Another great book in the Playful Brides series. Now the matchmaker has to find her own match. In a fun loving way we will watch her try to set herself up with the person she thinks is the one. Her friends are going to match her with the one.
This was a fun and easy read.


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

This was a fun frolicking read. It's an ensemble piece that reminded me of the great screwball comedies of the 40's and 50's. It wasn't weighed down with a lot of angst or darkness. It was simply a playful (as advertised) and refreshing romp.
I voluntarily read an advanced review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.

No Other Duke But You is the eleventh book in the Playful Brides series by Valerie Bowman. I have read a few of those 11, and am determined to read them all. For now, though I just need to say that you definitely don't need to read the other books to fully follow and enjoy this one (or any of the others).

What I really enjoyed about this story is that as well as it being a beautiful romance, it was also a very humorous one. I love to have a giggle at exploits in a book and I certainly had a giggle in this one.

Lady Delilah Montebank hasn't been interested in marriage for herself since she had her first London season, but she has enjoyed playing matchmaker for her friends. A successful matchmaker at that. The time has come, at her mother's insistence for Delilah to find a husband. If she doesn't choose one for herself within a month her mother will have her betrothed to her future step-brother! The trouble with Delilah is that she speaks before she thinks and not only does she tell her mother she will definitely be betrothed before the time limit is up, but she will be betrothed to the most eligible bachelor of the season, the Duke of Branville no less! A man that doesn't even know who she is! And that is when the fun begins!

In order to clear the way for her to make her move on the Duke, Delilah has to find somebody to be a match for another woman who is making it obvious she wants the Duke too. Plus she and her friends are making matches for other people. Unfortunately, none of the matches are going to plan with them all fancying the wrong people. In the end, Delilah gets so desperate that she even buys a love potion from a Romany woman with the hope that she can make the Duke fall in love with her.

All this time and she can't see what, or who has been under her nose, a man that has loved her for practically the whole time he has known her. That man is handsome, rich and a longtime close friend of Delilah's, Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley. When he finds out that she wants to snare another man, one she doesn't have any feelings for, he has to do his best to make that match not happen and to get her to realise that he loves her himself.

I can't remember the last time I had such a giggle over a story and even though at times it could be considered a little farcical I still loved it. There were only one or two scenes involving Delilah and her mother that weren't at all funny, in fact, that woman is quite horrendous. But it added a little shade to the lightheartedness of the story so I think it worked well.

So, does Thomas get his woman, or does that woman get the other Duke, I'm not saying. If you like a comical romance you will enjoy reading this book to find out who gets their happy ending.

Playful Brides #11, Third of the series that I've read so far but each of the book can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the book but at times I didn't. I didn't like Delilah for being in her sixth season and playing the matchmaker for years she was really kind of oblivious, and while I normally enjoy a good oblivious character she was kind of annoying. I liked Thomas, he was in love and did just about everything to show Delilah that he loved her, short of flat out telling her. In a very Kiss Me Kate type fashion Delilah and her friends are putting on a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream for charity when real life starts to emulate art.

Delilah must be engaged by her birthday or else her hateful mother will force her marry a horrible weasel of a man. She has he sights set on the Duke of Branville but so does one of the other girls. To distract the other girl Delilah's matchmaking partner Lucy intend to use Thomas as a distraction, but for some reason Delilah's hesitant to do that, and then another of her good friends Rebecca sets her sight on Thomas. Delilah easily distracts her with Lord Berwick but suddenly Thomas's sister Lavinia wants to be paired with Berwick and not Lord Stanley and to top it all off Branville outright asks Delilah if she could match him to Rebecca. To muddle things up more Thomas kisses her and she has no idea how to process that bit of information; he's her best friend and it was all just for the play, right? Delilah is at her wits end and she's running out of time and no closer to securing Branville that's when her cousin Danielle tells her about a Roma gypsy woman who sells love potions. Only she manages to mess that up as well by dropping the potion in Thomas's eyes instead of Branville.

Overall, parts of it were really fun but I kind of wish it went a different way after the love potion debacle because as it is it's just Delilah whining. And Thomas in his infinite wisdom thinking it's better to tell he loves her under the influence of a love potion than to just tell her he's always loved her. (que me banging my head on the desk). It was a fun read, frustrating at times, but fun nonetheless.

