A Most Unusual Duke by Susanna Allen

 A Most Unusual Duke (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde #2) by Susanna Allen - 288 pages

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The Duke said he'd never get married...

The Prince Regent insists his cousin and fellow bear shifter, Arthur Humphries, the Duke of Osborn, take a mate and rebuild his sleuth. Arthur is an Alpha who swore he would never lead his sleuth after his father is killed by an interloper who challenges him when Arthur is young. The duke would very much prefer to continue his comfortable bachelor lifestyle, but the Prince Regent is not a bear to be poked.

Beatrice, the widowed Marchioness of Castleton, is in possession of a powerful secret. She knows all about Shifters, her horrible late husband being one of them. At any moment, Beatrice could reveal the secrets of the Prince and those like him—unless the Prince can make sure she marries another Shifter.

A marriage between the Duke of Osborn and Beatrice is far from ideal for either one, but at least they won't fall in love...right?

I am definitely enjoying this series with its strong women characters and inclusion of characters from the first book in the series.

A Wolf in Duke's Clothing by Susanna Allen

 A Wolf in Duke's Clothing (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde #1) by Susanna Allen - 352 pages

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Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, has long been an enigma. No one dares to give a man of his stature the cut direct, but there's simply something not quite right about him. What would the society mamas say if they learned that the something they sensed was the fact that Alfred is a wolf shifter...? He's been looking for his mate for a long time, but not just any young lady will do for him, or for his pack.

Felicity Templeton has one goal: to remain unmarried. If she can manage that until her twenty-fifth birthday, she stands to inherit a large fortune. But when she meets Alfred, the dashing duke is determined to have her for his very own...and a wolf who's a duke can be very persuasive...

I was hooked on this book from the beginning even though I wasn't familiar with all the terms related to the time period. It's bit of a different twist on shapeshifter romances, which made it fun and interesting.

Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh

Someone to Romance (8th in Westcott) by Mary Balogh

336 pages

Lady Jessica Archer lost her own interest in the glittering excitement of romance after her cousin and dearest friend, Abigail Westcott, was rejected by the ton when her father was revealed to be a bigamist. Ever practical, however, once she's twenty-five, she decides it's time to wed. Though she no longer believes she will find true love, she is still very eligible. She is, after all, the sister of Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby.

Jessica considers the many qualified gentlemen who court her. But when she meets the mysterious Gabriel Thorne, who has returned to England from the New World to claim an equally mysterious inheritance, Jessica considers him completely unsuitable, because he had the audacity, when he first met her, to announce his intention to wed her.

When Jessica guesses who Gabriel really is, however, and watches the lengths to which he will go in order to protect those who rely upon him, she is drawn to his cause—and to the man.

I usually enjoy reading this series and this new book in it is no exception. I liked the characters and the pace of the book.