Strike While the Duke is Hot

Dukes in Danger #2

by Emily E.K. Murdoch

Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton, is determined to discover who’s ruining his sister’s reputation.

That’s why he’s in the middle of nowhere, attempting to convince a blacksmith to take him on as an apprentice—undercover, of course.

He’s tracked down the source of the lying gossip to this forge, and Henry is not prepared to find a woman at the anvil.

A woman blacksmith. What on earth next?

Minny Banfield doesn’t exactly expect respect, but she’s never had a strange man march into her smithy and demand to be taken on and trained. If she didn’t need the money, she could firmly ignore him.

Him, and his handsome face, and broad shoulders.

But the secret messages she’s been passing have taken a toll and she needs work. So if this Henry Everleigh appears to be running from the law, what harm can it do to keep him around?

Sparks fly as Henry and Minny clash, both of them keeping secrets they are certain will destroy them—as the heat builds between them, a fiery desire that soon neither of them can deny…

Genres: Historical Romance

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 24, 2023

About the author

Emily E.K. Murdoch is also known as Emily Murdoch.

Emily Murdoch is a medieval historian and writer. Throughout her career so far she has examined a codex and transcribed medieval sermons at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, designed part of an exhibition for the Yorkshire Museum, worked as a researcher for a BBC documentary presented by Ian Hislop, and worked at Polesden Lacey with the National Trust. She has a degree in History and English, and a Masters in Medieval Studies, both from the University of York. Emily is currently working on a new four part Regency novella series, two of which are now published.

You can follow her on twitter and instagram @emilyekmurdoch, find her on facebook at www.facebook.com/theemilyekmurdoch, and read her blog at www.emilyekmurdoch.com

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

Has Emily Murdoch been watching Forged in Fire? Just wondering what inspired the blacksmith plot to the story.

Anyways this has been part of atypical main characters for HisRoms for me this week. This one featured a Duke seeking answers on who has been spreading scurrilous gossip about his younger sister. His chase leads him to a rather hole in the wall pokey little village where he is told the blacksmith's shop is part of the information network that may be linked to the slandering of his sister in the gossip rags. Henry Everleigh, the Duke of Dulverton is a rather hot headed nobleman looking to defend his sister and exact revenge. He is quite taken aback when he enters the forge to find that the owner and suspect in his chase is a rather beautiful woman. Minny Banfield is a strong independent woman who has been taught smithing by her father, and when left alone in the world, uses her skills to run the forge herself, to make a living. She is part of a secret information network, but not in the way Henry suspects.

Henry inveigles his way into the forge, under the pretense of seeking to learn to forge and offering to pay for the knowledge. Despite Minny's distrust of him, she can ill afford to turn the money down, but does put Henry through his paces before he is allowed to put hammer to anvil. This gives Henry a new appreciation of day to day work, something he never really had consider as a Duke, and especially of Minny being alone, and working in a role usually for men.

Henry seems completely bespelled by Minny and falls for her, and enjoys their simple lifestyle. Until he mistakes a secret Minny has as being complicit in the slander of his sister. Then he makes some almost unforgivable assumptions and accusations of Minny and breaks her heart. He returns to his life as a duke after she makes him aware of his mistakes, but is overwhelmed by the loss of her love and comes to realize that he made many mistakes along the way.

This was definitely a fun story of two people of incredibly different backgrounds and social classes coming together. You have to suspend belief that they would share things in common and could have a lasting relationship. But it was a fun story with Henry being quite out of his comfort zone doing hard labour and having to learn from Minny. A very cute and fun story.

3.75 stars out of 5

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Strike While the Duke is Hot was an absolutely fantastic historical romance and I nearly finished it in one sitting. I was practically kicking my feet and giggling with excitement over this book. So many different elements worked in tandem perfectly. Any story featuring a lady blacksmith is a guaranteed win and this book was no exception. Minnie and Henry were the sweetest couple and I was giddy from every stage of their courtship. From nursing burns in the forge to extracurricular activities on the anvil, there was no shortage of steam pumping out of the local smithy. These two were constantly giggling and smiling at each other that you couldn't help but join along as the reader. Their love was so infectious and it practically radiated outside the pages.



