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The Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan

Series: The Duke Hunt, #4

Release Date: October 24, 2023

Susanna Lockhart is the housekeeper for the Duke of Penning, and so far, it has been interesting, especially when the old duke died and his son, the new duke was deemed illegitimate, and a new duke and his son moved in. Everything was going great, but Susanna soon learns that he is an imposter, and now the newest new duke is less than pleased with her and makes it clear that he will be looking to replace her at some point, but first, he wants to throw a house party. The man is completely insufferable, arrogant, and much too handsome for her peace of mind. For eleven years, Susanna has kept a secret and has not had the slightest interest in any man, so why does this man affect her? It is clear that the primary purpose of his house party is to find a bride for himself and husbands for his two sisters, something that should make her happy, since she will be able to do her job and won’t have to interact with him, but for some reason irks her. Determined to prove herself, she sets out to impress the duke and his guests, but once the party is underway, Susanna’s past rears its ugly head and threatens to destroy everything she has worked so hard to accomplish.

Lucian Ross had no idea he was related to a duke, much less an heir! Lucian was raised as a gentleman, but upon the death of his father, he learned that his father had lost the family fortune to gambling and despite a job with the Home Office, his family was left penniless, forcing his mother to make some hard choices, choices that broke her. With his mother incapacitated, it falls on Lucian to care for her and his younger sisters. Thanks to a neighbor, Lucian finds an occupation that enables him to earn more than enough to support them all, but he is careful to make sure no one ever learns how exactly he makes his living. But once he learns of his elevation to the peerage, he knows that his past could destroy his sisters’ chances for good marriages, thus his desire to get them all married as soon as possible, and what better way to do that than to host a house party! But upon meeting Susanna, he has a problem, he wants her, badly. Since he would never take advantage of an employee and he is not sure he can resist her, so she will have to go, right after the house party. But a kiss changes everything and this duke may just cause his own scandal!

What a great end to the series! I will be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, especially when I learned his secret and found out he was looking for a bride, but I was wrong, I loved it! The entire book was a delight to read, and I LOVE how the villain is dealt with, OMG, I was actually laughing out loud! This book has secrets, class differences, blackmail, great secondary characters, meddling family members, steamy love scenes, a little heartache, a secondary romance, some amusing scenes, and finally a happily ever after that left me smiling. This is the fourth book in the series, and even though I highly recommend all the books in this series, this book could easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Highland Surrender by Heather McCollum

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Sons of Sinclair, #5

Release Date: October 24, 2023

Erik Halverson, the leader of the lethal Wolf Warriors of Norway and three of his best men travel from Norway to carry out a mission for the Dowager Queen Sophie of Denmark-Norway. Queen Sophie is the mother of Scotland’s Queen Anne, and she believes that the Sinclair “Horsemen” are too powerful and will try to take the crown from King James and her daughter. She kidnaps Erik’s only living relative, his younger sister Iselin, and holds her at court with threats of marrying her to her chancellor until Erik abducts the Sinclairs’ sister, Hannah. She thinks that by taking Hannah, she will gain control of the Sinclair’s, thus saving her daughter. Erik is not happy with this plan, but he will do anything to save his sister. He travels to Girnigoe Castle and is relieved to learn none of the Sinclair brothers are in residence, he hopes to find and take Hannah before they return, but his hopes are dashed when he is unable to to learn which woman is Hannah and the youngest brother, Bas returns earlier than expected. But not one to give up, he figures out who she is, and when she seems bent on seduction, he uses that in his favor to steal her away. But things go downhill from there when stowaways in the form of Cait and Gideon’s daughters, Libby and Trix, a storm, traitors, and the burning attraction he feels for Hannah. How can he turn her over to Sophie, yet how can he not?

Hannah Sinclair wants a child, she is almost 30 and has no prospects for marriage, thanks to her overprotective brothers. So when she meets Erik, who is posing as a trader, she decides that he is perfect for her needs, since he will be gone by the time she learns if she is pregnant and her brothers will have no way to find and kill him. Unsure of how to seduce a man, she turns to her sisters-in-law, who are more than happy to instruct her. Things get a bit complicated when Bas returns early, but not even that is going to deter her, she lures Erik to the stables, and just as things start to heat up, he turns the tables on her and steals her away to his ship. At first, she is furious and bent on making him pay, but when they are blown off course and have to land in the Isles to make repairs, she learns the truth and knows that there is no way this doesn’t end in war. She knows her brothers will never back down and Erik makes it clear that he won’t either, so it is up to Hannah to find a way to save them all. But can she save her heart from breaking?

This was the final installment of the series and what an ending it is! I thought this was a great story, I loved Erik and Hannah, they had great chemistry, they have both suffered loss, and they both have a deep love for their families. They are perfect for each other, but the lies, secrets, and circumstances all mean that happily ever after is all but impossible. This book is filled with deadly highlanders, equally deadly Norse warriors, fearsome wives, mischievous little girls, laugh-out-loud moments, fan-yourself moments, nail-biting moments, and a heaping helping of heartache before our lovers find their HEA. This was a fantastic end to a wonderful series and definitely a must-read title. This book could be read as a standalone title, but I strongly recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

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