Quick Sips: Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries
Sabrina Jeffries does classic historical romance, and she does it well. I always find myself looking at her books when I’m desiring a cosy read with a deep romance to make me swoon. Her first book of her new Lords of Hazard series, Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart is no exception and a solid 4-star read.
Set in Regency London, this series follows the return to English society of détenus, upper-class civilians imprisoned in France by Napoleon’s forces for over a decade. Our MMC, Lord Jonathan Leighton was captured during his Grand Tour with his mentor, Mr. Morris. Following an escape attempt, they and two friends were held in more harsh conditions of Blithe prison. Mr. Morris succumbs to infection just as the prisoners are released and asks Jon to ensure that his daughter marries well.
Jon returns home to find that he has unexpectedly inherited a dukedom and that Mr. Morris’s Daughter, Victoria or Tory, is employed as his sister’s governess. She is beautiful, witty, and passionate about her art and passion for teaching this subject. Of course, sparks fly, but he is determined to do good by his deceased mentor and she has her own reasons to never marry. Regardless, Jon convinces Tory to participate in the Season in between his own art lessons, even secretly providing her with a dowry. Their agreement presents opportunities for Tory to learn more about her father’s last years from this secretive duke.
This novel stays true to the escapism of Regency era romance with ballrooms, carriages, and the theater, yet particular elements make it memorable. First of all, the backstory of Jon’s imprisonment as a détenus was an interesting bit of history unfamiliar to me. I appreciated that the book begins with factual information about this, so I could enjoy the story instead of trying to piece together the history myself.
Jon’s backstory added an overarching feeling to his POV that I haven't experienced in other novels. I thought it was very well done. There was a sense of melancholy emptiness. He was overwhelmed and returned to a home and family he didn’t quite recognize. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, as he required time to become reacquainted with society. I felt his struggles in his narrative of reconnecting with his past and emotions.
Secondly, Jeffries often writes determined heroines that are still believable in the time and place. They feel true to the genre, but give the FMCs a bit more umph. I loved Tory’s passion for art and her desire to teach other women artists. One of my favorite parts to the plot was Tory offering sculpting lessons to Jon, since it allowed her to become his teacher. This added even more romantic and sexy tension. The scene with the pear will not be leaving my mind any time soon.
While the book didn’t have many specific events to drive the plot, the development of the romance between Jon and Tory kept me moving forward. I am not sure I fully believed Tory’s reasons for her reluctance to the romance, as it seemed she was rejecting obvious solutions to some of her challenges. For most of the book, she sacrificed her emotions for practicality, but then she suddenly sacrificed her practicality for her emotions. Of course, being a historical romance, I knew it would all work out in the end anyway.
Unsolved mysteries and the cast of characters introduced in this book have me looking forward to the rest of the series. I am already shipping certain pairings, so I am crossing my fingers that I’m correct in my matches!
I recommend reading if you like goal-minded heroines, heroes with a tormented past, and art lessons that get a bit handsy.
Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart will be published on April 29th, 2025. It is available for preorder now from Amazon.
Thank you to Netgally for this ARC. This is my honest review.
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