From a New York Times bestselling author: Unpaid and under-appreciated journalist Miss Eve Shelling never goes anywhere without a trusty notebook and her overprotective Duenna—who happens to be a bullmastiff. Eve learned the hard way that men are not to be trusted. She’s definitely not falling head-over-heels for the deceptively charming subject of her front-page column.Local blacksmith Monsieur … front-page column.
Local blacksmith Monsieur Sébastien le Duc is the pillar of his community—when he’s not pillaging elsewhere. He’s a rakish dandy with a heart of stolen gold and two teeny tiny secrets. One happens to be a wee international smuggling operation. The other involves losing his heart to an ambitious journalist determined to expose the truth at any cost…
The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
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The Twelve Dukes of Christmas:
- Once Upon a Duke
- Kiss of a Duke
- Wish Upon a Duke
- Never Say Duke
- Dukes, Actually
- The Duke’s Bride
- The Duke’s Embrace
- The Duke’s Desire
- Dawn with a Duke
- One Night with a Duke
- Ten Days with a Duke
- Forever Your Duke
more
The Duke’s Embrace is the next heart lifting romance in the Twelve Duke’s of Christmas series. Miss Eve Shelling is an aspiring journalist trying to turn her father’s newspaper into a series business instead of a walking advertisement for their village. Sébastien le Duc’s family is biding their time to return to their homeland of France and reclaim their royal titles lost in the war. A mutual beneficial deal later has an unconventional lady winning the heart of the most sought after local dandy. The story is a sweet, feel good romance that leaves a you little more in love with the village of Christmas. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It was unexpected and fresh, yep, even though it’s a historical.
Bastien is French in England. He sews his own clothing! Gasp. He’s very much into fashion and odd.
Odd as in Eve Shelling, a journalist in Christmas.
They are opposites but so very interesting.
Highly recommended.
The books can be read as stand alone, but if you read the previous book, then you already know Sébastien, the French blacksmith who can’t wait to return to his country (he and his siblings had fled so they wouldn’t end up dying by the guillotine, as so many other acquaintances), but who did not make his fortune by honest work.
When the opportunity arises to return to France – and after his sister Desiree married a Briton – Sébastien decides to sell his business. To do so, he asks Miss Eve for help writing an ad in the Cressmouth Gazette.
Eve is keen to be a real journalist, but finds herself trapped in writing unimportant subjects in an almost-newspaper-pamphlet run by her father.
Sébastien came to her for help, but she finds out much more about the wealth of that Frenchman who was duke in name.
That information would make Eve credible as a journalist, but Sebastien was too charming to resist…
4 stars
As a reporter Eve Shelling has two strikes against her. One – she is trying to make a career for herself in what is typically a man’s world and two – her father owns the newspaper she writes for. Anyone else would have given up but not Eve. She’s determined to be taken seriously as a journalist no matter what it takes. But once her heart is involved will she be able to push ambition aside for love?
What I love about this series is that all the heroines are slightly out of their time. They all have careers or ambitions beyond finding a suitable husband, preferably titled with a good income but they all still somehow manage to find men who are willing to support and encourage them in their dreams and endeavours no matter what they are. The characters are all likeable and with entertaining storylines all in all these books are an easy way to spend an hour. Despite being part of a series these novellas can all be read as stand-alones without any spoilers.
I am loving the series 12 Dukes of Christmas and I like the fact that they are not actual dukes. This one is no exception with the hero being a french blacksmith. As usual, Ms Ridely has put time into researching and writing into her story a craft to make the stories more than just a love story. This was a great read and am sure all who read will enjoy it. There was a small amount of sex and this reviewer, as usual, skipped it. I received this book as an ARC and was very happy to do a review.
