An NPR Best Book of the Year – A Bookish Favorite Book of the Year – A Bookpage Best Romance of the YearAward-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way… is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr.
Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice—and his attraction to her—but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project.
Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?
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Oh my goodness this book was the best! I loved A Princess in Theory, but this novel topped it. It had me laughing and tearing up. I now really want to learn European martial arts and take a trip return trip to Scotland.
I’ll admit that I didn’t like drunk Portia from Book #1, but New Portia was amazing. The interesting part was that she didn’t know it, and that was part of her journey. She discovered a lot about herself during this story which made her tale more intriguing.
Tavish was hilarious, a gruff man for sure, but a sweetheart too. I wouldn’t want to be in his position of finding out his new status of royalty, but with help he handled it well.
The way Portia and Tavish’s attraction was described made me want to experience it for myself because it was incredible and consistent.
The story kept me on my toes. I almost took a peep at the end of the book in order to find out what would happen. This is a rarity for me.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. A Prince on Paper with Johan – sigh!
I just started it but so far I like it a lot.
I loved this romance by Alyssa Cole, set in Scotland and full of all sorts of adventures and characters who are both strong-willed, independent, prickly and yet clearly passionate about each other. I loved how Portia jumped at the chance to move from New York to another country as an apprentice to a swordmaker (something I’m pretty sure I’d never have the guts to do) and how she is able to quickly make herself totally indispensable to Tavish and his business while burrowing her way into his heart. Their chemistry sizzles on the page and Cole expertly draws out their flirtation and courtship. She makes a few mistakes along the way but she boldly learns all she can about her surroundings, her new job and what being a duke entails, even when she’s not asked to. I also was really drawn to Portia’s learning about why she’s been seen as “flighty” and a “hot mess” and how in a totally foreign land she’s able to find her true calling and sense of self-worth and make peace with a lot of drama from her past that’s haunted her. Cole treats the mental health issue behind her behavior with tenderness and empathy that resonated with me. Also, I didn’t know the first thing about Scottish royalty or swordmaking and now I do, which was a bonus. This is a funny, sexy contemporary romance I highly recommend! And if you’ve read the first Reluctant Royals book, some of the A Princess in Theory characters make cameos.
Loved this book even more than the first. I cannot wait for the next one!
Loved this book. Loved it! So glad Portia found her redemption and got the guy. It was sweet and wonderful. And top marks for Doctor Who references and a Highlander reference.
I *adored* the first book in the series (A Princess in Theory), so when I say that I loved this book EVEN MORE? *whew* That means something. 🙂
Multicultural contemporary romance in an international setting – these already made this book five stars to start with and it never went down from there.
Wonderfully rounded characters – relatable heroine in Portia with her perfect balance of insecurities and competence, swoon-worthy grumpy hero in Tavish; satisfying storyline; incredibly strong bonds of family and friendship. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Gobbled it up in a couple of hours.
Alyssa Cole is fast becoming an auto-read for me and I’m excited for the next installment in this series – Johan and Nya’s story.
What a fun summer read!! A Duke by Default is the second of the Reluctant Royals series and it’s an engaging read!
Portia Hobbs is trying very hard to turn over a new leaf. She wants to be a responsible, organized, and sober person! She’s used alcohol and men to drive away her insecurities before and now want’s to work through her issues without that crutch. She leaves NYC behind to take an apprenticeship in Scotland to a swordsmith. She hopes to find the real Portia there and learn a new craft along the way.
Portia arrives to the armory to meet her new boss Tavish McKenzie. It is a priceless beginning that’s for sure!! Things begin on shaky ground, but slowly Tav and Portia grow on each other. It’s a slow-burn build up from there!
There are a lot of items touched on in this book-most importantly the pressures of growing up in a family with responsibilities. There are events that shape us-good or bad, and some of those aspects are explored here. I would have liked a little bit more about Portia realizing she has ADHD and letting her family know there was an actual medical reason for what they just chocked up to her flightiness!
I loved Tavish and Portia together. They clicked and had some wicked chemistry! It was a little too slow burn for me as I wanted more sexy times, but I liked how the story progressed. Tav was rather endearing when he realized his feelings for Portia were real. Portia was a very strong woman and just really boiled down to wanting everything for everybody to go smoothly-to her own detriment. I liked both of them as well as the secondary characters too!
The book was a interesting as well as an intriguing one to read! I look forward to the next book in the series which is Johan’s story!