The Duke’s Desire by Erica Ridley

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This was a fantastic Christmas gift from Erica Ridley to her readers! The only drawback to it is the fact we have to wait almost a year for the next title in this fabulous series. 

We readers have been waiting for Lucien’s story for a long time, and not only did it NOT disappoint; it was my favorite of the three le Duc siblings’ stories. 

I absolutely loved the idea of the hero needing lessons in another language and that that kept him from socializing with the village around him. I felt it was a very interesting take on a grumpy hero. Meg was certainly not your average historical romance heroine, either! I wasn’t sure I would like her at first but I really did by the end. She was unconventional and a lot of fun. 

The town of Cressmouth is always a pleasure to visit and I can’t wait for the last 4 titles next year!!

*I received an eARC from Erica Ridley in exchange for an honest review. 

A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian

Amelia Allenby runs away from a scandal to the countryside where all she seeks is peace and quiet, not a giant of a man who keeps disturbing her daily walks. Sydney would rather be anywhere but Pelham Hall, but he’s waiting after a summons from his friend, the Duke of Hereford. After meeting Amelia on her walks, Sydney is captivated by her but keeps his ownership of Pelham Hall a secret. As they begin getting to know one another, each must decide if they can divulge their secrets. 

The first half of this book was just delightful: there were two socially awkward people learning to be friends and maybe more. The side characters were fun and engaging. I couldn’t wait to see Sydney and Amelia interact more. And then...the complete lack of a plot caught up with the story and it became completely character driven. I am not a fan of stories that have no real plot going on (or several small ones) and it turned into a rather boring read for me. 

I really enjoyed the other title of Cat Sebastian’s that I’ve read and I will give her another try. 

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

The Duke’s Embrace by Erica Ridley

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Another very enjoyable story set in the town of Christmas!!

Sébastien le Duc wants nothing more than to help his brother get back to their beloved France. Miss Eve Shelling wants nothing more than to prove to her father what a serious journalist she can be. Together they work to reach their respective goals and begin falling in love along the way. 

This was such a fun read! I’m a big fan of enemies to lovers stories and even though Bastien and Eve didn’t outright dislike each other, they were more antagonistic towards each other to begin with. The progression from  not friends to friends to lovers took time, and I love that. 

I thought Bastien was a lot of fun and liked that there was more to him than being a dandy. I enjoyed discovering his other side right alongside Eve. Every heroine in this series has been fabulous, and Eve is no exception. She grew into her own person more as the story progressed and that is a joy to read. 

Of course, I CANNOT wait for Lucien’s story!!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Joy to the Duke by Darcy Burke

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This was a very enjoyable take on A Christmas Carol. Calder was a perfect Scrooge, and I felt his thawing out was pretty believable given the short timeline. I thought the nightmares were a very nice touch. I enjoyed reading about Felicity, too, and liked her persistence.  I enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous books and felt this was a great way to end a great series!

*I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

The Duke’s Bride by Erica Ridley

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While this title wasn’t my favorite of the series, it was still an enjoyable read. 

Désirée le Duc doesn’t feel as if she’s English despite living in England most of her life but doesn’t feel French either since she barely remembers even living in France. All she really wants is to find a place she feels she belongs. Jack Skeffington has two children that need a governess and a smuggling business that needs his attention. Together, can they solve each other’s problems?

I liked both Désirée and Jack, even if neither really stood out like Erica Ridley’s characters usually do. As far as her heroines, Désirée was rather bland but nice enough. Jack didn’t really stand out much as a hero, either, but he was a nice guy and a good father. 

I feel like the smuggling business was kind of glossed over and it certainly didn’t seem overly dangerous. It seemed like it was an attempt to make Jack more interesting. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story, though. 

I found the story to be an overall pleasant read. There wasn’t a lot of conflict, which I’m okay with. I prefer my romances without a lot of angst. 

