One Night with a Duke

Polar opposites.

That’s what gregarious vagabond Jonathan MacLean and black jewelry designer Angelica Parker are.
Jonathan is a refreshingly different hero. He never stays in one place longer than a week, he’s Calvin’s partner in Fit for a Duke. (Calvin and Jonathan’s stories are standouts in this series). Oh, he’s got his issues. But he sees the world with wonder.

Angelica is very focused, diligent, meticulous and creative. I liked that Jonathan saw her and thought she was beautiful.

Highly recommend for a refreshing historical read with great characters.

Roaming Scot meets a jeweler who makes him think of settling down. I received an ARC of this book.

I loved One Night with a Duke! I think it’s amazing to have a Black heroine in a regency romance, and I loved the references to the Black community in 19th century England, subtle but eye-opening, and very informative. I loved both main characters so much! Angelica for her determination, her dedication to her craft, and her love for her big, boisterous family, and Jonathon for his absurd humor, his resolve to always look on the bright side of life, his winning ways, and the way he helps others achieve their dreams. Both characters have both joy and pain in their lives/memories, and I loved how they learn to see each other’s truth and help each other grow. I also loved how delicate and nuanced the writing is, yet it still manages to convey the depth of both Jonathan’s and Angelica’s feelings, which is just wonderful. So many emotions and fascinating historical facts hide between the light banter and elegant descriptions! I liked Luther a great deal as well; his relationship with Angelica is not without its tensions, but we are never in doubt about the love between the siblings. Their relationship struck me as very authentic and added an extra heartwarming layer to this story.

What I enjoy most about this series is that in the town of Christmas everyone is accepted no matter their status or their origin. This story is about Jonathan MacLean, a Scottish decent who doesn’t like Christmas, who travels and never returns to the same place, and gives out money freely. When he ends up in Christmas and has to stay awhile because of a blizzard, can he learn that the past doesn’t define him. To help with that decision is Angelica, a delightful jeweler who captures his attention from the start.

Jonathan MacLean is a philanthropist, adventurer, and a shrewd businessman and investor. He runs from his unhappy past and the father who never acknowledged him as fast as he can. He stays in a town no longer that he must and never visits the same town twice. He works constantly to prove he can make it on his own, without his father and his father’s money. When a blizzard strands him in Cressmouth, he explores the town. In his wanderings, he meets Miss Angelica Parker. Angelica is a talented jeweler. When her father left the family jewelry business to only her brother, she accepted a deal in Cressmouth to open her own shop. She is determined to prove herself as an artisan, to make it on her own. Jonathan is immediately stricken with Angelica. He is an irresistibly friendly chatterbox who makes others, including Angelica feel at ease. These two are falling hard for each other, but there are obstacles. The biggest, that Jonathan can’t stay still and doesn’t want to stay in one place, while Angelica wants to have roots, a home, and friends and family close by. Is there a compromise that can make them both happy, or will they just say goodbye? It’s a good thing Angelica has a big brother.

This is a fast-moving (just like Jonathan) sweet story. There is good chemistry between Jonathan and Angelica. The residents and tourists in Cressmouth are friendly and welcoming and the town is festive as usual. There are appearances by characters from the other stories in the series, and some new ones. Angelica’s family is visiting for Christmas, and they are delightful, especially her nieces. I laughed when her older brother, Luther, was offended that she allowed a SCOT into her shop, when he is never allowed. Business is done, and the venture is better than expected. I love the way the story ended. One Night with a Duke is another happy visit to Christmas, and also provides insight into the Black community in England after slavery was outlawed. It is a great addition to the series. Oh, and there were ten…lads hanging ornaments. Nothing about leaping lords. A good story. I recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Very unusual main characters in this story! The female, Angelica, is a black jeweler who runs her own business in the town of Cressmouth. She is trying to make a name for herself. Jonathan is an illegitimate son who has made money investing in small everyday businesses. He flits about from town to town never wanting to stay in the same place twice. When a snowstorm forces him to stay in Cressmouth, he discovers Angelica and the advantages of living in a place where everyone knows you. I received a copy from NetGalley and WebMotion for my honest review.

