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The Duke's Deceitful Governess (Surprise! Dukes Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,163 ratings

Love is a luxury he can’t afford…

For years, he was known only as Blackrose’s Blade, an elite assassin in the employ of the Crown. But after a mission cost him the use of his leg, Rourke Lindsay has unexpectedly inherited a dukedom…and along with it, the headache of a pair of hellion twins. His niece and nephew have been kicked out of every school he’s sent them to and scared off every governess he’s hired. Now, he’s in dire need of a miracle.

He just didn’t expect her to be quite so tempting.

Needing a safe place to hide, Miss Sophia Cuny has forged her references and settled into the Duke of Exingham’s employ, unwilling to admit she knows next to nothing about children. (How hard can child-rearing be, after all? Perhaps there’s a book on the subject she could send off for.) She
does, however, know all about the Duke’s painful past and why the cynical warrior refuses to allow himself close to a pair of rapscallion troublemakers, no matter how desperately they need his love.

The longer she tries to avoid the new duke, the more she sees the man beneath the scars—the man who needs love as well—even if he’s unwilling to admit it. Too bad she can’t afford to allow him into her heart, even as the danger she’s running from closes in.

Because Sophia possesses secrets about his past even Rourke doesn’t know, and revealing the truth will ruin them all.

Warning: There are a lot of spicy bits and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments! If you like broodingly stoic heroes, determinedly adorkable heroines, and mischievously meddling kids, then scroll back up to that pretty orange “Read Now” button and grab this first book in a brand-new, laugh-out-loud (and super steamy) Caroline Lee RomCom!
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From the Publisher

duke1 1
duke1 bottom
cover DDG cover dbm cover dcw DDB Yellow
The Duke's Deceitful Governess The Duke's Bartered Mistress The Duke's Counterfeit Wife The Duke's Daring Bride The Yellow Polka-Dotted Bathing Costume
Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
2,163
4.5 out of 5 stars
2,095
4.6 out of 5 stars
1,255
4.4 out of 5 stars
1,083
4.1 out of 5 stars
463
Price $4.99 $5.99 $6.99 $6.99 $2.99
Tropes Governess/sassy kids; cold and imperious hero; snarky heroine; spies and adventure; healer/caring for a character; found family; unexpected inheritance; lots of humor Sold-for-a-debt; intimacy bargain; beauty and the beast; grumpy/sunshine; Christmas/holidays; unexpected inheritance; lots of humor Fake marriage; grumpy/sunshine; sassy kids; protective hero; nerdy heroine; unexpected inheritance; lots of humor Marriage of convenience, curvy heroine, class difference, disability, secret identity; virgin hero; unexpected inheritance; lots of humor Second-chance romance; Boy Next Door; determined hero and daring heroine; seaside shenanigans at Brighton; unexpected inheritance; lots of humor

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is perfection."
★★★★★
-Gloria P. on Goodreads

"I loved it so much, I read it twice!"
★★★★★
-Anna C. on Amazon

"A well-crafted story with heart, humor, and a dash of intrigue"
★★★★★
-Amy on Goodreads

"Caroline NEVER disappoints."
★★★★★
-Avid Reader on Amazon

"Lots of laugh-out-loud moments, word play and serious action in every sense"
★★★★★
-Janice R. on Goodreads

"I laughed, I hurt and I cried. Oh yeah, all of the emotions rolled into this story."
★★★★★
-Angela on Goodreads

"Lots of humor, action, and fun!"
★★★★★
-Rebecca L on Amazon

"Are you meant to laugh out loud while reading a steamy scene? Even though I knew the kangaroo part was in there somewhere, it still made me double over laughing."
★★★★★
-Carolyn M. on Goodreads

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B1RNQXV3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (August 25, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 25, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1124 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 286 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,163 ratings

About the author

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Caroline Lee
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#HotHilariousHistorical

#HistoryWithHeart

USA Today bestselling author Caroline Lee has been reading romance for so long that her fourth-grade teacher used to make her cover her books with paper jackets, but it wasn't until she (mostly) grew up that she realized she could WRITE it too. So she did.

Caroline is living her own little Happily Ever After in NC with her husband, sons, and daughter Princess Wiggles. She liked to brag that she made it all the way through grad school (her second history degree) without knowing how to touch-type; she taught herself to type only a few years ago and APPARENTLY lesrned imcorrectly--learned incorrectly, a fact which she’s only now realizing, as other authors point and laugh. Caroline adores rodents, goes through laptops like Pez, and never met a whisk(e)y she didn't like. She’s also pretty funny in person. Promise.

WWW.CAROLINELEEROMANCE.COM

Join the fun with other fans in Caroline's Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CarolinesCohort/

