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Duke in a Box: Twelve Steamy Historical Holiday Novellas
Twelve novellas from your favorite historical romance authors featuring never-before-published steamy holiday stories. Don’t miss this limited time collection—on sale only from November 1-December 31, 2022.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett
When a bah-humbug duke is invited to Christmas dinner by his widowed neighbor, the sweet-as-a-sugarplum daughter of his former estate steward, his initial reaction is to say no...until he recalls their long-ago first kiss beneath the mistletoe...
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway
When former lovers Hawker and Mrs. Peabody are paired on a spy mission over the holidays, they uncover the deepest secret of all: the truth of their own hearts.
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
When enemies John and Cecilia are trapped alone in a cottage during a snowstorm, they know marriage will be imminent, but can they become lovers by morning?
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua
When a socially awkward mathematician spinster seeks to enlist the aid of a handsome, skillful rake—things may not go to plan.
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
When Caro Montgomery is shipwrecked with her brother’s infuriatingly attractive best friend, Max Cavendish, their survival depends on working together. But will their island prove to be a tropical paradise. . . or pure hell?
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle
When a young widow and an infamous duke meet at a country house party during the holiday season, the attraction that sparks between them takes them both by surprise.
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels
After confusion and a storm trap old friends Leo and Alice together for the holidays, long hidden desires and feelings come to the surface. But if the duke offers his heart before their time together is over, will she take that gift?
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman
When a young duchess asks her estranged husband to pretend they're happy during a Christmastide house party to fulfill her grandfather's dying wish of seeing the entire family together at the holidays, the duke agrees...with one condition: he wants an heir.
Audacious by Minerva Spencer
Antonia Redvers has been completely and madly in love with the infamous privateer Captain Lucas "O Duque" Cruz, her father's best friend, since she was a girl. This Christmas, Toni is done waiting—she's finally going to get her duke...
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman
With a castle full of relatives at Christmas, a Scottish duke comes up with more than one naughty way to distract his wife.
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
When the Duke of Southbury informs his charming French valet of his impending dismissal, Vachon has only a fortnight to convince the duke to change his mind… and take a chance on love!
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
Widow Lucie Carmichael is not about to let the Duke of Dingwall evict her family from their ancestral home, even if that means engaging in a little abduction.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett
When a bah-humbug duke is invited to Christmas dinner by his widowed neighbor, the sweet-as-a-sugarplum daughter of his former estate steward, his initial reaction is to say no...until he recalls their long-ago first kiss beneath the mistletoe...
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway
When former lovers Hawker and Mrs. Peabody are paired on a spy mission over the holidays, they uncover the deepest secret of all: the truth of their own hearts.
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
When enemies John and Cecilia are trapped alone in a cottage during a snowstorm, they know marriage will be imminent, but can they become lovers by morning?
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua
When a socially awkward mathematician spinster seeks to enlist the aid of a handsome, skillful rake—things may not go to plan.
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
When Caro Montgomery is shipwrecked with her brother’s infuriatingly attractive best friend, Max Cavendish, their survival depends on working together. But will their island prove to be a tropical paradise. . . or pure hell?
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle
When a young widow and an infamous duke meet at a country house party during the holiday season, the attraction that sparks between them takes them both by surprise.
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels
After confusion and a storm trap old friends Leo and Alice together for the holidays, long hidden desires and feelings come to the surface. But if the duke offers his heart before their time together is over, will she take that gift?
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman
When a young duchess asks her estranged husband to pretend they're happy during a Christmastide house party to fulfill her grandfather's dying wish of seeing the entire family together at the holidays, the duke agrees...with one condition: he wants an heir.
Audacious by Minerva Spencer
Antonia Redvers has been completely and madly in love with the infamous privateer Captain Lucas "O Duque" Cruz, her father's best friend, since she was a girl. This Christmas, Toni is done waiting—she's finally going to get her duke...
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman
With a castle full of relatives at Christmas, a Scottish duke comes up with more than one naughty way to distract his wife.
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
When the Duke of Southbury informs his charming French valet of his impending dismissal, Vachon has only a fortnight to convince the duke to change his mind… and take a chance on love!
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
Widow Lucie Carmichael is not about to let the Duke of Dingwall evict her family from their ancestral home, even if that means engaging in a little abduction.
1115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
January 7, 2024
Okay so all of my ratings combined totaled up to exactly 80% or 4/5 stars BUT the stories I loved are absolute CLASSICS and they warrant a full five stars alone.
5⭐️ Reads (in order of appearance)
- Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
- The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua
- The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman
- Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
- Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
Honorable Mention
- Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
I’ll add all of my mini reviews, star and steam ratings, and gif reactions tomorrow but I definitely recommend this novella! It’s $5 for a LOT of pages (1,115) and a guaranteed good time. I’d pay $5 for any of the stories I mentioned above, and I have to believe you’d find at least two you’d love enough to warrant spending $2.99 each plus all the bonus stuff! It’s only available for a limited time (now until Dec 31st), so STRIKE WHILE THE DUKES ARE HOT!
All novellas have at least one explicit sex scene, most have two! All in all, the anthology was a great way for me to experience new to me authors, as three of my five 5⭐️ reads are authors I’ve never read before!
5⭐️ Reads (in order of appearance)
- Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
- The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua
- The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman
- Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
- Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
Honorable Mention
- Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
I’ll add all of my mini reviews, star and steam ratings, and gif reactions tomorrow but I definitely recommend this novella! It’s $5 for a LOT of pages (1,115) and a guaranteed good time. I’d pay $5 for any of the stories I mentioned above, and I have to believe you’d find at least two you’d love enough to warrant spending $2.99 each plus all the bonus stuff! It’s only available for a limited time (now until Dec 31st), so STRIKE WHILE THE DUKES ARE HOT!
All novellas have at least one explicit sex scene, most have two! All in all, the anthology was a great way for me to experience new to me authors, as three of my five 5⭐️ reads are authors I’ve never read before!
November 13, 2022
4.25 overall stars
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner - Amy Rose Bennett: 3.5 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke - Grace Callaway - 3.5 stars
Yule Be My Duke - Darcy Burke - 4 stars
The Frosty Duke - Lila DiPasqua - 4.5 stars
Desert Island Duke - Kate Bateman - 5 stars
Her Duke at Midnight - Christy Carlyle - 3.5 stars
Her Duke With Benefits - Jess Michaels - 4 stars
The Duke Deal - Valerie Bowman - 4.5 stars
Audacious - Minerva Spencer - 4 stars
My Duchess, My Wife - Sasha Cottman - 4 stars
Undressing the Duke - Erica Ridley - 3.5 stars
Right Place, Wrong Duke - Elisa Braden - 4.5 stars
Most were really good! RTC
(Note that I received an advance copy of this box set from one of the authors in exchange for my honest review.)
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner - Amy Rose Bennett: 3.5 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke - Grace Callaway - 3.5 stars
Yule Be My Duke - Darcy Burke - 4 stars
The Frosty Duke - Lila DiPasqua - 4.5 stars
Desert Island Duke - Kate Bateman - 5 stars
Her Duke at Midnight - Christy Carlyle - 3.5 stars
Her Duke With Benefits - Jess Michaels - 4 stars
The Duke Deal - Valerie Bowman - 4.5 stars
Audacious - Minerva Spencer - 4 stars
My Duchess, My Wife - Sasha Cottman - 4 stars
Undressing the Duke - Erica Ridley - 3.5 stars
Right Place, Wrong Duke - Elisa Braden - 4.5 stars
Most were really good! RTC
(Note that I received an advance copy of this box set from one of the authors in exchange for my honest review.)
August 25, 2023
4.5 Stars
I received a complimentary ARC from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views expressed below are my own.
There are many reasons to love this anthology - Dukes, some of my favourite authors, a few new names, delightful romances & steamy goodness all packed into this fun box!
1. The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett 5⭐️
- A sweet friend-to-lovers story. Thomas and Anna were wonderful, especially Anna, for putting herself out there! I basically love anything Ms Bennet writes, so there is that.
2. Mrs Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway 4⭐️
- A surprisingly fun spin-off of the Charlie's Angels series, Pearl & Grant made for an interesting pairing. Her, strong and vulnerable, him, gorgeous, protective alpha-beta mix! Less steamy as compared to Ms Callaway's other books.
3. Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke 5⭐️
- Intelligent word-play on the title aside, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novella. I generally don't like Georgian or young-people romances, but this one made me sigh at the beauty of blushing young love and reminisce about my courtship days with my husband.
4. The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua 5⭐️
- I love, love, love Ms DiPasqua's stories, and this one was no exception. Ella and Lewis were so adorable, the very definition of a grumpy-sunshine romance. I thoroughly enjoyed Ella's chatter & Lewis's irritation, and I relished the chemistry that sizzled!
5. Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman 4⭐️
- Ms Bateman has been on my TBR list for quite some time, and this little novella just moved her up the list. It was fun, fresh and likeable. I guess she has a penchant for the enemies-to-lovers trope, which is not my favourite, but if this story was an indication, I should be in for a bit of entertainment.
6. Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle 2⭐️
- My first by this author. There was nothing wrong with it per se, but to me, it felt contrived. The basics were there, but it was just out of reach in depth & character. Needed more fleshing out.
7. Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels 5⭐️
- You see Ms Michaels's name and assume a romp fest, but this was very sweet, poignant and steamy. Not your average friends-to-lovers. Leo was a sweetheart, and I am glad Alice took her time.
8. The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman 4 ⭐️
- I was surprised by how much I liked it. Because my previous experience with this author was not that great, second chancers can be a chore, and infidelity is a sore point. Here the story had depth, the characters felt real, the resolution was handled well, and overall it made to be an enjoyable read. *The hero was named Sebastian, so obviously, I loved him.
9. Audacious by Minerva Spencer 5⭐️
- Nobody does age-gap romances like Ms Spencer. The heroines are young and spunky but not naive. The heroes are mature and sexy but never patronising. As was the case with Lucas & Toni. A totally forbidden romance and a totally adorable one. Brought to mind, My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe!
10. My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman 1⭐️
- My first from this author. This novella is an extended story of this couple, so I made the mistake of looking up the original story, and the blurb triggered my ire, which coloured my opinion of this novella, which in turn sparked a debate on psychological tendencies and philosophical benefits of forgiveness, which finally killed the reading experience. Add to that the stilted, desperate dialogue in the most unexpected of places, ergh.
11. Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
- It's an M/M romance. Since I am not into this genre, I did not read past the first chapter, but what I did was very cute and heartfelt.
12. Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden 5⭐️
- They DO keep the best ones for the last. Oh God, this novella is simply gorgeous. I need it to be a novel. I NEED a Silas of my own. I mean, how can a man be this perfect without being inclined to speak a lot? Whimpers, shivers, smiles and laughter, this story gave me all and then some. Thank you, Elisa, for this lovely story and the ARC, as well.
My Recommendation
- Dukes, holiday cheer, Christmas-themed romances, what's not to love?
I received a complimentary ARC from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views expressed below are my own.
There are many reasons to love this anthology - Dukes, some of my favourite authors, a few new names, delightful romances & steamy goodness all packed into this fun box!