It’s always nice to visit Cressmouth again and see characters from other books! Lucien and Bastien stole the show in the scenes that featured them, and I can’t wait to read their stories!!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Dukes, Actually by Erica Ridley

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Adam Farland, Duke of Azureford, has been mistaken for an arrogant, aloof lord. What he actually is, however, is a quiet and shy lord. Adam devises a plan guaranteed to help him break out of his shell and find the society bride he needs. Miss Carole Quincy is as outgoing as she is unconventional, and will be the perfect practice for Adam’s flirting. Until that practice starts to feel very real...

I absolutely ADORED this title. Erica Ridley excels at creating heroes and heroines that are more than rakish lords or society ladies. And I love those heroes and heroines. Adam is one of my favorites for this series because I’m a sucker for a shy guy. Even better if people have assumed him to be arrogant because of his shyness. He was a great guy and I think Carole was the best heroine for him. She was fabulous in her own right and I enjoyed reading her emotional journey through the story. 

This was not a very plot driven title but I found myself turning page after page regardless. I just could not wait for more moments between Adam and Carole. I was not a huge fan of the billiards games but they didn’t take away from the story at all. 

Of course I cannot wait for the next title in this series! This title was well worth waiting a year for!!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe

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I seriously have to wonder what I missed in this book. I disliked Florence from the very beginning so I honestly didn’t care what happened to her. She very much came across (to me, at least) like a sullen teenager behaving badly to try and get attention, not a grown woman. 

Insta-lust reared it’s ugly head very early on and that makes a boring read for me, especially when they don’t fight that attraction all that long. 

I also found the casino lessons and all the talk of the different games at casinos to be boring scenes. I guess I expected more. 

I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing with this series since I didn’t particularly like Mamie either so I can’t imagine I’ll like the third sister. I still think Joanna Shupe is an enjoyable author to read, however. 

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

When the Marquess was Mine by Caroline Linden

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Caroline Linden manages a feat few other authors have accomplished and makes a sickroom entertaining! I had trouble putting this down!!

Amnesia stories can be tricky, especially if the person that suffers from it is not the nicest person to begin with. I thought Caroline Linden handled a hero that was a jerk in his past changing and becoming a better man due to amnesia very well. Rob’s change after waking seemed very plausible to me and I loved the guy he woke up to be. He was such a nice guy after waking up, and I loved his transformation. 

Because of some of her actions, I was a little on the fence about Georgiana for the first part of the book but she won me over in the end and I really liked her, too. 

The First Kiss was teased several times before it actually happened and I just adore that. It sets up so much tension for when it finally does happen and it’s just fantastic when it does. 

Probably my favorite thing in this title was Rob’s determination to be worthy of Georgiana. I love it when a hero falls first and it made it even better that Rob had been such a jerk before. He kind of reminded me a bit of Darcy, to be honest. 

I really liked Rob’s brother, Tom, and hope he gets his own story at some point! Can’t wait until the next title in this series!!

One Night of Temptation by Darcy Burke

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The pace of this title just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I was very excited for this title because I love a good hero that isn’t a titled lord on occasion. But when the characters have literally known each other a few hours and are already getting jealous and thinking of forever together I check out. Sadly, I felt this was a disappointing end to an otherwise great series.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale

Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale

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Theodore Prescott the Third, heir to a steel company magnate, has ambition for little else besides attending parties with his friends and wooing women. Daisy Swan has plenty of ambition and plans to remain unwed, forever. When their parents announce they’re to be engaged, Daisy and Theo team up to fake an engagement.

I liked Daisy more than Theo but only because I feel like she was given more personality than he was. I really enjoyed the prologue and their history together. The fact that Theo learned from that history was fantastic. I felt like Daisy learned from it, too.

Probably one of my favorite things about this title was that there was no insta-lust which seems to be everywhere these days. Theo and Daisy don’t even particularly like each other through a big chunk of the book.

I did find the prologue and first 70% of the book more entertaining than the last 30%. I found myself skimming at that point. Once they decided they did indeed like each other (which I realize had to happen sooner or later), I found the events to be less interesting.

