a very good book. a good story, delightful characters, it held my interest all the way through. I do not like to give spoilers, so all I can say is this book is on the level of debbie macomber.

Thanks to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have never heard of this mystery series, but love holiday books so I was all for trying a new author. I forgot it was a mystery and was drawn in as a regency period holiday book. The romance in the story was predictable, but enjoyable. The mystery aspect turned out to be a pleasant surprise and added some intrigue and surprising twists into the storyline. I had guesses at who committed the murder and why, but I wasn't sure and enjoyed reading alone to see how it was all going to turn out. It was a quick, fun, clean holiday read and I would gladly read more by this author.

I adored this book!! It was probably my first in this type of genre - historical romantic suspense! SO FUN. I will go back and read the others in this series and absolutely check out any future releases as well - there are a few couples I have my sights on from this book!
I adored the main characters and the entire set up of this book - it was Christmassy in the sense that it took place during the 12 days of Christmas, and that was fun, but you could read it any time of the year. The scenes made it feel like a cozy fall/winter read to me though.

A terrific Regency, Christmas mystery. Really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable novel. I have not read the other Pevensey Mysteries but will going back immediately to do so. There was a wide variety of characters and some plots in the story line I did not expect. this was sweet regency romance, with the addition of murder and mystery, but all were brilliantly stitched together.

Thank you NetGalley and Madison Street Publishing for the eARC!

~~Reviewed by Monique~~

Widowed six months ago, Lady Maud Worlington has moved back to London with her family, and what should have been a quiet dinner became instead a ball to celebrate the betrothal of Maud’s brother Will to Lady Helena Angiers. That’s when Maud first encounters the dashing Geoffrey, the Duke of Tilbury and Helena’s brother and guardian. Geoffrey is more than intrigued by the beautiful widow, while she wants nothing romantic to do with him: he is five years younger than she is; how could a romance ever be possible?

To begin with, I must mention that one star was promptly removed from my final rating due to this unforgivable mistake: Geoffrey, the Duke of Tilbury, is referred throughout the book as “Lord Tilbury”. Not to mention his grace being addressed as “young man” by Geoffrey’s future father-in-law, and “Sirrah” by Maud, whom Geoffrey had just recently met. This did not bode well for accuracy – historical or otherwise – which, alas, was soon confirmed. Had it not been indicated in the blurb that the story was set during the Regency, I would not have guessed beyond the nineteenth century, as there was no clear indication of the era. Needless to say, A DUEL FOR CHRISTMAS was a very difficult read for me. Although it was obvious from the start that this was not the first book of the series – which I had not noticed before – I didn’t feel I had missed anything.

Ms. Lortz’s writing flows well, the pace is steady, and the book is professionally edited. However, I found that much time was lost on trivialities at the beginning instead of building the connection between Geoffrey and Maud, who actually spend very little time together. I was surprised that, in spite of that, their romance was believable, if a platonic one; A DUEL FOR CHRISTMAS is definitely a clean romance. The second romance, which had probably started in the previous instalments, felt more organic, and the characters spent more time together. It is obvious that the author is much more at ease with the mystery element of the story, but it could also be because there were way fewer mentions of “Lord Tilbury”, which were, to my ears, akin to fingernails on a blackboard. The family dynamics were very complex and quite interesting, and I was shocked as to who died; it was very unexpected. Geoffrey was charming, although I could not comprehend some of his decisions concerning his sister. I would recommend A DUEL FOR CHRISTMAS to readers who enjoy a light and frothy romance with a bit of suspense, and for whom historical accuracy is inconsequential.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has everything from mystery to romance. It is a story that pulls you in from the first page. The characters are engaging and the Christmas theme fits the story well.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

A well-written story I enjoyed reading from the first page there is Drama, Suspense, danger, murder, and a blackmailer. This is the first book by this Author that I have read but I am now going to look at the rest of the books in the Pevensey Mysteries series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Lady Maud Worlington has returned after the death of her husband to the family home in London. But she is hounded there by a her step-son who seems to have a hold over her. She is surprised to find that her younger brother, the heir, is to shortly marry. But what secrets have been hidden and will all be discovered when Jacob Pevensey, a Bow Street Runner starts to investigate.
Although this is the third in the Jake Prevensy series it can easily be read as a standalone story as I did.
An enjoyable Regency romance mystery, well-written with the right mix of characters.

Great book!! I always enjoy a story like this! Geoffrey is a character you just have to love!! He has his faults like we all.do, but he cant help being drawn to Maud. She's interested in Geoffrey. Who wouldn't be, but what can he really do. They are both in a tough spot. I could not put this book down!! Do yourself a favor and check this author out!!

Rosanne Lortz is a new author to me, one whose work I will certainly read in the future. This book was the third installment of the Pevensey Mysteries series, but totally stands on its own. Though it was primarily a mystery, there was a lovely romance to go along with it.

Geoffrey, the Duke of Tilbury, meets Maud, Lady Worlington, at a ball celebrating the engagement of his sister Helena and Maud's brother Will. Geoffrey is not thrilled with the match. He is, however, thrilled with Maud after a fiery kiss under the mistletoe. Maud is older than Geoffrey, and she thinks that at age 21 he is still a boy. She is recently widowed (she was married to a much older man) and is dogged by financial issues and her odious stepson. Maud tries to discourage Geoffrey, but isn't very successful. He may be young, but he's mature and knows what he wants.

