For the Duke’s Eyes Only is a historically ridiculous but deeply satisfying romance novel between an archeologist named India (and inevitably nicknamed “Indy”) who thinks that treasures belong in museums and a spy named Daniel Ravenwood (!) who in the past broke her heart. Daniel and India are rivals because Daniel’s cover is that he is a treasure hunter who collects artifacts for his own personal enjoyment. He also pretends to be a shallow rake. Despite his obvious character flaws, he has access to people and materials that India can’t touch because of her gender. This drives India up the wall. It’s a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with a touch of Scarlet Pimpernel and a dash of Indiana Jones.
Once upon a time, India and Daniel were kids who were neighbors and also expected to marry when they grew up. The kiddies were fine with that arrangement. They were best friends and spent their days looking for (and finding) Roman coins on their estates. Then Daniel’s father died and Daniel was sent to school. Unbeknownst to India, Daniel’s dad had been a spy and Daniel was sent to Spy School. The reader is not treated to any scenes at Spy School but based on little nuggets from adult Daniel I have to assume that it’s like an extra emotionally abusive Hogwarts with guns instead of wands.
Anyway, being a spy means that Daniel can’t marry India because then she’d be in danger and also he’s been taught to repress his feelings, so at India’s coming-out ball he makes out with another woman and breaks India’s heart. He cultivates an image as a rake who collects antiquities for his own gain and thus becomes India’s rival in all things, although they never do get around to formally breaking the engagement understanding made when they were kids.
We meet India when she disguises herself as a man so that she can infiltrate the Society of Antiquaries, an all-male institution. India has been going on expeditions and making herself an expert on Egypt. Daniel is at the same meeting and promptly busts India, but not before she discovers that the Society is not, as they believed, displaying the real Rosetta Stone. What they have is a forgery. Daniel’s boss assigns Daniel and India to find the real Rosetta Stone and expose the forger.
I realize that this is a website devoted to Romance Novels, and yet I could have used a tiny bit less romance and more spy stuff, action, and nerdiness. There’s a lot of India and Daniel riding in carriages and baring their souls. The soul-baring (and, later on, other types of baring) was very well done and I enjoyed it. However, I do feel that if a book is going to offer me a spy and an archeologist (one named “Indy,” no less) then there had better be some derring-do. There is some action, but the ratio of action to romance is just a bit too weighted towards romance given the premise of the book. I also needed India to nerd out more. If someone is an expert, then I want to see their expertise in action. Daniel and India spend more time talking about Shakespeare than they do Egypt.
Having said that, the romance is very good. India and Daniel are strong-willed people who are good at balancing each other. They make an excellent team when they learn trust and when they accept that they have to take turns letting one another call the shots depending on the situation. The clothes are great, the food is great, there’s a whole plot line about an enormous diamond, and the chemistry between Daniel and India is off the charts. The mix of angsty and funny is just right for a lighter read. It’s escapist in the best sense of the word. This is the kind of book in which the villain says, “You may laugh all you want, but the vengeance of Osiris shall be wreaked upon you!”
Then the book ends abruptly. There’s a ridiculously contrived occasion for jealousy, then there’s mortal danger, then Daniel is all “India I’m so sorry I crushed you; I have this man pain problem where I’m emotionally stunted.”
The movement from ridiculous conflict to ridiculous resolution unravels with ridiculous speed.
Because of the disappointing ending, plus the lack of action and nerdiness, I have to give this book a C. Though I did enjoy parts of it, better pacing and more adventure and scholarship overall would have really elevated this romance.
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If ever a plot summary screamed “this guy does not ALSO need to be a duke,” it is this one.
I am old,* and I fear I will not live to see the sputtering end of the Duke Book phenomenon.
* Well, middle-old. Old enough that the future is more about the end of things than endless new possibilities, yet young enough that I have the bandwidth to be pointlessly irate about the excess of dukes in mistorical romance.
@Deborah : I am so with you on this … why does everyone have to be a duke? I have stopped reading HR for the moment as I am just done with Dukes and I have exhausted the other HRs that deal with your normal, average Joe… or Jane for that matter.
I would definitely would have read this if there was no Duke. It would have been perfect. I find I have become allergic to Dukes!
I bought this a couple of weeks ago strictly because of the possibility of a female Indiana Jones. And despite the quick wrap up and the average grade I’m going to move it closer to the top of my TBR list. I just can’t handle heavy themes right now.
I so agree with Deborah and I don’t think I would mind it so much if the Dukes were more Ducal. But they’re merchants, spies, gamblers/club/brothel owners and sometimes tattooed and illiterate and often broke. Give a stuffy Duke with a bluestocking governess/spinster romance and I’m happy, but the authors and publishers are out of control.
I forgot to mention scarred Dukes who are ship captains or soldiers. SMH.
