ARC provided by the publisher for review.
Sophie Jordan is becoming my go-to for a good historical romance popcorn read.
I ripped through The Duke Starts a Scandal, the latest in her The Duke Hunt series, in about 3.5 hours. Unputdownable? Yes.
Through a modern lens, a duke who gets involved with his housekeeper raises all sorts of red flags, but here the attraction is mutual (though they both try to fight it). Jordan also navigates it giving our duke a past that society would find shocking and sordid. Both Lucian, the (new) Duke of Penning, and Miss Lockhart have secrets to keep and everything to lose. Built around the duke’s first house party (and with her job hanging in the balance), The Duke Starts a Scandal might be the most memorable entry in this series.
You’re probably here looking for a review because of that cover. (I remember when Sophie was talking about the inspo). I hate to break it to you, but the book isn’t quite as steamy as the cover suggests. Miss Lockhart has the confidence of someone with much more experience, but then doesn’t totally seem that way in practice.
Still, a totally entertaining popcorn book.
4 stars
The Duke Starts a Scandal drops October 24.
Get it from The Ripped Bodice | Bookshop.org | Amazon | Apple Books
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What’s another Sophie Jordan popcorn book? The Duke Goes Down