The biggest achievement of this book and what ultimately earned that elusive five-star rating was the communication. Sure, our hero was evasive about his ducal status, but Minnie was not having an argument end on a matter of miscommunication. When I thought a distressful chapter was going to end on a sour note, our blacksmith hauled him by the shoulder and set him straight. There was no room for misinformation here! That kind of agency is practically unheard of in the romance genre and I was cheering from the sidelines. I really wish that was utilized more often instead of the dreadful miscommunication that rears its ugly head in every other book I seem to get my hands on. Pile on her directness to her strong career choice and gentle gooey center, and Minnie becomes one of my favorite heroines I've read all year, heck even this decade. Girls really do run the world, huh?



Strike While the Duke is Hot was everything I could have wished for when reading a new author for the first time. I certainly have added Emily E.K. Murdoch to my radar and I hope to read more of her catalog in the future. I loved her writing style and I grew so fond of her characters. This is the second female blacksmith book I've read and that only proves what an absolute winner of a trope it can be when placed in the right hands. I know that you must strike when the iron is hot, but it seems like dukes are too even outside of the smithy!

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton, is sick of seeing his sister's name in the gossip rags, and knows that the source is someone linked to a smithy in a little town. Masquerading as a country gentleman wanting to learn a trade, he's more than a little shocked to discover a woman working and owning the smithy. Minny Banfield knows the kind of comments that are made about her, but she'd proved herself to be a great smith, and deserving of her job. Teaching the mysterious man who's walked into her smithy demanding training is not something she would usually do, but she needs the money he is offering, and could do with an extra pair of hands too. As Henry and Minny work together, they realise that the attraction which has been simmering between them is about to boil over, and Henry is still keeping secrets.

Another addition to the Dukes in Danger series, and one which I really enjoyed. I liked the way Henry and Minny were able to get close to each other, and fall in love. Yes, Henry was hiding his true identity, and the reason he was at the smithy in the first place, but he managed to reveal a lot of his true self to her even so. The messages that Minny was sending were innocuous really, and I felt real pity with her and her brother for why they were separated. A great romance, and definitely suited to the series!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton, is determined to discover who’s ruining his sister’s reputation by sending false news to gossip rags. That’s why he’s in the middle of nowhere, attempting to convince a blacksmith to take him on as an apprentice—undercover, of course. He’s tracked down the source of the gossip to this forge, and Henry is not prepared to find a woman at the anvil. Minny Banfield doesn’t exactly expect respect, but she’s never had a strange man march into her smithy and demand to be taken on and trained. If she didn’t need the money, she could firmly ignore him. But the secret messages she’s been passing have taken a toll and she needs work. Sparks fly as Henry and Minny clash, both of them keeping secrets they are certain will destroy them.
The second book in the series & it’s easily read on its own. I really liked both Henry & Minny & enjoyed their journey to a HEA. I liked the chemistry between them & how their relationship grew & changed. They both had secrets, which of course would be revealed & had the potential to scupper their romance. A very enjoyable read but my mind’s eye was set on picturing Minny as a large strapping lass, this image stayed with & unfortunately put a damper on the romance
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emily E K Murdoch is a new author to me. This is only my 3rd book by her. I read Book 1 in this series back in 2023 and needless to say didn't give it a great review. The other book I read was back in 2019 and wasn't writing reviews or taking notes then so don't remember it. I was going over authors to read and ran across her again. She is with Dragonblade Publishing, Flame division but there was nothing flaming about book 1. I'm interested to see if I like this book better. We shall see.

I liked Minny and Henry at times. Especially Minny. I loved that she “schooled” Henry on village life. That was super cute. The story got a bit confusing. I mean I understand why he went to Pathstow to begin with but once he was there and had been there a while and read another gossip story about his sister that happened in London, and the blacksmith was with him the whole time and couldn’t have known or written the gossip, why he didn’t leave or figure it out. That was a bit odd. I’ve read plenty of stories where the MC is infatuated with the FC but the way Henry was written he almost came off as an idiot. Not being able to hold a conversation or just “woolgathering” all the time. It was just weird. I just felt the book was a bit silly. No real depth. Glad I checked her out again though.

[Diana N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it getting hot in here or is it just my imagination? This book is forge hot and sexy Duke imagery hot!

I really liked the back and forth teasing and silliness between Henry and Minny. She is one strong woman taking on a man's world of being a blacksmith and Henry isn't too prideful to learn from her. The romantic is just easy, but creative too, anvil anyone?

I liked the concept of Henry being undercover on his own to try to find out who was publishing lies about his sister. What I wanted was more suspicion or digging for clues. A little bit more angst or arguments/misunderstanding between Henry and Minny I think would have driven the plot more along with extra fire in the romance.