Maya Rodale is one of my go to authors so I will of course be reading the next title in this series.

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss, NetGalley, and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Earl Next Door by Amelia Grey

The Earl Next Door by Amelia Grey

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I enjoyed the meet cute, but the story quickly dissolved from there.

Adeline is your typical widow that had a bad first marriage and never wants to marry again. It’s a character type that’s been done over and over again and this story didn’t add anything new or different to it.

Probably my biggest problem with this story that made it a tedious read was the insta-lust Adeline and Lyon felt for each other. Barely 10% in they were thinking about how attractive the other was. Makes for a boring and slow read for me. Enemies to lovers only really works if the hero and heroine are actually enemies for more than a few pages.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

One Night of Passion by Erica Ridley

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I just love Erica Ridley’s books and this one was no exception!

Thaddeus Middleton has always believed in true love and won’t marry for anything less. Miss Priscilla Weatherby is determined not to marry at all in order to claim an inheritance and travel the world.

Erica Ridley’s heroes are always a mix of sweetness and confidence, and Thad is no exception. I loved him from the fb start and he never disappointed me. I liked Priscilla but felt her inability to realize the kind of men her father and grandfather were was very naive and got kind of annoying.

As always with Erica Ridley’s writing, there was plenty of humor in this title. I found myself laughing several times at Thad and Priscilla’s interactions.

I thought the plot was very believable and that Priscilla had a good reason NOT to want to get married. I also felt it was relatively unique to have a heroine not wanting to get married for some reason other than being a widow that had a bad marriage.

I will, of course, be reading the next installment in this series.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Anything But a Duke by Christy Carlyle

Anything But a Duke by Christy Carlyle

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Overall, I found this to be a good read and I loved Diana but I found a few things lacking.

As I said, I loved Diana. I love heroines that are more than just ladies waiting to get married. In fact, Diana was the opposite. She never wanted to get married. Ever. And I loved that she did more with her life than go to balls.

That being said, I felt like Aidan had very little personality. There was nothing really of interest about him for me except the mystery of where he came from. And that fell far short of expectations. It was wrapped up a little too easily/nicely. I found the rest of the plot with Diana’s invention to be of far greater interest and those were some of the best scenes to me.

I am enjoying this series and will definitely be reading the next title in it.

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman

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I highly enjoyed this title and it is now on my read again shelf!

Lady Delilah Montebank’s mother has given her an ultimatum: she either marries quickly, or she marries the odious man her mother has chosen. Delilah sets her sights on the Duke of Branville and acquired a love potion to make him notice her. Lord Thomas Hobbs has been in love with Delilah for years and is determined to make her see they’re perfect for each other. Her love potion is the perfect opportunity for him to profess his feelings.

I LOVE when the hero is in love with the heroine first. If they’re friends first, even better.  Thomas was such a sweet guy, too. He and Delilah were clearly made for each other.

I found the overall plot of the story to be fun, too. The love potion could’ve been more silly than it was, but it was handled well and I enjoyed it.

I will definitely be checking out the next title in this series!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

One Night for Seduction by Erica Ridley

One Night for Seduction by Erica Ridley

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Erica Ridley is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this title continued that trend.

Ridley’s heroes and heroines are some of the best I’ve read and Diana and Cole fit into that category. I love a heroine that is someone other than a debutante and Diana is definitely that. Cole was a very sweet man and I thought they fit well together.

I enjoyed the plot of the story and felt like it was a fun take on She’s All That.  It was an easy read (as I’ve found all of Ridley’s books) and I found it hard to put down.

I’ve already received an eARC for the next book in the series and will be reading it soon!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Never a Bride by Megan Frampton

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First of all, I love Megan Frampton’s writing style and have reread more than one of her books. That being said, I just did not enjoy this one. 

This title started out great and had my attention. I even loved the hero, Griffith, but it soon became apparent that Della was awful and there’s nothing worse than a good hero ended up with a terrible heroine. 

