Who Wants to Marry a Duke

Written by Sabrina Jeffries

Narrated by Beverley A. Crick

Stepsiblings in search of the truth about their mother’s succession of beloved husbands—and their own
surprising identities as eligible young nobles—are the endearing stars of this dazzling series from New York
Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries …

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 …

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980001157

Sabrina Jeffries

Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of several Regency-set historical romance series, including the Royal Brotherhood, the School for Heiresses, the Hellions of Halstead Hall, the Duke’s Men, and the Sinful Suitors. When she’s not writing in a coffee-fueled haze, she’s traveling with her husband, caring for her adult autistic son, or indulging in one of her passions: jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, music, and costume parties. With more than nine million books in print in twenty languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world. She always dreams big.

Reviews for Who Wants to Marry a Duke

[jorgeousjotts · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like Dukes with bluestocking spinsters, but a couple things brought down this book for me. The hero spends maybe the entire first third of the book all bent out of shape over something that had happened many years before. That really, wasn't even as bad at the time as he made it out to be, much less the huge deal he makes over it. And then the last hurdle to their HEA was kind of weak as well. I just couldn't summon much energy for caring about it. I enjoyed a fair portion in the middle though, so I'll still give it three stars.

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This has been an interesting series. While it's about romance, it's also a murder mystery with a fun premise. A woman marries three different dukes and a son by each marriage inherits the title of his father respectively. It's up to the sons to determine who is killing the members of their family while finding romance along the way. This time it's the Duke of Thornstock's turn. When his half-brother hires Olivia Norley, a chemist, to determine if his father was killed by arsenic poisoning, Marlowe (Thornstock) is suspicious since they had prior dealings.Ms. Jeffries always writes smart romances. The women in her books are not weaklings but intelligent ladies who are a match for their mates. The attraction is as much of the mind as of the body. It makes for a good read in a great series. I've already pre-ordered the next book.

[eyes92c · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mysteries continue!So the gaining of a spouse by a ducally family member despite all odds falls once more within the orbit revolving about Lydia Fletcher, the Dower Duchess. Not that Lydia is a party to this latest eventIndeed her son Marlowe Drake, the Duke of Thornstock managed and mismanaged the finding of a wife all by himself.The first time around with the chemistry research fixated, Miss Olivia Norley he managed to misread her, kiss her in a library during a ball, be discovered, and do the right thing--propose. Two problems arose. Thorn believed that Olivia had deliberately trapped him. Not so! Secondly, Olivia was not looking for a husband despite the pressure being brought to bear on her. She was looking for acceptance as a serious scientist. The second time around with Olivia was equally as eventful.Running apace of these happenings, the step siblings including Grey, Thorn, Gwyn and Sheridan are trying to find out if Grey's father, and possibly their own, had indeed been murdered without letting on to their mother Lydia.And this is where the later meeting between Thorn and Olivia comes to pass, as Olivia starts those investigations . Grey has hired Olivia to test parts of his father's exhumed body for poisoning.There's a fair amount of excitement on all fronts as this particular piece of the saga continues. Olivia becomes a target. There's drama and rekindled romance.This is a reasonably satisfying addition to the overall arc, despite my losing patience with Thorn. I will say that I preferred Joshua and Gwyn's tale somewhat more.A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good romance with an undercurrent of mystery. Lady Lydia has been married multiple times. Three of her husbands were dukes; their titles passed down to the oldest sons born of those marriages, forming a dynasty of dukes. Recently several of the children began to suspect that their fathers' deaths may not have been accidents. The oldest son, the Duke of Greycourt, believes his father may have been poisoned, and asks Olivia Norley to use her chemist skills to discover the truth.Grey's younger brother, "Thorn," the Duke of Thornstock, is not happy with Olivia's involvement. Nine years earlier, they had an encounter that damaged both their reputations. Thorn still believes Olivia was guilty of setting him up and is determined to keep an eye on her.Olivia has no interest in the society to which she belongs. Her passion is reserved for all things scientific. Grey's request will advance her plans to make a name for herself in the field. Having Thorn always underfoot is a distraction she doesn't need.I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Olivia and Thorn. I loved their first meeting. Olivia is young and only interested in cleaning up the mess she caused. Thorn is a little older but still young and a bit full of himself. Sparks fly between them, and a quick kiss rapidly intensifies. When caught by Olivia's stepmother, she attempts to force Thorn to "do the right thing." This doesn't go the way anyone expects. Thorn is left with conflicting feelings of relief and anger, as well as betrayal.Nine years later, neither has forgotten that encounter. Olivia concentrated on her desire to be a chemist and avoided society as much as possible. Thorn has lived up to his reputation as a rake, but still carries a grudge against Olivia and her mother. He deals with that grudge in an unusual way, but he is still extremely suspicious of Olivia and her motives. He even goes so far as to insist on helping set up her laboratory at Grey's estate, sure that he will discover that she is a fraud. I had to laugh at how hard she made him work until he had to admit that he was wrong. This also opened the door to them clearing the air over the events of nine years earlier, enabling them to work together in harmony.But underneath their fledgling friendship, there bubbles an intense attraction. Thorn is well aware of his effect on Olivia and takes advantage of it whenever he can. He is determined to get her into his bed, though marriage is the last thing on his mind. The feelings Thorn stirs in her are new to Olivia, and her scientific curiosity demands that she investigate them thoroughly. She hasn't shown any interest in marriage either, to her stepmother's dismay, as she doesn't want to give up her career goals to a husband. The more time they spend together, the more their thinking begins to change. Thorn's feelings turn protective when an explosion in Olivia's lab makes it clear that someone doesn't want her to find the truth.I loved seeing Thorn's protectiveness and the care he takes to protect her reputation, too. I had to laugh at the teasing he endured from his siblings because of it. As close as Olivia has started to feel to Thorn, she also senses that there is something that he is holding back. I ached for Thorn and the lengths he went to in order to protect his secret. As he and Olivia grow closer, he fears that revealing that secret would hurt her and drive her away from him. I hurt for both of them when she discovered the truth. Each of them had some serious self-examination to do before they realized that they belonged together. I loved their big moment at the end and seeing what happens when they talk about expectations.The overarching mystery regarding the deaths of the various dukes makes some significant progress thanks to Olivia's talents. Though they are closer to the truth, their best lead ended up dead. I liked the epilogue as the siblings meet to discuss what they know, what they suspect, and where they should go next. I have my suspicions as to the culprit behind the deaths and can't wait to see if I am right. It will be hard to wait until next summer for the next book.

