{Review + Giveaway!} One Fine Duke by Lenora Bell

As everyone knows, summers are for reading romance novels by the pool. Or, if you’re trapped in a heatwave like me, summers are for reading inside with the AC blasting. Turn that thermostat extra low, because author Lenora Bell brings the heat in her latest novel One Fine Duke, book 3 in her School for Dukes series. We’re big fans of the series here at TN; I reviewed the first book here, and Bekah couldn’t put down the second book. One Fine Duke has everything you’re looking for in a summer read. A heroine who wants freedom and adventure, and a reformed rake looking for a sturdy country bride with an interest in crop rotation. Wait, what? Don’t worry, it totally works.

Ready… Aim… Desire.

Lady Wilhemina “Mina” Penny is the niece and ward of one of Britain’s greatest spymasters, which is not as exciting as it sounds. Sure, her uncle lets her build inventions and modify weapons for his agents (think Q from Bond), but all from the safety of the country. This poor provincial lass is NOT content to be caged and coddled. When her Uncle finally allows her a London season, she puts her plan in place. Propose a marriage of convenience to Lord Rafe, one of her Uncle’s spies, and become a brilliant, sophisticated secret agent just like her late mother. Her only problem? Lord Rafe’s super hot Duke brother.

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More like she wants adventure in the Duke of Thorndon’s breeches, am I right? I’m right.

“There he is, Wilhelmina,” Grizzy whispered, staring reverently across the crowded ballroom. “The Duke of Thorndon.”

Holy hell he’s handsome, thought Mina.

Jaw-dropping-on-the-floor handsome. Drool-on-your-lace-fichu handsome.

Distract her from her plan with his brother, handsome.

Andrew, The Duke of Thorndon, Reformed Rake-turned-Agricultural Innovator

“Farmer Duke” is a trope I 100% support (source)

Drew has reluctantly left the boring predictability of his Cornwall estates to come to London and deal with a blackmail attempt against his dissolute younger brother Rafe. He is also in London (even more reluctantly) to finally choose a wife. Those heirs don’t beget themselves, now do they? Far from wanting a love match, he wants a wife of convenience that will give him heirs but stay far away from his frozen heart.

I have a duty to this family. There must be a stouthearted lady so desperate to become a duchess that she’s willing to wed an uncivilized duke and live in the wilds of Cornwall in a crumbling old house.”

“Crumbling old haunted house,” amended Rafe.

Drew and Mina want drastically opposite things, but they just can’t keep their hands/mouths/orgasms to themselves. As they draw closer and closer while on the hunt for Rafe’s blackmailer, they each have to figure out who they really are, and what they really want. It’s steamy, empowering, and the perfect beach read!