Julia Reviews A Duke to Remember by Kelly Bowen

Title/Author: A Duke to Remember by Kelly Bowen

Publisher/Year Published: July 2016 by Forever

How I got this book: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Why I read this book: I enjoyed the first book so I wanted to see if I would still enjoy the second

Rating: 4 stars

Summary:

Elise deVries is not what she seems. By night, the actress captivates London theatergoers with her chameleon-like ability to slip inside her characters. By day, she uses her mastery of disguise to work undercover for Chegarre & Associates, an elite agency known for its discreet handling of indelicate scandals. But when Elise is tasked with locating the missing Duke of Ashland, she finds herself center stage in a real-life drama.
Noah Ellery left the glamour of the London aristocracy to pursue a simpler life in the country. He's managed to avoid any complications or entanglements—that is, until he lays eyes on Elise and realizes there's more to this beautiful woman than meets the eye. But when Elise reveals her real identity—and her true feelings for him—the runaway duke must confront the past he left behind . . . to keep the woman he loves forever.

Review:

I’ve read quite a few historical romances at this point, so it always surprises me when I find a new and interested take on the stories. Elise is for all intents and purposes a spy for hire, trying to find a man who has been missing for years and presumed dead. And she needs to find him before he becomes actually dead.  The story isn’t all the search though, which is what I was expecting, but getting him to come back and then dealing with the actual problem, the cousin trying to overtake the dukedom.

The characters are really lively and jump off the page. I wasn’t a huge fan of the insta love sort of scenario, but I enjoyed them trying to work through their feelings and figuring out how to make their happily ever after a reality.

Elise was probably my favorite though. She is not the normal historical miss, but someone with a unique skillset that you actually get to see at work.

I am hoping this series continues as I am really interested in a few of the side characters. I definitely think this is a book worth the read, even if you didn’t read book one (check out my review here!).

Thanks to Forever for the early release copy.