[barbararogers-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Series: Duke Dynasty #3Publication Date: 8/25/20Number of Pages: 352Ah! The plot thickens! This is a series with an overarching mystery/villain and there has been nary a real hint about who that might be – until this book. There are still only hints and conjectures, but we can see the solution coming. While you could read this as a stand-alone book, you might have a bit of confusion about the overall storyline. I’ll give you a quick overview of the series scenario and you can decide whether reading this as a standalone is for you.We meet – and love – the five children of a duchess who has had three husbands – all dukes. She had one child, Fletcher (Grey)(Project Duchess), with her first husband; two children – twins – Marlowe (Thorn)(Who Wants to Marry a Duke) and Gwyn (The Bachelor) with her second husband; two children, Sheridan and Heywood (in the anthology Seduction on a Snowy Night) with her last husband. The series revolves around the untimely deaths of those three husbands. Were they murdered or were all of them just horrible mishaps? We get some definite answers in this book – and maybe the solution will come in Sheridan’s book since I assume that will be the final book in the series.Marlowe Drake (Thorn), the Duke of Thornstock, is the most secretive, skittish, and distrusting of the duchess’s children. He’d always felt separated from English society because he was raised more in Prussia than in England. When he was very young, his mother married the English Ambassador to Prussia and so, the children were mostly raised there. Marlowe’s mannerisms, phraseology, etc. were more Germanic than English, so he never felt he fit in. At twenty-one, he was newly in London and his older brother Grey warned him about grasping mama’s who would do anything to ensnare a handsome young duke for their equally grasping daughters. Immediately on the heels of that warning, he stepped into what he assumed was one of those very traps and ended up being forced to make an offer for a girl he’d just met. When the girl then refused him, he was incensed and he’s held a grudge against both of them for the last nine years. The blackmail used against him in that trap immediately soured his views on love and marriage.Olivia Norley is a chemist. It is all she’s ever wanted to be. She has no interest in love or marriage. When she realized the young duke was being forced, by her mother, to offer for her, she immediately refused his offer. Her mother was furious with her, but Olivia was adamant. She certainly didn’t want any man who was forced to offer for her – especially not one who looked as thunderous as this one.Thorn and Olivia never encountered each other again for nine years. Olivia felt as out of place in society as Thorn and she just didn’t participate. So, when she and Thorn are thrown together because Grey has engaged her services to determine if his late father was poisoned, sparks – both good and bad – fly.I loved Thorn’s acceptance of Olivia and who she was. It didn’t bother him that she didn’t fit in – he didn’t either. I loved their working together to solve the question of the poisoning and I loved how protective Thorn was – even when he thought he didn’t like Olivia.I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and this book and I hope you will as well. It is well-plotted, well written, and the characters are interesting and very likable.I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.