This was a beautifully written historical romance full of intrigue, romance, interesting characters and family dynamics which drives interest for more stories about each of them. A few steamy scenes, no cheating and a happily ever after ending makes for a great read. If you are a fan of Mary Balogh or Mary Jo Putney, you will enjoy this book.
I received this book through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

It’s a typical woman’s romance novel. It’s an easy read, even with some confusing uses of detail when it’s not necessary. If you want a feel-good, mindless read while you take a bubble bath, this is a good pick.

loved this book and haven't been able to put it down. It has romance, scandal and intrigue. Andrew is handsome, sexy, rich and he's a Duke who doesn't love a Duke. Clara is beautiful, the center of scandal and in serious peril of getting hurt. Andrew rescues her and it's hard to stop reading.

Enjoyed this story. Wasn't sure about it after reading some reviews but glad I gave it a chance. The characters and story were engaging.. Very nice way to spend a few enjoyable hours lost in this story.

.Andrew Macalister was at Eton, when he found out about the death of his oldest brother and father. His life changed, he became the Duke of Bradstone. He only had five true friends and they were very loyal to each other. Lady Clara Baker is the twin of Christina Baker. Christina became engaged to the Duke, but left him at the altar. Clara has loved Andrew since they were children, she was very hurt when Andrew chose Christina over her.
This is sad in some places, but it is mainly about Andrew and Clara, watching their love grow and a lot of questions answered. The characters were amazing, they seemed very life like. So much happened in a few short weeks. Her brother hated her and he was rude and cruel. He enjoyed hurting her both verbally and he finally physically abused her.
It grabbed my interest from the first paragraph. I could not put it down. I hope I get to see her other
books.
I received this ARC free and voluntary reviewed it.

The Perfect Duchess by Erica Talyor
Clara Masson and Andrew, Duke of Bradstone, share a dance at the annual Macalister birthday ball. The consequences of that dance are far-reaching in this mystery/romance. Five years earlier, Clara’s twin sister left Andrew at the altar to run off with a footman. Or did she? Clara has had several affairs during her trip to Europe. Or has she? Who started the rumors about Clara and what led to her twin’s elopement? The answers to all of these questions make The Perfect Duchess an exciting read with generally well-drawn characters. The major reason for my not giving this book a 5 star rating is the motivation for the villain’s actions – SPOILER ALERT – having to do with his sexuality. In A Suitable Affair (Susanna’s story and book one of the Macalisters series), the relationship between Clara and Andrew constituted a major backstory. It is great to have it finally revealed!

This has all the necessary ingredients for a thoroughly enjoyable romance: handsome, unmarried duke; lovely damsel in distress; a roller coaster of emotions as they each try to figure out their own and the other's feelings; scoundrels waiting to spoil the happiness; catty women; and a happy ending.

I enjoyed this book it was full of twist and turns which for me is a great thing. The two main characters are childhood friends of a sort and in love with each other but neither knows it. The Duke Andrew loves Lady Clara and will do anything to protect her. You will love this story and it’s HEA. I received this book for review via NetGalley.

I loved it!
I have a soft spot for good Dukes and this one is a great one for sure!

No actually, it was all great, I loved the characters and could not put it down! I finished it in one sitting and would have been happy with more. Erica is a really talented author and I have read a few of her books and she never disappoints.

I am going to very highly recommend it!!!

This had a great setup, a promising story, and I really thought I would like this book. However, there were too many things that were off about the book that kept me from enjoying it. There was little to no explanation of the history between Andrew and Clara, which leaves the reader extremely confused. They kept giving subtle hints, when we really needed a paragraph or two of explanation. Then Clara kept saying how he broke her heart all those years ago - huh?? And if he did break her heart, how could she not know how his parents died? If you love someone and have supposedly known them a long time, this seems like something you would know. This coupled with the odd personality of Clara, and I was turned off. There was one innuendo which was just so weird and out of character - mounting, and I'll say no more - that ruined many scenes. She kept thinking he was just like her brother, based on him yelling at his siblings for trying to ROB a man at GUNPOINT, as if that is some how equivalent to her brother knocking her unconscious after she went to a ball without permission. Girl, please. HAVE some sense.

Well written book with great storyline and plot. A sweet book that has a great romance. The story is true to it's time period and the language is also. I like when an author has made research about the time period they want to write the story in. Sometimes it was a very heavy read because it lacks depth in some parts but absolutely worth the time.