Once again, Ridley takes us back to Cressmouth village and back to the le Duc household! The quick pacing and fun characters make this novella incredibly easy to binge in one sitting. If you haven’t had a chance to read the previous installments, this still works as a standalone but for maximum enjoyment, I recommend starting from the beginning! Now on to some character chat…
By far, my favorite character was Sebastien! His character was complex and charming. A jack-of-all-trades, Sebastien is a problem solver and man-of-fashion. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for Eve as much. As the story-line progressed, I found myself increasingly frustrated with her. She didn’t have the same depth as Seb so I had a hard time connecting with her. I did love her gigantic, protective Bull Mastiff though!
Overall, this was a fun return to the village of Christmas cheer! I am thoroughly looking forward to the next le Duc book.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eva Shelling wants to be a respected journalist. She knows that won’t happen unless her father agrees to let her write more relevant stories. The paper needs to be more that a travelogue praising Cressmouth. Since her father owns the paper I didn’t think she would be successful. Eva deserves her father’s respect and his love, but he won’t do that. I hated to see her blame herself for her mother’s death. Meanwhile local blacksmith Sebastien le Duc and his brother want to sell their business and go to France. They’ve been living in England for years. Now they can go home and try to reclaim their birth right. Can Sebastien leave this snowy village where he’s found love? He knows the more time he and Eva spend together, the more he wants to be with her forever. I enjoyed watching their love grow. I wanted them to be happy. They both deserve it. The past has caused them both so much pain. Eva’s father is a problem. I didn’t want him to destroy their future. I wasn’t sure that he could be stopped. Erica Ridley wrote a sweet, emotional romance that made me smile. I liked both the setting and the characters.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
Both suffer from other’s ideas and expectations of how their lives will unfold, and breaking free is never easy.
This is a wonderful story with charm, laughs and drama. what a fun delightful plot, a long with secrets. Loved the characters. There is a little steam, not much.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Duke’s Embrace, by Erica Ridley, is available at booksellers on 12-3-19. Embrace is book 7 in The 12 Duke’s of Christmas series. An ambitious project, 12 stories about 12 “dukes” before Christmas but Ms Ridley is making a fantastic go of it. We’re still in the village of Cressmouth, better known as Christmas. The picturesque village is a holiday dream come true. Tourist trade keeps them going and nothing should get in the way of a visitors enjoyment. The Cressmouth Gazette is on the verge of doing such a thing.
Ms Eve Shilling wants to be a “real” journalist, not just write about all things Christmas and touristy. She runs the paper but her father owns it. She’s got serious self esteem issues. Blames herself for all kinds of bad things past and future. She wants out of Cressmouth and away from her troubles, which we all know would follow her anyway. She’s been immersed in her work for so long that she’s almost blind to the world if it’s not a story. When she finally looks up Eve is hit with a powerful attraction that she doesn’t want.
Sebastien “Bastien” le Duc is a dandy with morals, values, a conscious, and a sense of family & duty. Not your typical dandy. It to give him a boost to his self esteem to be dressed to the nines & admired. He’s something special. He works hard at it, even making his own clothes. He kinda wants to go home to France and kinda doesn’t, he’s been gone almost 2 decades. He’s aware of Eve long before she notices him. Neither is interested in anything but a short term romance but the heart wants what the heart wants.
There are holes in the story but I was so invested in the characters that it didn’t matter. I liked these two. You’re going to love the bullmastiff, Duenna. It’s Spanish for a companion and that’s exactly what she is. I’m waiting on the next installment, the last le Duc brother and the hardest to imagine with an HEA. Hurry Ms Ridley, write faster.
@12Dukes #EricaRidley #TheDuke’sEmbrace #Netgalley #historicalromance
Highly entertaining, fun, engaging and action packed adventure filled with interesting charters, witty banter, emotional thrills and undeniable passion…. was a great read from beginning to end. Really enjoyed this journey!
Eve dreams of the perfect story that will get her to London. Instead of writing just about the village and the celebrations during the holidays, she decides on a human interest story. Her most attractive subject is one of the local blacksmiths, Bastien. Only Bastien has a secret that can destroy the love they have for each other.. A short book full of conflict and romance.