1. The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett 5⭐️
- A sweet friend-to-lovers story. Thomas and Anna were wonderful, especially Anna, for putting herself out there! I basically love anything Ms Bennet writes, so there is that.
2. Mrs Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway 4⭐️
- A surprisingly fun spin-off of the Charlie's Angels series, Pearl & Grant made for an interesting pairing. Her, strong and vulnerable, him, gorgeous, protective alpha-beta mix! Less steamy as compared to Ms Callaway's other books.
3. Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke 5⭐️
- Intelligent word-play on the title aside, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novella. I generally don't like Georgian or young-people romances, but this one made me sigh at the beauty of blushing young love and reminisce about my courtship days with my husband.
4. The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua 5⭐️
- I love, love, love Ms DiPasqua's stories, and this one was no exception. Ella and Lewis were so adorable, the very definition of a grumpy-sunshine romance. I thoroughly enjoyed Ella's chatter & Lewis's irritation, and I relished the chemistry that sizzled!
5. Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman 4⭐️
- Ms Bateman has been on my TBR list for quite some time, and this little novella just moved her up the list. It was fun, fresh and likeable. I guess she has a penchant for the enemies-to-lovers trope, which is not my favourite, but if this story was an indication, I should be in for a bit of entertainment.
6. Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle 2⭐️
- My first by this author. There was nothing wrong with it per se, but to me, it felt contrived. The basics were there, but it was just out of reach in depth & character. Needed more fleshing out.
7. Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels 5⭐️
- You see Ms Michaels's name and assume a romp fest, but this was very sweet, poignant and steamy. Not your average friends-to-lovers. Leo was a sweetheart, and I am glad Alice took her time.
8. The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman 4 ⭐️
- I was surprised by how much I liked it. Because my previous experience with this author was not that great, second chancers can be a chore, and infidelity is a sore point. Here the story had depth, the characters felt real, the resolution was handled well, and overall it made to be an enjoyable read. *The hero was named Sebastian, so obviously, I loved him.
9. Audacious by Minerva Spencer 5⭐️
- Nobody does age-gap romances like Ms Spencer. The heroines are young and spunky but not naive. The heroes are mature and sexy but never patronising. As was the case with Lucas & Toni. A totally forbidden romance and a totally adorable one. Brought to mind, My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe!
10. My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman 1⭐️
- My first from this author. This novella is an extended story of this couple, so I made the mistake of looking up the original story, and the blurb triggered my ire, which coloured my opinion of this novella, which in turn sparked a debate on psychological tendencies and philosophical benefits of forgiveness, which finally killed the reading experience. Add to that the stilted, desperate dialogue in the most unexpected of places, ergh.
11. Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
- It's an M/M romance. Since I am not into this genre, I did not read past the first chapter, but what I did was very cute and heartfelt.
12. Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden 5⭐️
- They DO keep the best ones for the last. Oh God, this novella is simply gorgeous. I need it to be a novel. I NEED a Silas of my own. I mean, how can a man be this perfect without being inclined to speak a lot? Whimpers, shivers, smiles and laughter, this story gave me all and then some. Thank you, Elisa, for this lovely story and the ARC, as well.
My Recommendation
- Dukes, holiday cheer, Christmas-themed romances, what's not to love?
October 30, 2022
I still have three stories to go (so I will update as I finish), but this collection is really great! I love that in the majority of the stories the main characters already have a connection, which helps a lot with short novellas.
Bennett - The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner
(Tropes: jilted, grumpy/sunshine, widow, class difference, secret crush…steam: 2)
Callaway - Mrs Peabody and the Unexpected Duke
(Tropes: spy/govt work, road trip, nursed to health…steam: 4)
Burke - Yule Be My Duke
(Tropes: enemies to lovers, house party, matchmaking, snowed in/only one bed…steam: 2)
DiPasqua - The Frosty Duke
(Tropes: bluestocking, spinster, snowed in/forced proximity, lessons…steam: 2)
Bateman - Desert Island Duke
(Tropes: shipwrecked, amnesia, brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister…steam: 3)
Carlyle - Her Duke at Midnight
(Tropes: widow, house party, reform a rake, insta-love…steam: 1)
Michaels - Her Duke With Benefits
(Tropes: widow, forced proximity, friends to lovers…steam: 2)
Bowman - The Duke Deal
(Tropes: estranged couple/second chance, make an heir, brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister…steam: 2)
Spencer - Audacious
Cottman - My Duchess, My Wife
Ridley - Undressing the Duke
Braden - Right Place, Wrong Duke
(Tropes: widow, kidnapped, forced proximity, one night stand, sex lessons…steam: 3)
Bennett - The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner
(Tropes: jilted, grumpy/sunshine, widow, class difference, secret crush…steam: 2)
Callaway - Mrs Peabody and the Unexpected Duke
(Tropes: spy/govt work, road trip, nursed to health…steam: 4)
Burke - Yule Be My Duke
(Tropes: enemies to lovers, house party, matchmaking, snowed in/only one bed…steam: 2)
DiPasqua - The Frosty Duke
(Tropes: bluestocking, spinster, snowed in/forced proximity, lessons…steam: 2)
Bateman - Desert Island Duke
(Tropes: shipwrecked, amnesia, brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister…steam: 3)
Carlyle - Her Duke at Midnight
(Tropes: widow, house party, reform a rake, insta-love…steam: 1)
Michaels - Her Duke With Benefits
(Tropes: widow, forced proximity, friends to lovers…steam: 2)
Bowman - The Duke Deal
(Tropes: estranged couple/second chance, make an heir, brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister…steam: 2)
Spencer - Audacious
Cottman - My Duchess, My Wife
Ridley - Undressing the Duke
Braden - Right Place, Wrong Duke
(Tropes: widow, kidnapped, forced proximity, one night stand, sex lessons…steam: 3)
November 2, 2022
This Anthology is amazing, all 12 novellas are set around Christmas, and all feature either a Duke or a would-be Duke and even a case of mistaken Duke-identity. Below are a few of my favorites from the collection:
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke, 4.5 stars – Cecilia Bromwell and John Rowley, Earl of Cosford and heir to the Duke of Ironbridge met 5 years ago at a house party and it was definitely not love at first sight, in fact, it was quite the opposite and involved snakes, capsized boats, jam-filled boots and a pitcher of lemonade. Now older and hopefully more mature, their parents believe that they will make a perfect match, too bad they are wrong! Or are they? Cecilia hatches a plan to lose John in the woods, but it backfires when they are caught in a snowstorm and end up spending the night together. Are they doomed to an unhappy marriage or will their time together lead to an unexpected HEA? This was a cute story of misconceptions and assumptions, Cecilia did seem a bit petty and immature at first, but she owns up to her past behavior and her transformation is believable. The novella features an Enemies to Lovers trope with steamyish love scenes and a HEA.
Her Duke with Benefits by Jess Michaels, 5 stars – When widow Alice Crandon arrives at the cottage she let for Christmas she never expected to find her childhood friend Leo, the Duke of Greenfield already in residence. Alice wanted to spend this Christmas alone, she is officially out of mourning, but needed a bit of time to herself before returning to society, she loved her husband and isn’t sure how to go on without him. Leo too was looking for some time alone, but when he realized that a scheduling mix-up led to both him and Alice renting the same cottage for the holiday, there is no way he is going to let the opportunity to woo the woman he has always loved pass him by! Alice is surprised to feel desire, but is she ready to open her heart to the possibility of new love, or will her past love hold her heart for eternity? This novella features a Second-Chance at Love trope, with steamy love scenes, a swoon-worthy hero, and a HEA.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden, 5 stars – When her family learns they are being evicted from their farm by the Duke of Dingwall, widow Lucie Carmichael decides to take matters into her own hands by abducting the dastardly duke and forcing him to reconsider his plans – too bad Lucie’s schemes never work out the way she plans. Silas Northfield might be a younger, fitter, better-looking version of his elder half-brother, but he is not the duke and yet, he can’t be sorry that the lovely Scottish loon mistook him for Dingwall. For too long Silas has felt incomplete but after meeting Lucie, he knows two things for certain, 1 – she needs a keeper, and 2 – he is keeping her. This novella was my favorite and features a Love at First Sight/mistaken identity trope, very steamy love scenes, lovable characters, and a HEA.
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman, 5 stars – After nearly 28 years of marriage, four children, scandals galore, and now the challenges of midlife, Ewan and Caroline Radley, the Duke and Duchess of Strathmore are still very much in love, but this holiday season will test them like never before. I love reading stories set after the HEA and this novella is a perfect example of love after the happily ever after. This novella features a mature couple, steamy love scenes, family, and the completely relatable trials of menopause, as well as, an even happier ever after.
I really enjoyed this collection of novellas and can’t recommend it enough, all the stories are well-written and there are a variety of tropes to enjoy. From what I understand, this anthology is only available for a limited time, so grab it while you can!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke, 4.5 stars – Cecilia Bromwell and John Rowley, Earl of Cosford and heir to the Duke of Ironbridge met 5 years ago at a house party and it was definitely not love at first sight, in fact, it was quite the opposite and involved snakes, capsized boats, jam-filled boots and a pitcher of lemonade. Now older and hopefully more mature, their parents believe that they will make a perfect match, too bad they are wrong! Or are they? Cecilia hatches a plan to lose John in the woods, but it backfires when they are caught in a snowstorm and end up spending the night together. Are they doomed to an unhappy marriage or will their time together lead to an unexpected HEA? This was a cute story of misconceptions and assumptions, Cecilia did seem a bit petty and immature at first, but she owns up to her past behavior and her transformation is believable. The novella features an Enemies to Lovers trope with steamyish love scenes and a HEA.
Her Duke with Benefits by Jess Michaels, 5 stars – When widow Alice Crandon arrives at the cottage she let for Christmas she never expected to find her childhood friend Leo, the Duke of Greenfield already in residence. Alice wanted to spend this Christmas alone, she is officially out of mourning, but needed a bit of time to herself before returning to society, she loved her husband and isn’t sure how to go on without him. Leo too was looking for some time alone, but when he realized that a scheduling mix-up led to both him and Alice renting the same cottage for the holiday, there is no way he is going to let the opportunity to woo the woman he has always loved pass him by! Alice is surprised to feel desire, but is she ready to open her heart to the possibility of new love, or will her past love hold her heart for eternity? This novella features a Second-Chance at Love trope, with steamy love scenes, a swoon-worthy hero, and a HEA.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden, 5 stars – When her family learns they are being evicted from their farm by the Duke of Dingwall, widow Lucie Carmichael decides to take matters into her own hands by abducting the dastardly duke and forcing him to reconsider his plans – too bad Lucie’s schemes never work out the way she plans. Silas Northfield might be a younger, fitter, better-looking version of his elder half-brother, but he is not the duke and yet, he can’t be sorry that the lovely Scottish loon mistook him for Dingwall. For too long Silas has felt incomplete but after meeting Lucie, he knows two things for certain, 1 – she needs a keeper, and 2 – he is keeping her. This novella was my favorite and features a Love at First Sight/mistaken identity trope, very steamy love scenes, lovable characters, and a HEA.