This setting was definitely unique and had me drawn in more and more out of curiosity, plus the imagery of Henry during his blacksmith work pushed me to crave more.

Thank you to Dragonblade and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton, has a bad habit of striking first without having all the information. He leads with his heart, that's not a bad thing. London gossip sheets are spreading lies about his sister. Paying for information, Henry ends up in the village of Pathstow. The blacksmith is the source of the lies about his sister, but he has to be careful to get proof. Henry decides he will work for the blacksmith, a lady blacksmith, Miss Minny Banfield. Day after day, Henry learns how the other half lives and the different ways to love. A nice approach to a romance with a difference in class. Henry is a charmer!
Nice epilogue.
Some heat.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Amberreads.alot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely if implausible read from Emily EK Murdoch. FMC Minnie is a female blacksmith. MMC Henry, Duke of Everleigh, has somehow been told - by multiple sources - that scandalous rumors about his sister that are being published in London papers have originated from Minnie's smithy. His solution is to essentially go undercover as a commoner and ask her to take him on as an apprentice so he can catch her in the act.

Henry spends multiple weeks with Minnie. I appreciated that this book allowed the relationship between the two main characters to develop over time, versus pushing them into insta-love. I thought the plot points about the brother were well-done, and the twist around him was not one I saw coming. I liked the chemistry between Minnie and Henry and the appropriate way they came together the first time. Their parting made sense but like a sort of typical third-act separation, I felt they came back together a bit too easily.

A couple other nitpicks - we are told several times that one of the published headlines says Henry's sister is with child. At the end of the book, when she ***SPOILER*** confesses to Henry that the stories are "all true", this story about her being pregnant never comes up. I also think there would have been more of a reaction to the constant time Henry and Minnie spent alone together, even if they were not part of the aristocracy at that time. I would still recommend this book, though.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

[Liz Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Everleigh, the Duke of Dulverton, is on a mission to save his sister’s reputation. He has heard that the rumours regarding Peggy have come from the blacksmith at Pathstow. He disguises himself, and goes by the name Mr Everleigh. He persuades the blacksmith, Minny Banfield, (a female no less), into teaching him how to become a blacksmith.
Minny uses Henry for doing the jobs she hates like chopping wood and fetching water. They are attracted to one another, but refrain from doing anything about it, until Minny invites him to have supper one night.
In the morning Henry tells her to rest and he goes to start the furnace. He spits Minny hiding a letter from the window and confronts her. He goes into a rage and departs that very day. When he arrives back in London late that night, his sister is entertaining a gentleman in the drawing room. Having dismissed the gentleman, he and Peggy have a heart to heart chat, and he realises that he has made a terrible mistake with Minny. He goes back to see her, to try and straighten things out. Luckily for Henry, Minny accepts his apology and explains why she was writing secret letters. Minny leaves with Henry, but she decides not to wait the extra week for their wedding. She blind folds Henry until they reach Gretna Green where they are married over the anvil.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story and series continues with Henry Aka the Duke of Dulverton.
He meets Minny Banfield the local blacksmith at a tiny village of Pathstow!
The story does start of confusing as a disruptable rag of a newspaper starts to print horrible things about Henry’s sister Margaret Aka Peg!
Henry goes to the village and requests to be trained by Minny!
She turns him down flat! The outrageous woman turning down his offer but of course she doesn’t know who he is!
This story is way past a class divide as she not of any noble blood and her family has dark secrets!
But these two have explosive chemistry that can’t be denied and Henry finally realizes this is a forever kind of feeling and makes a huge error in judgment!
Minny has secrets that protect more than her brother! We never get to meet said brother at least not in this story!
When Henry does return to London he realizes several things!
His sister is not without her own effort in the things written about her and she has her own hidden Beau!
It doesn’t take Henry a long time to be the hero of his own HEA!
But does he wait too late! Well this Duke is hot and certainly knows how to persuade a lady or blacksmith! Bravo

