Strike While the Duke is Hot
Series: Dukes in Danger #2
Author: Emily E.K. Murdoch
Published March 24th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton, is determined to discover who’s ruining his sister’s reputation.

That’s why he’s in the middle of nowhere, attempting to convince a blacksmith to take him on as an apprentice—undercover, of course.

He’s tracked down the source of the lying gossip to this forge, and Henry is not prepared to find a woman at the anvil.

A woman blacksmith. What on earth next?

Minny Banfield doesn’t exactly expect respect, but she’s never had a strange man march into her smithy and demand to be taken on and trained. If she didn’t need the money, she could firmly ignore him.

Him, and his handsome face, and broad shoulders.

But the secret messages she’s been passing have taken a toll and she needs work. So if this Henry Everleigh appears to be running from the law, what harm can it do to keep him around?

Sparks fly as Henry and Minny clash, both of them keeping secrets they are certain will destroy them—as the heat builds between them, a fiery desire that soon neither of them can deny…
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton, is sick of seeing his sister's name in the gossip rags, and knows that the source is someone linked to a smithy in a little town. Masquerading as a country gentleman wanting to learn a trade, he's more than a little shocked to discover a woman working and owning the smithy. Minny Banfield knows the kind of comments that are made about her, but she'd proved herself to be a great smith, and deserving of her job. Teaching the mysterious man who's walked into her smithy demanding training is not something she would usually do, but she needs the money he is offering, and could do with an extra pair of hands too. As Henry and Minny work together, they realise that the attraction which has been simmering between them is about to boil over, and Henry is still keeping secrets.

Another addition to the Dukes in Danger series, and one which I really enjoyed. I liked the way Henry and Minny were able to get close to each other, and fall in love. Yes, Henry was hiding his true identity, and the reason he was at the smithy in the first place, but he managed to reveal a lot of his true self to her even so. The messages that Minny was sending were innocuous really, and I felt real pity with her and her brother for why they were separated. A great romance, and definitely suited to the series!

Dates Read:
May 7, 2023

Rating
3 Stars