Deceiving the Duke

Scandals and Spies, Book 2

By: Leighann Dobbs, Harmony Williams

Narrated by: Hollis McCarthy

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Well-mannered women don't have careers in 1806 so Philomena St. Gobain disguises herself as a man to attend the Society for the Advancement of Science meetings where she sells her inventions to a select, chosen few. The handsome Duke of Tenwick is not one of those chosen few, so when he corners Phil in the hallway during a clandestine meeting with one of her suppliers, she slips away as quickly as she can. Since she and the Duke have never been introduced and rarely travel in the same circles, Phil is hardly worried about him guessing her true identity...until he shows up two days later at the ball she is holding with the missing piece from one of her most coveted inventions in his hand.

Morgan Graylocke, the tenth Duke of Tenwick, takes the spy business seriously. Normally relegated to desk work, his brother's recent marriage has given him an opportunity to work in the field. He never imagined his first assignment would throw him in the path of someone as beautiful and intriguing as Philomena St. Gobain. But his delight soon turns to trepidation as he realizes it may not be a coincidence that Phil shows up at all the same locations where Morgan is sent to catch the traitor who is passing information to the French. Is it possible the woman he is falling for is the very spy he is looking to capture?

©2016 Lee Dobbins (P)2017 Lee Dobbins

Inventive Romance

Fun continuation of the spy family franchise. Feisty female inventor bedazzles straight laced duke. Side characters, especially parrots and children are delightful. Just wish for a little more depth in portrayal of villains. Solid narration, looking forward to next in series.

Almost like the first book.

A romantic spy story. Not enough spy part for me. But still an interesting listen.

Too much soft porn going on here for me :(

Obviously the writer has talent, but the gratuitous sex scenes are just a bit over-the-top. The historical portions of the novels, and the mystery or intriguing but I don’t really feel like going into someone else’s bedroom, not my cup of tea!

Disappointed

This is the second book in the series and had great possibilities. The Duke was introduced in the first as a spy for the Crown. The female lead is an inventor who dresses as a male in order to be a member of the scientific club. Initially I thought she might also be a klutz like the first female lead, but she isn’t. She’s a typical stereotype of an inventor, always distracted thinking about her ideas. The plot is good but didn’t develop its potential. There is some weak attempt at humor which might be blamed on the narrator.
The Duke changed personality after getting romantically involved. It was irritating because a Duke would never act or respond the way he does when he interacts with other people. Dukes are typically self-assured and in command. There is some tension as the book rose to its climax. However it was then that I realized that I just did not connect with the characters.