Blog Tour Book Review: One Fine Duke by Lenora Bell

Author: Lenora Bell
Series: School for Dukes #3
Audience:  +18
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: July 23rd 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: Harper Collins
Blurb (from Goodreads):

USA Today bestselling author Lenora Bell returns with her third book in the sexy School for Dukes series.

Ready.
Raised in the countryside by her overprotective uncle, Miss Mina Penny’s dream of a triumphant London season is finally here. She determined her perfect match long ago: Rafe Bentley, the wickedest rake of them all. There’s only one very large, very unyielding obstacle: Rafe’s brother Drew, the reclusive Duke of Thorndon.
Aim.
This was supposed to be simple. Duke goes to London. Duke selects suitable bride. Love match? Not a chance. But when Drew meets Mina, she complicates everything. How can a lady armed with such beauty and brains fall for his irresponsible degenerate of a brother? Drew vows to save her from heartbreak and ruin, no matter the cost.

Desire!

But Mina is no damsel in distress. She’s daring, intuitive, passionate…and halfway to melting Drew’s cold heart. And although Mina thought she knew exactly what she wanted, one breathtakingly seductive kiss from Drew changes everything. Now Mina must decide between long-held dreams and dangerous new desires. Could her true destiny lie in the arms of a duke?

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

My deep dive into historical romances continues with this very entertaining story by Lenora Bell. It's my first book by this author, so I didn't know what to expect when I went into it. Let me tell you people, it was everything I could have hoped and more.

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I never imagined a historical romance with spies, intrigue and inappropriate mishaps would be this entertaining but it was. I found myself laughing more than once at the antics of Drew and Mina and I loved them together.

Mina is a young lady set on becoming her own person. She wants to follow in her parents' footsteps and become a spy, her ultimate goal being that of avenging their deaths. She's very smart, very resourceful, and very determined to get what she wants. I really admired her determination and her will to not follow the rules of society. I loved the fact that she saw past Drew's cold demeanor and Beatrice's paralysis and befriended them. I honestly loved her as a character.

Drew was a really good hero. He suffers from PTSD after he was kidnapped when he was fifteen years old, and that makes him want to crave rules, stability, open spaces. He doesn't know what to do with Mina, with her desire for adventure. She challenges him in ways he didn't anticipate, but she is what he needs. Their chemistry is off the charts and I loved seeing him trying to resist their attraction.

The book was fast paced and in between social gatherings and funny yet slightly awkward situations, there's a mystery to be uncovered. Mina and Drew form an alliance in the hopes of understanding the riddles and the clues left behind by Drew's brother and I was very intrigued by that. I was hooked from start to finish and I managed to read this book in one sitting.

I truly enjoyed my introduction to Lenore Bell and I can't wait to dive into the first to books of this series. All in all, yet another great historical romance book!

EXCERPT

“There he is, Wilhelmina,” Grizzy whispered, staring reverently across the crowded ballroom. “The Duke of Thorndon.”
Holy hell he’s handsome, thought Mina.
Jaw-dropping-on-the-floor handsome. Drool-on-your-lace-fichu handsome.
Distract her from her plan with his brother, handsome.
Her uncle had been right. Thorndon was a fine figure of a man. Objectively speaking, the finest she’d ever beheld.
Tall as a doorframe, with a face hewn from the same granite as the rugged Cornish coastline.
A face rendered seductive by contrasts: sharp cheekbones and curved, sensuous lips. Gleaming ebony hair brushed his collar. His eyes were a light, gold-tinged brown—the only warm thing about him.
He owned this ballroom. Literally. And he owned everyone in it by dint of his oversized presence and the cold, unsmiling arrogance scrawled across his face.
He didn’t even follow the dictates of fashion, preferring plain black attire to the white pantaloons and gaily-colored waistcoats of the other gentlemen.
Why should he follow the dictates of fashion? Everyone should follow him.
“When you’re introduced to Thorndon, pray speak as seldom as possible,” Grizzy whispered. “Attempt to appear biddable and do try to recall my decorum lessons. Remember, no one in London knows anything about you, thank the Lord.”
Mina had seen several polished, elegant young ladies staring at her, nudging each other and whispering. She was an outsider, a usurper, her proper place in the social hierarchy not yet established.
They needn’t worry. She had no designs upon their prize duke. And she was about as unpolished as a debutante could be—as rough as an un-sanded plank. If anyone touched her they might get splinters.
She longed to shed her country skin swiftly and emerge as the sophisticated social butterfly her mother had been. But she knew that it would take time, observation, and experimentation.
Her first flirtatious conversation, first kiss, first taste of brandy, first adventure…it was all ahead of her.
She couldn’t wait to taste it all.

About the author

Lenora Bell is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of historical romances. A teacher with an MFA in Creative Writing, Lenora has lived and worked on five continents. She currently lives in New Zealand with her carpenter husband and two tiger-striped rescue kitties. She loves hearing from readers! Sign up for her mailing list to hear about new books, sales, and giveaways.