Liked seeing her struggle with the romance aspect after meddling with her friends marriage prospects. Poor Thomas had to maintain his friendship with her, while trying to show her that they should be more. The aspect I struggled with was trying to keep all the characters straight in my mind. There just seemed too many couples to remember who was who and who was related to each other. Otherwise, a good, solid read.

If you are looking for a light-hearted comical read, this might be the book for you. For me, it fell a little short and leaned more toward the Monty Python version of funny than it does toward the Harry Met Sally version. I liked both of the main characters, but she was very immature (more like 13 than 23) and he was just so milquetoast… I did like him much better than her.

Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, became a duke at the age of 17. He’d been enjoying his years at school, but immediately gave up his schooling to learn all he could about running his dukedom. He wanted to become a man of whom his father could be proud, but his lack of formal schooling always bothered him. He’d educated himself – probably better than those who actually finished university – but he always felt inferior in that area. His one champion and saving grace during all of those years – especially the earliest of them – was his very best friend, Lady Delilah Montebank.

Thomas has always loved Delilah, but fears letting her know because she sees him as only a friend and he doesn’t want to do anything that will spoil that friendship. So, he spends time with her, supports her and loves her. However, to avoid her and her friend’s matchmaking, he tells them he isn’t ready to take a bride. He’ll just bide his time until Delilah decides it is time for her to marry and then he’ll – somehow – convince her to choose him.

Delilah’s mother is a nasty piece of work and I would have loved to see something nasty happen to her. Yes – I’m bloodthirsty! It is what would have been Delilah’s sixth season if she were actually attending ton events and looking for a husband. Then, Delilah’s mother confronts her and tells her she will either find a husband by her birthday – in a month – or she’ll have to marry the man her mother has chosen – and he is a real toad. So, Delilah blurts out that she’s chosen her man and she’s sure she’ll be betrothed before her birthday – to the Duke of Branville – who doesn’t even know she exists.

Thomas certainly never expected that development! Now, it is the gentlemen versus the ladies trying to arrange a love match between Delilah and Thomas. Enter a love potion – yes, a love potion – a Roma perfume maker – a talking bird – a Shakespeare play and much more and you have a lively, if immature and improbable, romp. I also have to agree with many other reviewers who have said that the first half of the book is much better than the second half. Once the love potion comes into play, it really goes off the deep end.

This was a good story and I enjoyed it – even though the heroine annoyed me with her immaturity and her willingness to upset so many other lives by using a love potion on a man who clearly didn’t want her. So, it was a nice read, but I wouldn’t read it a second time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I always enjoy Historical Romance but I was just connecting with the characters on this one. 3 stars for writing tho.

I've been following along with the Playful Brides series since book 7 and despite not reading the earlier books (yet), I felt like No Other Duke But You was the perfect way to end the series on a high note.

If you've read any of the previous books, you may recognize a few familiar faces returning in this one as the spirited Delilah, young matchmaker extraordinaire, finally finds her match. I loved the nod to the previous books while not wrapping the story up in their history so you can read No Other Duke But You as a standalone.

But what I REALLY loved was the parallels between this book and A Midsummer Night's Dream which is, by far, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. As the characters prepare to perform said play in the book, their lives mimic its acts one by one and make the book somewhat of a lighthearted comedy.

Delilah made sure of this. She's spunky. Society's restrictions don't quite work for her and she doesn't let them get in her way. The mention of her assortment of rescued animals combined with her ability to make a mess of any situation provided more than enough humor, while her caring heart and loyalty to those around her ensured that I wanted her to find her true love. Who happened to be in her life all along!

I'm a sucker for best friends to lovers and No Other Duke But You is exactly that. Thomas has known Delilah (and all her quirks) for years, and waited for the right time to tell her how he felt. Now that the time has come, he's getting mixed up with just as many matchmaking schemes as Delilah! I loved that the gentlemen tried their hand at getting the couple together just as much as Delilah's friends.

As for the romance? It was, well, sweet. There was definitely some heat involved but I felt like their emotional connection was stronger than their physical one so it became a bigger player in their interactions. I think my main issue with the romance was Thomas. He kept waiting and waiting to say something, to make a decision, that everything went off the rails a number of times and caused more drama than the story really needed. But otherwise I enjoyed it.

