A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman is a second chance, historical romance. General Mark Grimaldi has sacrificed everything for his military career, working his way through the ranks without the benefit of a nobleman’s title. Now, his years of dedication are about to pay off—with an offer for a prestigious promotion to Home Secretary. There’s only one condition: Mark must be married. Aside from the small matter of not actually wanting to be wed, Mark faces another troubling problem: he already has a wife. Nicole Huntington Grimaldi has spent ten contented years in France without her husband—and without regret. When Mark asks her to return to London and play the part of his beloved wife, she sees her chance. But neither of them is prepared for news that will throw Mark’s future into chaos…nor the undeniable desire they’ve rekindled. Maybe happily-ever-after can happen the second time around
A Duke Like No Other is an engaging romance with dynamic characters. Nicole s lonely and wants someone to love her completely. Her estranged husband does not seem up to that task- so she tries t protect her heart while aiming for a child that will. Mark is an emotional mess trying to be strong and stoic- denying every attachment and emotion. Together again in order to reach their separate goals they are stuck dancing around family obligations and emotion in order to protect themselves. I liked the mystery aspects, and the combination of Mark and Nicole getting to know each other again and reliving the past was well balanced in the larger story. I greatly enjoyed the banter and the cast of secondary characters. As I was reading I often found myself grinning in the joy of the read and in reaction to some of the character's interactions. The book was simply fun and delightful reading, and I will continue reading books from this author.
A Duke Like No Other is a second chance story that I enjoyed. The trope is not my personal favorite, but it was well done and I loved the characters.
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