Much like the Billionaire and the Sheikh, I think the Duke’s turn on the WHEEL OF HERO is almost over. Any ideas on who/what will have the next turn?
Callboy with a heart of gold and artistic aspirations?
Emotionally mature Prince of fictional South American Kingdom?
Historian Time Travelling Bisexual Professor who loves cats?
@Critterbee – Please, please let the wheel’s next turn land on “Historian Time Travelling Bisexual Professor who loves cats,” because that sounds like everything I never knew I needed, yet now can’t live without.
“Historically ridiculous” is a good description of Lenora Bell’s books, but I gobble them up like candy. Thanks for the review and the warning on that abrupt ending, Carrie S.
I hear you all on the Dukes. Seems that dear old Daniel could be “only” a baronet or viscount in this story. I’ve noticed spies that are also Dukes are getting really thick on the Regency novel ground. I am on the hold list for this book at my local library and will wait patiently to read about another Duke who is spy.
I’d love to see some “Emotionally mature Princes of fictional South American Kingdoms.”
Definitely agreeing with the people who are tired of dukes. I’d love to see more diverse and unique historicals in general. 90% of them seem to take place in the Regency these days, and while I’ve loved a lot of them, I am getting a little tired of just that time and place. History is so big, I’m sure there are a ton of other stories waiting to be told.
I agree with the review. This is the first time I’ve been disappointed with a Bell romance. Anyone reading her for the first time should pick up any one of her previous novels.
I read the first book in this series (which, for some reason, is called School for Dukes–so all y’all who are sick of dukes, maybe steer clear of this series, as it’s going to be ALL DUKES ALL THE TIME) and felt similarly. The first, called What a Difference a Duke Makes (which is a terrible title) was based on Mary Poppins and was basically a confection in the shape of a book. It was super adorable and fluffy and forgettable and plot moppets abounded, and the only conflict was that the duke was TOO NOBLE. That’s it. Oh, and the duke was a blacksmith. Y’know.
I’m into the idea of using movie plots in a Regency setting, but I just feel as if these books are lacking the proper execution. Alas.
The thing is… Dukes lived these really rarified lives. They didn’t even scrub their own TEETH, for pity’s sake – they had somebody else do it for them. I find it hard to reconcile what I know about historical Dukes with the romance lot.
IDK. Bell has been notoriously awful for so long I don’t know if I’d pick up her work even for a hooty good time at this point. The last three books I’ve picked up from her have been a waste of my time.
I support “Historian Time Travelling Bisexual Professor who loves cats.” Let’s make this happen.
Howdy, I’m new around here. I’m wondering what the STEM archetype is? I looked in the glossary (tremendously helpful btw) but couldn’t find it there.
@Sarah S.: STEM is a non-romance-specific acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math, used in romance to indicate characters involved with those pursuits.
@Ren Benton Thanks Ren, I knew the acronym in that context, but I totally didn’t connect the two. I feel a little dumb now! LOL
Another one on the ‘over all the dukes’ train. Also ‘over the titles that are riffs off other media’ train (especially when, unlike here, they’re relating a book with sex in it to children’s media).
@k8899 -I liked Lady Claire is All That but wow do I hate the title!
For my first romance hero; a demisexual virgin political highwayman, illiterate but clever and thoughtful and emotionally intelligent and courageous and honorable, an illegitimate son of a depraved nobleman (who passes his title to him because his legitimate sons are dead). Raised by a gravedigger and his wife (who is the hero’s real mother but the gravedigger claimed the hero was his bastard son).
(The romance story is a time travel story modeled after the myth of Persephone).
My Persephone myth idea that I couldn’t quite make work was: she’s a second generation environmental lawyer who works with her mom in a firm that helps nonprofits. He’s a ruthless ultra corporate lawyer. Something…something…something..he tricks her into working together… Something…she _has_ to join his lawfirm and leave her old practice….
No one is a Duke or billionaire.
The “somethings” tripped me up. But maybe someone can fix it.
@MsCellanie, maybe for ruthless corporate reasons he’s on the right side of an environmental issue / his corporate client is creating an “astroturf” grassroots movement to oppose development by his competitor, they offer to pay her an astronomical sum / fund a pet cause?
@MissCellanie Could the something be along the lines of the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Like the company that hired his firm wants to block another company from growing and lands on environmental impact as a way to stop them?
I really like Lenora Bell, and I did like this book, but having never so much as seen an Indiana Jones movie, I didn’t get that her name was a-cheek nod to the character. The entire book all I could associate with the name was the Indy 500, and it drove me batty.
I’m… just going to take “Historian Time Travelling Bisexual Professor who loves cats” as a writing prompt now…
Indy…Ravenwood…Lovers to enemies to romance…
Where have I heard all this before? And the bigger question, does the book have a charming little monkey pal and Nazis?
lso…“Historian Time Travelling Bisexual Professor who loves cats”
YES PLEASE NOW!