REVIEW: A Duke Too Far by Jane Ashford

A Duke Too Far by Jane Ashford is the fourth and final book in The Way to a Lord’s Heart. The series is based on four men the Earl of Macklin thought he might be able to help; they had all recently experienced a death in the family. Delia, Peter’s sister, had died a tragic death by falling down a cliff while staying at the home of her friend, Ada Grandison. After having dinner with the men in London and discussing the death of their loved ones, the earl spends the summer traveling to each man’s estate, playing matchmaker and helping the men find wives and their happy ever after.

Peter Rathbone, the eccentric Duke of Compton, was struggling in poverty and trying to keep his crumbling family’s estate together. He was surprised when Macklin showed up at his home, which was in no shape to receive visitors, and then received a greater surprise when Ada Grandison, her aunt Julia, and friends arrived that same afternoon. He wasn’t sure why Ada and her friends had come to his estate and couldn’t figure out what secret Delia could have uncovered when Ada explained why they were there.

Ada had discovered Delia at the bottom of the cliff, and she felt certain Delia would want her to help Peter with her discovery. She and her friends start investigating and come upon a locked room with all the research Delia and the previous duke had found. Even though Peter doesn’t want anything to do with the mystery once they learn Delia was looking for the family’s hidden treasure, Ada is determined to find the treasure because that’s the only way Peter and she will have a future together.

I have enjoyed reading the series but must admit this was not my favorite book in the series. I couldn’t feel the connection between Ada and Peter. I think if there had been more interactions between the two of them, it might have helped. The book did have a good plot involving the mystery of the hidden family treasure and the authors vivid description of Peter’s house creates the perfect background for the treasure hunt. It had strong characters and some side characters that hopefully will appear in future books.

Book Info:

Publication: April 28th 2020 | Sourcebooks Casablanca | The Way to a Lord’s Heart #4

Secrets to reveal, legends to unravel, and a love to fight for…

Peter Rathbone, Duke of Compton, is already struggling to handle the responsibilities of his family home and his grief over his sister, Delia’s death when he’s astonished by an unexpected visitor. Life is about to get even more complicated.

Miss Ada Grandison is desperate to throw off haunting memories, and she’s sure the duke can help her find answers to the questions her friend, Delia, left behind. She brings a note that Delia claimed would change everything for the Rathbone family. Peter can’t quite bring himself to believe the legends he’s heard all his life, but something about Ada inspires him to hope.