This is book 7 in the 12 dukes of Christmas series. You do not have to read them in order but I think you will get more enjoyment if you do.
This one is about a young woman, Miss Eve Shelling who dreams of being a great journalist. She works
and writes for The Cressmouth Gazette a paper her father owns. Eve does all the work for the paper, runs the press, writes the articles and make sure the shipping is on time. Her father orders her to write and print only what he wants in the paper, positive things, stories of Christmas, Sleigh rides, wassailing . These will bring more tourist to a town know for Christmas. She wants to write about life, and how the village is so much more and about the people. Eve lost her mother years ago and carries not only sadness but quilt
the has taken over all her feelings. Her father does nothing now but stay in his den by himself.
She does not trust men period. Her best friend is Duenna who just happens to go ever where with her. She is a Hugh Bull mastiff dog that protects her and keeps men at large.
Monsieur Sebastien know as Bastien is the towns dandy, and one of the black smiths along with his brother Lucien.
They have been in Cressmouth for the last nineteen years, since having to flee from France.
Even thru Eve and Bastien have known about each other they just now start talking as they need each other now.
Bastien needs to sell the smithy so he and Lucien can return to France.
Eve needs a story she can write that is not about the some old things even if it upsets her father.
She and Bastien make a deal , she gets to write about the Brother’s and in turn will help him sell the smithy.
As the learn about the other, and share things with each other, alone with some hot kissing.
Just as they are working it all out danger rises to end everything. There are many secrets in this small town,
and the wrong people finding out could hurt many. Saying any more would ruin the book for you.
You don’t want to miss any of these books, but I think this may be my favorite. (I say that after each one)
I want to thank the author and NetGalley for giving me and ARC . I am voluntarily giving my honest opinion.
This is book 7 in the Dukes of Christmas series, it can easily be read as a standalone though. I liked this book a lot more than book 6 , it seemed to have more substance than the previous book in the series. I liked Eve’ s character, she persevered with her dreams of becoming a journalist even though she has had to keep the family finances and house hold in check with no help from her feckless father. The chemistry between her and sebastien is so obvious in their interactions together and the relationship between them developed quite quickly. Their banter is humorous. This was a Funny, flirty festive read and I read it in a day.
I received this copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
The Duke’s Embrace is the seventh book in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series by Erica Ridley. This was another awesome book for the series! Eve Shelling was under-paid and under-appreciated by her father who owned the Cressmouth Gazette. She was ambitious and wanted the Gazette to become something better than a quarterly paper that only contained information about the town’s festivities for Christmas. She thought it should contain things about the actual people and families that lived in Cressmouth, when her father was happy to continue reissuing old issues. Compromising with her father and trying to find an in between was becoming hard. She was excited when she came up with the idea to write an article about the Le Duc’s smithy to help them find a buyer for the business.
Sebastien “Bastien” le Duc and his family owned and operated the local blacksmith. They were determined to return to their home country of France after earning enough money to pay for their uncle to have his home. His family was also part of a secret smuggling operation that helped to supplement their income. They were planning on returning to France after they sold the smithy right after Christmas. He didn’t plan on falling for Eve or dreading to leave Cressmouth.
This was a short and fast paced book to read, but such a fun book. I loved the characters in the book. Sebastien was a dandy who loved his family and was not afraid of hard work. His loyalty to his family was strong and his skills as a problem solver helped them to survive. Eve was determined and had a good vision for the Gazette to make a difference to the people who actually lived in Cressmouth year-round. I can’t wait to read the next book and see Lucien get his happy ever after.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eve and Bastien know what they want. Eve wants to be a journalist and write “real” news. Bastien wants to return to France and help his bother restore the family name and reclaim their birthright. As these two help each other towards their goals, they begin to see each other in a different light. It doesn’t matter how they feel about each other; they can’t stay together, can they?
