“Attention, Bridgerton fans: if you’re ready to delve deeper into the world of historical romances, The Worst Duke in the World by Lisa Berne is a fun place to start.” —Pop Sugar
A wayward duke must choose: will he be the bad hero in a love story gone awry, or the brave and clever hero who risks everything for true love? The acclaimed Penhallow Dynasty series continues in this fresh, fun, funny … everything for true love? The acclaimed Penhallow Dynasty series continues in this fresh, fun, funny tale!
Life’s no bowl of cherries for Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe. Duty demands he remarry to provide a spare to go along with the heir — and eligible ladies keep trying to finagle him into a proposal. All he wants is to be a good father to his 8-year-old son, see the Duchess (his truly terrific pig) win first prize at the harvest fête, and stay single. Even if that makes him a Bad Duke. Maybe the Worst Duke in the World.
Then Miss Jane Kent, a long-lost relation of the illustrious Penhallow family, arrives in the neighborhood and is promptly befriended by the Duke’s son. Jane, Anthony comes to realize, is smart and fun and also very kissable and dazzlingly desirable. Still, that’s not enough to melt his resistance to marrying again. He made a stern promise to himself and promises must, of course, be kept.
But what if that’s just his head talking, and his heart . . . is saying something entirely different?
“Delicious.” —Sarah MacLean, The Washington Post, on You May Kiss the Bride
“…It’s champagne in book form — bubbly, fun, and intoxicating far more quickly than one might anticipate.” —Entertainment Weekly
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The Worst Duke In The World
By Lisa Berne
The Worst Duke In The World is a fun read and the fifth book in the Penhallow Dynasty by Lisa Berne. This is my first book in the series and I was highly entertained by this historical romance with great characters that kept my attention and turning those pages.
Anthony Farr is the Duke of Radcliffe and once married with a son. Understandably, Anthony is quite reluctant to jump into another marriage no matter how much his sister tries and would rather live the life of a bachelor which would make him the worst duke in the world. Then comes along Miss Jane Kent – will she be able to turn him around and offer that proposal?
This was a really fun read and I did enjoyed the characters and the situation is so much more modern than I thought it would be. I love the banter, the comedic situations that had me laughing out loud. I really enjoyed this one for a fun escape read.
I usually love stories by this author and this one did not disappoint. It was a sweet story of Anthony, Duke of Radcliff, a widow with a son, who really does not want to marry again. His sister parades endless ladies in front of him to try to get his interest.
Jane Kent, finds she is a relation to the Penhallow family and arrives at their illustrious home. She soon gets to know the son of the neighboring Duke, while studying at the vicarage and eventually the Duke himself.
A delightful story of an attraction that cannot be denied!
Although the authors writing is intriguing, I found myself lost in some of dialogue/ communication between the characters. In some areas there should be a pause to give the reader time to reflect on what the characters have discussed. Fill the pause with background knowledge of the characters perhaps. The writer has chosen a great plot. I did find humor in the conversations between the characters. I also like the characters. This book will do well among the writers followers. voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
The Worst Duke in the World is the fifth in The Penhallow Dynasty series but can be read as a stand alone. This is a delightfully fun story of love is not always at first sight but once realized, is worth fighting for. After Jane loses the last relative she has ever known, she finds a love letter in a book in the attic that tells of the love of her grandparents that was never realized. She spends the last little bit of money to travel to hopefully meet her family from her grandfather’s side. Growing up poor, she never expected the wealth and largeness of the family seat. Upon seeing her, her great-grandmother immediately takes her under her wing and begins transforming her life into the life she should have lived all along. During her education, she meets the young son of the Duke of Radcliffe and they become fast friends. Her first impression upon meeting the duke is not what she expected but as they continue to interact, they find many things in common and simply begin to enjoy each others company. Anthony, the Duke of Radcliffe, is a widower with one son and is expected to remarry to produce more heirs to continue the lineage however he promises to never marry again. His first marriage was horrible and he doesn’t want to repeat it but when he meets Jane, his feelings start to change and he is conflicted with his new emotions. The story that follows is filled with fun dialogue, emotional scenes and a cute love story. The characters are entertaining and delightful.
