These are not really convincingly historical romances -- they use the seedy underbelly to get around all the social structure of the time they are set in, and who's to say that's not accurate? But if that's what you are looking for, these books really aren't that -- very few ballrooms, no marriage market to speak of. However, they are a cracking good yarn, well read in audio, and full of both fun dialogue and deep romance. Good stuff. ( )

Of course sometimes book readers are going to catch onto a detail that a character misses or figure something out first, but it's starting to drag at me when these leads are so achingly daft sometimes. It would be one thing if they were not known for being especially savvy, but they've made a career out of it! They'll occasionally just entirely forget that humans are capable of deception, or something equally bizarre, and then you have to wait for them to eventually catch up. A softball from time to time can make a reader feel clever, but *too* often and it's tiring, if not insulting. Other than that this series is entertaining. ( )

A woman of mystery gets caught up in a complicated masquerade. Elise has many disguises in her arsenal actress and undercover agent are just a few. The lure of A Duke to Remember for me was Elise. She has so many different identities that she loses a little bit of her own individuality with each one. What a hard way to live. In meeting Noah she starts to gain a better understanding of herself and I think the same could be said of him. I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Not an easy story to get into but it is an exceptional read once given a chance. By the end I was caught up in this tangled up romance. ( )

2.5 stars

I read this for the Secret Billionaire square for Romance Bingo

I am with you, not against you.

Since this is historical my secret billionaire is a secret Duke living as a farmer but said to be one of the richest in the land. I'm guessing, if inflation was applied, he'd be considered a billionaire today :)

This story utilized one of my lesser favorite tropes of insta-love. When our hero helps to drag our heroine out of a river that she had jumped into to save a little boy, it's pretty much on from that point on. Get ready for my broken record of missed the sexual tension (you could say there is a little bit before they are able to hit the sack but because they had already fallen for each other, I put it down to lust more), missed the chase, and missed the journey.

How they met was mega coincidence and you're talking with a well seasoned romance reader, too easy. As with the other Bowen books I've read, the heroine was kick-butt awesome, if not putting out a completely jiving historical feel. I honestly could have just read the heroine's biography and been super pleased. The hero had a tragic background but I don't know, I still didn't feel like I really knew him.

Secondary characters: King. KingKingKingKingKing. I NEED his book. He seems just shady, heartless, and honorable to knock my socks off.



*************

Haven't read the first in the series yet and too full of an arc schedule for July but how great is this promo pic?!



Want to read the story based on this alone, lol. ( )

-- Want to know if the whole series is worth reading? Read my overall review of the whole series at seriesousbookreviews.com! Spoiler Free!

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

This book was perfect! It was suspenseful, sweet and sexy.

I loved the chemistry these two had together from the get-go. Both are unique characters that bring out the best in each other and I adore that. That character connection is what I look for in great leads.

The plot was interesting and heartfelt. It wasn't overly predictable like I was worried it was going to be. It kept me on the edge of my toes and eagerly waiting to see what was going to happen next!

A fantastic historical romance and on that cements this series as one of my all time favorites in the genre!

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-1yR
Actual Rating: 5/5 ( )