This is interesting, entertaining and sweet. Jonathan is a traveler, he will never go to the same place twice because there are too many places to see. On his travels he likes to meet people who could be entrepreneurs, and help them achieve their potential. One of those people is Calvin, a man who has designed a line of clothes for men who want to dress like the upper class but don’t have the money. They are premade and there is no need of a valet in order to dress. He and Calvin are meeting the Duke of Nottingvale in Cressmouth to show him the clothing, so that hopefully he will invest in the company. Jonathan gets there just before a severe snow storm hits and dumps so much snow that the roads aren’t passable and won’t be for about 2 weeks. The first stop Jonathan makes is to an interesting looking store that he decides is the perfect place to start his exploration of the town. Inside he finds beautiful jewelry, and Angelica, a Black woman. He immediately compliments her work, shocking her, and proceeds to check out the jewelry. Angelica can’t believe that he not only didn’t assume that she was just a shop girl, but he thinks that her jewelry is incredibly well done. He ends up talking her ear off until she makes him leave. Then he’s back the next morning, with goodies from the bakery. He makes a habit of this, and both end up finding the other fascinating. Not into Christmas, Jonathan needs to be occupied. He has his reasons for not liking Christmas, and when Angelica finds out about them, she’s very determined to guve him a Christmas he’ll never forget. They are both hard working, precise and determined. They are exactly what they each need. This series is wonderful and entertaining, but this isn’t quite as exciting.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

Well! Now I know what was going on while Calvin and Belle were caught in the snowstorm. That being said, I don’t recommend reading this book without having read Dawn with a Duke first. Charming rogue and apparent wastrel, Jonathan MacLean is carefully guarding hidden depths behind that façade. Angelica Parker is succeeding in a world that’s telling her she shouldn’t. On the surface, this pair shouldn’t work. Angelica has strong ties to Cressmouth and the people around her, while Jonathan has never been anyplace he wanted to return to. And yet, this pair are drawn to each other. I thoroughly enjoyed their story, and, to be honest, I wish it had been longer. Both Jonathan and Angelica have backstories that could have been expanded on further, and I would have loved to have read more about that. The ending is everything that is sweet and adorable, I just thought it came about a touch too quickly. The further into the series we get, the more I’m falling in love with Christmas. I kind of never want to see the series end.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author through NetGalley.

This is a beautiful story and gave me such a happy buzz, that I will definitely be reading it again in the future. Angelica and Jonathan are an unlikely couple, but the attraction between them is very strong. I enjoyed the ‘footman’ tasks she gave him! Don’t miss this one!
I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I have read all the books in this series, The 12 Dukes of Christmas, and have enjoyed every single one. This 10th offering is no different. It has delightful main characters, enjoyable secondary characters, a plausible plot, witty dialogue, and a sweet and charming romance. This book, One Night With a Duke, is a standalone work but it might help some readers if they read the previous offering, Dawn With a Duke, before this one. The main character, Jonathan MacLean, is the business partner of Calvin McAlistair featured in the previous work. Jonathan is a philanthropist. He has done well for himself and likes to help others by investing in their potential businesses or other endeavors. He doesn’t stay permanently anywhere and enjoys his life of adventure by going from place to place. He is most dismayed when a blizzard forces him to stay awhile in the village of Cressmouth, known for celebrating Christmas all year round. Christmas is one holiday Jonathan never celebrates. Though Jonathan is friendly with everyone he meets in Cressmouth, for some reason he is drawn to Angelica Parker, a local jeweler artist. He starts visiting the shop every day. Angelica came to Cressmouth seven years ago when she had a chance to leave the family business in London and open her own in Cressmouth. She signed an agreement to fulfill a seven-year commitment. Jonathan makes it clear to Angelica that his stay in Cressmouth is only temporary. Once he and Calvin meet with the Duke of Nottingham about the Fit for a Duke clothing line, Jonathan is off for another adventure and business opportunity. Jonathan and Angelica have both experienced pain and heartache in their lives but each had focused on finding success in their life. Their journey to a HEA is a bit rocky at times. Their story was very engaging and kept my interest until the last page was read. I happily rate it 4 stars with a mild heat level and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.