I received this book from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe, is well aware of the duties that come along with the title he was never meant to inherit. He has a son already but is under immense pressure since his wife’s death to remarry and produce a spare. His meddlesome sister persists in inviting various unwed misses to his country home, but all Anthony wants is to be a good father to his son and never marry again, even if that makes him a terrible duke.
A lost relation of the esteemed Penhallow family, Jane Kent arrives in the neighborhood and her new family sets about preparing her for society. She befriends the duke’s son during their shared mathematics lessons and soon has Anthony charmed as well. But no matter that he enjoys Jane’s company and finds her desirable, Anthony refuses to go back on his word to himself that he’d never again be bound by marriage, even if his heart wants something more.
This was a sweet story with some lovely, light-hearted humor and I enjoyed the descriptions of the simple sensuality to be found in minor contact with another human. Unfortunately, it really didn’t hold my attention and I couldn’t get through much of it in one sitting. I appreciate a low angst story with a good beta hero, but while Anthony’s shyness was charming, his refusal to stand up for himself, his son, or Jane against his hateful sister was frustrating and just made him seem weak. Of course, Anthony eventually came into his own but even then, it took so long for him and Jane to come together that I lost interest all over again. I did find Mrs. Penhallow’s disdain for Anthony to be a bit far-fetched since his title, no matter how ill-suited he was to it, put him miles above Jane in social standing and he had done nothing to deserve such censure. The lightness of this story and the humor was nice but the pace was too slow to keep me interested and both main characters were too immature to compel me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-worst-duke-in-world-by-lisa-berne.html
4.5 stars, as reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1sq
Anthony Farr, Duke of Radcliffe, just wants to enjoy life on his country estate, spend time with his beloved son, Wakefield, and never have to go to town or marry again. Anthony was never the heir to the title, but when his older brother died, his father insisted that Anthony marry his brother’s fiancée, Selina. The couple was a total mismatch, the marriage was a disaster, and the only good thing that came of it was Wake, now eight years old. Anthony’s father died, and his wife died, yet Anthony was still not left in peace, as his older widowed sister, Meg, returned to live with him. Meg is a miserable person, making those around her miserable, as well. She is constantly inviting house guests (read – single young ladies) in the hope of forcing Anthony to marry again. At regular intervals, she berates Anthony, declaring him to be the worst duke in the world.
Jane Kent has lost her last relative, and is unsure what her future will be, when she unearths a letter from years ago, one that shows she is related to the wealthy Penhallow family. Using the last of her meager funds, she travels to the family home to see if they may be willing to bestow some charity on her. To her surprise, she is warmly embraced by her great grandmother, and immediately taken in as part of the family. Because her education has been sadly lacking, Jane is sent to the vicar to attend classes with the only other student, Wakefield Farr. Though Jane is twenty, she and Wake have an immediate rapport and liking for each other. Soon, he invites her home for lunch, where she meets his father, Anthony.
Jane, Anthony, and Wake are all quirky characters, therefore they greatly enjoy each other’s company. Anthony is comfortable with Jane, something unusual for him, due to his bitter experience with his deceased wife. Jane is invited to the house more and more, and before long, Anthony discovers that kissing Jane is a delectable experience. Their closeness grows, and is soon noticed by both their families, and neither approves. When Jane’s great grandmother decides to whisk her off to London, Jane decides to confess her love to Anthony, who immediately becomes terrified. His reaction here is the one thing he did that I absolutely hated his doing in the book. So heartbreaking! Jane goes off to London to try to forget him, and Anthony pines for her so much that it affects his health.
I loved reading this book so much! Offbeat characters appeal to me, and other than his one misstep, I found Anthony to be one of the best dukes. He’s courteous, kind, and loves his son dearly. He tolerates his awful sister, rather than sending her away. (Actually, I wish he would have sent her away!) When he realizes the huge mistake he made with Jane, he goes all out to make things right. I love Jane’s honesty and strength. I admire her for admitting her love, then giving Anthony another chance without being a pushover. And now, for Wakefield – he is a show stealer, a charming, intelligent, lovable and loving young man with a penchant for butchering words that is adorable. Together they make a perfect family. THE WORST DUKE IN THE WORLD is mostly lighthearted and entertaining, with the sad part thankfully brief. I totally enjoyed the read, the romance, the smiles, and the wonderful happy ever after.