I wrote in my notes as I was reading that Della is a “selfish cow” after her daughter still hadn’t made an appearance in the book and Della’s main concern seemed to be the fact that she was no longer invited or accepted to parties. Oh, and I can’t forget that she wants to screw Griffith basically from the beginning of the book. Forgive me for thinking a heroine who admits her life was somewhat ruined by getting pregnant out of wedlock once would be so willing to risk it again (and I know they had some forms of birth control back then). 

All of that was incredibly disappointing because I really did love Griffith. I found him hilarious and couldn’t wait for his POV. He is honestly the main thing that kept me from all out hating this title. 

I feel like this title was the weakest of the series but I am looking forward to the novella about Pearl and will continue to read Ms. Frampton’s titles. 

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

To Wed an Heiress by Karen Ranney

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It makes me sad that out of my 22 books read so far this year, this is only my second 5 star title. But at the same time it makes me happy because I LOVED this title.

Anyone who reads a few of my reviews will quickly learn that I adore a grouchy hero (or “boorish” as Mercy called Lennox on their first meeting). This was true of Lennox, too. As is pretty typical with the Beauty and the Beast trope, Lennox is a grumpy hermit that secretly has a heart of gold and I loved him.

Mercy was a fantastic heroine, too. Lennox was truly the first person she’d ever stood up to or shown her true personality. I loved watching her progression and growth throughout the book.

Despite the setting being in northern Scotland with the characters being mostly secluded except for the two estates, a lot actually happens. I never found myself bored and wanting to do something besides reading.

The only drawback I really felt the book had was that we get very little of Lennox’s POV. The majority of the book was spent with Mercy’s thoughts and while I loved her, I wanted to know what Lennox was thinking more.

This title is not on my read again shelf and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian

This was my first title by Cat Sebastian, and I highly enjoyed it!

John “Ash” Ashby has been friends with Verity Plum and her brother for years. He has also been attracted to Verity all of that time, but chooses to ignore it to keep their friendship from falling apart. Verity believes herself incapable of carrying on a relationship and also ignores her attraction to Ash. Whenever Ash’s circumstances suddenly change, all he wants is to be with Verity but has to convince her it will be worth it.

I like Ash well enough and thought he was a nice guy, but Verity certainly had more personality than him. I don’t feel like I got to know Ash nearly as well as I did Verity. Yes, we learn about his past, but that’s not the same as a personality. I found Verity’s sexual orientation to be very different from what a heroine in a historical romance usually is. And I found it refreshing and interesting.

The plot itself was good, if a little contrived in places. I found myself not caring too much about the brother and like what happened to him was mostly to get him out of the way. I still found the book very hard to put down, though. Verity and Ash’s relationship made up for any lapses in plot.

I will definitely be reading the next title in this series!!

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long

⭐️⭐️

Meh. I put this down a few days ago after getting halfway through and realized tonight that my life would continue just fine without me finishing it.

Tristan and Delilah were nice enough characters, but they paled in comparison to the colorful and fun secondary characters. Their romance was tepid at best and their first kiss was absolutely nothing special.

The big mystery didn’t keep my attention, either. I honestly could not care less who might be the smuggler.

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

⭐️⭐️

The events described in the blurb happen before the 20% mark. I felt like the hero and heroine had zero chemistry and couldn’t imagine them making each other happy. And I hate it when the hero has a current mistress. 

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor

⭐️⭐️

Instalust wrecked what should’ve been a fun title. William and Theo have barely known each other for a day before he starts feeling protective of her. It happened before the 20% mark. To me, this takes all the anticipation and waiting out of the romance and makes for an incredibly tedious read.

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

⭐️⭐️

DNF. I know this is going to be an incredibly unpopular opinion, but I just can’t finish this.

