A Duke Like No Other - Valerie Bowman

Fun, sexy, intriguing romp. I enjoyed Mark and Nichole’s relationship immensely. I specially loved their banter and how they were supposedly keeping each other at arm’s length. From the start I was intrigued as to how they would end up together when there appeared to be such animosity between them but in the end I was happy on how it was handled.

Mark’s relationship with his family plays in important role here. His desire to be the new Home Secretary derived from the fact that he wanted to make a name for himself without having to rely on them. That same estrangement makes him calculating and distrustful, particularly of members of the “ton.” But what one wants and what life wants out of one are two completely different things and he’s going to have to learn to make peace with his life if he wants a future with his independent, intelligent, self-reliant wife, Nichole. 

The suspense part helps the story move along but I thought we got stuck too much on it at times. That being said, I liked how it’s that same subplot that helped Mark understand Nichole better and learn to accept her for what she is. The reason they were apart for so long was pretty much pride and selfishness so to see the two grow from petty, zealous young lovers to discerning adults made for an enjoyable read. 

**I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher** 

What an adorable, sensitive, dork Knox turned out to be! I’ve read all three books in the series and I can’t really say he’s my favorite but he is definitely the sweetheart of the three!

In this third and final installment we get to know more about Knox and how he ended up at the house with the other kids. His backstory was not as tragic as the other’s however I think it made him more endearing and sweet. The romantic story actually takes place parallel to the two previous books so I definitely recommend reading them before jumping to this one.

I’m not really sure how to feel about Jade. There were some issues with her character that just didn’t click with me. Some of the things she did and said felt out of sync with the woman she was supposed to be. Nevertheless, the attachment she and Knox formed felt genuine and honest, so even if it all started as insta-lust, by the end of the book I could definitely tell there would be much love and respect between them.

***** This book contains what I consider a very graphic description of non-consensual sex, which in my book means rape, so heads up. *****

I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.