A Duke is Never Enough by Darcy Burke

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I’m not always the biggest fan of the whole redeemed rake trope, but I really liked Marcus despite his less than stellar reputation. He was a very sweet guy and was very understanding and patient with Phoebe. I didn’t necessarily find her to be a spitfire, but I liked her a lot anyway. I really liked that she didn’t let her parents push her around as so many historical romance heroines are wont to do. 

Th biggest chunk of the action happens near the end of the book, but this did not take away from the rest of the title. There was still plenty going on to keep my attention. Watching Marcus and Phoebe’s relationship progress was delightful. I was afraid at the very beginning that insta-lust was going to ruin the book, but Marcus and Phoebe moved their relationship along at a nice, even pace. 

I can’t wait for Anthony and Jane’s story!!

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

How to Love Your Elf by Kerrelyn Sparks

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This series just gets better and better and this title was fantastic!!

I have always loved Kerrelyn Sparks’ way of building an entire world in a series, and this title continued building on the world established in the first three titles. It was so much fun traveling back to Aerthlan that I’m rereading the first three books!!

The Woodsman is one of my favorite kinds of heroes: he tries so very hard to fight his attraction to Sorcha, but in the end he just can’t. He was just an all-around great guy, too. He took care of those around him without necessarily sacrificing his own happiness. Sorcha was great, too, and was a perfect fit for The Woodsman. I did feel like her Embraced power was a little underused, however. 

The plot definitely kept me on my toes, and I lost sleep for wanting to stay awake and read one more chapter. So much stuff happened that I found myself done and wanting more far too fast. 

The only thing that I didn’t enjoy was the characters’ overuse of the word “dammit.” I’m not at all offended by cuss words, but when one character or another says or thinks the same word every other paragraph it gets old. 

Can not wait for Maeve and Brody’s story!!

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

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.