Son of a Duke by Jessie Clever

Blurb:

Society’s most capable housekeeper, Eleanora Quinton, has a problem.  Not only does a dead body fall right into the middle of her mistress’s ball and her son get kidnapped, the only person who can help her also forces her to face her most crippling fears.  

But the last thing Eleanora expects when the dead body hits the floor is love with the son of a duke. 

A spy for the British War Office and illegitimate son of a duke, Nathan Black pulls the infallible housekeeper into a cyclone of espionage, intrigue and danger as he searches for the meaning behind her son’s kidnapping. Fighting to keep Eleanora safe, Nathan struggles with his growing attraction to the unflappable housekeeper, but as the treasonous plot twists around, too many clues point to Eleanora and a past of which she will not speak. 

Can their love withstand her dangerous secret? 



Donna's Review:

In Son of a Spy Jessie Clever takes us into the world of espionage during the Napoleonic era. Spies abound, treachery is everywhere, and spy Nathan Black and head housemaid Eleanor Quinton’s worlds collide.

While there was nothing particularly remarkable about his book (I didn’t learn anything new, I wasn’t taken into a world I didn’t know, I didn’t have any earth shifting eye opening experiences) it was a very enjoyable read. The plotting was quick and moved along, and I found myself irked I had to put the book down when I just had to go do something. (My family does have to eat now and then.) I certainly did not mind picking it back up again. In fact, I made time to do so. That says a lot.

Jessie Clever has a distinctive, fresh style that is easy to read. The only problem with this is that the “voice” of each character sounds very much the same, but this is a skill authors refine over time. It is also one of the hardest things for an author to do. It did not, however, detract from the story, and this is Ms. Clever’s first novel. There is also the matter of quite a few mistakes, but again, I am easier on first books than subsequent books. 

The relationship between Nathan and Eleanor was sweet and endearing. Their internal and external goals are clearly defined straight away, and these goals play well off each other as they work towards their happily-ever-after. Clever leaves no stone unturned in making the most of her plot twists.

One word of caution – this book does goes beyond “steamy” as far as the sexual content, so if you only read clean fiction with nothing more than kissing, then I recommend you pass this one up.  There is also an unresolved story line with two characters (not Nathan and Eleanora), so you will wish to pick up the next book in the series right away if you read this one.

4 roses for this one for a quick, entertaining read.

Length: 297 pages

Price:     

   Print:   $9.99

   Digital: $2.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Son-Duke-The-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00DQI48YW