Review of “A Duke Like No Other” by Valerie Bowman (Playful Brides #9)

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC via #NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3 and a half stars 🌟 🌟🌟

Most all female authors these days are trying to capture a market where readers are very much on the side of progressive feminism. That being said, when trying to write about a strong heroine, who gives as good as she gets, creating storylines that are a bit far-stretched for the time period are also becoming the norm. Sometimes, these artistic licenses taken by the author work for me, when they don’t seem TOO unreasonable. At other times, I do feel like rolling my eyes going.. Really??! There are genres where imagination can take far greater leaps and readers expect it even.. for example, historical paranormal romances…

But a historical romance based around plots and characters very much grounded in “real life”… well, there is a very grey area I suppose what one can get away with.

So a female Bow Street Runner was a tad too much for me. And though the romance is enjoyable, the premise for a decade long separation between the hero and heroine, who are married.. without anyone trying to resolve anything.. again a bit weak.

The mystery that the two try to solve together was more believable. However, I wish a little more time had been spent on how the h and H emotionally reconnected after 10 years. The connection felt more physical and not a very strong reason to resolve such a long period of separation.

So, given all the issues that left me feeling a bit dissatisfied, I am giving this one a 3.5 rating for at least holding my interest with the mystery in the story.