[Cherie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Duke and the Blacksmith:
A funny thing happens in the first paragraph that I have never read in a romance book before. From there I thought this romance would be most intriguing and enjoyable which it was.
The desirous attraction between the two was slowly budding and just when you thought they were getting close it slowed down again. I found myself losing interest for a while until things were finally building towards the end.
I enjoyed the characters Henry and Minny very much and their journey to find true love was filled with much turmoil. The class difference was hard to believe. I couldn't quite imagine Minnie becoming a duchess in the end, but it worked out
For me Minnie had one uncomfortable confession towards the end that I didn't care for. I have never heard the term Molly before. That threw me for a loop.  I felt the author should have had a warning in the description.
Mature reader✔.
Pretty Cover ✔
I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy for my honest opinion.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone is spreading rumors through the press about his sister, and intends to find whoever it is and stop them. When Henry arrives at his destination, he goes straight to the smithy to find Mr. Banfield, the blacksmith. To his surprise, shock actually, the blacksmith is Miss Minny Banfield. He convinces Minny to give him, Mr. Everleigh, a job in the smithy, and to teach him how to be a blacksmith (yeah, that’s what he wants). Henry is as inept at this as Minny is competent. His time in the smith is funny and a lesson in life for him. He is not the only one with a secret. Minny has a very sensitive one. It doesn’t take long for the two of them to fall for each other. Henry sees a beautiful woman, unconventional, intelligent, hardworking, and secretive. Minny sees Henry as handsome, stubborn, obviously out of his comfort zone, and secretive. What will happen when the two of them discover the secrets? This is an enjoyable and often amusing story with somewhat unusual characters. Minny and Henry are both strong and intelligent, and, although they may not realize it at first, they need each other. I enjoyed this off-the-beaten-track romance.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second installment of the Dukes in Danger series, and what a glorious addition it is! I always get swept away into the Regency world with Ms Murdoch's stories and this one was no different. I don't think I have read a Regency yet where the female lead is a blacksmith, but this is the case in this book and it was very well done. Henry comes to town, undercover, to try and find out who has been spreading gossip about his sister. He comes to the town's blacksmith, Minny, wanting her to take him on as an apprentice so he can stay in town and flush out the person who has been ruining his sister's reputation. In the process, the sparks begin to sizzle and fly between them and it was an absolute delight to see their romance blossom and grow. The two were just a great pair, and the witty banter between them kept me smiling. Two people from completely different backgrounds, yet so perfect for each other.
A lovely and entertaining addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Mierfie Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book of Dukes in Danger series, it can be read as stand alone. My first in this series and this book is good. Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton try to find who spread rumor and try to ruin his sister reputation. One lead make him go undercover, he meet Minny Banfield a woman blacksmith. Henry find Minny beatiful, different, hardworker and blacksmith that fact make Him awestruck. When Minny find Henry intention it is become chaos and complicated. I laugh when Henry try to work and stuborn said that work for a manservant and he doesnt want to do it. Working at a forge really change Henry and he didnt expect that enjoying and want to work along Minny.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#StrikeWhiletheDukeisHot #DukesinDanger #EmilyEKMurdoch #DrabonbladePublishing #NetGalley #ARC

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such A Fun Read!

Emily is one of my favourite authors and each time I read one of her stories I have a warm feeling and this one is the same.

I love the concept of this storyline, so unusual, a female Blacksmith and a Duke! Both hiding a secret but slowly getting to know each other, you can feel the emotion within the storyline and how the trust is building. Simmering passion waiting to explode!

Of course there are problems along the way but making up is always the highlight of every storyline and the HEA.
Emily brings so much to each story that she writes, I personally cannot wait for her next instalment.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

Another great story in this series.

Secret Identity trope

I love that this story had a woman who was a blacksmith and the duke pretended to want to be a blacksmith so he could find out if she was part of a secret organization but he found out swiftly that she was going to make him work harder than he has in his life.

He never expected to fall in love with her and she never expected to fall in love with him because they truly know nothing about each other but slowly over time, they start falling in love despite not knowing each other.

This was story beyond amazing, there's a message in this story that love comes in every walk of life and not to take everything at face value, to always communicate with the person you trust and love.

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some heat/steam. A bit of a different story. Duke goes ‘undercover’ in a village trying to find messages being sent with scandal about his sister. It seems to contradict conventions of the era. Even in a small village, or possibly more so, the amount of time he spends with Minny would be scandalous and her reputation ruined. And Henry’s sister - he has spent some time trying to find who is creating this gossip, but at the end she says she wouldn’t do some of the things if he was there, but the story implies he was in London initially so…. A bit odd. Having said that I enjoyed the read, so I dither between 3 and 4 stars but have gone 4.