There is drama, family issues, passion, emotions and some twists. I like the supporting characters. It has a slow start but it gets better within the first 3-4 chapters. The epilogue is most welcomed.

Nice chemistry and passion. I like the main characters and how they develop. The story flows nicely and it is very captivating from first to last chapter. The author has delivered a story that is worth the read!

I voluntarily reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

A new author for me. I must say I truly enjoyed this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. The characters (there are a bunch..more on that later) are entertaing and lively. The plot line is full of mystery, intrigue, and shocking surprises. There was definitely quite a bit going on with this story and I must say it didn't bother me at all. With every twist and every turn, the author always kept every thing in sync, She does an excellent job keeping the flow going and every character seemed perfectly placed. The hero and heroine are descriptive and fun. And ALL of the secondary characters become just as intimate to the reader as the main due. I am thoroughly looking forward to reading the next book and more by This author.

First, I would like to say I love the Macalister family and the way each of them stand out in their own way. I can't tell you how many times I thought I would love to read so and so's story (Luke!). Andrew and Clara's relationship was a bit whiplash like. I understand she had issues with trust but she really seemed strong one second and then wimpy the next over it. The book received a three rating from me because of the length. It could have been a bit shorter and it would have helped with the flow of the story. The pace would be going very steady and then we get a bit of narrative that just seemed drawn out. I received an ebook at no charge for which I voluntarily provided an honest review.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley.

Yay, a new historical romance! Or not...

This story is overly dramatic enough to cause multiple eye rolls. There is shocking domestic violence. I finished this but have no desire to read it again. I had high expectations from the cover.

I thought that there was a confusing amount of characters. The treatment of the heroine wasn't consistent.

She sneaks to a ball (no details as to how she arrived), dances, yet is given the cut direct by most. Then she is verbally attacked by a young lady by being called a prostitute to her face (why wasn't it harlot or whore instead?). The duke comes over and backs her up. I had issues with that whole scene and it goes similarly through the story. Drama ensues and I just wanted it to end. Then the hero's motives are revealed and I was done.

This book is a good read for when you want something simple but intriguing to read. This is the type of book I would recommend to customers who say they are going on vacation and want something to read along the way. The plot is simple but engaging enough that you want to continue reading.

I enjoy reading historical romances and this one was one of the best ones I had read in a while. I absolutely fell in love with the story.

Duke of Dreams

So I was offer the chance to read this book first, through NetGalley
It’s actually my first book by this author and I was not deceived
This is a Historical Romance Novel Based out of London in the high society of the time.
This Story is about Andrew Macalister and Clara Masson

Andrew Macalister, often regarded as the Stone Duke of Bradstone. He dislikes facing those around him who only see him for his title, and has given up on a chance to live a normal life. That is, until he spots Lady Clara Masson across the ballroom. Clara's twin sister is the woman who infamously jilted Andrew at the altar five years ago, but little does Clara know, Andrew had been smitten with her since childhood, and he finds her presence a ray of sunshine in a dreary dukedom.

When Clara's life is threatened by her evil brother, Johnathan, Andrew must do the only thing he can think of to save her: propose marriage. Between Clara's trust issues and Andrew's battle with societal norms, two find romance under dangerous circumstances.
All in all this Story is great and awesome. Nice Plot which even though I tried, I did not find out what it was before the end. I hadn’t red historical books in a long time and this one reminded me why I love those so Much. I will be sure to keep an eye out on that author. I really would love to read more about those Macalister

So a big 4 Stars :)

This is a lovely little romance about a young woman, Lady Clara, whose life isn’t as wonderful as all that. She lives with her ogre of a brother and isn’t invited many places as she has a slightly tarnished reputation, although not as a result of anything she has ACTUALLY done. Clara attends a huge party one evening, against her older brother’s wishes, and runs into the party’s host, Andrew, who is now a Duke, but as children, he was her friend.
This meeting turns into an evening that is filled with dancing, and banter, and simple pleasures. It also sets off a chain of events that involve intrigue, action, danger, and changes Clara’s future.
This is a terrific story, with a host of colorful well written characters who I do believe have future stories of their own. ( I certainly HOPE so!) The two main characters have longing and heat between them, and the HEA is sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book to romance readers who enjoy a bit of excitement with their romance.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

About: Andrew Macalister, oft regarded as the Stone Duke of Bradstone, hates his annual birthday ball tradition. He dislikes facing those around him who only see him for his title, and has given up on a chance to live a normal life. That is, until he spots Lady Clara Masson across the ballroom. Clara's twin sister is the woman who infamously jilted Andrew at the altar five years ago, but little does Clara know, Andrew had been smitten with her since childhood, and he finds her presence a ray of sunshine in a dreary dukedom.

