The Duke is Mightier than the Sword
Series: Dukes in Danger #3
Author: Emily E.K. Murdoch
Published May 9th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Montague Lancaster, Duke of Caefall, is in hiding in Oxford after a wartime injury, trying to ignore his doctor’s advice.

Because he’ll definitely be going back to France to fight, right? He’s determined not to leave his honor on the battlefield—but Montague has financial concerns to keep him occupied. The Duchy is bankrupt. He’s got to keep it a secret and keep his presence in England quiet.

Fencing is his only refuge, his passion, and Montague agrees to teach students to pass the time. Easier said than done when a poetess storms into his bedchamber and demands he help her finish her poem…

Sarah Lockwood is tired of having her poetry diminished merely because she’s a woman. Society holds no interest, and she’s in search of a poetry professor in one of the prestigious Oxford colleges to help her finish it. She ends up discovering a hidden duke who fences like a soldier and kisses like the devil.

Words cross blades with actions as both Sarah and Montague fight their growing feelings for each other, and the expectations of the world.

She cannot be a poet. He must return to France to fight. So which is the duke or the sword?
Goodreads

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

Being injured while fighting the French, Montague Lancaster, Duke of Caefall, is hiding in Oxford, ignoring all advice and pretending nothing is wrong. He has family matters to concern himself with, and knows he will be heading back once he's healed, right? However, nothing he does seems to help, but he won't stop himself from trying. So when Sarah Lockwood mistakenly knocks on his door, expecting a poetry professor and finding someone decidedly not, it's almost like a dream come true. Sarah is sick of people not believing in her poetry simply because she is a woman. She wants to improve her writing though, and she needs to learn how to fight with a sword. Montague agrees to teach her how to fence, but the close proximity between them may just prove too much for their burgeoning feelings to handle.

I think this is my favourite of the series so far! Montague and Sarah had the perfect grumpy/sunshine romance, and they brought out the best in each other. Montague's growth throughout the course of the book was wonderful, and we saw how he dealt with his demons in a positive way, to make himself a better man, for both himself and for Sarah. A lovely addition to the Dukes in Danger series, I look forward to the next!

Dates Read:
May 8, 2023

Rating
3 Stars