Who Wants to Marry a Duke

Who Wants to Marry a Duke (Duke Dynasty 3)- Sabrina Jeffries
Zebra Books
Release Date: August 25, 2020

Rating:
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Synopsis: A past kiss with adorably bookish Miss Olivia Norley should be barely a memory for Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock. After all, there are countless debutantes for a handsome rakehell to charm beyond a young lady whose singular passion is chemistry—of the laboratory type. But Thorn has not forgotten—or forgiven—the shocking blackmail scheme sparked by that single kiss, or the damage caused to both their names. Now Thorn’s half-brother, Grey, has hired the brilliant Miss Norley for her scientific expertise in solving a troubling family mystery. And the once-burned Thorn, suspicious of her true motives, vows to follow her every move . . .
 
For Olivia, determining whether arsenic poisoning killed Grey’s father is the pioneering experiment that could make her career—and Thorn’s constant presence is merely a distraction. But someone has explosive plans to derail her search. Soon the most unexpected discovery is the caring nature of the reputed scoundrel beside her—and the electricity it ignites between them . . .

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Who Wants to Marry a Duke continues the Duke Dynasty series, where siblings work to uncover the truth behind the potential murders of their fathers/step-fathers.  The urgency picks up when several suspicious "accidents" prove that the murderer is still very much alive and keeping an eye on the siblings- and willing to go to any length to prevent them from learning the truth!  It's a book of hiding secrets, suspicious motives, and long-believed lies- both in the romance and the mystery!

The Duke of Thorndale met Ms Olivia Norley his first year in England and was instantly attracted to how different she was from every other debutante.  When he's blackmailed into proposing to her, Thorn believes she must be like every other woman, out to snag a rich duke.  His pride is hurt and it doesn't help any when she turns him down.  Nine years later Thorn is a confirmed bachelor and rakehell, cynical and refusing to believe in love or reveal his inner self to anyone.  Olivia is now an accomplished chemist who Thorn's brother Grey convinces to test  his father's remains for arsenic.  Thorn refuses to believe she can do what she claims and joins her, determined to prove she is the schemer he has built up in his mind.

Olivia thought Thorn saw the real her nine years ago and didn't mind that she preferred chemistry to small talk, didn't know how to dance, and had no interest in flirting.  She didn't understand why he proposed when he didn't want to, and was crushed by how he treated her.  He only confirmed her belief that she was meant for science, not love.  Grey's offer is the chance to prove a test she's developed and make a name for herself as a chemist.  But a suspicious Thorn interrupts her at every turn, and the worst part is that the chemistry between them is as volatile as phosphorous and oxygen.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke is a delightful twist on a second-chance romance, where both Thorn and Olivia have been burned by their attraction and are too resentful to want to see where it could lead them.  Pride and misunderstandings stand between them, but being forced to spend time together allows them to see their true selves and to question the past as they understood it.  Every step of the way, Sabrina Jeffries reminds us of the importance of communication in a relationship, and how hiding secrets never ends well.  Thorn is closed-in and sensitive, afraid to show even his family members all of his true self, and he's built a hard shell around his heart to protect it from what he thinks love means and refuses to even acknowledge that his siblings might be finding the real thing. At times you want to shake him, at others comfort him.  Olivia is the stronger of the two in many ways: she's willing to admit when she's wrong, willing to admit when she's fallen in love (despite trying not to!) and willing to forgive when necessary.  She's gained confidence in herself in the nine years since Thorn saw her and has no problem being a chemist and not marrying.  Nor is she willing to give up what others consider a 'hobby' were she ever to marry.  It would take a special kind of man to give her both the respect and love she wants in a marriage, and Thorn has to decide if he can become that man for Olivia,  if he's capable of risking himself by falling in love or of losing her for good.

Full of Jeffries' lively sense of humor, complex characters, and enough urgency in the mystery to keep the plot moving along, Who Wants to Marry a Duke is a good continuation of the Duke Dynasty.    Despite being book three of a series, it could be read as a stand alone for new readers with no trouble, and sets up well the next book, promising us poisoners aplenty and dangerous dowagers as the mystery continues!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.