General Mark Grimaldi is devoted to his service for the Crown, risking his life and giving up everything for his career. The political promotion he's always wanted is now within his reach, but he needs to convince his estranged wife to return to England and play the role of happy bride in order for him to get the position.
Nicole Huntington Grimaldi has spent the past ten years in France, not having seen her husband since she left England. But now he's on her doorstep, asking her to return with him, and Nicole sees the opportunity to get something out of this deal. So she agrees, on one condition: she wants a baby.
A Duke Like No Other is a Regency spy caper with Valerie Bowman at her best as husband and wife match wits and may just fall in love in the process.
Nicole Huntington Grimaldi has spent the past ten years in France, not having seen her husband since she left England. But now he's on her doorstep, asking her to return with him, and Nicole sees the opportunity to get something out of this deal. So she agrees, on one condition: she wants a baby.
A Duke Like No Other is a Regency spy caper with Valerie Bowman at her best as husband and wife match wits and may just fall in love in the process.
Release Date: May 1, 2018
St. Martin's Press
Playful Brides #9
Historical Romance
Review copy provided by publisher
Liza's Review:
A Duke Like No Other was a really great story. I love a good reunion story and seeing Mark and Nicole find each other again was so much fun.
I liked both Mark and Nicole from the moment we met them both. It was obvious they both were still in love with the other and I loved how they negotiated to pretty much get exactly what each of them wanted. I have to say both characters were so strong, it could have ended up being an ugly battle of wills between them, but it felt right to me. I don't think either Mark or Nicole could have been happy with someone who didn't share a common interest in investigations and an unconventional life.
I have to say I thought Mark was a little too hung up on his family on his mother's side. Yes mistakes were made when he was young, but he never tried to see if anyone had changed their mind along the way about what was said and done. I also hated that Nicole knowing who his family was ended up being part of the reason they were apart for so many years. It was almost as if Mark continued to look upon the connection through a child's eyes for way too long. I love when it as pointed out to him how beneficial the connection could be in his chosen profession, something I felt like Nicole kept trying to tell him forever. I loved seeing Nicole help Mark out as they investigated the death of his cousin. I had figured out who was behind it ahead of time and was glad to see it was Nicole who pointed Mark into the same direction.
Mark and Nicole's battle of wills was really fun for me. Especially when I could tell how much each wanted the other. They had super chemistry between them, which only grew stronger the more time they were together. Seriously there were some smoking hot love scenes between the two of them that steamed up my kindle screen.
A Duke Like None Other is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys a sexy historical romance with a bit of mystery to the story. The mystery in no way overshadowed the romance aspects of the book, but added a little something extra. I really enjoy Valerie Bowman's voice and look forward to reading many more books from her in the future.
Rating: 4 Stars (B)
EXCERPT
CHAPTER
THREE
Mark
quirked his mouth into a half smile. Nicole had always been direct. It was one
of the things that had first drawn him to her. She wasn’t about to let him get
away with arriving unannounced without admitting that he wanted something. Good,
because he liked to be direct too. “You’re right. I do want something from
you.”
“Say
it.” She crossed one leg over the other and for the life of him he couldn’t
stop staring at how those breeches hugged her long legs. Outside, he’d been
slightly obsessed with how they hugged another part of her anatomy. And that
shirt . . . the one that was exposing her chest in a way that made the back of
his neck sweat. Leave it to Nicole to have her hair down and to be wearing
breeches while riding around a French château on a horse named Atalanta. She’d
been besting the comte in
the race they’d been engaged in. That was also like her. She adored competition
and hated to lose at anything. If he had any hope of her saying yes to his
proposal, he needed to make certain he didn’t become her adversary . . . again.
He
glanced around the drawing room. Outfitted in rose and cream silks with the
occasional hint of green, the room was tastefully decorated. The château itself
was large and well appointed without being ostentatious. She had access to his
money but had never spent a shilling of it. No, this was all a result of her
own money or her family’s.
He
spread his arms wide along the back of the settee. “No reminiscing? No catching
up? No discussing the good times?”
Her
dark red eyebrow inched even higher. “Were there good times? I seem to recall
those being few and far between.”
“There were a few.” In bed. He tugged at
his collar.
