The Heart of a Scandal Book 5: Five Days With A Duke

The last in this wonderful and enchanting series is about Lady Constance Brandley, who at 30 is unwed with her family in dire financial straits. Her best friend, Lady Emilia, has an idea to help. She is secretly the author of an advice column in London Post, Mrs. Matcher. Constance can take it over and earn some money. All goes well until she receives a letter from a young girl, asking for her friend, a duke, to be happy again. She includes an address – Constance thinks he is an older, lonely man. Imagine her surprise when she visits that address to find Connell, Duke of Renaud, who jilted Emilia 10 years ago. Connell only remembers her as one of Emilia’s friends. What starts as a shouting match soon becomes a complicated affair of hurt, loneliness and despair. Connell broke his engagement when he was left with a pregnant 17 year old ward. But when her daughter was born, Connell became the head of their small family and totally wrapped up with Iris, until her true father came back and whisked mother and daughter off. Now Connell is in deep depression, thinking of all he has lost, until Constance appeared with the request of a little girl to see him happy again. He agrees to 5 days for Constance to get material for her column and for her to make Connell count his blessings. Constance’s honesty and outspoken behavior is a welcome change from the falseness of society. The chaos of his 2 servants along with the unique freshness of Constance’s personality makes for laughter, sharing ideas and interests and finally to Love! A very happy reunion at then end of the once 5 young girls – now happily married ladies – who wished to win the heart of a duke!!

“How was it possible to both want a person instantly gone and also be riddled with sorrow over the thought of their leaving?”

Five Days with a Duke is book five in the Heart of a Scandal series by Christi Caldwell. This is the last book in the series, but I’m sure we’ll meet these characters again in the future. This book kind of reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle and How to Lose a Guy in 10 days. Connell Wordsworth, the Duke of Renaud, is wallowing in his grief over the departure of his ward Hazel and her daughter Iris. Iris has been like a daughter to him and vows not to love again. Iris has different ideas and writes a letter to her favorite matchmaking column. Lady Constance Brantley has taken over her best friend Emilia’s matchmaking column in hopes of earning desperately needed funds to buy back her beloved cello. She receives Iris’ letter and gets an idea to hopefully help both her and Connell. The thing she doesn’t know is that the letter is referencing the man who jilted her best friend. It’s definitely a war of words when these two meet and they end up liking each other despite their previous prejudices. There’s some pretty funny moments between Connell and Constance. Constance helps Connell realize his privilege, not just in his wealth, but his supposed grief for loved ones he can still see. Connell shows Constance that she can be desirable and be true to herself. There’s some real highs and lows for the characters in this book, but we’re left on a high. I love the epilogue in this book, mostly because we see all the girls together again and there’s a glimpse of what the future will hold with their own daughters.

Bookstagram: @hopeless.book.romantic

Five Days With a Duke is the last in the Heart of a Scandal series by Christi Caldwell. What a magical ride! I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as the entire series. Caldwell has a gift of creating touchable, realistic characters who leap off the page and dare you to join their world. Five Days didn’t disappoint. I loved the heroine Lady Constance Brandley. At thirty, she is decidedly on the shelf – a fixed spinster in her household. Her family is living a secretly impoverished life. So when Constance is given an opportunity to write an advice column to earn some extra coin, she takes it. Only it leads her to an unlikely hero – The Duke of Renaud, Connell Wordsworth. Connell is first briefly introduced in book two: A Lady’s Guide to a Gentleman’s Heart. Though you don’t have to go back and read that book, I highly recommend it. I think I fell a little bit in love with Connell. ‘“I was correct,”he said in quiet tones. “Billiards is surely the way to any duke’s heart.”The air hissed and popped like the earth right before a lightning strike. Her breathing increased. Their fingers twined, wrapping around and between like climbing ivy. Feeling very much like she was ensnared by that tenacious green she could not bring herself to break the contact. She reveled in the forbidden tingles that burned a path up her arm. Then Connell tugged her forward into his arms, and she went. She went gladly and eagerly and with abandon.” Wow! Loved it! You can’t go wrong with a Caldwell romance.

Five Days with a Duke by Christi Caldwell has been one of my favorite books to day. I say that with all her books so it’s no surprise that this one is my new fav. There are so many emotions in this story from gut wrenching heartache to anger, fear of the unknown, and redemption, just to name a few. There were a few places where there was some ugly crying going on. All in all, it was a wonderful story and I would recommend it.

