I devoured this book in one sitting! The pining, the tension, the heartache; this book has it all and Christi Caldwell wrote it so beautifully.

Notes: Happily Ever After, 4/5 stars, 2/5 spicy

Our FMC, Alexandra, is the oldest Bradbury sister and finds herself in a situation that requires she marry not for love, but to ensure the livelihood of her family and, most importantly, her two younger sisters. While betrothed to the very formidable and cold Marquess Wingrave, Alexandra finds herself pining for Dallin McQuoid, the eldest McQuoid brother. Dallin and Alexandra had a very brief romantic (PG) encounter years ago, that left them both wanting more. Once Dallin finds out though that Alexandra will be marrying the future Duke, he writes her off as a vain woman, searching only for a title and wealth.

Alexandra and Dallin are thrown together as they attempt to rectify a situation that could be disastrous to both families. While traveling, the two continue to fight their attraction, even as their hesitant friendship forms.

We meet quite a few enjoyable side characters! Alexandra’s two sisters, Cora and Daphne, and the large extended McQuoid brood. I believe there are some previous books involving the McQuoid sisters, but I haven’t yet had the change to read those. I’ve definitely added them to my TBR though!

Christi does such an amazing job in making you feel for both of these characters. And while this book does have a little spice, and lovely “will they, won’t they” tension, I wouldn’t exactly call it spicy. Christi is not overly descriptive with her scenes, but provides enough information you get the gist. ;) I found myself multiple times holding my breath through the romantic tension, and also frowning as the characters fought their heartache.

I hope we get to see more of the McQuoid family, and the remaining Bradford sisters. I also wonder if Marquess Wingrave will maybe have a redemption arc??

Book 1 - McQuoid’s of Mayfair
ARC review via Net Galley
It’s love at first sight in a roundabout way.

Alexandra and Dallin steal your hearts with the back and forth hositility and love they show for each other because they are too stuck to their traditions. Yet they make a lot of assumptions which makes fools out of the pair of them. By the end of the book I so wanted an epilogue and a starter for the next book in the series.

(Hint to author I would love to see Losegrave and Daphne as an enemies to lovers)

Loved the book and would definitely read it again. Definitely worth 5 stars.

I adored this book and read it in one day. It can be hard to make Regency romance feel novel and exciting, but Christi Caldwell succeeded with A Sure Duke.

I found both Alexandra and Dallin to be complex, fully formed characters (who additionally happened to both be very likable). I never once questioned their motivations or feelings. It all just made sense.

I was engaged in this book until the very end and found myself really invested in seeing this story through.

My one criticism would be that the conclusion of the book felt too quick and abrupt. To me, it felt like it was missing another chapter or at least a brief epilogue.

But, that minor flaw (entirely subjective!) really doesn’t take away from how great this book is. This was a five star read for me and I hope it gets as much readership as it deserves. It’s really a well done Regency romance that feels exciting until the very end.

Alexandria is set to make her debut when she finds out that a marriage has been already arranged. Dallin is hoping to get away and travel to escape the pressures of being the heir. They meet and sparks fly. When they have to work together for the sake of their families they grow very close. Will Alex do her duty and marry the other man that was arranged for her or will she give in to her feelings for Dallin? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Montlake for my honest review.

Christi Caldwell has created another enjoyable tale of love, loss, and societal expectations. The chemistry between Alexandra and Dallin is palpable, and the moments of banter and charm between the characters bring a sense of lightness to the story.

While "A Sure Duke" is undeniably entertaining, it must be said that it follows some well-trodden paths in the historical romance genre. The storyline, while fun, lacks the freshness and uniqueness that some readers may seek. It adheres to familiar tropes and themes, making it a comfortable but not groundbreaking read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A lovely hero and a self sacrificing heroine.

Dallin and Alex meet one night when she breaks into his house to discover what is on the terrace where she spies the Mcqouid family meeting often. A connection is born and they agree to meet again at her come out.

A year later, Alex has lost her father who has left her family (mother and 2 sisters) in financial ruin. To avoid completely disaster, Alex is pressured into marrying a dukes heir.

The relationship between the H and h ends before it even starts. However, a situation arises and Alex and Dallin are back again on a road trip to Gretna to prevent a marriage between her sister Cora and Dallins cousin Brone. Feelings grow, but this is where I could have strangled Alex for acting like a martyr, and not having a backbone to trust in Dallin.

Finally both realize what's important and get married. Phew!

A little drawn out, to be honest I skimmed quite a bit. Alex and her mom were a bit too melodramatic and senseless for my taste.

There were a few parts that I skim read. Got a little slow for me. The parts that I did read I liked. Dallin might not be a Duke but he is a gentleman through and through. Alexandra has a lot on her shoulders when her father passes away unexpectantly. She takes on her mother and sisters problem also. So it was a relief to rely on Dallin to help her track down her sister and his cousin.

Tropes: MC's from feuding families, road trip, forced proximity
Steam level: 2 Language: mild
Part of a series: Yes, but this works tolerably as a standalone.

3.75 stars rounded up. This is something of a return to form for Christi Caldwell, an author whose books helped me re-fall in love with HR's during Covid lockdown (I was a big fan of her Wicked Wildflowers series). This does have the typical tropes you'd expect, plus a Big Misunderstanding that is stretched out a touch too long and secondary characters who are rather thin (the author tries to give the mother depth, but I just don't buy that a forced marriage to a hateful man was the only option they had, and she seems to do a 180 super quickly at the end). But something in the way this author writes tends to get to me emotionally. I loved the opening scene with the MC's and thought their chemistry throughout the storyline was strong, even when the plot meandered a bit.

