Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Decadent Dukes Society #3
Publication Date: 4/30/19
Number of Pages: 304

This wonderful wrap-up for the Decadent Dukes Society is delightfully different – not one of your standard tropes. The ‘Most Ducal Duke’ meets his match and it is a delight to watch. The book is well written and the characters are very relatable and likable.

Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth has long been known as the most ducal of dukes. He’s always proper, dour, dutiful, and forbidding – as well as tall and handsome with gray eyes that “created a steely gaze that shot through all that it saw”. Brentworth received a rare summons to court and he had no idea why – especially since he and the king were not exactly friendly. What he hears is stunning and the king seems to expect him to deal with it without causing an uproar about it. Some Scottish chit has concocted a story and is trying to claim one of his estates. The charlatan! Soon it will be open season for ne’er-do-wells to just walk up and claim portions of estates. HUH!

Davina MacCallum’s father, on his death bed, told her of what should be her legacy and she is adamantly bound-and-determined to claim that legacy. She wants it for herself, of course, because it is her birthright, but she also wants it to help the people in the region. According to her father, her grandfather had been sent away from his home (Teyhill) to keep him safe after the battle of Culloden. He was then raised in the Northumberland area of England and the estate was returned to the crown and then given to the Duke of Brentworth. The estate didn’t just come with property, it also came with a barony that could be inherited by the females as well as the males.

Davina’s grandfather had spoken with the previous king who had promised to help him reclaim his land. Her grandfather sent the proof needed, but then the old king died and the proof has disappeared. Now, she is petitioning the current King and she feels she’s being stonewalled. She just has to find the proof of who her grandfather was. How?

It was great fun to watch Davina and Eric go from enemies, to searching for proof, to finally finding their HEA. It was a delightful adventure with two very deserving characters. However, I think one of my favorite parts was the epilogue where we caught up with all three of the Decadent Dukes a few years later. We saw their families and their still loving relationships and it was a truly delightful addition to the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.