A death that impacts both of their families really gets the mystery rolling along. Geoffrey is a suspect, and Maud's stepson is making her life a living hell. Throw in red-haired Bow Street Runner Pevensey, and you have a mystery with a HEA that will get you into the Christmas spirit. I definitely need to go back and read the first two books, since this one was extremely enjoyable.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This was the first book I’d read in this series but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s almost like two stories, the one concerned with romance and the other solving the murder. But, of course, they are linked. It was interesting to find that the heroine, Maud was older than the hero, Geoffrey. A number of villains made this intriguing and I certainly didn’t guess who the murderer was. There were a number of interesting secondary characters, hopefully some will get their own stories. I will definitely look out for more in this series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating 3.5/5

This was a perfect read for the upcoming winter season - it's full of second-chance romances, duels, intrigue and mystery! The author did a superb job blending in the cadence of beautiful, lyrical poetry without dragging on the story. It was fast paced and hid the murderer well! I couldn't recall at any moment while reading where I had the thought "omg THAT's the murderer" - so bravo Ms. Lortz!

My rating is due to the fact that this was too clean a romance for me. I really enjoy historical romances, however, part of that is due to the passion derived from having *forbidden* dalliances outside in the garden or breaking societal rules to see one another. It wasn't a very passionate romance and that made this a bit of a let down. If it wasn't for the supporting characters and the murder mystery, I most likely would not have finished this.

This is a fair and honest review in return for access to this ARC, as promised. What a complicated tale. Well written and full of intrigue, unsavoury characters, lies, damsels in distress and of course heroes and heroines. Very nice clean read.

Overall rating: 4/5 the first half is the true love story and the second half is a ‘who done it’ mystery.

Heroine (Maud Worlington): 4/5 She is a recent widow at 26 years old who is home for her brother’s engagement to a Duke’s sister.

Hero (Geoffrey Tilbury): 5/5 He is a recently inherited Duke who is the guardian of his sister and hopes that her fiance can keep her out of scandal long enough to get married. He’s got blond hair, a serious disposition, and is around 21.

Plot: 4/5 When widow Maud moves back to London she meets a young duke, Lord Tilbury and sparks fly. But she believes Geoffrey too young at 21 due to her late husband’s advanced age keeping the two from having any real affection for each other and she has a secret in her past that’s being held over her head that she can’t risk getting out. When there is a death in the family the Bow Street runners race to untangle all of of the threads of characters’ lives and find out what is really going on.


Personal Review: At first it’s hard to like Geoffrey as a love interest as Maud makes it repeatedly clear that he is simply too young for her (he’s only a few years younger with her being 26 and him 21). It seems odd to keep rehashing it but then it does become clear with the age gap that didn’t work in her last marriage, the why’s of this particular writing choice.

The pacing was a bit odd to me, it was in the full swing of a regency romance story when it goes off into left field and becomes a ‘who done it,’ I’m not sure there’s any way to adjust the story to change that fact without fundamentally changing the plot, but even knowing there will be a mystery element to the story it still felt jarring when it happened.

Overall i really did like both halves of the story. The mystery was engaging enough on its own but with all the set up of characters from the first half, it made it more interesting to try to guess motivations and figure out the red herrings.

I enjoyed this book so much I was unable to put it down. The many twists and turns kept my attention throughout. I thought the characters were well thought out and I was rooting for Maud and Geoffrey from beginning to end. I also want to buy the Pevensey series to how things work out for the investigator and Edwina.

After seven long years in Devon, Lady Maud Worlington returns to London to reclaim life on her own terms, but a nefarious shadow and the prospect of financial ruin dog her steps. An impulsive and unforgettable kiss under the mistletoe creates a connection with Geoffrey, the handsome, young Duke of Tilbury. The Duke of Tilbury considers himself as adept at managing matters as he is at swordplay, but his beautiful new acquaintance Lady Worlington has other ideas about how to manage her complicated life. Intrigued by their stolen kiss, Geoffrey pursues Lady Worlington's affections, only to be foiled by the lady's own doubts, by rivals for her hand, and by a sudden death that affects both their families. When Jacob Pevensey, the investigator from Bow Street enters the scene, the duke becomes a prime suspect in the murder case.
His is the third book in the series but is easily read as a stand alone book. It is a well written book the characters are well fleshed & believable. The story takes place over the twelve days of Christmas & they are certainly twelve days packed with happenings. I found the story slow to begin with but the pace increased throughout the book until I was totally engrossed & desperate to find the culprit. This is a Pevensey book but Jacob didn’t actually appear until well into the book, I certainly look forward to reading more of his cases
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I've been having a resurgence of sorts with historical romances and A Duel for Christmas has been another added bonus. The story is very compelling and the characters well thought out. I enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it for historical romance lovers.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋
The Pevensey Series Is one I’ve not read before , this being the third in that series , I have really enjoyed reading it .
This is a murder mystery/ romance , set during the 12 days of Christmas, and is one you really won’t want to put down .
I was thoroughly transfixed with this book , hating to be away from it in case something happened and I missed it , we’ve all been there right , silly but true.
The characters were believable and well fleshed in their development and the story itself had you on the edge of your seat.
Full of tension , emotion ,devious plots and romance is a must and definitely recommended .
I received an advance copy of this book and chose to submit a review

Overall, I enjoyed A Duel for Christmas. I am a sucker for Regency romance, so this work was right up my street. I loved the characters of Maud and Geoffrey, and the plot had plenty of action and suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat, figuratively speaking. I thought the story evoked the era well; however, there were, I believe, mistakes in the titling of some of the noble characters. I did also wonder at times about the romance. I liked the idea of the two of them as a pair, but there was an element of insta-love about it, and we didn't get many opportunities to observe them together, getting to know each other. This is the third book in a series. It certainly can be read as a standalone; nonetheless, I do wonder whether having read the other two books would have helped. As it was, the character of Pevensey, when he came in partway through the tale, seemed to have a lot of backstory that it might have been useful to know. But, as I said, a generally enjoyable read despite a few faults, and I did appreciate the clever transposition of medieval history to a Regency setting.