From a New York Times bestselling author: Single father and confirmed bachelor Jack Skeffington is the mastermind behind an international smuggling ring, yet unable to control his rambunctious ten-year-old twins. What he needs is a stern, experienced, no-nonsense governess. What he gets is his business partner’s untouchable sister, whose delectable body Jack yearns to pull close.Mademoiselle … yearns to pull close.
Mademoiselle Désirée le Duc cannot wait to return to France and regain her lost vineyard. But to do so, she must repay crippling debt. Determined to buy freedom, she accepts temporary employment from an Englishman with a wicked smile and a big… wine cellar. His kisses taste like heaven and his arms feel like home. How can she choose between two families separated by the sea?
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
A man in need of a governess; a woman in need of funds to help her family; two very mischievous 10 year old twins. Really enjoyed this story. I received an ARC of this book.
I loved this book. What a great addition to the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. It was absolutely charming. Jack Skeffington is a single father with two prone to mischief ten-year-old twins. He has no desire to marry again but realizes he needs to hire a governess to tutor the twins and provide daily care. Mademoiselle Désirée le Duc agrees to be a temporarily hired governess. She wants to earn enough money to go back to France and retrieve the lost family estate and vineyard. This was such a heartwarming and feelgood tale with a sweetly spicy romance. I loved the humor sprinkled throughout the work and it was nice to be reacquainted with characters from previous works in the series. Jack and Désirée and the twins carved a place in my heart. I hope they carve a place in yours. Rating: 4.5 stars.
I was provided an ARC of this work and offer this voluntary and unbiased review. All opinions stated are my own.
A beautiful love story about hearts that need healing.
Jack realizes that his ten-year-old twins need a little more than he can offer, so he asks his friend, Desiree, to recommend a young woman who could be their governess. Desiree offers herself, at least until he finds someone more permanent, and thus begins the thawing of Jack’s heart. Desiree isn’t interested in any long-term arrangement, either, since she’s just wanting to earn enough money for her family to shed their English obligations so they can return to their native France.
This was a beautiful, tender story of what makes a family, of country loyalty, of loss and risk and starting over again. I loved Jack’s heart, how much he loves his kids and the sacrifices he’s willing to make for them. Desiree is a terrific book heroine; strong in her own right, not at all looking to be defined by the man she chooses. Her relationship with her brothers was superbly written.
All this, and we get another visit to the wondrous Cressmouth, a lively debate about who exactly make up the twelve dukes, and a delightful exchange about who has the honor of being the Duke’s Bride. The entire book is fun, romantic, and heartwarming. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The Duke’s Bride by Erica Ridley is book 6 in the 12 Dukes of Christmas Series. This is the story of Désirée le Duc and Jack Skeffington. I have read the previous books which added to my enjoyment of this one but did feel you can make this a standalone book.
Desiree and her brother fled from the French revolution years ago but always vow to go back to reclaim their heritage. They ended up staying with a Uncle who they have been helping. In addition the brothers are partners with Jack in a international smuggling ring. Jack is a former pirate, a widower and a father of 2 twins, Frederick & Annie. Jack’s twin are 10 year old rambunctious children who need a firm mother but neither wants that nor does Jack want a wife. Desiree offers herself to be their governess to help raise the money for their return to France. Of course it to be temporary but their feelings go to strong for that.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Duke’s Bride, by Erica Ridley, is available at booksellers on 10-12-19. We’re already to book 6 of the 12 Dukes Of Christmas series. While a part of this series it’s a nice stand alone story too. I’ve enjoyed the previous 5 books and now I can say #6 is no exception. Cressmouth village has been the setting for all our couples. In one way or another they’re all connected to the village or castle. I think it’s nice that I know some of the secondary characters and get to keep up with them. Cressmouth is a Christmasy place all year round, and the occupants all love it that way. The castle has a lending library, what’s not to love.