Beautiful Brilliant Writing

I’ve many great authors on my auto buy that I read regularly, but there’s nothing like beginning a new release written by Christi Caldwell. It’s like coming home, welcoming a treasured friend, comfort, joy, and so many other things. It never gets old. With her latest, she had me in tears by the third page in, and then from there, as always, a roller coaster of emotions. Absolutely love how this writer can leave the reader sobbing in one chapter and laughing in the next! And with Connell and Constance she does it so flawlessly. And oh my, what a treat Jennie and James are! Yes, you want to find out who they are.

Words can’t really describe the brilliance of this author’s talent. As always, this work too promises to move the reader with such emotion as Connell and Constance’s story unfolds. Beautiful, funny, tender. *sigh*

I loved this! This moderately paced romance really touched my soul. It was eye-opening, realistic, emotional, honest and loving. Constance and Connell’s romance were at times a dreaded lesson of facing the pain and dealing with it. It was also about the moments of longing that turned into a kiss that eventually turned into love. Constance stated she was an eclectic person but as I read the story, she was direct, forthright, open to life. She is a woman walking to the beat of a different drummer and liked it that way. I liked her character very much. Connell was a little more complex. He has known real love and known real loss. He encased his heart in ice and he was feeling the effects of it. Loneliness. When Constance came into his life again, he gained insights into his actions and feelings. He did not like it. It angered him and he tried to block it out. But in the long run realized how precious it was to face the truth. She changed his life. This is a feel-good story; nothing heavy and full of thoughtful meaningful loving moments. I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Five Days with a Duke is truly one of the most perfect ways of finishing the Heart of a Scandal series and I for one cannot express just how perfect Cornell and Constance’s love story is.

I will warn you from the very beginning of this book I was full-on ugly crying, with Cornell having to say goodbye to the ones he loved absolutely broke my heart! And then you look into Constance sham of a home life! But then fate, or should I say a very intelligent young lady and a pen stepped in and for 5 days Cornell and Constance’s life became less lonely, with someone else to think about rather than wallow in their own pain and feelings and passion bloomed between them, but then their 5 days were up and it’s time to say goodbye.

To say this book is a roller coaster is an understatement! To say that Christi Caldwell has written another book that quite possibly has plunged me into a book hangover for the foreseeable future is absolutely correct! Be prepared to laugh, cry, yell and if you’re like me, have a large glass of Bailey’s because of a character’s pride!

If you want to read a perfect story that includes everything needed to bring out all of your emotions including sighing, smiling, laughing and even crying at times, read any book written by Christi Caldwell. Her wounded heroes or heroines and their road to happiness will wrap around your heart and not let go.
A man whose life became not his own as he took on responsibilites and seemed to lose a part of himself time after time, decides he is better off alone and tries to keep his past at bay. But fate takes hold and has other ideas in the form of a spinster who thinks herself too old to find love or ever marry.
As the two come together, there is no telling what will happen, but it was a wonderful journey finding out and as she determines, he is not all what he has seemed in the past, a future opens up.
They make each other feel things they never thought to feel and they will make you believe love is possible when least expected!! One of the best I have read so far this year!

Christi Caldwell does it again. Connell is a really nice Duke, he first gave up his rogue ways when he met his fiancé. Then he gave up his fiancé when he had to take care of a ward and her daughter. He devoted over 10 years of his life to the little girl and was very lonely when they left. Constance is a spinster whose family is broke. Her best friend is Connell’s ex-fiancé. They meet and help each other get over their loneliness. Constance makes Connell smile again. And together they made me smile. At points I felt their loneliness, but then I felt their happiness, that is how good Christi Caldwell writes. I would recommend this book.

A decade ago, Connell Wordsworth, the Duke of Renaud gave up the woman he was engaged to when his ward Hazel came to him pregnant now Hazel has married Iris’ father & moved to Leeds. Connell heads to London, for a new home with no memories, no staff, and the only thing he wants in life…to be alone. Lady Constance Brandley, has a secret. She and her family don’t have two farthings to rub together. A thirty year old, spinster finds herself presented with a unique opportunity that could improve her circumstances & maybe just maybe she’ll be able to buy her beloved cello back. Except, that opportunity also brings the unlikeliest of gentlemen into her life—her best friend’s former betrothed, the Duke of Renaud.
This is the final book in the series, it could be read on its own but once you’ve entered Caldworld you want to devour each book in it. Another lovely romance of two people not only finding each other but also finding hope. The characters spring out of the page at you, I loved both Connell & Constance & how they found love when they were least expecting it, it made for an entertaining engrossing read. Their verbal sparring added light hearted moments & often had me chuckling. I also loved the epilogue, which rounded off this lovely series. Another captivating read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read