Format Read: ARC Print copy provided by the author
Number of Pages: 416 Pages
Release Date: November 30th 2010
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Formats Available: Paperback, Ebook
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Good Reads, Book Depository (UK), Book Depository (US),

Book Blurb:

Handsome, dashing, delightfully wicked—the Impossible Bachelors are the most eligible men in London. But in romance, only one thing is impossible: refusing to follow where the heart leads…

THEIR ENGAGEMENT WAS A FAKE.

Most women would not be pleased to be labeled a spinster. But Lady Poppy Smith-Barnes isn’t most women. In fact, Poppy has invented an imaginary fiancé, the Duke of Drummond, to deter unwanted suitors. A very useful fellow, this duke, until the real Drummond turns up and uses Poppy’s ploy to trap her in a betrothal.

WILL THEIR PASSION MAKE IT REAL?

A good spy flies below the radar. Which is why being named one of the Prince Regent’s “Impossible Bachelors” is so inconvenient for Nicholas Staunton. Every society female will be out to ensnare him. Nicholas needs a fiancée—and Poppy’s ruse is the answer. How could he have known she’d be a brazen, sensual siren with an irresistible taste for adventure? Now nothing less will do than to convince his fiery Poppy to revoke her spinster status…for good.

My Thoughts:
Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right (yes quite a mouthful), is the 2nd book in the Impossible Bachelors series. I really loved the first installment and I was very excited to start this one. I read Dukes to the left of Me (for short) very fast. It was a pleasure to read from start to end even if I’m not 100% happy with aspects of the plot. But once again, Kieran portrays great characters you can’t help but love.

Lady Poppy has become a master in the art of refusing a proposal. She got a LOT of marriage proposals in the last couple of years. Each time, she refuses, telling her suitor she can’t marry him because she’s secretly engaged to the Duke of Drummond, that they are in love and will soon marry. Yes, Poppy invented herself a secret admirer to politely refuse her unwanted suitors. Poppy is one bright and fierce young woman . I really liked her and her friends. They decided they’d rather be Spinsters than marry someone they don’t love (Good for you girls!). They want to marry for love, they take their future in their own hands rather than  let anyone decide for them.  Poppy doesn’t refuse all these men for no reason, she’s been in love with Sergei, a Russian prince, since she was 15, when they met for a week in St Petersburg.  She’s finally going to see him again after all those years…

Sadly, everything changes when the ,very real, Dukes of Drummond appears one day and asks for her hand in public. As you can see, she can’t very well refuse since she’s been claiming for years she’s been secretly betrothed to him. I really enjoyed the farcical aspect of the situation. It was pretty funny and interesting. Poor Poppy is now engaged to a man she doesn’t know when her Prince is finally back in her life. Sergei and his twin sister are very funny characters…funny as in weiiiiird *sing song voice*. I almost felt bad for him at some point. ALMOST lol. There is an aspect of the book I didn’t enjoy very much, it’s the spy plot. Nicholas Staunton, the Duke of Drummond (Also knows as Lord Maxwell in the previous book), is a spy and he has to marry to ‘fly below the radar’. What better choice than to marry the girl who’s been telling everyone she was engaged to him for years. There is a scene at the beginning of the book that I found irresistible. When Nicholas asks for Poppy’s hand, I was sold. Such a cute and funny book.

As I said, the only thing I wasn’t really thrilled about was the spy/secret agents plot which was sometimes a bit predictable. But it was still very difficult to close the book. I really loved the heroes and I had a lot of fun reading this book. I am very excited about this series and I can’t wait for the 3rd book to come out. Cloudy with a Chance of Marriage will be released in April 26th, and it’ll be about Captain Arrow *g* Woot woot.

I give Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right 4 1/2 bookies

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

About Caro The HEA Lover

Caroline is a HEA loving, yarn addicted French who's desperately hoping to get a HEA of her own. If she's not reading then she can be found knitting while listening to Audiobooks or watching Tv shows. Her secret addiction is reading websites that make fun at other people's expense (DYAC, Failbook)! Caroline also blogs at the Secret HEA Society with Susi.

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