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman, 5 stars – After nearly 28 years of marriage, four children, scandals galore, and now the challenges of midlife, Ewan and Caroline Radley, the Duke and Duchess of Strathmore are still very much in love, but this holiday season will test them like never before. I love reading stories set after the HEA and this novella is a perfect example of love after the happily ever after. This novella features a mature couple, steamy love scenes, family, and the completely relatable trials of menopause, as well as, an even happier ever after.
I really enjoyed this collection of novellas and can’t recommend it enough, all the stories are well-written and there are a variety of tropes to enjoy. From what I understand, this anthology is only available for a limited time, so grab it while you can!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
October 24, 2022
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke:
Cecilia and John, Earl of Cosford, got off on the wrong foot when they met five years ago but now their parents are most desirous of a match between them. Neither party is willing to agree to such a marriage, but when a yule log hunt leaves them stranded together in a snowstorm, the decision is very much out of their hands.
This is the most immature pair of MCs I’ve read in some time, but that made them a good match. They spent most of this novella at each other’s throats, holding grudges over slights that occurred five years previously, when they were both children, and their feelings for one another changed literally overnight in a case of forced proximity instalove. I was not the biggest fan of John or Cecilia to be honest, but their chemistry was clear, even if it wasn’t always a positive thing, and I liked the use of the only one bed, stranded in a storm trope. Their connection did seem a bit tenuous to be permanent, true love, but this was a cute story to get into the winter mood.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
Lucie Carmichael has been left with nothing upon her horrible husband’s death thanks to his thieving solicitor. To make matters worse, her family is about to be evicted from their generational home by the Duke of Dingwall, leaving Lucie no choice but to take matters into her own hands by kidnapping the man and forcing him to see reason. Silas Northfield may favor his biological half-brother, but he’s nothing like the cruel duke. Unfortunately for Lucie, he can’t stop her family’s eviction, but given their chemistry, he may be able to give her something much better.
This novella was instalove at its finest. Lucie needed a boost of confidence and Silas needed to be needed, to have a place to belong. In fact, they both seemed to be searching for that stability and sense of home. He boosted her confidence, and she gave him that feeling of satisfaction that he’d been searching for without even realizing it. Even though they came together incredibly quickly, I was nothing but satisfied with their scorching chemistry and HEA resolution. This was definitely a quick, feel-good read and I enjoyed that.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Cecilia and John, Earl of Cosford, got off on the wrong foot when they met five years ago but now their parents are most desirous of a match between them. Neither party is willing to agree to such a marriage, but when a yule log hunt leaves them stranded together in a snowstorm, the decision is very much out of their hands.
This is the most immature pair of MCs I’ve read in some time, but that made them a good match. They spent most of this novella at each other’s throats, holding grudges over slights that occurred five years previously, when they were both children, and their feelings for one another changed literally overnight in a case of forced proximity instalove. I was not the biggest fan of John or Cecilia to be honest, but their chemistry was clear, even if it wasn’t always a positive thing, and I liked the use of the only one bed, stranded in a storm trope. Their connection did seem a bit tenuous to be permanent, true love, but this was a cute story to get into the winter mood.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
Lucie Carmichael has been left with nothing upon her horrible husband’s death thanks to his thieving solicitor. To make matters worse, her family is about to be evicted from their generational home by the Duke of Dingwall, leaving Lucie no choice but to take matters into her own hands by kidnapping the man and forcing him to see reason. Silas Northfield may favor his biological half-brother, but he’s nothing like the cruel duke. Unfortunately for Lucie, he can’t stop her family’s eviction, but given their chemistry, he may be able to give her something much better.
This novella was instalove at its finest. Lucie needed a boost of confidence and Silas needed to be needed, to have a place to belong. In fact, they both seemed to be searching for that stability and sense of home. He boosted her confidence, and she gave him that feeling of satisfaction that he’d been searching for without even realizing it. Even though they came together incredibly quickly, I was nothing but satisfied with their scorching chemistry and HEA resolution. This was definitely a quick, feel-good read and I enjoyed that.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 29, 2022
‘Twelve novellas from your favorite historical romance authors featuring never-before-published steamy holiday stories. Don’t miss this limited time collection—on sale only from November 1-December 31, 2022.’
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Overall rating: 3.75 stars, round up to 4 stars.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett - 3.5 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway - 2.75 stars
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke - 4.5 stars
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua - 5 stars
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman - 5 stars
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle - 3 stars
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels - 3.5 stars
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman - 5 stars
Audacious by Minerva Spencer - 3 stars
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman - 3 stars
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley - 3.5 stars
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden - 2.75 stars
This is a lovely holiday collection and I found most of the novellas included to be quite good! My three particular favorites were The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua, Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman, and Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke.
After reading this anthology, I'll be checking out more works from the authors that I wasn't as familiar with. Fun holiday read for the season.
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I would like to thank the twelve authors (Kate Bateman, Amy Rose Bennett, Valerie Bowman, Elisa Braden, Darcy Burke, Grace Callaway , Christy Carlyle, Sasha Cottman, Lila DiPasqua, Jess Michaels, Erica Ridley, and Minerva Spencer) that joined together for the Duke of the Month Club and sharing this anthology of holiday novellas with me. This is my honest review.
_________________
Overall rating: 3.75 stars, round up to 4 stars.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett - 3.5 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway - 2.75 stars
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke - 4.5 stars
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua - 5 stars
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman - 5 stars
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle - 3 stars
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels - 3.5 stars
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman - 5 stars
Audacious by Minerva Spencer - 3 stars
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman - 3 stars
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley - 3.5 stars
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden - 2.75 stars
This is a lovely holiday collection and I found most of the novellas included to be quite good! My three particular favorites were The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua, Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman, and Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke.
After reading this anthology, I'll be checking out more works from the authors that I wasn't as familiar with. Fun holiday read for the season.
____
I would like to thank the twelve authors (Kate Bateman, Amy Rose Bennett, Valerie Bowman, Elisa Braden, Darcy Burke, Grace Callaway , Christy Carlyle, Sasha Cottman, Lila DiPasqua, Jess Michaels, Erica Ridley, and Minerva Spencer) that joined together for the Duke of the Month Club and sharing this anthology of holiday novellas with me. This is my honest review.
October 16, 2022
Elisa Braden did it again 🥹🥹🥹 I loved every minute of this novella 🤧
October 16, 2022
I received this book as an ARC from one of the authors, Elisa Braden.
Her story, Right Place, Wrong Duke is an abduction gone quite wrong , or quite right! The heroine Lucie, tries to abduct the Duke but nabs his half-brother Silas instead (who is also related to Francis from the Midnight in Scotland series.). Silas goes along with it, and it turns blazing hot quite fast. This is definitely a steamier story from Braden. Definitely a big steamy novella to end the anthology! (If it stays in the same order). It still has her touches of humor that I really enjoy from the Midnight series, especially his reaction to her crying.
Silas is a hero who takes control. There is consent all steps along the way but the scene is definitely control focused, with the hero having planned out control of the steps taken. It’s a shorter novella length (6 chapters) so there’s not a lot of time for character development but she makes their personalities come through.
This is definitely a great side story for those of you who have read the Midnight Series. For you series completionists, you’ll need to read this :)
This anthology has a lot of my favorite authors in it! I highly recommend picking it up even if you’re not familiar with Braden and give her a read to discover a new to you author.
Even though it’s based on the Midnight series, it is completely standalone.
Her story, Right Place, Wrong Duke is an abduction gone quite wrong , or quite right! The heroine Lucie, tries to abduct the Duke but nabs his half-brother Silas instead (who is also related to Francis from the Midnight in Scotland series.). Silas goes along with it, and it turns blazing hot quite fast. This is definitely a steamier story from Braden. Definitely a big steamy novella to end the anthology! (If it stays in the same order). It still has her touches of humor that I really enjoy from the Midnight series, especially his reaction to her crying.
Silas is a hero who takes control. There is consent all steps along the way but the scene is definitely control focused, with the hero having planned out control of the steps taken. It’s a shorter novella length (6 chapters) so there’s not a lot of time for character development but she makes their personalities come through.
This is definitely a great side story for those of you who have read the Midnight Series. For you series completionists, you’ll need to read this :)
This anthology has a lot of my favorite authors in it! I highly recommend picking it up even if you’re not familiar with Braden and give her a read to discover a new to you author.
Even though it’s based on the Midnight series, it is completely standalone.
December 21, 2022
A fun christmas anthology with a whole spectrum of novellas, some great, some not so much.
The duke who came to christmas dinner
I was not a fan of this story. Anna’s beahviour bordered crude for me in this one and I just couldn’t like Thomas and Anna together no matter how much I tried. It also seemed like they were driven by lust rather than love and it just didn’t have the magical holiday feel to it at all.
2 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the unexpected duke
This brought me the much needed holiday cheer. Hawker and Peabody were two badass characters and I loved that Pearl was an equal partner to him in every way rather than taking a backseat. And the parcel from Lady Fayne was such a sweet surprise as well.
5 stars
Yule be my duke
Oooh this one was steamy. I liked the mix of closed proximity and enemies to lovers trope. Cecelia and John were well suited to each other and their shared history made it even more fun to indulge in their romance. The smut in this one was absolutely sizzling hot.
5 stars
The frosty duke
The plot of this novella was honestly quite different and refreshing. I liked Ella’s straightforward nature and Lewis’ no nonsense approach. Also, Ella being such a distinguished mathematician was a nice touch to the character imo
4 stars.
Desert Island Duke
This novella was so fun! I enjoyed Caro’s michievious streak way too much and the way Max just played along with her was very sweet. I liked that they were away from people and spent such an awesome time with each other and developed a genuine connection. A heartwarming read.
4 stars.
Her duke at midnight
This novella didn’t really do it for me as Adam and Cecily falling in love within such a short amount of time was as unconvincing as ever. I couldn’t sense anything apart from lust between them and even the ending wasn’t swoonworthy at all.
1 star.
Her duke with benefits
I liked that Leo and Alice were familiar with each other from the past so them developing stronger feelings towards each other did not come as a total surprise and the decision to not marry immediately made me happy as well. Plus Alice proposing Leo instead of the other way round was very refreshing.
3.5 stars.
The duke deal
This one was loooong but very entertaining. Veronica was mostly annoying though with her refusal to listen to Sebastian all the time i mean the girl spent 2 years estranged simply because of a misunderstanding. I am not sure I’d have had the patience for it myself. The way Justin puts her in place though was awesome and her family was all very sweet tbh.
2.5 stars.
Audacious
Ugh i am not proud to admit that I mostly skimmed through this one, age gap romance isn’t really something I adore and that too this huge of an age gap. It was just all kinds of uncomfortable and audacious for sure. Not the kind of novella I was hoping to be a part of this anthology.
1 star.
My duchess, my wife
I am somewhat hot and cold about this story. I must say it was a good effort to a different take on historical romance with an elderly couple but there was a bit too much of family drama for me to really enjoy their romance. So many family members to keep track of in a novella is a kind of a headache.