This was a fun and interesting read. The characters were well-written and fun to follow but not overly intriguing. Anthony and Jane weren’t as mature (I guess that’s the right word) as I was expecting and both seemed to be very inexperienced with the world. This kinda made them hard to relate with. However, I loved little Wakefield. He was adorable and said the funniest things. The romance was there and it was sweet and steamy but still inexperienced in a different way. There was also some humor in the conversations which it made enjoyable. The writing wasn’t exactly smooth and didn’t entirely hold my interest. That being said, there was a mix of good and bad which made this book kinda meh with some fun moments. The story as a whole was fun and I would recommend it as a nice afternoon read. I’m looking forward to seeing more from this author.
You know, for such a lighthearted and fun read this book really inspired some complicated feelings in me. Right upfront I’m going to say I like it, In fact I think it is almost impossible not to but on the other hand I felt it could be a bit wearying. I thought it was as entertaining and cute as a toddler but it also had as much rambunctiousness as one and just as in real life I found myself feeling worn out by it. While Jane didn’t make much an impression on me either way, I really liked the idea of Anthony and I say idea because I feel there was so much potential there that was just left unmined or simply wasted. So, for me it was no homerun but it wasn’t terrible either. It’s a middling read that has its moments but one that I had to work at and take breaks from. I am posting an independent, impartial review.
I loved the humor in this book. The love of the Hero for his son (and the son’s catch phrase “That’s what I said”) makes for a rare, warm hero. The heroine herself is feisty rather than demure when it comes to men, despite her lowly birth. I HIGHLY recommend this and will look for more by this author.
3.5 stars. I liked it, for the most part. The H&h were nice, but not terribly socially adept. It’s funny for a while, but not for 415 pages. Too much time is spent hearing about how awful the duke’s first marriage was, that by the time he realizes that it’s holding him back from opening up to another relationship, the book’s almost over. It’s an instant “I’m an ass, I’m sorry”, and all’s well that ends well.
This is just a delightful book, with plenty of wonderful characters and interaction far from ballrooms or London salons — which is what you might expect in a duke who is more interested in raising pigs than being a shining light in society. Jane Kent is the heroine, a long-lost granddaughter of the Penhallow dynasty, born after her father died and was killed in a racing accident. She grew up in in poverty and seeks out her father’s family in desperation — and lucky for her, she’s a dead ringer for her father, Titus, and is brought into the fold. She meets the Duke, not the regal creature one might expect, but a man who wants to care for his son and raise prize-winning pigs. He is not the worst, but perhaps the least likely duke, in the world. This is an amusing, fun story, with plenty of joy along the way. Jane’s interactions with the duke’s adorable but not overly precious son, are some of the best parts of the book, showing the path to becoming not just a couple but a family. Highly recommended. (I received an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)
I liked the heroine Jane who is a poor girl who finds herself a long lost relative of a rich and powerful family. I did not like the hero, Anthony, who is a duke who takes way too long to appreciate Jane. He seemed too stupid and, I thought, was indeed not good enough for her! I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon for my honest review.
Anthony Farr was the Duke of Radcliffe, his forced marriage had ended in her death five years ago. But he was blessed with a son. His sister felt he needed to remarry and have another child. He did not want to get married ever again. He loved his pig, Duchess, and his son Wakefield.
Jane Kent was standing at the door of Surmont Hall. She was so poor, starving, and cold. Her great=grandmother had died a few months ago. She had a letter and when the older Lady Penhallow saw her she almost fell to the floor and she yelled “Titus” Come to find out she was jane’s great-grandmother. She looked like her grandfather. Needless to say, she had been welcomed in.
I loved this story there was not only bantering but some of the conversations were different and so funny. She liked the duke and his son, they were comforting. His sister kept inviting single ladies and their mothers. He was resolute he will not get married again. His son had a tooth problem and he wanted Jane there. She came and helped care for him. The characters were so warm and wonderful. All but Anthony’s sister, she was not a nice lady. Things became increasingly complicated until Anthony could stick to his guns. The places they went to, London, Hastings and Surmount Hall.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
England – 1817
Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe, 31, has a pig named Duchess which he prizes highly and ventures to her pen daily to check on her. Anthony has been a widower for 5 years when his wife, Selina, passed away. Although theirs was not a loving marriage, he has a son and heir, Wakefield, age 8. Anthony’s sister, Meg, is a widow and lives with Anthony. She is bossy and always trying to introduce him to women for him to marry. She says he needs not only an heir but also a spare. She invites eligible young ladies and their families to tea. She does not like his involvement with his pig which embarrasses her.