No Other Duke But You was a quick read, one I went through in one sitting, and while I'll likely will remember it for the nod to A Midsummer Night's Dream, I wouldn't necessarily say it's a standout romance because it does rely on cliches. That said. . . I happen to like somewhat cliche romances because they can be fun reads and exactly what I'm looking for.

I had my ups and downs with the previous books I've read but overall from these 5, I have to say I'd recommend the Playful Brides books, and have every intention of going back and reading the first few myself!

Lady Delilah Montebank fancies herself a matchmaker and along with her friend Lucy Hunt, Duchess of Claringdon, is always making sure they pair any eligible gentlemen with the right ladies. This is until her mother gives her an ultimatum and tells her she must find herself a match by the end of the season or be married to a gentleman of her mother’s choice.
Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, has been a close friend of the unorthodox and clumsy Delilah for years and knows her better than anyone. He’s also managed to keep himself off the marriage mart and out of the matchmakers’ clutches by claiming lack of interest in becoming attached while harboring a secret love to his best friend, but what will happen now that the lovely Delilah has openly declared herself on the hunt for another Duke?
Though I’ve only read a few of the previous Playful Brides’ stories, I’d read about Delilah and Thomas and was looking forward to their own book. It was surely worth the wait and, in good Delilah’s fashion, it was delightfully fun and fresh. One of the things I most enjoyed was the backdrop of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and the way the author twined it into the story.
This has definitely been my favorite book from Ms. Bowman to date. It was easy to read with a nice pace to it and it’s as unpredictable as its characters

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman is part of her Playful Brides series. It includes (and is not limited to) Dukes, best friends, mean mamas, mistaken identity in the dark and live potion. A fortune telling woman gives a love potion to a young lady who administers it to the wrong, er, right man due to a room switch by the men involved. It could have been a disaster, but turned out to be exactly what was needed.

Ms Bowman and her playful brides are newer to me and I was excited to revisit the series with the latest installment.
I ended up enjoying the book in the end, but I have to confess that I struggled a little bit to get there. I enjoyed the premise of the book and I enjoyed both Delilah and Thomas.
My struggle primarily had to do with the seemingly slow start to the true story. We spent nearly half the book with Delilah, Thomas, and friends circling the issue of matches. The fun for me began once light bulbs went off and I wish more had been with this aspect of the story.
There is also a very large secondary cast- many of whom have had previous books- that I have not read, so it made keeping track of things a bit challenging. I was also very puzzled by the relationship between Delilah and her mother - again, this may have been discussed before, but it seemed unusually harsh to me.
I am still curious to go back and read the Playful Brides books I have missed!

The romance element of this book was good, but the plot was a bit thin for my liking. Delilah and Thomas were very comfortable with each other and I loved how well they knew each other. Having been friends since childhood, they share a close bond and deep affection. Where Delilah is gregarious, exuberant in nature, Thomas is quiet and patient. Delilah enjoys making matches for others and she didn’t spare a thought to her own. Thomas is convinced they are a perfect match and he has been waiting the right time to make his move. But Delilah is unpredictable, and he is afraid of losing his best friend.

I loved Thomas. His character is genuine and consistent. He is also very endearing. The smoldering banter was somewhat lacking between these two though. They were a cute couple, although I wanted them to realize they were made for each other sooner.

All in all, this story is refreshing all while being cute and entertaining. Like all the other books in the series, this is a well-written and lighthearted story. I enjoy Valerie Bowman’s writing style. And she never fails to deliver a very satisfying happy ending. 3.5 Stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this best friends to lovers Regency romance with a great cast of characters and an engaging story that kept me glued to the book from beginning to end. I loved the undeniable chemistry, repartee and sweet romance between Lady Delilah Montebank and Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, her handsome best friend.

If you enjoy well-written Regency romance that is funny, emotional and tender, don't miss "No Other Duke But You" from the Playful Brides series by gifted author Valerie Bowman.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. I also purchased a copy for my keeper library.

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: In a last attempt to prove to her cruel mother that she isn’t entirely hopeless, Lady Delilah Montebank has set her sights on the Duke of Branville who doesn’t even know she exists. Together with her matchmaking friend Lucy, Delilah plans to win him over and if that doesn’t work she’s got a love potion as a backup plan. Except she accidentally gives it to her best friend Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley who has secretly been in love with her for years and thinks the potion fiasco is just the thing he needs to prove to Delilah that he’s the one for her.






Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? The last of the Playful Brides is here and it’s none other than Delilah Montebank. She’s all grown up now and needing a match of her own if only to prove to her cruel, absolutely-no-fun-at-all mother that she can indeed snag a duke. Not just any duke, but the duke that everyone wants but no one seems to be able to get.

Thomas is a special hero. He isn’t a philanderer, or a rake, he’s a genuinely good guy with an easy going, accepting personality. He was so likable and fun and really up for anything as long as he got to spend time with Delilah. His lack of arrogance made him feel like more of an “everyday” guy and he had a touch of naiveté that only added to his charm. If there was one thing about Thomas that was an issue it was his questionable taste in women. Other than that, he’s easy to fall for.

Delilah is where I struggled with No Other Duke but You. Her flighty, over-the-top antics were amusing and humorous when she was a child but as an adult not so much. She came off as a silly 13 year old who still needed a real adult to manage her life and run interference with a man whom she is supposed to be best friends with. Her obsessive need to prove to her mother that she can snag an impossible duke read more like a child’s desperate cry for attention and validation and it took up too much time in Delilah’s life to allow her to grow as an adult character. Overall, she fell into the same category as Lucy in my eyes. I also didn’t buy that Delilah could see when two people had an attachment to one another but was completely blind to the fact that Thomas had a thing for her. Did young, single dukes often spend their time around equally young, single females that she didn’t see anything odd about her relationship with him? Especially in this time period?

I did enjoy seeing many of the series’ previous couples but it felt a bit like a revolving door and in some cases these characters acted out of character, they seemed to be taking several pages out of Delilah’s book of silliness. At times it was funny but after awhile it got tiring. I did love seeing how devoted this group of friends was to Thomas and Delilah. All of them offered their unwavering support at the right moment and that’s what has made the whole series worth investing time in. The friendships that were made have grown and this group is just one large, dysfunctional family.

Click It or Skip It? Click It. Delilah isn’t the best of heroines but she isn’t the worst and Thomas is lovely as the hero. I’m going to miss this crazy group.

No Other Duke But You is the last and final book in the Playful Brides series and even though I enjoyed reading it and laughed and giggled along the way, there were a number of things that were a bit annoying. On the other hand, there were many things that made it enjoyable and funny so let's start there.

I loved Delilah and Thomas as a couple and enjoyed all the banter and fun, loyalty and friendship. The whole group of friends is amazing and I like how they help each other and take care of their friends. The story itself was entertaining and considering the play they were performing, I also liked the idea of a love potion that had to be sprinkled on someone's eyes. Yep, exactly like the potion in Midsummer Night's dream - and guess, which play it is that they are performing? Right.

Soooo....all this chaos that resulted from the use of the potion and everything around it was entertaining and funny but it also made me mad. I don't know how often I thought that NOW would be the moment one of them finally said what they felt and for how long they've felt like it and...the moment came and I was sitting on pins and needles and... nope. Nothing. Niente. Nada. They didn't say anything. At least nothing helpful.

Considering the fact that they've been friends for ages and know each other well, even considering the change of circumstances, it shouldn't have been that difficult to simply TALK. You know, the thing where you use brains and mouth and tell the other what you think and what you mean - and what he or she means to you. Soo...a definite lack of communication, a magic potion that may or may not have worked and a kind of mistaken identity as in the wrong person in the wrong bed, add a healthy dose of absolutely evil witch of a mother, greedy soon-to-be relations and a pinch of pathetic fiancé and you got the mix.

And I may not be a stickler for authenticity but there were a bunch of things that were just unrealistic and not in accordance with the time and its society, even if you were unconventional. Some things just weren't done and you couldn't get away with them without getting shunned and talked about.

Despite all that, the book kept me entertained and I enjoyed the wit and banter and loved to see Thomas and Delilah finally get together so I rate it three stars but would still recommend it because I enjoyed it and will definitely read it again as well.

London - June 1827

Lady Delilah Montebank, age 22, is watching while her friends smuggle some things out of her house to be used in a play she is producing with her friend, Lucy Hunt, the Duchess of Claringdon, and a woman of whom her mother disapproves. They plan to perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night Dream.