2 stars.
Undressing the duke
An LGBT historical romance story! Can’t say I have come across any of those so far in my reading and it was a pleasant surprise. Donovan and Geoffrey fit so well together and the sexual tension between them was palpable. I greatly enjoyed all their escapades together and the ending was just everything I needed from this novella.
5 stars.
Right place, wrong duke
This novella was way too crude for my liking plus Lucie’s Scottish accent was just not it. I did not like Lucie and Silas at all and the whole idea of romance between them was absurd. Insta love at it’s finest so if that’s your thing, one might surely enjoy the smut. I however was mostly bored through it all.
1 star.
The duke who came to christmas dinner
I was not a fan of this story. Anna’s beahviour bordered crude for me in this one and I just couldn’t like Thomas and Anna together no matter how much I tried. It also seemed like they were driven by lust rather than love and it just didn’t have the magical holiday feel to it at all.
2 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the unexpected duke
This brought me the much needed holiday cheer. Hawker and Peabody were two badass characters and I loved that Pearl was an equal partner to him in every way rather than taking a backseat. And the parcel from Lady Fayne was such a sweet surprise as well.
5 stars
Yule be my duke
Oooh this one was steamy. I liked the mix of closed proximity and enemies to lovers trope. Cecelia and John were well suited to each other and their shared history made it even more fun to indulge in their romance. The smut in this one was absolutely sizzling hot.
5 stars
The frosty duke
The plot of this novella was honestly quite different and refreshing. I liked Ella’s straightforward nature and Lewis’ no nonsense approach. Also, Ella being such a distinguished mathematician was a nice touch to the character imo
4 stars.
Desert Island Duke
This novella was so fun! I enjoyed Caro’s michievious streak way too much and the way Max just played along with her was very sweet. I liked that they were away from people and spent such an awesome time with each other and developed a genuine connection. A heartwarming read.
4 stars.
Her duke at midnight
This novella didn’t really do it for me as Adam and Cecily falling in love within such a short amount of time was as unconvincing as ever. I couldn’t sense anything apart from lust between them and even the ending wasn’t swoonworthy at all.
1 star.
Her duke with benefits
I liked that Leo and Alice were familiar with each other from the past so them developing stronger feelings towards each other did not come as a total surprise and the decision to not marry immediately made me happy as well. Plus Alice proposing Leo instead of the other way round was very refreshing.
3.5 stars.
The duke deal
This one was loooong but very entertaining. Veronica was mostly annoying though with her refusal to listen to Sebastian all the time i mean the girl spent 2 years estranged simply because of a misunderstanding. I am not sure I’d have had the patience for it myself. The way Justin puts her in place though was awesome and her family was all very sweet tbh.
2.5 stars.
Audacious
Ugh i am not proud to admit that I mostly skimmed through this one, age gap romance isn’t really something I adore and that too this huge of an age gap. It was just all kinds of uncomfortable and audacious for sure. Not the kind of novella I was hoping to be a part of this anthology.
1 star.
My duchess, my wife
I am somewhat hot and cold about this story. I must say it was a good effort to a different take on historical romance with an elderly couple but there was a bit too much of family drama for me to really enjoy their romance. So many family members to keep track of in a novella is a kind of a headache.
2 stars.
Undressing the duke
An LGBT historical romance story! Can’t say I have come across any of those so far in my reading and it was a pleasant surprise. Donovan and Geoffrey fit so well together and the sexual tension between them was palpable. I greatly enjoyed all their escapades together and the ending was just everything I needed from this novella.
5 stars.
Right place, wrong duke
This novella was way too crude for my liking plus Lucie’s Scottish accent was just not it. I did not like Lucie and Silas at all and the whole idea of romance between them was absurd. Insta love at it’s finest so if that’s your thing, one might surely enjoy the smut. I however was mostly bored through it all.
1 star.
November 9, 2022
Buy it!! I could end this review right there but ...I won't. Duke In A Box is a dozen novella length stories by 12 different authors. I could write a review for each book but this review would end up as long as my arm so I'll just say that ALL of these books are fantastic. Do I have favorites, of course I do, Kate Bateman, Valerie Bowman and Darcy Burke but honestly, this is probably the best historical anthology I've read. There is a theme that ties these books loosely together, there's a duke and it's Christmas in every book. So treat yourself to this book to get in the holiday spirit. These are complete books, no cliffhangers.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from Bookfunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from Bookfunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 28, 2022
A lot of bang for the buck here--12 novellas, no real duds in the group. Most stand on their own just fine, even though some are connected to other stories by these authors. A good way to sample 12 authors--I'm planning on reading more by some I haven't read everything from yet! All steamy to some extent--if you like clean, pass on this one. Make sure you get to the end, because the last 2 are the best! Read them all--here are short synopses on each:
Amy Rose Bennett: The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner
Anna is living near Grimstone Castle where her father was steward and she grew up with a crush on the heir to the dukedom. Now the widow of the vicar, she is scraping by in a leaky cottage and is alone for the holidays. Thomas is that heir, now the Duke. Both have a dim view of the holidays since they experienced many bad events over the Christmas season. Of course these two old friends bump into one another and renew their acquaintance, and Anna takes the opportunity to tell Henry she wants to avail herself of his rakish services. It’s a novella, so HEA comes faster than this summary did.
Grace Callaway: Mrs. Peabody and the unexpected Duke
Mrs. Peabody and Hawker are support characters in several other books (Lady Charlotte’s Society of Angels). They help the detective ladies with everything from housekeeping to body guarding and training. The are both lone wolves until they aren’t, and they each have surprising secrets.
Darcy Burke: Yule be my Duke
Christmas house party. Matchmaking mama. Yule log hunting. Enemies (matchmaking targets) forced to shelter during a snowstorm in a small cottage with an even smaller bed. ‘nuff said.
Lila DiPasqua: The Frosty Duke
Ella is a brilliant mathematician whose paper has been stolen. She wants her paper back, and her revenge plan involves seducing the thief. However, she needs help with the finer points of seduction. Lewis is just the Duke for the occasion.
Kate Bateman: Desert Island Duke
Shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island, not a usual scenario in a historical romance. Things between Max and Caro progress exactly as you might expect. Fun change of pace.
Christy Carlyle: Her Duke at Midnight
Cecily is just out of mourning after a miserable marriage. Adam is a Duke who has enjoyed his bachelorhood, but had a messy end to a previous relationship. They meet at a house party and proceed pretty quickly to HEA.
Jess Michaels: Her Duke with Benefits
Second chance in a small double booked cottage. Short and sweet (and spicy).
Valerie Bowman: The Duke Deal
The two most stubborn people in the world finally get over themselves. This one was a little frustrating because of the characters’ stubborn refusal to just talk to each other. Estranged couple/second chance.
Minerva Spencer: Audacious
Antonia’s father is a Baron and former privateer. His best friend Lucas is still a privateer. Antonia is old enough to know what she wants…now she just has to convince Lucas it’s OK. Almost a pirate story, a dad's best friend story--either way, a fun one.
Sasha Cottman: My Duchess, My Wife
A story about Ewan and Caroline, but really seems more of a filler to set up the 11th book in the Duke of Strathmore series. Some steam, some story, but more of a prequel than anything else. A lot of the series characters appear in this one. This one was good as a bit of story about favorite characters, but not a lot of content here.
Erica Ridley: Undressing the Duke
Donovan has recently realized that he loves his valet. It took him a while to figure this out, but finally he thinks—maybe—he should do something about it. MM is not usually my go-to, but I enjoyed this one a lot.
Elisa Braden: Right Place Wrong Duke
Lucie tries to abduct the Duke who is about to evict her parents from their home. She gets his half brother instead. Turns out to be a much better bargain. I really wished this one was longer. I loved these characters.
Amy Rose Bennett: The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner
Anna is living near Grimstone Castle where her father was steward and she grew up with a crush on the heir to the dukedom. Now the widow of the vicar, she is scraping by in a leaky cottage and is alone for the holidays. Thomas is that heir, now the Duke. Both have a dim view of the holidays since they experienced many bad events over the Christmas season. Of course these two old friends bump into one another and renew their acquaintance, and Anna takes the opportunity to tell Henry she wants to avail herself of his rakish services. It’s a novella, so HEA comes faster than this summary did.
Grace Callaway: Mrs. Peabody and the unexpected Duke
Mrs. Peabody and Hawker are support characters in several other books (Lady Charlotte’s Society of Angels). They help the detective ladies with everything from housekeeping to body guarding and training. The are both lone wolves until they aren’t, and they each have surprising secrets.
Darcy Burke: Yule be my Duke
Christmas house party. Matchmaking mama. Yule log hunting. Enemies (matchmaking targets) forced to shelter during a snowstorm in a small cottage with an even smaller bed. ‘nuff said.
Lila DiPasqua: The Frosty Duke
Ella is a brilliant mathematician whose paper has been stolen. She wants her paper back, and her revenge plan involves seducing the thief. However, she needs help with the finer points of seduction. Lewis is just the Duke for the occasion.
Kate Bateman: Desert Island Duke
Shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island, not a usual scenario in a historical romance. Things between Max and Caro progress exactly as you might expect. Fun change of pace.
Christy Carlyle: Her Duke at Midnight
Cecily is just out of mourning after a miserable marriage. Adam is a Duke who has enjoyed his bachelorhood, but had a messy end to a previous relationship. They meet at a house party and proceed pretty quickly to HEA.
Jess Michaels: Her Duke with Benefits
Second chance in a small double booked cottage. Short and sweet (and spicy).
Valerie Bowman: The Duke Deal
The two most stubborn people in the world finally get over themselves. This one was a little frustrating because of the characters’ stubborn refusal to just talk to each other. Estranged couple/second chance.
Minerva Spencer: Audacious
Antonia’s father is a Baron and former privateer. His best friend Lucas is still a privateer. Antonia is old enough to know what she wants…now she just has to convince Lucas it’s OK. Almost a pirate story, a dad's best friend story--either way, a fun one.
Sasha Cottman: My Duchess, My Wife
A story about Ewan and Caroline, but really seems more of a filler to set up the 11th book in the Duke of Strathmore series. Some steam, some story, but more of a prequel than anything else. A lot of the series characters appear in this one. This one was good as a bit of story about favorite characters, but not a lot of content here.
Erica Ridley: Undressing the Duke
Donovan has recently realized that he loves his valet. It took him a while to figure this out, but finally he thinks—maybe—he should do something about it. MM is not usually my go-to, but I enjoyed this one a lot.
Elisa Braden: Right Place Wrong Duke
Lucie tries to abduct the Duke who is about to evict her parents from their home. She gets his half brother instead. Turns out to be a much better bargain. I really wished this one was longer. I loved these characters.
October 31, 2022
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett
When Thomas Hardacre, Duke of Stanthorpe is invited to Christmas dinner by his widowed neighbour, Anna Rowntree daughter of his former estate steward, his initial reaction is to say no until he recalls their long-ago first kiss beneath the mistletoe. I loved both Thomas who hated Christmas & Anna a strong woman who wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted. A lovely read
Mrs. Peabody and The Duke by Grace Callaway
When former lovers Hawker and Mrs. Peabody are paired on a spy mission over the holidays, they uncover the deepest secret of all: the truth of their own hearts.
