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
Oh, I am so glad to be travelling back to Cressmouth/Christmas once again – Erica Ridley has written such a fun & fantastic series!
Monsieur Sebastien le Duc & his brother, Lucien have been in Cressmouth after fleeing France & they have been working to pay back the debt they owe & they have made the decision to sell the smithy so they may return to their homeland. Sebastien is the middle child in the Le Duc family & is absolutely “swoon-worthy”. He is masculine beyond words, a rake., a secret smuggler& a pillar in the community.
Miss Eve Shelling is a journalist with the Gazette, which her father owns but she has been in charge of for years. She feels her talents aren’t being appreciated as a journalist & her father prefers to ignore the excellent job she does for the newspaper. Eve learned along time ago that men were not be trusted & will not find herself falling for some dandy & you will find her with notebook & pencil ready for a story while always accompanied by her protective Bullmastiff, Duenna.
Bastien & Eve meet to write an article for the Gazette that will showcase the Smithy to sell it. Eve feels a story about the smithy & the le Duc brothers will be interesting to the readers & will help with the sale. But, in the process of working together, they have found an attraction that is hard to deny. However; things could change when she uncovers information about the brother’s small smuggling business – can she print the story & give her journalism career a great boost & send them to jail, will he leave for France or can they work out the problems & find happiness?
I was gifted the Advanced Reader Copy of this book & all opinions are my own & have been voluntarily given.
As Christmas approaches the Ducs fall one by one. Sebastian is the middle child and the dandy of the Le Duc family. As things are finally falling in place for the family return to France he meets a hiccup. Eve has been ignoring men for awhile. She just wants to write. Sebastian is able to change her mind by showing her who he truly is. This is another wonderful story in this series that is lighthearted and wonderful to put you in the Christmas mood.
Eve is a suppressed woman who has been running her father’s Gazette by herself for years, but he chooses to not see her as the woman she is. Bastien is one of the local blacksmiths trying to earn money to return to France with his brother Lucien. When Eve and Bastian team up for an article in her paper to sell the smithy he never expects to become so enamored of her. When a secret comes out about the brothers will it ruin Eve and Bastien’s relationship and will he leave her for France? I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.
THE DUKE’S EMBRACE by Erica Ridley
I loved this simple story of a young lady who dreams of becoming a renowned journalist in London. Miss Eve Shelling’s father owned the only printing press in Cressmouth famous for its yuletide cheer Christmastide feeling all year round. Eve no longer wanted to write puff pieces for the paper. She wanted to write hard hitting action pieces. She needed the experience if she was ever to make it big in London. Monsieur Sebastien le Duc is one of the local smithies. His eldest brother Lucien was the other smithy. The reason they were in England is a terrible tragic story. They escaped France during the peasant revolution. Bastien’s family’s dream has been to return to France and try to reclaim their title and lands their parents had. It has been eighteen years and now the time was at hand to leave. That had been the plan. Eve fought her attraction to Bastien at every turn. When Bastien set his eyes on her there was no going back. If you read the last book in the series you know the type of other business the le Duc’s were involved with. Eve found out and was going to expose all those involved. I liked the characters very much. Strong, loyal, determined and honest. Family first was something Eve and Bastien had in common. What was to happen to Eve and Bastien’s budding romance? What was going to happen to the le Duc family if Eve printed an expose? Will they flee to France or be stuck in England? I enjoyed the story. It was entertaining and fun to read. I do recommend this story. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“The Duke’s Embrace” by Erica Ridley
Yes, I received a free ARC of this story from the author. Yes, this is a free-will review bearing my humble unbiased opinion of this story. I loved this story.. It is truly a fun light-hearted romp in Regency England in the village of Cressmouth, where Christmas abounds the year-a-round. You really should come along and read this story head-lining Eve and Bastian. It is a joy to finish a story with a heart filled with hope, and, looking forward to the next opportunity to visit this village once more and share the lives of its inhabitants. This story is worth the read.. Happy Reading ! !
Another absolutely delightful story in this series and seriously, they just keep on getting better and better!
This one is about Eve and Sebastian and how they suddenly find themselves in love even though they have known each other for simply ages.
Of course her daddy doesn’t fancy this relationship and tries to control her somewhat unfairly.
Two lovely and strong main characters, a dog chaperone and a pig as well as a brother and a sister all mixed in rather cleverly to make is an extremely enjoyable book and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
I read an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) and my unbiased review above is given voluntarily.
4.5 Stars
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 when she was sixteen. Local blacksmith Monsieur Sébastien le Duc is a rakish dandy with a heart of stolen gold and two teeny tiny secrets.
A lovely read of two people who have been neighbours for years who suddenly find they are more than smitten with each other. Bastien & his brother having been trying to repay their debt so that they can sell the smithy & return to France. Eve wants to add more grit to the Cressmouth paper but her father is adamantly against it. When Eve offers to place an advert for the sale of he smithy she’s thrown together with Bastien & sparks fly. This is the seventh book in the series & whilst it could be read on its own the whole series has such a feel good feeling to it that I’d recommend reading the whole series. Bastien & Eve are both strong characters who fall in love only for a secret to nearly tear them apart. I loved both of them. Another well written page turning read that I read in two sittings.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read