Bastien and Eve’s story takes place in Cressmouth, a beautiful little village in the far northern part of England where Christmas is celebrated year-round. Lovable quirky characters, snarky banter, and a happy story with a few twists and turns make this one to enjoy. The story includes a spoiled hog, a large Mastiff named Duenna, and a story featuring the last seven swans a-swimming on the town pond before they migrate. The Duke’s Embrace is another lovely addition to the 12 Dukes of Christmas.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
This is a delightful series and while each book can be read as a stand alone, the main characters do make “guest appearances” in the books. Appealing characters, a compelling plot and witty banter make this an enjoyable read.
Eve Shelling’s dreams is to leave Cressmouth and become a respected journalist in a large publication, but first she needs to be published and her father, the owner of the CRESSMOUT GAZETTE only wants fluff. Eve feels guilty about her mother’s death, when she unknowingly brought a charlatan, posing as a physician into their home. After her mother died, they were in debt.
She came up with the idea for the paper, but being a young woman had not the means or authority to do so. Her father used her dowry to start the gazette, but still controls the paper and what is printed in it, even though Eve does all the work.
Sebastian le Duc, known as Bastien, and his siblings have lived in Cressmouth for 18 years after the execution of their parents in France during the revolution, when their “Uncle” Jasper rescued them and brought them back to England. However, now that the political climate allows them to return and claim their family land, they must first pay off the mortgage for their Uncle. In the previous book, thanks to their partner and new brother-in-law, JACK, they have the funds, so all that is left is to sell their smithy. Bastien seeks Eve’s help in posting an advertisement, which gives her an idea to write an article about the le Ducs and the smithy. Both believe that others think that they are not “good enough”. Spending time together, Eve learns there is so much more to Bastien then the dandy appearance he likes to create and he sees a vibrant beautiful woman that no one else does. Bastien is soon leaving England- but is that truly what he wants to do?
Loved the story! Eve and Bastien were perfect for each other after never noticing the other for 18 years. I loved how they figured out what’s most important to each other by the end and can’t wait to find out who/what the next “Duke” is!! Thank you for the advance copy!
Aspiring, though currently unpaid and unappreciated, journalist Eve Shelling learned early on the painful lesson that men cannot be trusted. So she focuses on her paper and not falling for the charming subject of her latest article. Sebastien le Duc runs the village blacksmith shop along with his brother, Lucian. He’s a dandy with hidden secrets, like his involvement in a smuggling operation, but he has a good heart and he and his brother are now finally able to sell their shop and at last return to their homeland in France. But when he loses his heart to Eve, and the ambitious journalist learns his secrets, it may be too late for Sebastian to have any future at all.
I found Bastien to be adorable, but Eve just made me angry at the end. She couldn’t be bothered to listen to her Bastien’s story and instead blabbed to her father, with no concern for Bastien’s safety or that of his family and instead feeding right into her father’s prejudices. Of course she did get her head on straight in the end, but I wound up feeling like it wasn’t really fair for Sebastien to be subjected to such threats from her without a proper apology in the end of ever getting to really explain himself, meanwhile Eve wound up getting everything she’d ever wanted. Nonetheless, this was still an enjoyable read and I look forward to Lucien’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Back to beloved Cressmouth, England or “Christmas” where anything can happen, especially if there is a Duke around!! But one young lady, Eve Shelling was determined to be a good journalist and write about other items beside the same old aritcles. Of course, her father was the owner of the paper and he was determined to make her follow the rules, drat it!
Determined to write her own article, she continues to take matters in her own hand. The new subject, Local Blacksmith and dandy Monsieur Sebastien le Duc will make a fine contribution! Of course his and his family’s goal is to get back to France.
But as they get to know each other, it sees Eve determines there is a lot more to Bastien than meets the eye!
Such a fun story with a determined lady and a charmer of a man, who get to know each other and find out they may just be right for each other!!