The Duchess Hunt

Penelope Pettypeace is duchess material Hands down, Penelope Pettypeace has been my favorite heroine this year. A well crafted enigma, Penelope Pettypeace is a self made woman who has reinvented herself as the duke's secretary. In reality, they have been living as a married couple without the marriage nor the benefits for eight years. They have breakfast together, share their thoughts and ideas, she runs all his many estates while he travels. He even has a mistress (which i normally hate and i did NOT like that after he touches her hand, he scurries off to his mistress as he's so worked up. It takes his mistress, who i amazingly did like, to kick him to the curb). Meanwhile, Penelope takes care of her self in the carriage. She rocks. I loved her. She has ensured that she does not need to be reliant on anyone for her security and wellbeing through her intelligence and hard work. On the other hand, I did like King, the duke. but for someone who is supposed to be brilliant, he isn't bright enough to see the treasure right in front of him, as he tasks Pettypeace to find his wife for him. Meanwhile, he's having the slowest awakening to his attraction to Pettypeace and the mystery that she presents. So he.'s got some shame and Penelope has a secret (like her identity). We also meet the Chessmen. Including King, they are the four friends he trusts the most, named for chess pieces: Rook, Knight and Bishop. I anticipate their stories. Its going to be great. Nicely set up for future books. Well crafted, intelligent, funny, great characters and the longest, slowest burn, ever. Eight years, people! I did so love The Duchess Hunt and I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it. This is the second book of the series. You don’t have to read the prior story to thoroughly enjoy this one. I would love to give this more than 5 stars if I could. The author did a fabulous job in creating a tale that completely enchanted me. I was hooked. I couldn’t figure out the dark secret that Penelope Pettypeace was hiding. When it was revealed it, it was so different from anything else that I had read before in a historical. Kingsland was also hiding a secret from everyone, that for me was also an original. It along with his childhood, helped to shape and to carve him into a man who thought he had no heart for love. The story of how these two people from totally different spectrums of society come together and form a bond beyond employer and employee really was outstanding. The story flowed beautifully. It was witty, loving, tender and at times heart-wrenching. A tale so different from the norm that it kept me glued to my e-reader to discover their secrets. This is a sexy read. There are just a few scenes at that and nothing that I would consider to be erotica. I would highly recommend this to someone over the age of 18.

The Duke of Kingsland has asked his secretary, Penelope, to help him find a duchess. Which is annoying, because she's been in love with him for eight years. Ever the faithful employee, she takes to the task diligently. As Kingsland gradually realizes that Pen is a beautiful and desirable woman, their relationship takes on a new dimension. And when secrets from their past create a threat in the present, Kingsland vows that they'll face it together. But does Pen dare allow him to learn the truth about her? These characters are so compelling, especially Penelope. You can't help admiring her strength and decency. She's incredibly self-aware, and prepared to make a new future for herself if Kingsland marries another. King, meanwhile, is one of those heroes you want to hit over the head for not recognizing that the woman he needs is right in front of him. But he's got good reason for his aloofness. The secret he carries is darker than I expected. These are deeply wounded characters who never feel sorry for themselves and richly deserve their HEA. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.