book. I loved their banter, and their push pull relationship. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend even if you have not read the series. You can bet I will be grabbing the previous books as I could not put this down.
Who Wants to Marry a Duke is the third book in the Duke Dynasty series and can easily be read as a stand-alone. When Thorn’s half-brother Fletcher hires Olivia, an accomplished chemist, to research his father’s mysterious death, Thorn is instantly suspicious of her motives. He hasn’t forgotten that night nine years ago when he and Olivia were caught kissing, and he was forced to propose. Since Olivia rejected him, Thorn still suspects that she and her scheming step-mother planned the incident and the subsequent blackmailing scheme. Thorn determines to watch Olivia and ensure that she doesn’t dupe Fletcher the way that she did him.
Olivia just wants to do her job and publish her findings. This opportunity could make her career as a chemist. Thorn is a distraction, and she refuses to fall for him again. However, as Olivia and Thorn grow closer, and things become more dangerous, neither can deny their attraction. Can they put the past behind them, or will their prejudices and Thorn’s cynical outlook on love prevail?
Olivia is an intelligent and opinionated woman who stays true to her values and beliefs. I love her strength during a time when it would be very easy for her to rely on a man and marriage to feel secure. She’s more interested in her career goals to worry about marriage and love and is comfortable remaining unmarried so long as she can study science. She and Thorn are similar in that their interests defy societal norms and neither quite fit in.
Thorn is a Duke who also has a secret profession, which I love! He is close to and protective of his mother and siblings, which isn’t surprising considering all of the misfortune they have suffered. I think his relationship with them says so much about Thorn as a kind, loyal, and dependable person. I also love the way in which he accepts and supports Olivia’s interests and career aspirations. He does not expect, nor does he want, her to fit into the cookie-cutter societal mold.
The romance between Olivia and Thorn is fabulously spicy. This is a couple that went through an ugly scandal together almost a decade ago and spent years trying to repair the damage. Unresolved conflicts and feelings abound as the couple reunites under very different circumstances. However, they are still so obviously attracted to one another, and their chemistry (pardon the pun) is amazing! I love their quick and often funny banter and their growth as a couple.
This is a great historical romance with an interesting, and continuing, mystery and a steamy love story. The excellent use of dialogue and the character-development are fabulous as are the messages about love, both familial and romantic, which are at the forefront of this novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
4.5 stars rounded up
When Marlowe “Thorn” Drake, the Duke of Thornstock first came to London, he met Miss Olivia Norley and after she gives him a lesson in benefits of chemistry in stain fighting, he gives her a mind-blowing kiss. Unfortunately, they are caught by her step-mother. Unbeknownst to Olivia, Lady Norley blackmails Thorn into proposing, a proposal she rejects.
Nine years later, Thorn is still angry at Olivia and her mother, but thankfully, there paths haven’t crossed, until now. He learns that his brother Grey has hired the still single Miss Norley to perform some experiments on his father’s remains to determine if he was poisoned. Thorn tries to get Grey to fire Olivia, but when he won’t, Thorn decides to go with them to Grey’s estate – to “keep an eye on her”.
Olivia isn’t sure why Thorn is so angry at her – she refused his forced proposal didn’t she? She doesn’t want to marry, she wants to be a chemist and is sure a husband will refuse to let her continue her work. She also has no desire marry a man who was being forced to marry her – so she refused him, which should have made him happy. But now he is causing trouble with her again, trying to get the Duke of Greycourt to fire her – this experiment could give her clout and recognition in the chemistry community and she will not let him ruin it for her! She will just ignore him and stop wondering if his kisses are really as good as she remembers.
Thorn is not going to let her forget him or his kisses, especially when he learns that he was wrong about her all those years ago. When Olivia’s lab is sabotaged, it becomes clear that whoever killed his stepfather, most likely killed both Grey’s and Thorn’s fathers too and is clearly willing to kill again to keep from being caught, Thorn will do whatever is necessary to protect her. They grow closer and seem like they are well on the way to HEA, but then Thorn’s secrets are revealed and he will have to find a way to trust her with his heart or lose her forever.