Delilah’s mother is a widow and she is determined that Delilah, now in her sixth season, will marry. She demands that Delilah become engaged this year or her mother will arrange an engagement for her. The woman is suggesting that she marry the odious Clarence Hilton, heir to an earldom. Instead, Delilah bravely tells her mother that she intends to secure an offer from the elusive Duke of Branville.

When Delilah tells her friends that she has her eye on the Duke of Branville, she learns that Lady Emmaline Rochester, a lovely young woman, also has set her eye on him.

Thomas Hobbs, the Duke of Huntley, took over his title at the young age of 18 when his father passed away. He is responsible for his sister, Lavinia, age 32. During the time since he gained the title, he has increased the estate’s profits immensely. Now his sister, Lavinia has decided she wants to marry and wants Thomas to find her a husband. While the woman is lovely, she is simply a shrew. So, Thomas will ask Delilah and Lucy for their help in finding a husband for Lavinia. The two young woman have already done that for many of their friends. Oh, but Thomas has loved Delilah forever. How can he hope to win her love in return?

The story goes on to include Delilah purchasing a love potion to get the man she wants to love her in return. There is much-ado about the play as well. Will the right people find each other?

Oh dear. There is just too much going on in this book. A Shakespeare play, love potions, he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not, etc. It comes across as silly and I must say I’m quite disappointed. However, the author writes good books and I’m hoping her next one will be better.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A cute a quick read that requires quite a bit of suspension of belief. The hero and heroine are best friends, in quite a modern way. The story is filled with hijinks and romance in a plot inspired by Midsummers Night Dream. It does drag on a bit and moves quite slowly. If it were a bit shorter it would have been a more enjoyable read.

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman
Playful Brides #11

Lady Delilah Montebbank has been so busy finding matches for friends that she hasn’t taken the time to find one for herself so when her less than kind mother tells her, “this year or else,” she states her intentions of becoming engaged to the catch of the season. How hard can it be and who cares if all the matches she has made already were “love matches” and hers will not be?

In the midst of Delilah’s scheming and her mother’s negativity and her friend Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley realizing HE is the one who should be with Delilah a play is being put together for charity. Appearances by couples in previous couples in the series are made, a love match is made and a side match is made by Thomas’s sister who also gets her HEA.

I have to say that Delilah seemed a bit “fluffy” and not very down to earth with her dropping of French words here and there and immature in what she thought would work for herself in regard to marriage. Her mother was worse than Cinderella’s stepmother so perhaps that impacted her in more ways than one. Thomas was a nice guy but he was a bit slow in stating his intentions and almost missed out. The story was light and frothy and included a love potions and ended up being a friends of ten years moving into lovers story with a HEA.

Did I like this book? Not as much as some others in the series but it was enjoyable
Will I read more by this author? Probably.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – this is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

This book got at the squirrel or a the one eyed cat. I'm not sure, but since the beginning I appreciated the humour, the lightness and the style of writing.
I loved this humorous book, full of twists and turns, that will keep you hooked till the last page, root for the Tom and Delilah, and have a lot of fun.
I liked Delilah, I really appreciated her nonconformism and humour, and found the cast of characters likable and fleshed out. I think that Delilah is the one who changes and grow, going from an unsure girl to a self-assured and strong women who discovers who really matters in her life.
The romance is nice, it reminded me of some movies of the 30s.
It was nice to read all the references to A Midsummer NIght Dream, my favourite Shakespeare work.
To summarize: this is a funny, entertaining, engaging and well written book with some very original and interesting traits.
I'm sorry I never read the other books in this series but I will surely get them and read the series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to St. Martin Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I’ve read a few of the previous books in this series and enjoyed them, as I enjoyed this one. My main issue with this book is an issue that I end up having with a good amount of romance novels, lack of communication. I've said this before specifically with this series and have found this to be a continued frustration with some of the series' plot lines. I just wish people could learn to talk to each other more! There were some points of the plot that I did enjoy, especially towards the end with the love potion. It reminded me a lot of the play they were performing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and was a bit like a comedy of errors. It was funny and kept me interested. Delilah was a delightful character though, she was very endearing with her quirkiness and slight bumbling. And I loved how devoted Thomas was to her, how long he waited for her to realize he was standing right there all along, and how good their relationship was. I love when we get to read about someone who has quirks and flaws and that their person loves them because of those characteristics rather than in spite of them. I liked the book, it was sweet and a quick read. I would recommend it.