Rating: 4.5
Lord Valentine Medford, the Duke of Thornbury, is a
former agent of the Crown. He agrees to assist a fellow operative to apprehend
the elusive rogue spy, Kestrel. Instead, Valentine encounters his friend’s beautiful
yet infuriating half-sister. He rescues the lady from a precarious situation,
only to discover she is Kestrel. Now Valentine must protect Bronwyn from the
dangerous men coming after her. Will Valentine be forced to give Bronwyn to the
authorities? Or will he find the true mastermind behind her missions?
Lady Bronwyn Chase is the half-sister of the Duke of
Ashvale. She secretly becomes a covert operative to make a difference in the
world. Bronwyn boards one of her brother’s ships for America with information
that could be beneficial to its civil war. She never expected to find
Valentine, her brother’s best friend, on the vessel. Bronwyn must elude him or
risk blowing her cover. She soon finds herself way over her head. Can Bronwyn
complete her mission without detection? Or is there more at stake than what she
knows?
It took me a while to warm up to Valentine. He is a man
who keeps his emotions encased behind a wall of ice. That allowed him to
succeed in his former profession as a spymaster. Emotions in espionage is
dangerous, and it could be an agent’s downfall. I like how Valentine grudgingly
taught Bronwyn tactics in self-defense. It sent against his better judgement,
but he wanted to ensure that she survived their ordeal. What I love the most
about Valentine is how he secretly admires Bronwyn’s pluck. She never once
bowed down to him; instead, she kept him on his toes. Valentine never knew what
to expect from her at any given time.
Bronwyn is a nice surprise. She is a woman who is not
content to adhere to the rules and regulations society has for noblewomen. I
like how Bronwyn is different from other members of Polite Society. She abhors
intolerance and bigotry. Bronwyn hopes she can lead change in the way people,
especially the ton, view and think of multiracial people. What I adore the most
about Bronwyn is her mettle. She prefers to stand on her own two feet than be
dependent on another, especially a man. Bronwyn wants more for her life than
what is expected, and she is not afraid to take action to achieve it.
THE DUKE IN QUESTION the third book in Amalie Howard’s
historical romance series, DARING DUKES. Sadly, I have not read the previous
two books in the series. That did not hinder my ability to follow and enjoy the
storyline or the characters. There is no on-going plot. However, the hero from
book two, RULES FOR HEIRESSES, plays a part in the story. I will have to check
that book out. I have only read one other book from this author, and I noticed
this story is a lot spicier than that one. There were moments when it seemed
excessive, but overall, it did not bother me much.
THE DUKE IN QUESTION is an engrossing and risqué
enemies-to-lovers and brother’s best friend tale. I adore the spy/covert
operative angle. I will certainly be looking into the author’s backlist. I
cannot wait to see what she has in store for this series.
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