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
John and Cecilia met five years ago & things didn’t go well - to say the least, she ended with a dunking & h with jam in his boots. Now they meet again at a house party & are trapped alone in a cottage during a snowstorm. I loved both John & Cecelia & how a day can change everything
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua
When a socially awkward mathematician spinster seeks to enlist the aid of a handsome, skillful rake—things may not go to plan.
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
When Caro Montgomery is shipwrecked with her brother’s infuriatingly attractive best friend, Max Cavendish, their survival depends on working together. But will their island prove to be a tropical paradise
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle
When a young widow and an infamous duke meet at a country house party during the holiday season, the attraction that sparks between them takes them both by surprise.
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels
After confusion and a storm trap old friends Leo and Alice together for the holidays, long hidden desires and feelings come to the surface. But if the duke offers his heart before their time together is over, will she take that gift?
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman
When a young duchess asks her estranged husband to pretend they’re happy during a Christmastide house party to fulfill her grandfather’s dying wish of seeing the entire family together at the holidays, the duke agrees…with one condition: he wants an heir.
Audacious by Minerva Spencer
Antonia Redvers has been completely and madly in love with the infamous privateer Captain Lucas “O Duque” Cruz, her father’s best friend, since she was a girl. This Christmas, Toni is done waiting—she’s finally going to get her duke…
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman
With a castle full of relatives at Christmas, a Scottish duke comes up with more than one naughty way to distract his wife.
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
When the Duke of Southbury informs his charming French valet of his impending dismissal, Vachon has only a fortnight to convince the duke to change his mind… and take a chance on love!
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
Widow Lucie Carmichael is not about to let the Duke of Dingwall evict her family from their ancestral home, even if that means engaging in a little abduction.
Twelve authors have come together to give us a lovely box set. It includes some of my must read authors & a couple of new to me authors. The stories are all novellas, some with new characters & some featuring secondary characters from their books. All are well written, as you’d expect from this line up, the stories are well paced & have lovely characters. Each story is ideal for whiling away a couple of hours. I loved them
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
December 18, 2022
I should have made notes as I went along. Let's see how much I regret that now... I honestly liked most of these overall, while wanting basically every story I liked to be longer. Giving this four stars for the collection. This was $0.99 on Amazon when I picked it up, and I would've paid that for the Bateman novella alone so this felt like a bargain even if there were a few in here that I didn't care for much.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner - Amy Rose Bennett: 3.5/5 stars
Enjoyed this one a lot, just wanted more of it.
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke - Grace Callaway: 3.5/5 stars
This felt very much like what I expected from a Grace Callaway holiday novella, and I mean that in a good way. Liked the characters and how competent Pearl was and how much Hawker respected that. Just short, as is almost always my complaint with novellas (you may sense a theme...)
Yule Be My Duke - Darcy Burke: 3.5/5 stars
This one started out a bit rough for me (the characters were a bit over the top/their dispute seemed ultimately fairly juvenile), but I did like how it turned out. I think there was more there to explore with their families and maybe how it affected their initial reactions to each other/dispute if this had been given more page space. I don't know that I've read this author before, but I liked how the story turned out enough that I'd probably give her another try for a full length story.
The Frosty Duke - Lila DiPasqua: 3.5/5 stars
There are definitely points here where you just have to nod your head and go along with it because, for example, Ella's whole plan doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense. But if you just handwave that stuff as Romance Reasons then this was fun. I obviously enjoyed the terrible mathematician getting his due at the end.
Desert Island Duke - Kate Bateman: 4/5 stars
Bateman just writes relationship dynamics that I really dig. Looking forward to seeing more of Caro's family and hopefully Caro and Max making future appearances in their stories.
Her Duke at Midnight - Christy Carlyle: 3/5 stars
This was the first one in the set that didn't quite work for me as much as I'd wanted it to. There was good here for sure, but there were scene transitions that didn't make a ton of sense to me and then the drama at the end was just too much.
Her Duke with Benefits - Jess Michaels: 3.5/5 stars
I think my favorite thing about this story was the epilogue and how it was set a year out. Alice getting engaged again so soon after coming out of mourning would not have felt right, so that kind of made the whole story work better for me. Also appreciated Alice having had a good first marriage, which I feel is something we don't see a lot in historicals.
The Duke Deal - Valerie Bowman: 2/5 stars
I love the idea for this one in theory, but in execution this one just was not one I was going to enjoy. Did not like the way the brother handled this in particular. Supposedly not taking sides, all while knowing why Veronica acted the way she did and not really trying to clear up what he must have known to be a mix up until years later. Generally did not like the way the brother interfered and judged Veronica at all. Also just didn't track how Veronica and Sebastian had been so in love, but had never really talked about these things that were important to them. And they didn't actually end up working it out on their own; third parties were too responsible for them repairing things rather than them just talking to each other already, damnit. This one just did not work for me at all.
Audacious - Minerva Spencer: 3/5 stars
This was fine, but father's best friend isn't really my thing so this wasn't one that was particularly for me. CW for significant age gap/father's best friend.
My Duchess, My Wife - Sasha Cottman: 1/5 stars
This is a continuation of a previous story in this author's series, and it involves way too many characters I simply did not know and could not keep track of. I like the idea of seeing a couple in the future managing their family, but this entire story was Ewan trying to sneak off with Caroline to have sex with her interspersed with drama from the rest of the family. I didn't know any of the players involved so could not be bothered to care.
I also made the mistake of looking up the summary of Ewan and Caroline's original story, and all I have to say to that is NOPE. (Ewan apparently courted Caroline quite publicly, leaving everyone in society to assume they were all but engaged, only to throw her over to have an affair with her sister. The sister got pregnant, ran off to have the baby alone, and died giving birth. And then Ewan needed Caroline to help care for the child and somehow wins Caroline back. When I say NOPE, I mean EXTREMELY NOPE. There is simply nothing that Ewan could do that would make this storyline or his behavior okay with me, and I retroactively want Caroline to say no thank you, I deserve better, and find her happiness with someone else.) Anyway, first impressions matter and I suspect I will never go out of my way to read anything by Cottman again.
Undressing the Duke - Erica Ridley: 3/5 stars
This story was pretty good. I just don't read much M/M for a reason, and that reason is I usually need at least one lead female character to be interested.
Right Place, Wrong Duke - Elisa Braden: 3.5/5 stars
This story was ridiculous, but honestly it was pretty fun and I enjoyed reading it.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner - Amy Rose Bennett: 3.5/5 stars
Enjoyed this one a lot, just wanted more of it.
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke - Grace Callaway: 3.5/5 stars
This felt very much like what I expected from a Grace Callaway holiday novella, and I mean that in a good way. Liked the characters and how competent Pearl was and how much Hawker respected that. Just short, as is almost always my complaint with novellas (you may sense a theme...)
Yule Be My Duke - Darcy Burke: 3.5/5 stars
This one started out a bit rough for me (the characters were a bit over the top/their dispute seemed ultimately fairly juvenile), but I did like how it turned out. I think there was more there to explore with their families and maybe how it affected their initial reactions to each other/dispute if this had been given more page space. I don't know that I've read this author before, but I liked how the story turned out enough that I'd probably give her another try for a full length story.
The Frosty Duke - Lila DiPasqua: 3.5/5 stars
There are definitely points here where you just have to nod your head and go along with it because, for example, Ella's whole plan doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense. But if you just handwave that stuff as Romance Reasons then this was fun. I obviously enjoyed the terrible mathematician getting his due at the end.
Desert Island Duke - Kate Bateman: 4/5 stars
Bateman just writes relationship dynamics that I really dig. Looking forward to seeing more of Caro's family and hopefully Caro and Max making future appearances in their stories.
Her Duke at Midnight - Christy Carlyle: 3/5 stars
This was the first one in the set that didn't quite work for me as much as I'd wanted it to. There was good here for sure, but there were scene transitions that didn't make a ton of sense to me and then the drama at the end was just too much.
Her Duke with Benefits - Jess Michaels: 3.5/5 stars
I think my favorite thing about this story was the epilogue and how it was set a year out. Alice getting engaged again so soon after coming out of mourning would not have felt right, so that kind of made the whole story work better for me. Also appreciated Alice having had a good first marriage, which I feel is something we don't see a lot in historicals.
The Duke Deal - Valerie Bowman: 2/5 stars
I love the idea for this one in theory, but in execution this one just was not one I was going to enjoy. Did not like the way the brother handled this in particular. Supposedly not taking sides, all while knowing why Veronica acted the way she did and not really trying to clear up what he must have known to be a mix up until years later. Generally did not like the way the brother interfered and judged Veronica at all. Also just didn't track how Veronica and Sebastian had been so in love, but had never really talked about these things that were important to them. And they didn't actually end up working it out on their own; third parties were too responsible for them repairing things rather than them just talking to each other already, damnit. This one just did not work for me at all.
Audacious - Minerva Spencer: 3/5 stars
This was fine, but father's best friend isn't really my thing so this wasn't one that was particularly for me. CW for significant age gap/father's best friend.
My Duchess, My Wife - Sasha Cottman: 1/5 stars
This is a continuation of a previous story in this author's series, and it involves way too many characters I simply did not know and could not keep track of. I like the idea of seeing a couple in the future managing their family, but this entire story was Ewan trying to sneak off with Caroline to have sex with her interspersed with drama from the rest of the family. I didn't know any of the players involved so could not be bothered to care.
I also made the mistake of looking up the summary of Ewan and Caroline's original story, and all I have to say to that is NOPE. (Ewan apparently courted Caroline quite publicly, leaving everyone in society to assume they were all but engaged, only to throw her over to have an affair with her sister. The sister got pregnant, ran off to have the baby alone, and died giving birth. And then Ewan needed Caroline to help care for the child and somehow wins Caroline back. When I say NOPE, I mean EXTREMELY NOPE. There is simply nothing that Ewan could do that would make this storyline or his behavior okay with me, and I retroactively want Caroline to say no thank you, I deserve better, and find her happiness with someone else.) Anyway, first impressions matter and I suspect I will never go out of my way to read anything by Cottman again.
Undressing the Duke - Erica Ridley: 3/5 stars
This story was pretty good. I just don't read much M/M for a reason, and that reason is I usually need at least one lead female character to be interested.
Right Place, Wrong Duke - Elisa Braden: 3.5/5 stars
This story was ridiculous, but honestly it was pretty fun and I enjoyed reading it.
December 31, 2022
My favorites were Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman and Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden. Not all the other stories were for me, but many of these authors were new to me and I enjoy anthologies for getting a chance to discover new authors.
October 31, 2022
“Duke in a Box” anthology of novellas by 12 authors.
A Grand Slam - 12 Worthy stories
Oh, my, YES !! These are twelve (12) stories you are sure to enjoy. Every one is a 5-star read in my humble unbiased opinion. Once I started reading I just had to read another one… Rather like you cannot eat just one potato chip, or is that pretzel? I received an ARC of this book from one of the authors. My intention was just to read their story… but that thought soon was trashed in favor of reading one more until I hade read each one. Yes they each have some spice, which I tend to skip over, so I know it can be done. Thus, I suggest you don’t let the spice keep you from enjoying the stories. Happy Reading !!
NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion.
A Grand Slam - 12 Worthy stories
Oh, my, YES !! These are twelve (12) stories you are sure to enjoy. Every one is a 5-star read in my humble unbiased opinion. Once I started reading I just had to read another one… Rather like you cannot eat just one potato chip, or is that pretzel? I received an ARC of this book from one of the authors. My intention was just to read their story… but that thought soon was trashed in favor of reading one more until I hade read each one. Yes they each have some spice, which I tend to skip over, so I know it can be done. Thus, I suggest you don’t let the spice keep you from enjoying the stories. Happy Reading !!
NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion.
October 31, 2022
My review for Mrs Peabody and the unexpected Duke by grace callaway
Mrs Peabody was a character that intrigued me since she was introduced in the first book.the lady was an enigma.
In this story we get a peek into her backstory and how she became a trainer of Angel's.
She us highly protective of her charges takes her duties too seriously and is good at what she does.
Ms Callaway has written a very strong independent female lead.at the same time she is struggling to accept her past. She doesn't believe anyone could love her with her past .
Here our male lead proves her wrong .
He is her equal match in everything.
Their chemistry was explosive.
I was thrilled to read them finding their happy beginning together.
Mrs Peabody was a character that intrigued me since she was introduced in the first book.the lady was an enigma.
In this story we get a peek into her backstory and how she became a trainer of Angel's.
She us highly protective of her charges takes her duties too seriously and is good at what she does.
Ms Callaway has written a very strong independent female lead.at the same time she is struggling to accept her past. She doesn't believe anyone could love her with her past .
Here our male lead proves her wrong .
He is her equal match in everything.
Their chemistry was explosive.
I was thrilled to read them finding their happy beginning together.
October 24, 2022
Elisa Braden, Amy Rose Bennett, Kate Bateman, and Jess Michael’s all together? Yes, please!! Along with these favorite authors of mine, I also enjoyed the other stories and have found some new authors I’d like to dive into more. This set features cute novellas with lots of steam. Because the stories are short, there is relatively no angst and of course, happy endings for all. This is fun collection!
I received an arc for my honest review.
I received an arc for my honest review.
November 1, 2022
This is a Gem!
My review below is for an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of one of the books in this Anthology, 'Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke'.
Yule Be My Duke has all the right ingredients to make it a smash hit!
The main characters, Cecelia and John find themselves in a very unusual situation and what a predicament it is for them.
What I loved the most was the tension which Darcy Burke created between these two characters. It was absolutely amazing and ultimately, so was the story.
Just as an aside, knowing the calibre and writing ability of the majority of authors who have contributed in this collection of stories, then these stories need to be read!
Update 1 November 2022:
I have now finished reading all 12 of these wonderful stories in this Anthology and can honestly say that each story was really worth the read. I have enjoyed them so very much!
My review below is for an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of one of the books in this Anthology, 'Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke'.
Yule Be My Duke has all the right ingredients to make it a smash hit!
The main characters, Cecelia and John find themselves in a very unusual situation and what a predicament it is for them.
What I loved the most was the tension which Darcy Burke created between these two characters. It was absolutely amazing and ultimately, so was the story.
Just as an aside, knowing the calibre and writing ability of the majority of authors who have contributed in this collection of stories, then these stories need to be read!
Update 1 November 2022:
I have now finished reading all 12 of these wonderful stories in this Anthology and can honestly say that each story was really worth the read. I have enjoyed them so very much!
December 18, 2023
This is an Anthology with various authors. I usually only read the stories by the authors I normally read but went ahead and read all of them. Not a fan of these anthologies because they end up being little novellas which I'm also not a big fan but surprisingly all these stories actually read like longer stories than some other novellas I’ve read. They all seemed to get some good depth in the characters and their storylines. 😊 I ended up not reading a few of them.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett
This is my 16th book by Amy Rose Bennett. I really love her writing and her stories. This was a good read. I really enjoyed reading Thomas and Holly’s story.
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway
So I love Grace Callaway. I’ve been reading her since 2016 and this is my 21st book. I’ve only read 21 books in 7 years because that is all she has. She doesn’t write that many books a year which is sad because she is so good. I really enjoyed Hawker (Grant) and Pearl’s story. Very different than my usual ton reads but really liked it a lot.
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
Darcy Burke is one of my favorite authors. This is my 46th book by her since 2016. This was a cute story. Enjoyed reading John and Cecilia’s story.
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua
So I haven’t read anything new from Lila DiPasqua since 2019 and I see she has had nothing new out since then. I have read 10 other books by her. I really enjoyed Ella and Lewis’ story. Sex was pretty hot too.
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
Kate is a fairly new author for me. I have read 6 previous books by her as Kate and 5 other books as K.C. Bateman. I really enjoy her writing. This was really a cute story. I loved the adventure of it. I really liked it a lot. I enjoyed Caro and Max’s personalities. What a cute couple.
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle
I have only read 7 previous books by Christy Carlyle and nothing since 2019. I don’t usually read authors in anthologies that I don’t read on a regular basis, but since she was part of this larger group of authors that I do read, I went ahead and read her again. I really enjoyed this story. I loved Adam and Cecily. These two kind of sizzled on the page.
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels
I love Jess Michaels. She is one of my favs. This is my 65th book by her since 2015. I loved Leo and Alice. The story was great. So much of it made me smile on their banter. They were such a good read and the sex wasn’t bad either 😉
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman
I love Valerie Bowman. She is also one of my favs. This is my 26th book by her since 2017. I liked this story.
Audacious by Minerva Spencer
Again another favorite. I haven’t been reading her that long but have certainly devoured all her books. Since 2021, I’ve read 14 books of hers as Minvera and 11 books as S.M. LaViolette. I LOVE the way she writes. I really liked the older man younger women in this story. It wasn't your usual creepy 80 year old duke marrying an eighteen year old girl. What a great couple this was. I really liked Antonia and Captain Lucas a lot.
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman
I actually have never read any of Sasha Cottman’s book. This is the first. I really liked this story.
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
So I read 1 book by Erica Ridley back in 2016 but didn’t pick her up again until she wrote a series with Darcy Burke in 2019. I was surprised to see this was my 17th book by her and mostly just from 2021 to now. Interesting storyline.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
So I really like Elisa Braden’s writing but I did not read this book. I think by the time I got to this book, it being last, I was over it and ready to be done and move on to other books on my list.
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett
This is my 16th book by Amy Rose Bennett. I really love her writing and her stories. This was a good read. I really enjoyed reading Thomas and Holly’s story.
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway
So I love Grace Callaway. I’ve been reading her since 2016 and this is my 21st book. I’ve only read 21 books in 7 years because that is all she has. She doesn’t write that many books a year which is sad because she is so good. I really enjoyed Hawker (Grant) and Pearl’s story. Very different than my usual ton reads but really liked it a lot.
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
Darcy Burke is one of my favorite authors. This is my 46th book by her since 2016. This was a cute story. Enjoyed reading John and Cecilia’s story.
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua
So I haven’t read anything new from Lila DiPasqua since 2019 and I see she has had nothing new out since then. I have read 10 other books by her. I really enjoyed Ella and Lewis’ story. Sex was pretty hot too.
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
Kate is a fairly new author for me. I have read 6 previous books by her as Kate and 5 other books as K.C. Bateman. I really enjoy her writing. This was really a cute story. I loved the adventure of it. I really liked it a lot. I enjoyed Caro and Max’s personalities. What a cute couple.
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle
I have only read 7 previous books by Christy Carlyle and nothing since 2019. I don’t usually read authors in anthologies that I don’t read on a regular basis, but since she was part of this larger group of authors that I do read, I went ahead and read her again. I really enjoyed this story. I loved Adam and Cecily. These two kind of sizzled on the page.
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels
I love Jess Michaels. She is one of my favs. This is my 65th book by her since 2015. I loved Leo and Alice. The story was great. So much of it made me smile on their banter. They were such a good read and the sex wasn’t bad either 😉
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman
I love Valerie Bowman. She is also one of my favs. This is my 26th book by her since 2017. I liked this story.
Audacious by Minerva Spencer
Again another favorite. I haven’t been reading her that long but have certainly devoured all her books. Since 2021, I’ve read 14 books of hers as Minvera and 11 books as S.M. LaViolette. I LOVE the way she writes. I really liked the older man younger women in this story. It wasn't your usual creepy 80 year old duke marrying an eighteen year old girl. What a great couple this was. I really liked Antonia and Captain Lucas a lot.
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman
I actually have never read any of Sasha Cottman’s book. This is the first. I really liked this story.
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
So I read 1 book by Erica Ridley back in 2016 but didn’t pick her up again until she wrote a series with Darcy Burke in 2019. I was surprised to see this was my 17th book by her and mostly just from 2021 to now. Interesting storyline.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden
So I really like Elisa Braden’s writing but I did not read this book. I think by the time I got to this book, it being last, I was over it and ready to be done and move on to other books on my list.
October 28, 2022
When the Blurb states these novella's are steamy - believe it! If you like hot stories with little on holiday theme - you love this set.
1. THE DUKE WHO CAME TO CHRISTMAS DINNER by Amy Rose Bennett - 3 STARS
Not very likable character's. The H is cold and mean hearted because he's lost so much at that time of year. The h is a widow and she and the H were around each other a lot. Her father was the Steward to the H's fathers estate.
Yes, they had a connection as teenagers and stole a kiss under the mistletoe. Fast forward a few years and they meet again. She practically pounces on the H when they are along. I didn't care for her character at all. The Lord's name used in vain a few times.
Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 4 out of 5 and described once. I felt no connection to this couple so it was just sex.
No cheating, HEA, no romance and steam, little Christmas theme.
2. MRS. PEABODY AND THE UNEXPECTED DUKE by Grace Callaway - 3.75 STARS
Such a unique story! The H left home at 16 to get away from his violent family. The h had a similar upbringing with a whore of a mother and made her feel like a burden. They both work for an organization to where they help women.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 5 out of 5 and described several times. Lord's name used in vain and crude words many times.
No cheating, HEA, some romance, plenty of steam and a great twist in the ending and little Christmas theme except 2 people coming together. If the author releases this later as a standalone story please add an epilogue. This couple were off to a new way of life. I wanted to know how did they take to it and did their tenants accept them?
3. YULE BE MY DUKE by Darcy Burke - 5 STARS
From the story which I thought was perfect description of their relationship.....they went from passionate hate to passionate desire. How I loved the journey from one end to the other.
The banter was great between the H/h as was the honesty. The journey to reach HEA was funny at times with twists along the way to keep the story entertaining.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 4 out of 5. They had a connection so it was filled with love and passion.
No cheating, HEA, romantic and steam.
4. THE FROSTY DUKE by Lila DiPasqua -4.25 STARS
Great story with a forward h who takes charge of her life. The banter was good and I liked the honesty she had with the H after awhile of keeping secrets. You understood why she did and I liked how she unraveled her story.