Our couple du jour are Desiree le Duc and Jack Skeffington. Desiree is a French expatriate due to the awful war that’s a backdrop for many historical romances. She & her brothers have been in Cressmouth for almost 2 decades and have always wanted to return home. Desiree has assimilated more than the 2 brothers and is torn about moving away. Jack is an upscale smuggler and widowed father to ten year old twins. I think I liked the kids best of all the characters. They’re so well written and allowed to be children, not confined like most of that era. Jack has PTSD from watching his wife wither away, they were a love match. When Desiree agrees to help with the kids education, she needs the money, they’re thrown together and a match sets off a flame that becomes a fire. Each must work through reluctance to get involved, and overwhelming knowledge that they belong together & are a family.
I look forward to book 7 in the series. Happy reading.
#Netgalley #EricaRidley #TheDuke’sBride #12DukesofChristmas #HistoricalRomance
I thought that this was a fun read. A entertaining plot, likable characters and a bit of holiday charm are brought together into a very enjoyable book. I loved the chemistry between Jack and Désirée as their often funny and heart melting romance unfolds.
To be honest – I had to warmup to Jack and Desirée. But as I was reading they slowly but surely stole my heart. I loved the twins and her brother’s. Together they made this story special.
It was a quick, fun and delightful read and let’s not forget – swoony!!!
“I grieved for years, too scared of another loss to risk putting my heart and my children through pain like that all over again. I wanted to shield them. To keep them safe. I was wrong.”Her brow furrowed. “Wrong?”“Running away is the right answer when you’re facing cannon fire or giant wasps. It’s the wrong answer if you’re running away from love. You are worth it. My children are worth it. I am worth it.”He reached out his hand. “Marry me.”
Now we wait to see the next duke finding his HEA.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
What could sway a single father of twins and confirmed bachelor to possibly put his heart out there again? Maybe a beautiful, intellegent, frenchwoman who comes into his and his children’s lives?
A wonderful addition to this delightful series that always make me happy as the next story is published. Jack Sheffington is such a great hero.. Strong, caring, loves his children beyond measure and a great sense of humor. Needing a governess for his children, he enlists the help of Desiree le Duc, who agrees to help until someone can be found. What she does not forsee though is how much se will grow to love the twins, while already in love with there father.
Amazing witty dialogue, humor and high emotions draw this story to the best conclusion and I could only smile as I turned the last page! Fabulous!
The Duke’s Bride is the sixth bride in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. The series is written about couples that find their happy ever after in Cressmouth, a village by Marlowe Castle. Even though it’s a series, the books can be read as standalones. This book is Jack Skeffington and Desiree le Duc’s story. It was a fun, fast romance to read. The characters were perfect for each other. Jack was great at arranging smuggling details but couldn’t control his ten-year-old twins. He is not interested in another marriage but needs to find a tutor for his children. Desiree and her brothers had escaped France when she was nine years old. Her brothers were determined to return to France and to reclaim their property. When Jack ask her for help finding his kids a governess, Desiree volunteers so she can help contribute to the family’s income. After she falls in love with Jack can she give up him and the children up to return to France? This was a fun book that was hard to put down once I started. I can’t wait to read Sebastien’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Duke’s Bride is book six in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series by Erica Ridley. I enjoyed this book. Ridley is one of my “go to” authors. She writes with a depth that is rare in romance. Her characters have layers that have to be peeled back to view the entire person. Desiree le Duc is a great heroine. She is strong without coming across cold. She is intelligent without being arrogant. I liked the hero – Jack Skeffington and I even liked his two twin children. I don’t normally like kids in romance books. I like to escape from kids and reading about them isn’t an escape. But Ridley puts the right amount of humor and steamy scenes in her story to make this a glorious escape. “Their lips crushed together like the tide crashing ashore: beautiful, unstoppable, inevitable. Her hands gripped his shoulders to keep from drowning. Her heart pounded as she pressed closer, heedless of the current threatening to drag them ever deeper.” Can’t wait for the next book in this series. I was given a copy of this book.