Jane Kent, 20, has arrived at Surmont Hall asking to see the elder Mrs. Henrietta Penhallow. When the woman sees Jane, she is shocked in that she looks like her deceased son, Titus. Titus had been in love with Charity and they planned to marry as soon as he finished a race. However, he died in an accident in that race. Charity was pregnant and went to live elsewhere. Jane is the granddaughter of Charity and having grown up in near poverty, found a letter that Titus had written Charity. This she shows to Henrietta which cements that Jane is her great-granddaughter. Jane is welcomed into the family consisting of Henrietta’s grandson, Gabriel, his wife Livia, and their children.
Jane begins to settle in and is enjoying being able to eat good food as she had been malnourished. Henrietta arranges for her to attend classes with the local vicar whose only other student is Wakefield.
When Jane meets Anthony, she is under the impression that he must be a grand person, but she finds he is not as sophisticated as she thought he would be. His dress is not very neat and his interest in his pig is questionable.
Meg invites another family she assumes to be wealthy to visit for a few days. This turns out to be a bad ides. However, it’s during this time that Jane and Anthony become closer – but just how much closer? Will Jane be the one Anthony falls in love with for the first time ever? If so, will she or the pig be the Duchess?
This is a totally delightful romance novel with lots of things going on. Jane is a sweet and strong young woman and I love Wakefield with his mispronunciation of words. Anthony seems a bit scatterbrained probably because he does not want to marry again as his first marriage was so miserable. Enough with the spoilers. Readers don’t want to miss this book. I have never read this author’s books before but I am now on a hunt for more.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
When Jane Kent finds an old letter in a book, she has no idea how much her life is going to change. She travels to Surmont Hall to see Harriet Penhallow – the woman she believes to be her great-grandmother. Her reception at Surmont Hall is beyond her wildest dreams, the family accepts her immediately and for the first time in her life, Jane is pampered and spoiled. Old Mrs. Penhallow is ecstatic to have Jane living with her and sets out to give her the life she should have had, complete with a room of her own, a new wardrobe, and lessons with the local vicar. She is settling in and is introduced to several neighbors, including Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe. Jane has never met a duke and honestly, she is not impressed. But later when she meets his son Wakefield and visits the duke’s home – her feelings start to change and soon she is falling for him.
Anthony was born the spare to the dukedom and never thought he would inherit not only the title but his brother’s betrothed. His five-year marriage to Selina was a nightmare and the only good thing to come out of it was his son Wakefield. And despite his nasty sister Margaret’s non-stop attempts to find him a new bride, he has no plans to remarry and is content to spend his time in the country with his son, his studies, and his pig – Duchess. But then he meets Jane and for the first time in his life, he is falling in love – but as much as he enjoys Jane and her company, he holds firm to his vow to never remarry. However, when Jane leaves for a season in London he is miserable, and when he hears that she is a success and will probably marry one of the many men vying for her hand, will he finally admit his feelings and win her heart, or will it be too little, too late?
This was a quick read; it is light and fluffy and at times a bit silly. At first, I enjoyed the lightness of the book, but as the story went on, it began to annoy me. I liked Anthony and Jane and I have to agree with other reviews – they were both portrayed as very immature and almost juvenile in their interactions. I loved Wakefield and his “That’s what I said” line – truly, he was my favorite character in the book. I felt the book was going well, even with the ridiculous/annoying dialogue, until the end – then it was like the author just gave up and the last couple of chapters had a lot of narrative, but very little dialogue. I can’t say I really enjoyed the book, but I didn’t hate it, and if you are looking for a fun/silly read with likable characters, no steam love scenes, and a happy ever after – this book is for you. This is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. *
2.5 of 5 stars
Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe. suffered through a miserable marriage until the untimely death of his wife. While he should feel saddened, he just felt free. The only good thing to happen was the birth of his beloved son Wakefield. Anthony has vowed never ever to marry again. His walls begin to come down a bit when he meets Miss Jane Kent, a long-lost relative to his neighbors, the Penhallows. Jane cannot believe how her life has turned around from being dirt poor to finding out that she has a family. She is thrilled when her great grandmother welcomes her with open arms. When Jane meets their neighbor, the Duke of Radcliffe, she is taken with his unassuming ways. Little does she realize that the duke has no plans to ever marry again.