The only reason for not giving this a solid 4 star rating is the lack of epilogue. This seems to be an ongoing quirk of Caldwell's. She'll close with an emotional, dramatic scene and give the reader no sense of what life is like for the MC's even a few weeks into the future. It's the only real pet peeve I have regarding her books.

Overall: a welcome return to form by this author.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

Alexandra Bradbury and Dallin McQuoid meet one night when Alex’s curiosity gets the better of her and she traipses across the street to her neighbor’s empty house to discover what draws so many of their family members to the roof. She really wants to see what is up there! They are away from town, and the front door is unlocked. However, the house isn’t actually empty, and when she gets caught, she tries to hide behind a statue, but her skirt is visible! This starts an interesting conversation with Dallin, and they learn that they actually have many things in common. Unfortunately, when she gets back to her own home, something terrible has occurred and her life changes irrevocably. To make it right, Alex agrees to marry a man she doesn’t love.

There are so many unexpected and delightful aspects of this book! It was a joy to read from start to finish! Some scenes are poignant, while others delve into essential truths that people of the era had to face. Some scenes made me cringe, while others made me laugh. This book is rich with the emotional connections that make readers care what happens to the protagonists. There are a few unexpected developments that change things, but these protagonists eventually figure out what matters.

I always love a Christi Caldwell book!
Do I think that the title and blurb was slightly misleading? Yes. Do I think it affected my enjoyment of the book? No.

It's time for the McQuoid boys to get their HEAs and it's lovely to read about characters from the last series she did also.

I really liked this book, although I did find it quite predictable. I'm holding on to the hope that, at some point, Wingrave gets his own book. If anyone can write a redemption arc, it's Ms. Caldwell!

While this wasn't my favourite book by this author, I still enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who is a fan of her work!

A scandalous rakish lord and a prim and proper lady? Sign me up! This book was a ride oh my! It was so fun to read and I liked so much the chemistry between them it was absolutely fire! Love or duty always a question and the stakes are so high!

Alexandra and Dallin meet by chance one night. Unfortunately Dallin's family doesn't get invited to the same ton event's that Alexandra does so they don't meet again for a while. Things go awry and the chase is on. This is a great story. I enjoyed it so much I read it in one day!

This was my first book from this author but my goodness it will definitely not be my last, absolutely adorable! I loved the characters and the setting of the story

Highly recommend!

Overall, I enjoyed A Sure Duke. Strong start on a romantic rooftop, wishing on the stars for adventure and love, between Dallin and Alexandra. Then a year passes and their actual adventure can begin. But instead of a madcap road trip love story, the middle meandered some. The characters had great dialogue, but they did a lot of snapping at each other and never really spoke. Both are very cinnamon roll characters, and if just spoke to each other honestly, the story would have been ten pages. The ending seemed rushed with a villain who just didn't care and made no impact. No epilogue.

But I did enjoy this book. It was well paced, and in the grand scheme of things, uncomplicated.

Goodreads has it listed as book number 1 in The McQuids of Mayfair, but it seems that The Duke Alone and The Heiress at Sea (about Dallin's sisters) actually come first.

Mistakes: Brone was referred to as Brone Smith for the entire book except once, when his last name was given as Campbell. I liked Campbell better, fits with the Scottish background better.

Also, the title is terrible, in my opinion. It's not dynamic and the sure Duke in the story that Alexandra has to marry to save her family, has little page time.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will never not read a Christi Caldwell book! One of my favourite historical romance authors. I love that I know what I'm getting with her books, and A SURE DUKE is no exception. This has everything I love - a couple who meet and connect in one night, only to be torn apart and not see each other for a whole other year. Despite a bout of miscommunication throughout the novel, there's a perfect amount of angst before love triumphs - I love the swoony romances Caldwell writes!

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for my review copy.

Christi Caldwell always knows how to tug the heartstrings. Alexandra and Dallin share one magical night under the stars. A year later Dallin returns and Alexandra is not the same woman. He believes that what they shared meant nothing to her. She must sacrifice herself to save her family.

When family members get jumbled into the mix, carriages crash and weather impedes them they must learn to work together and find a way forward. Of course love wins in the end!

A Sure Duke by Christi Caldwell is such a wonderful book to read.

This book have a high sexual tension, slow burn, sweet romance, spicy scene, family issue, suspense, angst, heart breaking moments and tears. I just love how Alexandra and Dallin attracted to each other. With all the misunderstanding, it's make a reader feels frustrated. However, although they argue a lot, they just can't ignore the sexual tension between them.

I'll definitely be waiting for more books from Christi Caldwell and I'm looking forward to read next story.

I always enjoy a Christi Caldwell book and this is no exception. It is the third in the series but you don't need to have read the others to enjoy this book. It's a good road trip book with misadventures along the way. Misunderstandings and miscommunication lead to the barriers between Dallin and Alex that thry need to overcome. I was left wanting to know what happened next, I guess I will have to wait for the next one in the series.

A cute historical romance with a hint of travel
I got hooked from the beginning and really enjoyed reading this book
It is not my first from this author but I enjoyed it nonetheless a really liked the characters
Thank you netgalley for the arc 🫶🏻🫶🏻

This was a really good book, I was completely hooked from the first page and stayed up way to maye reading because I couldn't put it down definitely recommend