When Clara's life is threatened by her evil brother, Johnathan, Andrew must do the only thing he can think of to save her: propose marriage. Between Clara's trust issues and Andrew's battle with societal norms, two find romance under dangerous circumstances.

Review: At the beginning of this book, I thought to myself "Wow this is a fast paced book I love it!!" then once I read more it slowed down a lot. I liked that the book started out quickly, but I didn't like how much it slowed down, I almost lost interest a couple of times. In the end the book was a treat to read.

I loved both main characters, Clara seemed like a very strong independent woman that had been hurt all through her life. The way she dealt with people and their hurtful remarks surprised me, most people would have crumbled but she stayed as strong as ever. Andrew irritated me at the beginning, he acted like he would marry Clara no matter what she wanted. The farther I read into the book the more I started to realize Andrew had just had a hard time in his life, that is why he was "The Stone Duke". I loved all of Andrew's siblings however Norah did irritate me just a little, I know she was raised to be in polite society but her attitude was still terrible.

The story line itself was really good, I loved the plot and how everything worked into the story. Like I said at the beginning the only thing that I hated was how the book went fast in the beginning and then slowed down so much I almost couldn't finish it. I think the author did great with this story, I didn't really notice any grammar or spelling errors. I would recommend this book to friends for sure.

I gave the book 4 stars due to the reasons posted above.

The Perfect Duchess follows the story of Andrew, a Duke who dislikes anything that has to do with social gatherings, especially the ball that is organized every year for his birthday. Nobody sees him for who he truly is and he must do what is expected of him, in order to keep up appearances. So, when he is seen courting Clara, a social pariah, rumors start circulating about their history. Because, ladies and gentlemen, Clara's twin sister left Andrew waiting at the altar five years ago and of course, never showed up to marry him. When Clara's life is obviously in danger because of her psycho brother who used to be friends with Andrew, he makes a proposition that Clara cannot resist. Because it's everything she'd been dreaming of since the first time she saw him. And it's the only thing that can help them both and keep her safe.

I'm a sucker for Historical Romance and I genuinely expected to love The Perfect Duchess. Don't get me wrong. The premise had a lot of potential and I immensely enjoyed the beginning and ending of the novel. The middle part though felt a bit all over the place and the characters went along with it, as did their development. The first couple of chapters promised a lot, which was not met by the rest, even halfway through. (Way of thinking in Greek, fingers crossed it'll actually make sense translated)Which basically means that, after being introduced to the story, I had relatively high expectation for what would follow.

One of my biggest problems with the book was Andrew's behavior. His hot and cold moments with Clara were extremely tiring and confusing. Add frustrating to the list and there you have it! Clara was a bit better at handling her feelings but, her way of thinking left me completely speechless at times. Also, there were a lot of inconsistencies throughout the book and the plot itself felt very rushed. It was like the author wanted to include a number of topics and somehow, cram them into three hundred and something pages without explanations that made complete sense.

I really liked the plot twists and the fact that they existed in the first place, because they're not really common in Historical Romance novels but, I feel like they were ''quantity over quality''. They were not developed well enough to be considered part of the actual plot and consistent with how it progressed. Too much information is such a small amount of chapters is overwhelming, to say the least and losing sight of the story is inevitable. I really think that if the author had handled them differently and not rushed through them in order to get it done and over it, this book would've been so much more enjoyable than it ended up being. Because they were extremely unpredictable and mind blowing, I just think their poor development ruined the excitement of their existence in the book. As for the action, the majority of it took place towards the last couple of chapters that felt very rushed and underdeveloped as well.

Something that I did enjoy was the representation of society in the book itself, because it gave us a glimpse at how petty people behaved back then. Having Clara upsetting them with the way she stood up for herself and held her head high throughout the book, was truly satisfying! I would've done the same thing myself! Add her happily ever after added to their scorn, which was quite delightful, let's be real. I love the portrayal of strong willed heroines at such setting and this one was definitely no exception!

Overall, the development of the book in general didn't really sit well with me because of how underdeveloped it clearly was. The writing wasn't great either and the romance aspect frustrated me after it started getting inconsistent and confusing. It had a lot of potential as a story but, it wasn't taken advantage of.