I was fine and was loving this until Farah and Dorian’s first real interaction and then all I could think was, “is Farah a moron?” I know she thinks Dougan died years ago, but she really can’t figure out he and Dorian are the same guy? Seriously? Dorian has a scar in the exact same place Dougan was hit as a child! Ugh. I can’t deal with that level of stupidity in a character.

While I love, love, LOVE the beauty and the beast trope, it only works for me if the beast is mean for everyone EXCEPT the heroine. It only works if the heroine is able to tame the beast. If he’s a jerk to her, too, it kind of falls apart. Especially if he really seems to have no reason to treat her that way.

I’ll be reading more from this series because I like Byrne’s writing style just fine and because I already requested them from the library.

It’s Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch

It’s Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch

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I had been looking forward to this book for quite some time, and for the most part, it did not disappoint.

Niall MacTaggert and his brothers must wed women of their mother’s choosing if they hope to retain their estate. Niall’s eldest brother refuses to woo the first lady chosen, Miss Amelia-Rose Baxter, so Niall steps in to take his place. Amelia-Rose is horrified to be almost betrothed to a Highlander, but then she begins to spend time with Niall. Each soon realizes they have found something they weren’t expecting.

I gave this 4 stars because the first 60 or so percent of the book was a 5 star read, and the remaining 40 percent was more of a 3 star read. I loved everything that happened in the beginning and found myself having trouble putting the book down. The second part of the book was less engaging, but I still found it hard to put down. If the first part of the book hadn’t been so good, the second part would’ve been higher.

Even from the beginning, it’s almost impossible not to like Niall because he was always putting everyone before himself, even if only to keep the peace. I didn’t feel like that took away from Niall being a badass Highlander, however, and enjoyed that side of him too. Minus her name, which is godawful, I really liked Amelia-Rose too. I found her struggle to remain a dutiful daughter despite it going against everything she was as a person to be fascinating.

I honestly liked Aden the best of the three brothers and thought Coll was almost too much of a jerk but I look forward to his redemption. I cannot wait to read Aden’s story, however!

*I received an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Never Say Duke by Erica Ridley

Never Say Duke by Erica Ridley

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I was so excited for this title and, for the most part, it lived up to my expectations!

I loved Virginia and thought she was a lot of fun in the previous two books, and this title made me love her even more. She’s just such a unique and fun character. I felt it was refreshing to have a heroine that wasn’t perfect but was socially awkward.

I thought Theo was great, too, even if he stopped being beastly relatively early on. I’m a sucker for injured heroes that have bad attitudes in the beginning but are secretly sweeties.

The story itself moved along nicely and I never felt bored. In fact, I found myself wanting to pick the book up at times I wasn’t able just to see what would happen next. I will definitely be eagerly awaiting the next title in this series!!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Mr. Hunt, I Presume by Valerie Bowman

Mr. Hunt, I Presume by Valerie Bowman

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I always feel like I need to start a review of a second chance romance off with a disclaimer: I greatly dislike that trope. For the most part, I find them repetitive and boring. I am happy to say, however, that this novella was not repetitive or boring.

Collin Hunt and Erienne Stone were childhood sweethearts kept apart by their social status. Erienne accepts a position as governess to Collin’s niece and nephew at the same time Collin is forced to take a holiday from work. They soon learn the past doesn’t always stay in the past as they begin spending time together.

As I said, I usually find these stories to be repetitive, but the shorter length of a novella helped keep this from happening. I didn’t have to read the same “what if” thoughts over and over like I would’ve in a full length second chance romance. And I enjoyed the flashback to Collin and Erienne’s past explaining why they parted ways.

I really liked both Collin and Erienne, and felt they made a good couple. A lot of the novella was from Collin’s POV, and I loved that. He was a good guy and I wish we had gotten more of him than a novella. I regret to say I didn’t read Derek and Lucy’s story, but I liked them so much here that I will probably go back and do so.

My only real issue with this novella was the fact that I couldn’t really see why Collin and Erienne couldn’t be together this time. It seemed like they parted ways again a second time because reasons and because it was expected.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.