This was 5 stars but I didn't care that the buildup with the villain was mostly off page.
Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 5 out of 5 and described several times. Crude words used fairly often.
No cheating, HEA, some romance and steam.
5. DESERT ISLAND DUKE by Kate Bateman - 5 STARS
He is the h's brothers best friend and teases her constantly, she thinks he hates her, but that isn't true. They end up stranded on a desert island and the beginning was so funny. I really enjoyed how the h got back at the H for all his teasing for years.
Cute story and I liked how romance builds slowly, hard to do in a novella. Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 3.5 out of 5, mostly described after the fact.
No cheating, HEA, romantic and some steam.
6. HER DUKE AT MIDNIGHT by Christy Carlyle - 3.5 STARS
The H is honest with all his mistresses that he's only interested in the physical part of their relationship. But, some women fall madly in love with the pleasure he gives. When he gets bored or they become to clingy he moves on to another.
The h just ended her year of mourning after being married to a cruel man for 4 years. She wants to experience life, travel and pursue her other interests.
They meet at a houseparty and boom they want more with each other. I just didn't feel a connection to this couple. I didn't understand what he saw in this inexperienced women. They had maybe 2 conversations about life and they're willing to give everything up to be with each other.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 4 out of 5. Little on romance, no cheating, HEA and steam.
7. HER DUKE WITH BENEFITS by Jess Michaels -4.5 STARS
H/h have been friends since children and then went their separate ways as adults. Due to accidently booking same cottage, they rekindle their friendship. Problem the h just lost her husband over a year ago and can't move forward. Hers was a very happy marriage and she still misses her husband.
The H has never married and has been in love with the h for many years. They slowly work their way to lovemaking - heat level 4 out of 5 and filled with love and passion.
A sweet epilogue one year in the future. I wanted the epilogue more years in the future to see if they had children.
No cheating, HEA, romance and some steam.
8. THE DUKE DEAL by Valerie Bowman - 5 STARS
What a story! My feelings for who was right kept changing between the H/h, As the story unfolded I felt I was at a Tennis match watching the ball being hit back and forth. That's how my feelings were over the H/h. At times, I felt the h was being immature, then when you heard more of the story, I was her champion and the H fell out of favor. But, no sooner did I decide that, then you heard more of his side.
Story filled with sadness, trust issues, heartache and finally romance. Oh, how I enjoyed the ending! This writer made the character's jump off the page.
Lovemaking within marriage - heat level 4 out of 5 and filled with passion and love. Great secondary character's too and I can't wait for the story of the h's brother.
No cheating, HEA, romantic and steam.
9. AUDACIOUS by Minerva Spencer -4 STARS
The writing is good, but I'm not a fan of May/December romances and this had a 21 year old women and a 41 year old man. So it took me awhile to get over that part of it.
The H has been best friends with the h's father, They've known each other for 30 years when his life was saved from being a slave on a ship by the h's father.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 4 out of 5.
No cheating, HEA, little on romance and steam.
10. MY DUCHESS, MY WIFE by Sasha Cottman - 4 STARS
I was so enjoying this story and then it ends in a cliffhanger. Not for our H/h but for family. I don't think a story should end with everything not known when part of a bundle.
Much lovemaking, within marriage, heat level 5 out of 5. Our couple are in their 50's so it was nice to see an older couple still wanting to enjoy each other.
No cheating, cliffhanger, HEA, romantic and plenty of steam.
11. UNDRESSING THE DUKE by Erica Ridley - 5 STARS
Hard book to rate because of the topic will offend many. This author made you feel the struggle people face who are attracted to the same sex. This is about a Duke and his valet. The Duke is 36 and has no wish to marry. He's not concerned with providing an heir because his younger brother has 3 sons so that burden doesn't need to be considered.
He is in love with his valet and vice versa. There is gay sex - very descriptive - heat level 5 out of 5 and many times.
12. RIGHT PLACE, WRONG DUKE by Elisa Braden - 4.5 STARS
I didn't care for the H in the beginning of the story. He seemed to want only one thing from the h and there was no build up to what he wanted.
The h was married before to a man who couldn't please her in bed but blamed her. She is funny and innocent in some things, I found her charming.
Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 5 out of 5 and described several times.
No cheating, HEA, loved the ending - a few twists for sure and steam.
I purchased this bundle but also received ARC on this story only. All opinions are my own and freely given. (ljb)
1. THE DUKE WHO CAME TO CHRISTMAS DINNER by Amy Rose Bennett - 3 STARS
Not very likable character's. The H is cold and mean hearted because he's lost so much at that time of year. The h is a widow and she and the H were around each other a lot. Her father was the Steward to the H's fathers estate.
Yes, they had a connection as teenagers and stole a kiss under the mistletoe. Fast forward a few years and they meet again. She practically pounces on the H when they are along. I didn't care for her character at all. The Lord's name used in vain a few times.
Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 4 out of 5 and described once. I felt no connection to this couple so it was just sex.
No cheating, HEA, no romance and steam, little Christmas theme.
2. MRS. PEABODY AND THE UNEXPECTED DUKE by Grace Callaway - 3.75 STARS
Such a unique story! The H left home at 16 to get away from his violent family. The h had a similar upbringing with a whore of a mother and made her feel like a burden. They both work for an organization to where they help women.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 5 out of 5 and described several times. Lord's name used in vain and crude words many times.
No cheating, HEA, some romance, plenty of steam and a great twist in the ending and little Christmas theme except 2 people coming together. If the author releases this later as a standalone story please add an epilogue. This couple were off to a new way of life. I wanted to know how did they take to it and did their tenants accept them?
3. YULE BE MY DUKE by Darcy Burke - 5 STARS
From the story which I thought was perfect description of their relationship.....they went from passionate hate to passionate desire. How I loved the journey from one end to the other.
The banter was great between the H/h as was the honesty. The journey to reach HEA was funny at times with twists along the way to keep the story entertaining.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 4 out of 5. They had a connection so it was filled with love and passion.
No cheating, HEA, romantic and steam.
4. THE FROSTY DUKE by Lila DiPasqua -4.25 STARS
Great story with a forward h who takes charge of her life. The banter was good and I liked the honesty she had with the H after awhile of keeping secrets. You understood why she did and I liked how she unraveled her story.
This was 5 stars but I didn't care that the buildup with the villain was mostly off page.
Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 5 out of 5 and described several times. Crude words used fairly often.
No cheating, HEA, some romance and steam.
5. DESERT ISLAND DUKE by Kate Bateman - 5 STARS
He is the h's brothers best friend and teases her constantly, she thinks he hates her, but that isn't true. They end up stranded on a desert island and the beginning was so funny. I really enjoyed how the h got back at the H for all his teasing for years.
Cute story and I liked how romance builds slowly, hard to do in a novella. Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 3.5 out of 5, mostly described after the fact.
No cheating, HEA, romantic and some steam.
6. HER DUKE AT MIDNIGHT by Christy Carlyle - 3.5 STARS
The H is honest with all his mistresses that he's only interested in the physical part of their relationship. But, some women fall madly in love with the pleasure he gives. When he gets bored or they become to clingy he moves on to another.
The h just ended her year of mourning after being married to a cruel man for 4 years. She wants to experience life, travel and pursue her other interests.
They meet at a houseparty and boom they want more with each other. I just didn't feel a connection to this couple. I didn't understand what he saw in this inexperienced women. They had maybe 2 conversations about life and they're willing to give everything up to be with each other.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 4 out of 5. Little on romance, no cheating, HEA and steam.
7. HER DUKE WITH BENEFITS by Jess Michaels -4.5 STARS
H/h have been friends since children and then went their separate ways as adults. Due to accidently booking same cottage, they rekindle their friendship. Problem the h just lost her husband over a year ago and can't move forward. Hers was a very happy marriage and she still misses her husband.
The H has never married and has been in love with the h for many years. They slowly work their way to lovemaking - heat level 4 out of 5 and filled with love and passion.
A sweet epilogue one year in the future. I wanted the epilogue more years in the future to see if they had children.
No cheating, HEA, romance and some steam.
8. THE DUKE DEAL by Valerie Bowman - 5 STARS
What a story! My feelings for who was right kept changing between the H/h, As the story unfolded I felt I was at a Tennis match watching the ball being hit back and forth. That's how my feelings were over the H/h. At times, I felt the h was being immature, then when you heard more of the story, I was her champion and the H fell out of favor. But, no sooner did I decide that, then you heard more of his side.
Story filled with sadness, trust issues, heartache and finally romance. Oh, how I enjoyed the ending! This writer made the character's jump off the page.
Lovemaking within marriage - heat level 4 out of 5 and filled with passion and love. Great secondary character's too and I can't wait for the story of the h's brother.
No cheating, HEA, romantic and steam.
9. AUDACIOUS by Minerva Spencer -4 STARS
The writing is good, but I'm not a fan of May/December romances and this had a 21 year old women and a 41 year old man. So it took me awhile to get over that part of it.
The H has been best friends with the h's father, They've known each other for 30 years when his life was saved from being a slave on a ship by the h's father.
Lovemaking outside of marriage - heat level 4 out of 5.
No cheating, HEA, little on romance and steam.
10. MY DUCHESS, MY WIFE by Sasha Cottman - 4 STARS
I was so enjoying this story and then it ends in a cliffhanger. Not for our H/h but for family. I don't think a story should end with everything not known when part of a bundle.
Much lovemaking, within marriage, heat level 5 out of 5. Our couple are in their 50's so it was nice to see an older couple still wanting to enjoy each other.
No cheating, cliffhanger, HEA, romantic and plenty of steam.
11. UNDRESSING THE DUKE by Erica Ridley - 5 STARS
Hard book to rate because of the topic will offend many. This author made you feel the struggle people face who are attracted to the same sex. This is about a Duke and his valet. The Duke is 36 and has no wish to marry. He's not concerned with providing an heir because his younger brother has 3 sons so that burden doesn't need to be considered.
He is in love with his valet and vice versa. There is gay sex - very descriptive - heat level 5 out of 5 and many times.
12. RIGHT PLACE, WRONG DUKE by Elisa Braden - 4.5 STARS
I didn't care for the H in the beginning of the story. He seemed to want only one thing from the h and there was no build up to what he wanted.
The h was married before to a man who couldn't please her in bed but blamed her. She is funny and innocent in some things, I found her charming.
Lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 5 out of 5 and described several times.
No cheating, HEA, loved the ending - a few twists for sure and steam.
I purchased this bundle but also received ARC on this story only. All opinions are my own and freely given. (ljb)
December 15, 2022
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett - 3.5 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway - 3.5 stars
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels - 3.5 stars
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway - 3.5 stars
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels - 3.5 stars
December 11, 2022
A very mixed reading experience so 3.5 stars overall, found some new authors I'm super excited for!
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua - 5 stars this was PERFECT and the steam was 🥵🥵 Excuse me while I inhale everything she has written
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman - 5 stars I CRIED. Second chance isn't usually for me but this HIT
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman - 5 stars, so cute and steamy
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett - 4.5 stars, really enjoyed the writing, definitely want to read more!
