Hunter is a good writer and this was enjoyable, but not terribly special or memorable for me, so 3 stars seems fair. ( )

Madeline Hunter has done an amazing job with the start of this series. Adam, the Duke of Stratton has been living in France after his father committed suicide over speculation that he was involved in treason. He now returns to England to search for evidenve of his father's innocence.
Lady Clara Cheswick daughter of the former Earl of Marwood is a budding bluestocking spinster who has a secret career as a publisher of a women's journal. Her family has long been feuding with Adam's family. Her grandmother has decided that in order to protect Theo the new Earl, they would offer up Theo's sister as a sacrificial offering to the Duke as a bride. By joining the two families she hopes to put the feud to rest and protect her grandson from being killed by the duke in a duel.
Rather than accepting the young Emilia as a potential bride, Adam sets his sites on her more independent, strong-willed sister.
These characters grab your attention from the first and you can't help but want to keep reading to see what happens. Adam and Clara created sparks from the minute they meet and you can't help wanting to keep reading to see how they come together. In addition, there is the suspense of finding out the real reason why Adam's father committed suicide.
There is a tension throughout the story with Clara trying to balance her independent life as a single woman with the thought of marriage and what that may do to effect the life she has chosen. Will marriage take away everything she has worked for? Madeline Hunter has created a great story with great characters and you can't resist loving them.
I received an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review. ( )

After his father's suicide years ago, Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton, left London. He wanted to protect his mother and they set up home in Paris. However, Adam has acquired a reputation as a dueler and has been forced to flee France. Meanwhile, for a few generations, Adam's family had been in a feud. The dowager Countess of Marwood approaches Adam with plans of settling things, if he will marry her granddaughter, Emilia. She is pretty, but young, and offers absolutely no appeal to Adam.

On horseback, quite a bit away, however, is Clara, Emilia's half sister. Now, she sparks an interest that Adam cannot deny. He approaches her and a battle of will immediately ensues. Adam relentlessly pursues Clara, determined to marry her. Meanwhile, Clara is the owner of growing women's journal and that is the only future she imagines - that and independence from her overbearing grandmother.

The story swings back and forth between Clara and Adam's growing bond, all while Adam seeks to discover what drove his father to do what he did. Meanwhile Clara's grandmother makes more than a nuisance of herself.

This romance by Madeline Hunter was enjoyable to a degree, but felt a bit slower than I have read in this genre. The addition of the other dukes that will be in the other two series was a nice addition. One thing that I did enjoy was that Clara published a magazine, that was progress that was a pleasure to read.

Many thanks to Zebra and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinions. ( )

Independent in spirit, mischievous of heart and determined of mind. Characters like Clara are a joy to read because they are inspiring, passionate and full of surprises. Add in a devil like Adam and the temperature quickly goes from frigid to volcanic. Ms. Hunter is good. For every moment that I wanted to hate Adam and his hurtful vendetta, I found myself hurting for him instead. It's easy to judge, but difficult to feel. The Most Dangerous Duke In London is driven by emotions. Some painful and dark, others heated and intense, yet all make for an deeply challenging and sometimes humorous trek.
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Adam Penrose, recently returned from France, is seeking the truth about the accusations of treason that led to his father's suicide. He is also being courted by the Cheswick family with whom his family has a long-standing feud. When he is offered a marriage alliance, he changes the demands to the older sister. However, Clara enjoys the independence her father's legacy has given her and has refused to marry. As the two become closer they also discover details about their families that could drive them apart. ( )