To Deceive a Duke by Amanda McCabe

To Deceive a Duke Reviews

• 
  Helena

  Amanda McCabe delivers another solid, entertaining read that follows the adventuring-loving Chase sisters in the sun-soaked Italian countryside in their pursuit of ancient ruins.
  
  To Deceive a Duke seamlessly picks up where To Catch a Rogue left off. Rogue was the story of the oldest Chase - Calliope (Cali) that also introduced her younger sisters Clio, Thalia and Cory - a.k.a. the Chase Muses - a family of educated, aristocratic young women dedicated to the antiquities and addicted to adventure.
  
  Readers join the fiercely independent Chase women; Clio and younger sister Thalia accompanied by their widower father, Sir Walter Chase, now temporarily ensconced (from their native England) in Santa Lucia, Italy to excavate and preserve a site of ancient ruins as part of their lifelong quest to unearth and protect Greek and Roman antiquities. Cali, now wed to Lord Westwood, is on her honeymoon. As Clio works to put her past behind her in favor of more acceptable pastimes, Thalia emerges as a talented writer and actress.
  
  Both sisters are charmingly brought to the forefront with their own distinctive voices, and personalities and of course, secrets, woven into the plot. While hard-working, determined Clio enjoys the darker side of adventure and mystery, Thalia, an irreverent, creative spirit sparks the interest of Count di Fabrizzi whose mysterious appearance at the side of the Lily Thief in the previous novel, left readers to wonder and wait.
  
  As the Chase family settles in, the enigmatic Edward Radcliffe, Duke of Averton, arrives in Santa Lucia in pursuit of antiquities, a nobler principle and Clio. His unexpected appearance creates tension for both Clio and the reader as we try to unravel his purpose and reconcile his eccentric public persona with his private, more refined side.
  
  Drawn together by a common passion for ancient artifacts and each other, Edward has traveled from England to protect Clio and his mission both of which become unavoidably intertwined. Readers can definitely feel Clio’s struggles and her passion for her vocation even as she wars with herself over her former life, and growing attraction to Edward.
  
  Mystery mixed with Italian superstition and impending peril are heightened as fellow Britons descend upon Sicily for a brief season, partaking of theatre and all that is Italian. Presented to readers are the flamboyant Lady Riverton and her companion, Ronald Frobisher while the dashing Count di Fabrizzi is re-introduced to readers.
  
  McCabe has skillfully blended the first ‘Chase’ book with the second incorporating romance and intrigue with danger while allowing the full development and exploration of the characters of Edward and Clio. Thalia is a delightful contrast to her sister with a seemingly irrepressible soul leaving us wanting to see more of her. (Good news - there’s a third book!).
  
  Another well-paced, story with fresh descriptions set amidst a romantic setting on the Sicilian coast, To Deceive a Duke gives us a strong sense of place, history and people as well as smooth characters arcs and clever plot twists to supply a fun and satisfying page-turner.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Mary Craven

  The second story in the Chase Muses series. Clio is the second daughter. In London and then in Italy she keeps crossing paths with the Duke of Averton. She tries hard to resist him, but they are both trying to achieve the same goal, safeguarding ancient temple silver from thieves. They too find that working together is far more fun than working against each other.
  I do have to say that I was a bit sad to see that Sir Walter Chase, their father, travels all over Europe with his scholarly pursuits, but never seems to have time for his five youngest daughters. They are bundled away at Chase Manor, never seen nor heard from. Having lost his first wife during the birth of his ninth daughter, you would think he could find some time for them. He does find time to romance and marry his second wife.
• 
  Sehar

  A premise stolen from another author(julia quinn) plus a whole host of unrealostic characters and a poorly drawn characters make this an extremely forgettable read.
  The three stars are simply for edward...for some reason i was thinking of sam heughan every time he was described, so i ended the book half in love with him 🙈
• 
  Gemma

  Make sure you read the first book in the series (To Catch a Rogue) first, or you'll probably be lost. I made that mistake and had to put it down until I got ahold of the first book.
  
  A bit too slowpaced for me. And after the way the hero was practically a creepy villian totally obsessed with the heroine in the first book, I had a hard time wanting them to get together. He came across as a stalker to me in the first book, and even halfway through this one, he still gave me creepy vibes.
  
• 
  Cristina Contilli

  Il ladro non è mai chi ti aspetti!!! E comunque la cosa divertente è che essendo figlie di un appassionato di storia antica ed archelogia le due sorelle protagoniste del romanzo si chiamano come due muse, Clio e Calliope e tutto il romanzo è ricco di riferimenti alla storia e alla mitologia greca... l'unico difetto è che la parte investigativa resta prevalente su quella amorosa...
• 
  Jennifer

  Actual rating: 3.5 stars
  
  It seemed to take forever to really get going, but once it did, it was highly enjoyable.
  
  I wasn't sure the author would be able to redeem the hero of this book, because he seemed like such a jerk in the first one. But...all-in-all, I think she accomplished it nicely.
• 
  Kristina

  I loved loved LOVED this book. Such a great plot, and the ending was just as satisfying. I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^ <3