ARC Review: The Duchess Hunt (Once Upon a Dukedom #2) by Lorraine Heath
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Series: Once Upon a Dukedom #2
Author: Lorraine Heath
Published September 28th 2021 by Avon
Goodreads Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath continues her Once Upon a Dukedom series with this lush love story of a duke who discovers what he desires in a wife may not be what he needs...
Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland, is in need of a duchess. However, restoring the dukedom—left in ruins by his father—to its former glory demands all his time, with little room for sentiment. He places an advert encouraging the single ladies of the ton to write why they should be the one chosen, and leaves it to his efficient secretary to select his future wife.
If there exists a more unpleasant task in the world than deciding who is to marry the man you love, Penelope Pettypeace certainly can’t imagine what it might be. Still, she is determined to find the perfect bride for her clueless, yet ruthlessly charming employer.
But when an anonymous note threatens to reveal truths best hidden, Kingsland has no choice but to confront the danger with Penelope at his side. Beguiled by the strong-willed, courageous beauty, he realizes he’s willing to risk everything, including his heart, to keep her safe within his arms. Could it be the duchess he’s hunting for has been in front of him all along?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.
Last year Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland, advertised in the paper for his duchess, and thought he'd found her in Lady Kathryn Lambert, but when she decided to break off the courtship in order to be with her love, he's back to the drawing board. This time around, he's entrusting the search in the capable hands of his diligent secretary, Penelope Pettypeace, because without her, he wouldn't have been able to restore the dukedom his father had left in ruins. But, Penelope is in love with Hugh, and has been for some time now, and trying to find the woman who would be his, and would lead to her having to leave his home, is difficult. Even so, Penelope will do her job, pain or no pain, but when an anonymous note is left on the desk, and it's unclear whether it's message is meant for Hugh or Penelope, they both head north and soon reveal the secrets they've kept hidden from each, losing their hearts in the mean time.
I was so happy I had been approved for this book. Firstly, because it forced me to read Scoundrel of My Heart quicker than I was anticipating, and secondly, because as soon as I had finished book 1, I needed to read on and see what had happened to Hugh. When we met him in the previous book, it was clear that he had a past, and he had been hurt by it. He showed himself as an upstanding British gentlemen, everything a duke should be, but one who wouldn't budge, and definitely would not go on his knees for anyone - not even to propose. In The Duchess Hunt, though, we see him be vulnerable, and just how far he would go to protect the woman he loves, even on his knees begging, if he had to. Penelope is hiding a past, just as much as Hugh is, and she knows that she has the perfect position she could ever have asked for, and if it hurts being so close to the man she loves, but without being with him, she'd do it. I really cared for Penelope, and especially once the secret she had been keeping had been revealed, because her upbringing had been so difficult, and her teenage years saw exploitation, and her being thrown out when all she did was to help her mam and sister. The thing that made this book so fantastic was how much it explored Penelope and Hugh as a couple. First we saw them as employer and employee, then friends, and finally lovers, and even soul mates. They were one of the best couples I've read, and I simply adored the epilogue - both parts of it. Nothing's been announced yet for Heath's next book, but I'll definitely be ordering it as I can. I'm hoping we see more from the other Chessmen, because I'm intrigued there.
Dates Read:
April 16-17, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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