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels - 4 stars, this was so sweet! He’s been in love with her since they were children but she didn’t know and fell in love and married someone else!
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke - 4 stars, all for the steam
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway - 3 stars (calling them spies was misleading)
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle - 3 stars
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley - 3 stars
Audacious by Minerva Spencer - 2.5 stars
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman - 2 stars, you definitely need to have read the series this is connected to. It was a bunch of people I didn’t know and their drama, boring.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden - 2 stars
The Frosty Duke by Lila DiPasqua - 5 stars this was PERFECT and the steam was 🥵🥵 Excuse me while I inhale everything she has written
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman - 5 stars I CRIED. Second chance isn't usually for me but this HIT
Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman - 5 stars, so cute and steamy
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner by Amy Rose Bennett - 4.5 stars, really enjoyed the writing, definitely want to read more!
Her Duke With Benefits by Jess Michaels - 4 stars, this was so sweet! He’s been in love with her since they were children but she didn’t know and fell in love and married someone else!
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke - 4 stars, all for the steam
Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke by Grace Callaway - 3 stars (calling them spies was misleading)
Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle - 3 stars
Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley - 3 stars
Audacious by Minerva Spencer - 2.5 stars
My Duchess, My Wife by Sasha Cottman - 2 stars, you definitely need to have read the series this is connected to. It was a bunch of people I didn’t know and their drama, boring.
Right Place, Wrong Duke by Elisa Braden - 2 stars
November 26, 2022
I FEEL RATHER CHEATED
The stories all alright with special mention to Elisa Braden *****.
Darcy Burke's and Valerie Bowman's stories were so childish that it was a DNF. Same with Jess Michaels, whom I seldom read anyway.
Minerva Spencer had a great build-up then threw water on the fire. **
But what really disappointed me was that at least half of the authors here are not actively publishing new books. I intended to get to know a few more romance writers with these novellas.
And I do not read old romance because the women characters are outdated, sometimes downright sexist.
So, all in all, it's up to you.
The stories all alright with special mention to Elisa Braden *****.
Darcy Burke's and Valerie Bowman's stories were so childish that it was a DNF. Same with Jess Michaels, whom I seldom read anyway.
Minerva Spencer had a great build-up then threw water on the fire. **
But what really disappointed me was that at least half of the authors here are not actively publishing new books. I intended to get to know a few more romance writers with these novellas.
And I do not read old romance because the women characters are outdated, sometimes downright sexist.
So, all in all, it's up to you.
December 10, 2022
Only read the story by Elisa Braden.
March 7, 2023
I read this and finished the stories by Christy Carlyle, Minerva Spencer, Jess Michaels, and Valerie Bowman. Many of the stories weren’t my style so I didn’t try them, but I did try Darcy Burke and unfortunately I could not get through it. I found how she introduced characters to be so jarring and weird that I never could connect with them (this was not the case with her earlier books).
Christy Carlyle’s and Valerie Bowman’s were my two
Faves of this bunch. I always like Carlyle’s style, especially in shorter format and how the unassuming woman captures the elusive duke is always a fun story. I enjoyed her take and found their interactions fun and snappy. Valerie Bowman’s was more gripping in a different way. The characters has been deeply in love and had a severe falling out. In this case, I thought the heroine was in the wrong and boy did she get an earful for it! Overall, their chemistry sizzled and it was a very satisfying fight to a better future. I haven’t ready much of her but I plan to keep
Going with her series for this as a result of this installment.
Jess Michaels often writes spicier stuff (and more than I typically go for) but her Christmas stuff is sometimes lighter and I like her style and characters so I tried this one. Definitely heavy on the physical relationship and not much else. Didn’t love this one (I liked her story she did with Elizabeth Essex a year or two ago a lot more).
I’ve heard a lot about Minerva Spender lately and was interested in trying her out. However this story had an age gap that just didn’t work for me. A little older is one thing but this felt more extreme and weird for me and while I finished it to see if it got better, it remained a little icky for me to the end. Some may enjoy the swashbuckling adventure and different locale (which was cool), but the relationship dynamic was just not romantic for me at all.
Christy Carlyle’s and Valerie Bowman’s were my two
Faves of this bunch. I always like Carlyle’s style, especially in shorter format and how the unassuming woman captures the elusive duke is always a fun story. I enjoyed her take and found their interactions fun and snappy. Valerie Bowman’s was more gripping in a different way. The characters has been deeply in love and had a severe falling out. In this case, I thought the heroine was in the wrong and boy did she get an earful for it! Overall, their chemistry sizzled and it was a very satisfying fight to a better future. I haven’t ready much of her but I plan to keep
Going with her series for this as a result of this installment.
Jess Michaels often writes spicier stuff (and more than I typically go for) but her Christmas stuff is sometimes lighter and I like her style and characters so I tried this one. Definitely heavy on the physical relationship and not much else. Didn’t love this one (I liked her story she did with Elizabeth Essex a year or two ago a lot more).
I’ve heard a lot about Minerva Spender lately and was interested in trying her out. However this story had an age gap that just didn’t work for me. A little older is one thing but this felt more extreme and weird for me and while I finished it to see if it got better, it remained a little icky for me to the end. Some may enjoy the swashbuckling adventure and different locale (which was cool), but the relationship dynamic was just not romantic for me at all.
Read
November 7, 2022Valerie Bowman's story was a lovely second chance romance about an estranged couple who got together for Christmas, pretending to be happy for a dying grandfather, learning to forgive.
I liked Erica Ridley's story too, it's about a duke who has a crush on his long term valet. The pining seems more piney when it's a romance that the society really frowns upon but it's got some fun banter and i liked how the duke wanted to make them more equal in the end.
Amy Rose Bennett's story has a widow propositioning the rakish duke she has always had a bit of a crush on, and she defrosts his jaded, cynical heart.
Darcy Burke's story is a forced-proximity enemies-to-lovers story starring two young people who engaged in some immature pranks five years ago. They're still holding grudges but their parents want to make a match between them so they are supposed to go fetch a Yule log together, in the hopes that they would find out they suit. When they get lost in the snow storm, shelter in an empty cottage together and find out they suit admirably in dishabille, said parents get rather hypocritical afterward.
Kate Bateman's story is a forced-proximity set on a deserted island after a shipwreck. Again, the stranded couple has some past history and their Crusoe days together are a quick courtship.
I liked Erica Ridley's story too, it's about a duke who has a crush on his long term valet. The pining seems more piney when it's a romance that the society really frowns upon but it's got some fun banter and i liked how the duke wanted to make them more equal in the end.
Amy Rose Bennett's story has a widow propositioning the rakish duke she has always had a bit of a crush on, and she defrosts his jaded, cynical heart.
Darcy Burke's story is a forced-proximity enemies-to-lovers story starring two young people who engaged in some immature pranks five years ago. They're still holding grudges but their parents want to make a match between them so they are supposed to go fetch a Yule log together, in the hopes that they would find out they suit. When they get lost in the snow storm, shelter in an empty cottage together and find out they suit admirably in dishabille, said parents get rather hypocritical afterward.
Kate Bateman's story is a forced-proximity set on a deserted island after a shipwreck. Again, the stranded couple has some past history and their Crusoe days together are a quick courtship.
October 31, 2022
Twelve little gems, twelve great writers. I couldn’t read them all in time for the release, but I chose one from the gorgeous and talented author who gifted the book to me, Amy Rose Bennett, and one from an author I love for her sensual novels, Minerva Spencer.
Amy Rose Bennett
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner
A second chance romance with a rakish and tormented duke and a widow who’s been in love with him since forever. I loved Bennett’s writing: it’s witty and fun, but also emotional. The characters are lovable and beautifully fleshed out. A gorgeous read indeed.
Minerva Spencer
Audacious
The author pens a wonderful age gap romance with a very sexy hero who despite his rough life and his past is sweet, honorable and loyal to a fault (even to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own happiness). But the real treat is the heroine, Antonia, who may be young, but is bold and ready to act to get what she wants. Delicious lovemaking scenes and beautiful writing caps it all!
I hope to update the review when I'm finished reading!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Amy Rose Bennett
The Duke Who Came to Christmas Dinner
A second chance romance with a rakish and tormented duke and a widow who’s been in love with him since forever. I loved Bennett’s writing: it’s witty and fun, but also emotional. The characters are lovable and beautifully fleshed out. A gorgeous read indeed.
Minerva Spencer
Audacious
The author pens a wonderful age gap romance with a very sexy hero who despite his rough life and his past is sweet, honorable and loyal to a fault (even to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own happiness). But the real treat is the heroine, Antonia, who may be young, but is bold and ready to act to get what she wants. Delicious lovemaking scenes and beautiful writing caps it all!
I hope to update the review when I'm finished reading!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 1, 2022
I absolutely recommend this historical romance holiday anthology! I'm reviewing this anthology as a whole. I read books previously by most of these authors (that are some of my favorites) that's in this anthology featuring Kate Bateman, Amy Rose Bennett, Valerie Bowman, Elisa Braden, Darcy Burke, Grace Callaway, Christy Carlyle, Sasha Cottman, Lila DiPasqua, Jess Michaels, Erica Ridley, Minerva Spencer. So I had to pick up on this one asap. Its also a great collaboration for readers looking to try these authors for the first time.
These are all completed novellas that are standalones or are connected to one of the authors other series. If you're looking for a mix of historical romance, merry, dukes with steam, pick this one up. Definitely a variety of stories so they won't seem similar. One of the few anthologies I'd say I read every story.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
These are all completed novellas that are standalones or are connected to one of the authors other series. If you're looking for a mix of historical romance, merry, dukes with steam, pick this one up. Definitely a variety of stories so they won't seem similar. One of the few anthologies I'd say I read every story.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
November 1, 2022
This review pertains to Elisa Braden's novella, "Right Place, Wrong Duke" only.
I'm usually not a huge fan of novellas. The stories always seem rushed and I never feel like there is enough time to really connect and fall in love with the characters. That said, I think Elisa did a great job with Right Place, Wrong Duke. I LOVE a sexy, confident Hero and Silas was definitely that. No one writes insta-obsessive/hot and bothered men like Elisa, and Silas definitely falls in that category. As soon as he met Lucie he became razor focused and set out to have her. Anyone who reads Elisa Braden knows she writes amazing love scenes and this novella is no different. In fact it's even steamer then usual which is a win all around. I haven't finished reading all the other stories yet, but I would recommend the book for Elisa's entry alone!
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
I'm usually not a huge fan of novellas. The stories always seem rushed and I never feel like there is enough time to really connect and fall in love with the characters. That said, I think Elisa did a great job with Right Place, Wrong Duke. I LOVE a sexy, confident Hero and Silas was definitely that. No one writes insta-obsessive/hot and bothered men like Elisa, and Silas definitely falls in that category. As soon as he met Lucie he became razor focused and set out to have her. Anyone who reads Elisa Braden knows she writes amazing love scenes and this novella is no different. In fact it's even steamer then usual which is a win all around. I haven't finished reading all the other stories yet, but I would recommend the book for Elisa's entry alone!
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
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