Olivia Drake

Unlikely Duchesses

Forever My Duke

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from St. Martins Press in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Forever My Duke is the second book in Drake's most current series and boy I am such a fan of this author. She just writes the type of Regency romance that just really works for me. I know her writing style isn't for everyone, but she definitely is for me and I just love finding a regency author that I adore as much as I love Olivia Drake. This story had so much charm, poise, and swoony moments that I look for in my regency romances and Drake really stepped it up with this book which I am very grateful for.

In our delightful story we have our heroine who hails from America and with her is a little boy whom she is the guardian over when his parents were killed in a brutal attack. Her best friend's dying wish was that Leo be with his family in England where he will be protected and safe. So she does her duty and puts her plans on building a school on hold to see that Leo is delivered safely. Natalie has such a love for Leo but she wants what is best for him. But while on their way they meet up with the Hadrian, the Duke of Clayton, who at first seems a bit standoffish but when he helps her and Leo go to the country estate where they are headed as he is headed the same place, their interests are co-aligned. But from the very first moment, Hadrian and Natalie meet there is a connection between them. A connection not to be ignored lightly. Even though Hadrian has other duties and is looking for a wife, he also never expected to feel as he does for Natalie or be so charmed by his little cousin. But will Natalie choose Hadrian or go back to the America's?

Forever My Duke was such a wonderful and heartwarming story and this was exactly what I needed to relax with on an afternoon with. I simply had such a fun time with Natalie, Leo, and Hadrian. There was such chemistry that we see between Hadrian and Natalie and I was hooked on their story. Hadrian is so determined to do the right thing and follow through with the contracts his father set with his friend. But you see how his priorities shift into doing what is right for him, Hadrian and not the Duke of Clayton. How well he and Natalie fit together is just perfection and he knows what he has with her is so special and defining and one he is willing to fight for.

Natalie, even though she has some familial connections in England, her home has always been America. Even though she doesn't have a family anymore, and even though she loves like as if he is her own flesh and blood, she does have her own dreams. But we see how dreams can change and how one's priorities in life can change when you have people come into your life. And we see this growth come into Natalie and realize what she is capable of. It takes her a while to find her path and she does hurt Hadrian along the way a bit in finding what she wants but she does find it including her will to fight for the man she loves and the little boy she adores. The romance that builds between these two is simply delectable, there is some chemistry at the beginning, but there is a friendship that builds in the beginning which only cements what they have together. And I simply adored the relationship between Leo and Hadrian, it was so adorable since a grown man and boy become so attached to the hip as they do and seeing this family find their own path....together

Overall I found Forever My Duke to be a sensational romance that will delight the reader within its addicting pages of pose, elegance, and a beautiful love!!

Jolie

Regency-era romances have always been a favorite of mine to read. I love immersing myself in those types of novels. So, when I saw that Forever My Duke was up for review, I jumped on it. I couldn’t wait to read about the American who captures the Duke. While I enjoyed the book, the female main character got on my nerves. I wasn’t a fan of how the six-year-old was treated by the Earl and his family.

Forever My Duke is the second book in the Unlikely Duchesses series. It can be read as a stand-alone. I did enjoy that. I am not a fan of picking up a book mid-series and then realizing I have to read the previous books. But, at the same time, I wish that there was more of a tie in to the first book. There was no mention of Abby and Max in this book. So, yeah, complete opposite reactions from me.

I did like Natalie. She had gone through a lot before arriving in England. My heart broke for her when she revealed what happened on the day of the massacre. What she did to protect the children. My pity for her did wane a little when she opened her mouth. She was abrasive and defensive. Her opinions on England’s hierarchy, while right, made her even harsh. There were points in the book where I wanted to reach in there and shake her. It got that bad. Plus, she wasn’t a perfect childminder. Leo disappeared several times while in her care. Drove me nuts.

I had to agree with a comment made during the book about Hadrian being uptight. He was very uptight. I loved seeing him gradually unbend. He became an interesting person to read about because of that. I did think it was creepy that he wanted to a) marry his 2nd cousin and b) marry her knowing she was barely 17. I know that is how it was done back then, but it didn’t lessen the ick factor for me. I loved how gentle he was with Natalie and Leo. Made my heart swoon. Of course, I never doubted his feelings for Natalie (who did). His actions at the end of the book with Leo spoke volumes.

I LOVED Leo. For a child who had undergone an extremely traumatic experience, he didn’t act like it. He acted like a typical six-year-old boy. I loved it. I loved that the author didn’t try and make him act like a miniature adult. Instead, he got into situations that a child his age would typically get into. Well, except for the end, with his uncle. But how that ended was flipping hilarious.

I didn’t get a romantic connection between Natalie and Hadrian until halfway through the book. Hadrian was focused on wooing his cousin (which resulted in an amusing secondary storyline). The romance didn’t start until they were at his house in London. Even then, I wouldn’t describe it as an immediate thing. It took some time for Hadrian and Natalie even to acknowledge their feeling. But once they did, it took off.

There were several intertwined storylines in Forever My Duke. The main storyline, Natalie delivering Leo to his maternal grandfather, was intertwined with Hadrian and Natalie’s romance. Intertwined with both storylines was the secondary storyline with Leo’s uncle and Natalie’s mysterious parentage. All of these storylines did make for an engaging read.

The end of Forever My Duke was one of the best I have read to date. Leo was hilarious. I liked that Natalie made amends with certain people from her past. I do wonder who the next book will be about.

Forever My Duke Unlikely Duchesses

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