This was a great addition to the series, it is well written story that flows nicely and continues the ongoing mystery that has been woven into the series. Thorn and Olivia are very likable characters with strong personalities. I loved their interactions and laughed out loud more than once while reading this book. The book picks up where The Bachelor ended and centers on Grey and Thorn’s efforts to determine if the deaths of the Duchess’s husbands are related, producing a story rich with intrigue, secrets, mystery, steamyish love scenes, witty dialogue, lies, a hard won HEA and a great segue into the next book! This is the third book in the series and while it can be enjoyed as a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in order.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by the publisher.*
Olivia, a spinster chemist, becomes involved in trying to find out if a Duke was poisoned to death. In doing so, she must spend time with Thorn, a man who mistrusts her. As the investigation continues they realize they both had misconceptions about each other. I loved the book and can’t wait to read Sheridan’s story next! I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.
London – 1800
Marlowe “Thorn” Drake, the Duke of Thornstock, age 21, along with his twin sister, Gwyn, lived in Berlin when they were younger. Their mother was widowed just before they were born when their father died in a carriage accident. Some years later, their mother married another duke who died after their son was born. Her son is Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, the Duke of Greycourt. Thus, Grey is Thorn and Gwyn’s half brother and they are best friends.
Miss Olivia Norley, age 18, and daughter of Baron Norley, is at the same ball that Thorn in attending. Olivia accidentally bumps into Thorn when he was drinking an aperitif and it spills down the front of his shirt. She apologizes and asks him to accompany her into the library where with some champagne and bicarbonate of soda manages to clean the stain off his shirt. Soon, her stepmother finds them together and insists that Thorn show up at their home the next day to propose to Olivia. Like a gentleman, he does as she asks but Olivia turns him down. She has no plans to marry because she is a chemist and wishes to devote her life to chemistry.
London – 1809
Thorn and his sister are attending a ball together. Secretly, Thorn pens stories as a playwright that are widely enjoyed. At the ball, he sees Olivia and learns that she is the acclaimed scientist that will be testing his stepfather’s body for arsenic poisoning.
Back in each other’s company and more mature, they know what they want from life. There is still that attraction to one another which is now stronger than ever. Can they now put aside their “problems” with one another and find a way to be together?
This book had a good start but I became rather aggravated with their constant back and forth with one another in not being able to agree. Both are strong headed but they do seem to agree on sex. I just don’t get the “jump into bed immediately” premise in so many historical romance books. To me, that’s a turn off. But if it sells books, so be it.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Miss Olivia Norley loves chemistry and would be perfectly content to spend her life in a lab instead of attending all of these balls to please her stepmother. When Olivia runs into Marlowe “Thorn” Drake, the Duke of Thornstock the chemistry really heats up and these two get caught in a compromising position. Thorn does the proper thing and makes an offer of marriage for Olivia. To his surprise she turns him down!
Nine years later Thorn’s half-brother, Grey hires Olivia to conduct some experiments to determine if Grey’s father was poisoned with arsenic. Thorn doesn’t trust Olivia so he decides to tag along. Of course the more time Thorn and Olivia spend together, the more their feelings continue to grow. When it becomes obvious that someone does not want Olivia to conduct her experiments, Thorn is determined to protect the woman he has grown to love. Now he just needs to let her in on a little secret he has been keeping which may just change they way she feels about him. Just when it looks like a happy ending for Thorn and Olivia…..everything blows up in their faces. It will take a lot of soul searching for these two to find their hearts but in the end it was all worth it.
I just adored Olivia. Anytime there is a sassy, intelligent female in a Regency historical romance she usually ends up running the show! Olivia knows that she doesn’t need a man in her life, but she certainly didn’t mind having Thorn around! 😉 I really enjoyed Thorn too. He was a typical alpha male but was still fun and witty. I really enjoyed their story and can’t wait to find out the conclusion of the mystery as to who killed all of the dukes