Jack and Désirée’s story was an absolute delight to read! It was lovely to read a lighthearted story with no great angst, villains or misunderstandings. Jack’s 10 year old twins really steal the spotlight, though, and they had me giggling throughout the book with their antics. Both Jack and Désirée are also wonderful characters and they come together so naturally and the big decision she has to make at the end is figured out beautifully.
My first language is French so it was fun to be able to understand whenever Désirée or her brothers spoke French:) This was definitely one of my favorite 12 Dukes of Christmas stories!
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The female duke of Christmas finds love. Desiree always feels like a misfit. Jack is a smuggler with twin 10 year olds. He hires her and being in close quarters brings them together. Erica Ridley continues this superb series. I am always thrilled when one of these books lands in my possession. You will enjoy the growing love fest taking place in Christmas as they each find their happy place.
An enjoyable book about a young woman with two very overprotective brothers and the brother’s business partner who is widowed with two ten year old twins. Mademoiselle Desiree le Duc is an amazing character. Mature, intelligent, ingenious, inventive, curious, investigative, hardworking, loyal and loving. Lucien and Sebastien are the only family Desiree has. Because of the war in France her kind and loving aristocratic parents were killed and she and her brothers fled France. A kind Englishman, a friend of their family, Jasper took in the three orphans as family and smuggled them to England. The le Duc’s dream is to return to France reclaim what they could of their home and property and live there. In the meantime, the brother’s business partner, Jack Skeffington needed a governess for his twins Frederick and Annie. During their monthly billiards game, he brought up the need and asked Desiree what she thought. What I loved about this book was the unusual witty repartee between Jack and Desiree. It was if they were speaking a different language. It was such fun to read along. Desiree accepted the governess position against Lucien’s wishes. She wanted to help monetarily towards their goal to return to France which was now within reach. This is such a delightful story. It was wonderful how professor like Desiree was always looking for solutions or trying to improve existing methods. It did not matter the subject she was invested in so much knowledge. She shared what she knew with the children and they adored her. She was also an aspiring cook/chef and she was a unique entertaining unexpected treasure of a governess. She was conflicted on her love for Jack and the twins. She lived two thirds of her life in England and although she looked forward to living in France with her dearest brothers, she had to decide what was more important to her. More importantly did Jack love her as she did him? Now Jack’s business would eventually fizzle out due to the end of the war. He dreamed of owning his own vineyard and producing his own wine. Was it only a dream or did it have possibilities? This is a wonderful book to read. I truly enjoyed it. The characters are witty and fun and have great personalities. There are no villains in this story, only obstacles to the future and happiness. I do recommend this book. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An excellent story, well written, with wonderful characters and attention to detail. could not put it down until the end.
Five stars is really not enough for this story!
Besides two really wonderful main characters in Desiree and Jack, Jack’s 10 year old twins just grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go.
This story, I think, is the best so far in this series.
It has laughter built in as well as some serious moments and a very touching love scene too.
Definitely one of the better stories that I have read this year and so I am going to recommend it to you because I loved it so much.
I read an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this ebook and this is my voluntary and unbiased review.
Single father and confirmed bachelor Jack Skeffington is the mastermind behind an international smuggling ring, yet unable to control his rambunctious ten-year-old twins. What he needs is a stern, experienced, no-nonsense governess. Mademoiselle Désirée le Duc cannot wait to return to France along with her two brothers and regain thier lost vineyard. But to do so, they must repay crippling debt. Determined to buy freedom, she accepts temporary employment from Jack
A lovely addition to the series & I think this is my favourite so far. I loved both Jack & Desiree. He didn’t want to marry again & the twins Frederick & Annie didn’t want a new mother but they’d all always liked Desiree as when she became their temporary governess these feelings grew. A lovely read of a family finding love again
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is the story of Desiree and Jack. She is a temporary governess and he is an ex-pirate turned privateer. This book is whimsical and fun. If you want a quick read with romance, humor, and l’amour this is it. The characters and town are so personable you wish you could go there that is how well this story and all of the stories in the series are written. I would definitely recommend this book!