From a New York Times bestselling author: The Duke of Azureford isn’t the arrogant, aloof lord his peers perceive him to be. Yes, he’s awkward, but he has a plan to fix it. In order to woo a respectable lady, he must learn how to flirt. The completely inappropriate girl next door would make a perfect instructor, but a terrible duchess. So why can’t he walk away?Incorrigible hoyden Miss Carole … walk away?
Incorrigible hoyden Miss Carole Quincy likes fast carriages, carom billiards, and the beautiful, buttoned-up Duke of Azureford. She’d be delighted to help him out of his shell and into her arms. Who cares if they’re just pretending to flirt? The heady, breath-taking, soul-consuming feeling inside her runaway heart surely can’t be love…
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
I wasn’t very far into the book before I realized had been smiling quite a bit. Carole was totally unique with quite the imagination too! An imagination that she used as an escape with her drawings; into a world that could be instead of what was. She sure had some interesting ideas. That is some of the places that made me smile.
While I am NOT a fan of fortune tellers, the brief appearance of one in this story does shake things up!
Adam also adds his flavor to the story and he has way more depth than most people get to see. He is brilliant when standing and speaking before a group of people like Parliament. But one on one with another person he comes across as cold, rude and graceless. Only his butler Swinton, is privy to the fact that small talk almost gives him hives. That small talk is an agony for him.
Carole is brilliant in her own ways and has a robust love of life. She is the opposite of Adam. She has a way of drawing people to her like bees to honey. Sure, she has her flaws but she’s also on the lookout for how she can help people. Carole’s lady companion, Judith was a hoot and added even more smiles to the story. She had been with Carole so long that she was almost family. But that didn’t mean she was much of a deterrent to many of Carole’s hoydenish ways.
Let me say that I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was a fun story with a good Epilogue included.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
Yet another sweet and funny story of love and romance in the village of Christmas. A shy and socially awkward Duke and an outgoing spinster, with no pretensions of haut ton (but one who can play a wicked game of billiards) find their HEA together.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Adam, the Duke of Azureford, is perceived as cold and aloof by his peers, but really he’s just shy and socially awkward. Now he wishes to do his duty to the dukedom by marrying an appropriate bride, but he’ll need to make some changes first. He’s planning to reinvent himself by transforming his library into a billiards room and practicing his social skills on the people of the town of Cressmouth before trying his luck on the real stage in London. His wildly inappropriate neighbor turns out to be the perfect billiards teacher, but she’s make a terrible duchess. Right?
Carole Quincy loves logic and math and has been keeping her household together since her mother’s death. She’s happy to help loosen up the straight-laced duke and let him practice his flirting on her. She never intends to marry anyway so what could be the harm?
This was another cute Christmas story in the 12 Dukes series. It’s a quick feel-good read and I think those are always enjoyable. Although these two harping on about all the reasons they couldn’t be together did get a bit old after awhile, especially given that this is a short novella, overall I liked this story and look forward to the next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
FREAKING AWESOME!!!
Pegging partners! Erica troupes a kaleidoscopic reign as she tosses all the revelations, determination and triumph into one incredible mix that blaze this baby to life spectacularly. Daunting circumstances and enthralling events set the stage as shenanigans run rampant with all the wonder fusing this bad boy together sleek, shiny and tight. Erica weaves a web around us drawing us deeper and deeper until everything else ceases to exist. Pushing through trials and tribulations keeping pace with a slew of plot twists and sharp turns blaze this bad boy to life with staggering results. The characters are authentic, original and realistic with depth and qualities that’s easy to relate. Their personalities bloom and blend together with smooth even grace. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions you have no problem picturing each scenario creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Fantastic job Erica, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
Another delightful novella written by Erica Ridley! I thought this was such a sweet and fun story and the two main characters, Carole and Adam, were very easy to love:) Adam first comes across as very aloof and grumpy but he’s actually just the opposite, shyness is stopping him from being able to be himself when around people. Carole, on the other hand, is the opposite, full of life and loved by all who know her. And she’s a genius at Billiards, how awesome is that?!!!