[Wendy Tavenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke learns a hot lesson

I absolutely loved Minny and Henry’s story. Henry is the Duke of Dulverton and he is trying to find out who is slandering his sisters good name. When he gets information that a blacksmith in a small town is passing on the info, Henry goes to confront him.
Minny has been blacksmithing since she was a young child and she inherited the smithy when her father passed. But when an arrogant handsome man walks into her smithy and demands to see the blacksmith, she is all aghast that Minny is not the man he thought him to be.
A wonderful story with a beautiful ending.

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this one is a lot of fun. 

Our hero Henry Everleigh  the Duke of Dulverton is furious over the gossip concerning his sister. Unable to stop it, he will find the person who is telling all these lies.

Minny Banfield has a very unusual job. She also has a big secret that she must protect at all costs. Her brother depends on it.

This historical romance turns most of the normal "rules of the ton" on its head. You cant help but laugh at the things our poor hero has to learn. How can these two from such different worlds ever have a happy ever after???

Great fun.

[Mary Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

A nice story but our hero is sadly mistraken in his actions and his attitudes. Minny is unusual in that she is a blacksmith and Henry thinks she is sending gossip to London to undermine his sister, Pegs reputation. There were some aspects I found unrealistic but it's a very interesting premise. An epilogue might have been interesting to know if she kept up her skills. We are introduced to the next hero/heroine.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. It had okay scenes of intimacy but wasn't fade to black. Henry and Minnie are a great couple and I loved Minnie and her support of her brother. The story was interesting from the very beginning and I liked watching there relationship grow. And it had a little bit of jealousy which I love and Henry was not a rake bring reformed by love. It is a short novel but I do not feel as if anything was rushed or not explained. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry goes to a small town in the country to try to find out who is sending the London papers uncomplimentary stories about his unwed sister. He befriends Minny the female blacksmith. To get on her good side he pretends he wants to learn how to blacksmith. Though of very different classes (he’s a duke), they can not fight the attraction. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

[Avril Hemingway · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story and well written but so very implausible which I just couldn't get past. For me the whole point of reading about this era is the rules that have to be followed and how these can be over come. This just wouldn't have been possible in this time which makes it more fantasy than reality which ruined it for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Susan Sieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read

I enjoyed reading about Henry and Minny, how they met to how they fell in love. He went to this little village to find out who was gossiping about his sister and instead met a woman blacksmith. He asked for lessons on blacksmithing and said he'd pay her, it took a few days but she showed all that went into becoming a blacksmith. They both felt the magnetic draw of attraction. I highly recommend this book! 👍👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤❤

[Lisa C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story of Henry Everleigh, Duke of Dulverton and Minny Banfield who meet over an anvil (not for a wedding). Learning how to become a blacksmith is tough work, but Henry is determined to find the person who's been gossiping about his sister. Loved these characters and their journey, rough spots included. Unusual storyline that will keep you reading through the night. *Enemies to Lovers, Class difference, Strong female character*

[Jackie Carbonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reaction

I loved this story! Henry meets Minny when he was told that the rumors about his sister is coming from the blacksmith of Pathstow. He's astonished to find out she's the blacksmith. He asks her to teach him in order to find out if she's the one writing the rumors. After assumptions made by both of them, will their relationship be done forever?

[Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Anvil

The rumors are coming from the smithy in this little village. He's going to put a stop to them ruining his sister's reputation. Imagine his surprise when he meets the village smithy and discovers a beautiful woman. She's the one sending these awful rumors to the gossip rags? Well, he'll put a stop to that!! Oh let the sparks fly!!!

[Phylis Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sparks fly as Henry and Minny clash,

Henry and Minny
Sparks fly as Henry and Minny clash, both of them keeping secrets they are certain will destroy them. As the heat builds between them, a fiery desire that soon neither of them can deny. Well this story that flows smoothly and and the banter is fun. I could not put down.

[Doreen Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Story

I did enjoy this story but wonder if it is a little too far-fetched. Would a Duke marry a blacksmith? Was Regency England ready to accept a Duchess with such a trade? I found the relationship between Minny and Henry slow but that was because Henry was trying to be a gentleman, despite being a Duke in disguise. I liked the romantic twist at the end.

[AmazingJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful, Entertaining, Delightful & Romantic Story.

It was a Wonderful & Romantic Story.

Henry & Minny were delightful characters.

Henry wasn't very bright when it came to the working class. I loved how strong Minny was.

I am looking forward to reading "The Duke is Mightier Than The Sword" the next book in this series.