The Detective Duke (Unexpected Lords Book 1)

This book had everything I love about historical romance novels, with some added steamy scenes and a dash of criminal mystery. I love the banter and the character development, as well as the plot and the historical setting. The author does a wonderful job of assigning modern (but untraditional for the time) female habits to the main characters, which is one of my favorite things in this genre.I easily fell into the story, rooting for both Hudson and Ellie, trying to both unravel the mystery that drives Hudson, and cheer Ellie on with her inventions. And the writing is wonderful for this genre!“He kissed her as if he revered her. As if he could not possibly have enough. As if she were the air he required to breathe.”I will definitely read the rest of the Unexpected Lords series, and will be adding Scarlett Scott to my list of must read romance writers!

Prepare to be Entertained and Enchanted! Hudson Stone, former Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard (introduced in LADY BRAZEN) is now the Duke of Wycombe. Brilliant at police work and at ease with criminals, this was as unwanted as unexpected. He inherited a crumbling estate and massive debts with many people depending on him. The former duke was engaged to Lady Elysande "Ellie" Collingwood, daughter of Earl of Leydon. Ellie and her sisters were brought up with all the advantages given to male siblings - save one. Ellie as oldest girl must marry before her younger sister. But Ellie is an inventor like her father and is at home in his workshop trying to perfect an electric pan. She has no interest in marriage or society, but her sister is in love and cannot marry until Ellie does. Wycombe was in need of a large dowry and Ellie was in need of an absent husband. With no choice, Hudson has a meeting with Earl to discuss a marriage contract neither he nor Ellie wants. Ellie is present at this conversation - very unusual - and insists on time alone to complete her project - 3 months is agreed upon. Ellie is as lovely as she is intelligent and she is unwillingly attracted to the handsome and famed former detective. So this begins as a marriage of convenience.Hudson returns to London after the wedding - his friend informed him the criminal he caught has escaped (wonderful story in LADY BRAZEN). At first Ellie is happy to devote her time to her workshop and starting repairs to her new home. When a lady is murdered, Hudson sends his friend to the country to bring Ellie to London. Unlike any lady he has known, Ellie insists on being informed and involved. With each encounter, Hudson realizes the danger he is in as clues point to him as the killer of his former lover. Ellie discovers her husband's honesty and believes in his innocence. They both start investigating the crime along with the disappearance of the escaped convict. Could they be connected as Ellie suspects?? The more time they spend together, the more Hudson and Ellie truly get to know each other and admiration and respect follow. As danger closes in both realize their attraction is more than physical - it is true love. Ellie refuses to leave Hudson's side as he tries to protect her. Gone is Hudson's resentment for inheriting a debt-ridden dukedom and forced marriage as well as Ellie's priority with her inventions - they are replaced with deep love for each other. Entangled in a web of mystery and murders, two people who never would have met but for their circumstances find the most precious gift life offers. A romantic and beautiful love story of cherishing each day with a beloved!! Do Not Miss This!

Loved this book. Very spicy scenes. Enjoyed how the main characters fell in love while fighting it. Will have to read the rest in the series.

I read so many books and move on to the next.. but this story captivated me. Seeing the love blossom, throw in a mystery and I was hooked. Definitely worth reading

Very well written. Great story line. I truly enjoyed the twist and turns. Keep up or you’ll get lost, Now on to book Two.

This was so good! I’ve had a string of historical romances on KU that just weren’t it, but Scarlett Scott has a new fan!The Detective Duke has one of my most loved tropes: marriage of convenience. Hudson needs a wife with a substantial dowry after he inherits a dukedom riddled with debt. As the oldest daughter, Elysande needs to marry so her younger sister can marry.I really loved that these two started to care about each other really early on. Too often, there’s pages and pages between the marriage and the characters in HisRos even admitting they tolerate each other, so this was a pleasant change.Hudson was such a good break from the super alphahole H I’m used to in HisRos. Not to say I don’t love alphaholes, but it’s nice to get a hero that’s more gentleman than rake on occasion. I did think it was funny that he fled to London because his feelings scared the shit out of him.Elysande was a great blend of independent and sweet. I liked that she loved to work with engineering and electricity. She didn’t want to marry but she threw herself into making the marriage work.There were a few things keeping this from being a five star read. I felt that the villain was a little too obvious and the murder plot was wrapped up a little too conveniently. And Elysande’s inventing storyline was kind of abandoned in the middle and picked back up in the epilogue. I understood why. Her husband was being accused of murder. But I would have liked to see just a little bit more about it.Overall, this was really enjoyable and I’ll be diving into Scott’s Wicked Winters series next!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a captivating read. I liked the interaction between the main characters of Lady Elysande and Hudson, the new Duke of Wycombe. Elysande is quite unusual for a lady at that time, as she enjoys experimenting with scientific ideas. She is a very intelligent lady. Hudson, wow! What a man! Ruggedly handsome and strong but also has a caring and honourable side. They both had their own ideas of what they wanted from a marriage but does it always work out as planned? There is also a mystery to solve and a villain who is a danger to their happiness. There were times when I was on edge, wondering what was going to happen, there are also some very passionate scenes. This was a great start to a new series and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

Book 1. This story is about ex-Scotland Yard Detective Hudson Stone who has unexpectantly inherited a Dukedom & Lady Elysande who was betrothed to the previous Duke. Naturally a crime that needs to be investigated (by him) from his past leads them into love and a happy ending

This one is hot and heavy, laced with intrigue and murder and plots. Scarlett is on fire with this novel - my only small gripe is that the romance could have been a bit more slow burn, maybe for another 30 pages (?!) but hey, this is still great

Far too many tedious sex scenes - a lot less would have had more impact. As more sex than story, skipped through the book.

When his only male relative dies he becomes a duke but it leads to his whole world changing for him