I loved seeing how Carole manages to get Adam out of his shell and while helping him build the perfect Billiards room, they grow closer and closer. Circumstances stand in their way, though, and the road to their HEA hits a few bumps. Apart from that, there’s lots of humor in the story and I’m still giggling at Adam’s come on lines! lol
I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Adam, the Duke of Azureford, buys the cottage next door to the Quincy’s. Shy and awkward in social conversation, he is immediately relaxed with his neighbors daughter, Carole. She becomes his hope of making himself over. What brings them together is giving her the task of remolding his library into a billiard room and teaching him to play billiards. In the meantime, their attraction becomes more, but her commitment to her father holds her back. Where do they go from here when he has to return to London?
Absolutely loved, loved reading this book. A short read that moves quickly and didn’t disappoint. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Wonderfully romantic! Our welcome back to Cressmouth is a great addition to the 12 Dukes series. I loved this story. Adam is shy and so sweet. Carole is a bit of a hoyden but loves her father and wants to spend as much time with him as she can. I enjoyed reading how she cared for her family and was not always at odds with them. Billiards drew them together but their understanding of each other and the love that developed was a beautiful story.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
The Duke of Azureford hasn’t visited his cottage in Cressmouth for quite some time so next door neighbour Carole Quincy visits to try to find her sketchbook which she left there some months before but someone’s moved all the books around & then Adam the Duke comes back & is going to give the majority of the library to the town. The Duke of Azureford is shy around people but he has a plan to fix it, he’ll convert his library into a billiards room. Carole offers to help Adam catalogue the library & then when she confesses about her sketchbook she helps with the billiard room.
Another feel good heart warming story that often had me chuckling. I really liked both Adam & Carole & how they gradually fell in love. Also how he gained in confidence. I read the book in a sitting, it left me with a warm feeling & I look forward to the rest of the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Dukes, Actually by Erica Ridley
12 Dukes of Christmas #5
Love, LOVE. L O V E these novella length holiday romances! In this one shy adam Farland, duke of Azureford comes to his summer home in Cressmouth, England to become a new man. He believes that it is time to learn to get his flirt on and be able to socialize so he can find a bride to breed with. Little does he know that Miss Carole Quincy will show up looking for her sketchbook and give him a hand not only with his social skills but also in turning his library into a billiard room. The time they spend together draws them closer together but Carole is sure her father needs her and that might just put a wrench in the HEA they could have together. Then again…perhaps not.
What I liked:
* that Carole and Adam seemed so right for one another
* the relationship that developed between the two
* the side romance between the maid and the butler
* the billiards lessons (had to look up what a mace was)
* the way it all worked out
What I did not like:
* Hmm…can’t think of anything I didn’t like 😉
Thank you to the author for the ARC – this is my honest review.
5 Stars
Lighthearted, quirky and fun, this delightful romance sums up the theory that opposites attract. Only, the Duke of Azureford and Carole Quincy are so far off the spectrum of their respective scales, that it is a wonder that they ever found anything in common. Yet they did just that, bonding over billiards. In the process, Adam discovers that he no longer wants to find the perfect duchess, but rather the right woman, one that will fulfill him and become light and life to his icy solitude. Although this novel is fairly short, it is nevertheless fun and made me laugh out loud. Adam is a completely relatable character as I know men just as introvert and uptight as he is, and couldn’t help but giggle when I saw the comparison. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This is the short and sweet story of how the “Wanting-to-Change”, Duke of Azureford and the “Billiards-Queen”, Carole Quincy meet and fall in love.
It is a truly delightful tale where for once the heroine really does not want to get married. It is a well written page-turner and just the thing to read while snuggling under a cosy blanket with a hot cup of ‘something’.
For just how long will these two lovable characters be able to keep the truth from themselves?
I read an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of the book and this is my voluntary and unbiased review of it.