I’ve not read Ms. Berne before and I doubt I will read any more books. Her style of writing does not appeal to me. Her sentences run on and on and on and while the dialogue was lighthearted, it became quite silly after a while. I wasn’t a fan of either Anthony or Jane. Anthony was quite immature in my opinion while Jane was young and had more of a connection with 8 year old Wakefield than she did with the duke. Also, there was the question of Lady Margaret, Anthony’s sister, and why he put up with her shrewish behavior on a constant basis. Was there not a dower house she could have lived in? Sadly, not much happens in this book until the last couple of chapters. I did enjoy the epilogue as it wrapped up quite a few of the issues.
I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.
** 3.5 Stars **
Well, I hardly know where to start in order to explain my rating. This was a frivolous, lighthearted read that is just the kind of thing I needed after all of the dark and grim books that this COVID pandemic seems to have generated. It was humorous and the dialogue was witty. It also had some of the most immature and silly lead characters I’ve ever read – with that applying more to the male lead than the female. I liked the characters, but I felt they were more on a maturity par with the eight-year-old than the other adults in the book. BUT – all of that said, I enjoyed the read and it was a breath of fresh air among all of the grim releases.
Miss Jane Kent shows up at the door of Surmont Hall, home of the Pehallows. Jane is shivering, shabby, emaciated, starving, and desperate. She’s there because of a letter she found – and it is her last hope. After her great-grandmother Kent passed away, Jane was all alone in the world – with no skills and no funds. She knew she couldn’t stay in their home because she had no funds, so she was cleaning out the attic to prepare for leaving when she discovered an old yellowed letter tucked inside one of her great-grandfather Kent’s pamphlets. The letter was written to Charity, her grandmother, and indicated a relationship with the Penhallow family. Jane swallowed hard, packed her very few belongings, and made her way to Surmont Hall. When Henrietta Penhallow saw Jane, she immediately recognized the family connection because Jane looked just like her grandfather, Henrietta’s son, Titus.
Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe, is definitely a different kind of duke. He wasn’t supposed to be the duke, he is different from all of the other members of his family, and his sister constantly tells him he is the worst duke in the world. He isn’t polished in his dress, he hates London, he adores his pig (Duchess) who always wins ribbons at the fete, he adores his 8-year-old son Winfield, and he absolutely, completely, and totally hates marriage. He was trapped in a loveless marriage until his wife died five years ago – it wasn’t just a loveless marriage, each of them loathed the other, but he was forced into it. Now, he is free and he never ever intends to marry again no matter what his vile-tongued sister has to say about it.
Jane becomes friends with Wakefield through the local vicar because both Jane and Wakefield are taking lessons there. Wakefield invites Jane to go home with him to meet the Duchess (the pig) and she ends up meeting Anthony as well. Anthony and Jane immediately like each other and enjoy spending time together. Jane’s feelings are steady and they grow over time – until she knows she’s in love with Anthony. Anthony, on the other hand, blows hot and cold. He smothers her with kisses one minute and treats her as a stranger the next. He continues that way until he realizes he may have lost her forever – she is in London having a season – and it turns out she is very popular and has received several proposals. Uh-Oh!
Now, for a brief comment about Margaret, Anthony’s sister. She is a gosh-awful shrew who makes everybody’s life miserable. She’s vile, hateful, and mean spirited. I just don’t understand why Anthony would continue to put up with her. He doesn’t have to. She is a widow who was kicked out of her former husband’s home by the man who inherited her husband’s title. Anthony took her in and instead of being grateful, she makes life miserable for everyone. Why wouldn’t a rich, powerful duke like Anthony just provide Margaret with a small home somewhere away from him and let her live her miserable life there? I just don’t get it – and it seems a lot of authors write these kinds of characters.
Anyway, I enjoyed the read, but I just didn’t connect with the characters. Something has to be wrong when the most mature character in the book is an 8-year-old. I did love the final chapter because it did a wonderful wrap-up for all of the threads that had run through the book – as well as a lovely view of what life was like for Anthony, Jane, and Wakefield several years down the road.
If you are looking for a rather inane, fairly witty, lighthearted read, this might be just the book for you.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.