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
2,163 global ratings
A wonderful introduction to this new series
5 Stars
A wonderful introduction to this new series
👑 The Duke's Deceitful Governess 📜Surprise! Dukes Book 1✒️ Caroline Lee🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Is there still enough trust left in him to accept a justified deceit …I love every book I have read so far from the author, but this one is now definitely my favorite of them all.It is witty, clever, flippant, with non historically accurate silly banters and hot hot hot.I love my historical romance to be accurate but I do not place Mrs Lee books in this strict category, she is one of her own, a mix between romance (always lovely), steam (a lot), humor (in abundance) and historical facts reimagined and reinterpreted with her very own world, rules, dictionary and A Harlot’s Guide to the Forbidden and Delightful Arts as common link between her many storylines.Never pass by the author’s notes at the end of the book, they are facetious and brilliant.As this book is.A terrific tale of love, trust and forgiveness.Sophia is just whoa!How to not adore her, she is so accepting, straightforward (despite of course hiding the true reason of her stay), and easy to love.She might not reveal why she landed as Rourke’s new governess, but she is so fun to follow, from her thoughts running from one idea then jumping to another, yet she is still her father’s daughter, a healer in the soul, trying to mend what she sees as damaged, Rourke’s leg but also his soul and her charge’s fragile hearts.Rourke although still a reluctant duke and a wounded one at it, is determined to not be like his sire, but he struggles to find a way out of what he has always known.Why he wants the best for his wards but does not know how to deliver it, so closeted in his own pain, he does not see they too hurt.Until Sophia, she is the cure to all their ailments, her strength is her gentleness, her caring persona and her honest self(except for the motivation behind her visit), one who does not lie to herself.5 stars𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 hotI have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2024
Wow good book with a great flair for a steamy time. I loved how the author connected her books to tell and each person is looking for Blackrose and he still hasn't been caught!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2023
I am reviewing the first two books of this series together! I love all the characters. All of the heroes are strong men who have been betrayed by someone they believed was a friend. Roarke and Demon are men who suffered the consequence of blindly trusting Blackthorne. Now it revenge they want. I look forward to reading further. I gave both books a 4 star rating. Some words are missing in parts of the books. While not enough to distract me from the story, I did get a little distracted trying to put the sentences in context.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
Caroline Lee writes stories with humor and characters that keep you turning pages. A great addition to your must-read lists.
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2022
It was very funny, fun & loving story to follow. I really hope the other books in the series will enter twine so we can catch up with the characters from this book at least a little bit. Very much looking forward to the next book in this series. I hope the book coming up is more like this one is & that it is not a book where the relationship between the heroine and the hero drags on too long but this book was perfect in the sense of not dragging things on it gave you great detail background about the characters with out having to be long drawn out pgs. This Nephew & Niece are hilarious I adored them both and there relationship but I really loved this niece I hope we see these wonderful characters again. Because they are very well written funny and a loving family of 4 by the end so sit back enjoy and if your a fast reader as myself you should be able to finish this book in about 3 hours which 3 hrs of total quit to just well…. enjoy this fast read is totally worth it. Also I got it on my unlimited kindle books so it was free but I am so glad I choice it going to look at me. Lee’s other books would have paid & not been unhappy I did but it isn’t worth more then 2.99 if u have to pay or 3.99 is ok but no more then that it’s not that long and the book is sexy funny and has a little bit of adventure to it so u have it all just not worth paying what kindle sometimes wants for things. But read 100% if u have unlimited kindle reading for free
7 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2024
First time reading Caroline Lee. I enjoyed the book and look forward to the others in this series. The characters were well balanced and believable.
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
This could have been a good story if not for the continuous coarse language and inappropriate sex, especially for the 1800s. Parts of the plot are contrived and very unlikely
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
This had so much life and passion and humor, I’m very happy I came back to read this one! I had started this book over a month ago and promptly got distracted with a book I had been waiting for on Libby. I fully forgot I had even started this book when kindle recommended it again. I’m so excited to read the rest of the series. I love a Scottish MMC, and a murder plot mixed with a smart fast-thinking FMC is right up my alley!
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2023
This is the 1st in a series of 3 aristocrats who suddenly find that they've inherited a dukedom. In book 1, set in Scotland, Sofia infiltrates the household of a duke under the pretends of being governor to his unruly twin niece and nephew. We learn as the story progresses that she's actually there for another reason in his trying to search the dukes of private papers.

A former spy, Roark, the duke, bears the scars of a fight he'd had with his best friend whom he was told turned traitor. Sophia turns things around for he and his wards. The attraction between Roark and Sophia is of the charts.

What will happen when he learns of her reason for being there? What will happen when she reveals the key piece of information she has about the night that he got into the fight with his best friend?

This is a fun, sexy story and I highly recommend it.

Top reviews from other countries

cardee
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun feisty story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2023
Full of great characters food plot . Far fetched but appealing escapism. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Crystal Carr
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and laugh out start to this series
Reviewed in India on August 30, 2022
I love Caroline Lee and her humourous tales - I know she does very faintly stick to historical accuracy but the wit and the humour is quite unmatched.

Loved the storyline - Sophia and Rourke are fabulous.

I actually giggled so much during this book and that makes this book a winner in my eyes !

Steam Level : open lovemaking scenes

Point to note : Historical accuracy is flimsy at best, so if you are a reader who is a stickler for it, then I would suggest not to pick this up.
Matante7
4.0 out of 5 stars Very dark but nice adventure
Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2023
I found this one a bit dark and hard to follow at times. I don't care for the accented English. Makes it very difficult to follow the story. Once I managed through that I settled into a pretty good story although I did find it very dark. Nice climax and love the reconnect with old friends. Needs a bit of work though.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Ruined by crude porn
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2022
This is a good story, i like the characters and the plot. There are some good cameos like the butler. The children are written well and apart from too much crude language and porn it would have been a good novel. Porn is not romance
MIA
5.0 out of 5 stars amazing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2022
I don’t think there are words in the dictionary to describe how much I enjoyed reading this … I had to slow down reading it, as I didn’t want it to end - I laughed, I frowned, I even snort laughed and tea came out my nose at one bit - can’t recommend this book enough
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