Hannah B.'s Reviews > The Duke Gets Even

✨Poseidon is very good at making things wet.✨

My heart is saying 4.5 stars because 4 isn’t right but neither is 5 but also both are right and I’m confused. My first impression is that I can’t wait to reread this book. My expectations were so high I think I played myself. I also found myself comparing this one to the previous books. In a vacuum, this is a great book, but as part of the series—the conclusion no less—I’m not sure it was all that it could be.

I seriously loved Nellie and Andrew like my god punch me in the face I want to feel pain too. They’re both so hot. Lockwood was so much dirtier than any of the books even HINTED at (save for the best, most unhinged teaser at the end of The Bride Goes Rogue). Rereading the series is going to be so much fun now that we’re in on the secret.

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Me @ Nellie




Me @ Lockwood


Nellie was a lot softer than I thought she was going to be. She was still a force, but to be blunt, she was less of a top than I would’ve guessed. Andrew was very dominant and consistently wanted to take care of her…by fucking her into next Tuesday. She definitely owned her pleasure though and he was ultimately so in love with her at all times that she always topped his heart ❤️

Lockwood has been waiting four books to have his duke gone wild moment and have he DID. He was the epitome of buttoned up in the streets and absolutely backbreaking in the sheets. Also Lockwood + the beard he wears for Nellie has me going absolutely out of my mind. He’s just so polished that the little bit of roughness unleashed something so feral in me. What are broad swimmers shoulders for if they’re not pushing thighs apart? What is hair if it’s not being pulled?? What is a beard if it’s not leaving a mark??? Well let me tell you this book left a MARK.

Andrew absolutely fell first here and I’m such a sucker for all of the wooing and seduction that happens after the “oh shit I love her and I WILL be marrying her so now I just need to figure out how to be what she needs” realization. I know some people may want more plot, but there’s something so hot to everything in the book being dedicated to deserving the heroine.

Nellie’s family definitely added an extra edge to this book that was PERFECT. She had ties to a prominent Irish gang and of course Lockwood had to prove himself. We got a fun drunk scene and just a very lovely family dynamic. Andrew also delivered the best line to her cousins Finn and I just—ₙₑₑ𝒹 ᵃ ᵐᵒᵐᵉⁿᵗ. I also really loved her relationship with her father. Cornelius was as cool as he was rich. Supportive parents are so hard to come by in historical romance that I truly love to see it.

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So while I clearly loved this book so hard, I wanted a bit more from a few different areas. I was never displeased with what we got on the page, it’s mainly what we didn’t get where I have some issues.

🔱 Nellie’s activism could have played a larger and more developed role in the plot and her character arc. The history of abortions and sexual health is so fascinating to me and I love that it was included in this book, but it did feel rather surface level at moments. That being said, she’s one of the only heroines I’ve read who’s had an abortion (with zero regret!) and god do I love that.

CW: domestic abuse There was a subplot with a wife who was being abused by her husband and Nelly basically made it worse for the wife. (Nellie was supplying contraception to the wife.) By the end of the book, we didn’t hear anything about it besides that the world is unjust like yes I get that but??? She didn’t really take any responsibility for worsening the situation for the woman by going to her house, even if she had good intentions. I would’ve loved to get a snippet at the end that was like “wow! an intensely lifelike statue of a foul husband was just auctioned off by a wife who wants to gain an education. Side-note her husband is missing but no one cares because he was a disgusting fungus. Side-side-note her name is Sally Jackson.”

🔱 While the sex was hot hot HOT because I loved their chemistry, I don’t quite feel complete? It was steamy but also…unbalanced. There was lot of sex in one area of the book and then crumbs in the last third at least. The one scene that we were gonna get of him railing her from behind was absolutely cut off before it even started. He was like “bend over let me fuck you” and then the chapter ended. This came at 97% and after a serious sex drought in the book. I was so happy to see we were going to get another scene and then just as quickly my hopes and dreams were snatched away faster than I could say yes king rail her like a train. We also got more fade to black than I would’ve liked, including a scene right in the middle of the epilogue? My soul is too fragile for such teasing.

🔱 Since the plot did greatly revolve around Nellie and Lockwood being together on the same page—a lot of times naked or wet or wet and naked—I did feel like the ending dragged a bit (random fade to black but aside). I can see where people would say this doesn't really have a plot...but I'm honestly fine with it when I get the supremely cute bonding and scorching seduction present here. I do typically like that style coupled with very low angst third acts, so that's mainly where my issues stem from. It's not majorly angsty but I think there was one too many rejections. I wanted more of her family content and/or something external rather than “I’m leaving because I love you.”

While these are things I definitely noticed on this first read, I do think I’ll be able to sit back during my rereads and just take it all in. It all being the hair pulling and dirty talk. And also Andrew saying “that’s it” and “take it all.”

✨

Overall, Lockwood is everything I’ve ever wanted from a historical romance hero and Nellie is such a lowkey cinnamon roll. No matter the issues I have, I’ll always be so fundamentally attracted to this book. Get your little tabbies ready for those sex scenes y’all.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶.5**/5

*Subject to change upon rereads bc I have a feeling I’ll ultimately round up

**I just want less missionary 😭


Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.