She
poked at the chignon on the back of her head. Only she could make a quickly
put-together hair arrangement look effortlessly gorgeous. Several tendrils of
the long red locks fell to frame her face, which wore a decidedly disgruntled
look. “Out with it. I’m quite busy. I’m attending a dinner party this evening
and I must dress.”
Mark
bit the inside of his cheek but ultimately he couldn’t keep the comment that
had sprung to his lips to himself. “A cleaner pair of breeches?” Damn, she
looked good in those breeches. She looked good altogether. Better than good.
The years had been kind to her. The fresh-faced plumpness of her cheeks had
given way to a slenderness that made her cheekbones prominent. Her lips were
still full and pink and inviting. Her hair luxurious, soft and smooth. Her eyes
looked more world-weary, to be sure, but their sea-foam-green depths were still
astute and intelligent. Her body was still trim and fit. Her thighs looked even
fitter, probably from riding astride. Ahem. What he wouldn’t give to see those
thighs once more, to have them wrapped tightly around his—
“Despite
my present appearance, I do own a gown or two.” Her words snapped him out of
his indecent line of thought. She gave him another tight smile.
He
stood, crossed to the nearby sideboard, and poured himself a brandy. “Going to
meet the comte again?”
“Careful,”
came her throaty voice from the settee. “It’s nearly sounding as if you’re
jealous.”
Still
facing the sideboard, he cocked his head to the side. “Jealous? Whatever does
that word mean?”
“The
comte is a friend, nothing more.” Her voice
sounded dismissive. He didn’t believe her, however.
Mark
splashed more brandy into his glass. “I’m certain you’d
tell me if he weren’t.”
“I’m
certain you’d care.”
Mark
turned back toward her and took a healthy swig of his drink. “A man doesn’t
like to think of his wife in the bed of another.”
She
actually rolled her eyes at that comment. “Oh, you’ve
been celibate all these years then?” she countered, her voice dripping with
skepticism.
He
had been, but he’d die a slow death back in the French prison camp before he
told her that. However, he wasn’t so unrealistic as to think Nicole would have
remained untouched. They had agreed to part ways, hadn’t seen each other in ten
years. She was a beautiful woman in the prime of her life. Still, the notion of
punching the comte dead
in the face held a great deal of appeal at the moment. “I’ve never been one to
kiss and tell, love.”
She
gave him a tight smile, which clearly indicated she didn’t believe him, either.
“You’re a general now?” she asked abruptly, clearly ready to change the
subject.
“I
am.” He moved to the window and looked out across the lavender fields, one arm
held behind his ramrod-straight back as if he were surveying a battlefield. The
stance was still comfortable for him even after all these years of working for
the Home Office.
“I
suppose congratulations are in order.” The tea arrived and Nicole poured a cup
for herself and splashed in a liberal amount of cream. He remembered that about
her. She took her tea with no sugar, just cream.
“No
congratulations needed,” he intoned, taking another swig of brandy.
The
silver spoon she used to stir her tea clinked against the delicate china
teacup. “I must admit, I’ve often wondered when I’d get a missive that you’d
been killed.”
His
chuckle was humorless. He turned to face her. “Such little faith in me? Or
wishful thinking?”
“Neither,”
she replied, lifting the cup to her pink lips. “Just a profound knowledge of
how reckless you are.”
He
inclined his head. “Used to be.”
“Really?”
She raised a brow. “Is that why you’ve come? To tell me you’ve changed?”
He
chuckled. “I haven’t changed that much.”
“I’m
not surprised.” She set down her teacup and crossed her arms over her chest. “Tell
me, Mark, why have you come?”
He
saluted her with his glass, the amber-colored liquid shining in the afternoon sunlight.
“You were right. I need a favor from you.”
She
didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. “Of course you do. What’s the favor?” She
picked up her cup once more and took a sip.
He
downed the final splash of brandy and met her gaze. “I need you to return to
England with me for a few months and pretend to be my loving wife.”
Copyright © 2018 by
Valerie Bowman in A Duke Like No Other
and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Paperbacks.
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Author Bio:
VALERIE BOWMAN
grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of
historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in
English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the
first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family
including her mini-schnauzer, Huckleberry. When she’s not writing, she keeps
busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and
PBS. She is the author of the Secret
Brides and Playful Brides series.
Social Links:
Twitter: @Valeriegbowman
Facebook @ValerieBowmanAuthor
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