This book is #11 in the playful bride series. I was looking forward to Delilah's story. Delilah and Thomas, the Duke of Huntley have been best friends since she was 13. Delilah considers herself a spinster and a matchmaker.
When her mother demands she make a match this season or they will arrange a marriage for her, she asks her friend and fellow matchmaker, Lucy Hunt for help.
Thomas has been in love with Delilah for years. When he finds out about Lucy's ultimatum, he sets out to show her , he can be more than her best friend.
I loved this book and as is usually the case with a Valerie Bowman book, there is alot of humor in it.
Enjoy the story of Delilah, where she realizes the only person for her is her best friend.

A historical romance with a Shakespeare theme, containing quirky characters, love triangles, and magic potions, No Other Duke But You is a romance you will not soon forget! With a large part of the plot centered around a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, it tells a tale of unrequited love and misguided endeavors. I loved how the story felt like a comedy of errors, and ultimately I decided to dub it as follows - A Midsummer Night's Disaster! If you want to read a romantic comedy with a Shakespeare twist, this is the book for you.

Thomas Hobbs, the Duke of Huntley, has loved Lady Delilah Montebank since they were children. His mistake has been letting it go all these years without declaring himself. Now it might be too late. Delilah has been given an ultimatum by her mother - bring a suitor, namely the Duke of Branville, up to scratch, or marry the odious Clarence Hilton, the son of her mother's own suitor. Desperate to avoid such a fate, Delilah enlists the help of her matchmaking friends to capture the duke's attentions. When Thomas gets wind of this, he realizes that things have made a turn for the worse, and his future with his beloved is slipping away fast. He'll have to be cunning and quick to make sure Delilah ends up married to the right person - him.

I will start off by saying how lovely and unique it is that both the hero and heroine are virgins in this story. It's revealed fairly early on, and I liked it. Especially with the amount of time Thomas spent singing Delilah's praises, I was having a hard time believing he ever paid for a prostitute, seduced a widow, or maintained a mistress. It wouldn't have made sense. He was such a sweetheart throughout the story, fighting for Delilah and failing at it miserably for almost the entire book. Delilah was such a ninny at time, but a delightful one! I fell in love with her almost instantly, since animal lovers must stick together. Her shenanigans with the squirrel endeared her to me quickly, and her awful mother made me want to jump inside the pages of the book to defend her. Her generous spirit and kind heart were so evident, and with Thomas being so similar in virtue, their pairing seemed very natural. Which is why it was so frustrating that it took a long time - and I do mean, a l-o-n-g time - for these two to get together in this book. But with all the drama of the various players in the story, you didn't really miss it as a reader. I was glad that their relationship blossomed into romance slowly.

Brava to Valerie Bowman for writing such a splendidly unique book! Highly recommended to historical romance readers and Shakespeare buffs alike.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

No Other Duke But You (Playful Brides, #11) by Valerie Bowman .. I was so happy to get to read Delilah(matchmaker extraordinaire) and Thomas( Duke of Huntley and her best friend). Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. Valerie always grabs me and pulls me from the very beginning. I loved revisiting all the characters. I could not keep the song LOVE POTION #9 from running through my head as I read this. So many laughs(I laughed out loud quite a few times) some tears and some steamy time all get us to a very HEA. I have truly loved this series.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Witty Funny Easy-to-read Page-turner Romantic Happily Ever After Great world building Entertaining Wonderful characters Whimsical Steamy

No Other Duke But You is a delightful Regency romp with charming Shakespearean twists. I adore a good friends-to-lovers romance author Valerie Bowman hit all the right notes for me with Thomas and Delilah’s love story. It’s sprightly, sweet, and melted my heart more than once.

Delilah is a completely endearing heroine. She has a sunny nature, a kind heart, and a quiet vulnerability that tugged on my heartstrings. She’s not elegant or refined, which means some people (her horrible mother in particular) look down on her and make her feel like she’s less than the wonderful young woman she is. Delilah’s biggest fault is that she can’t see what’s right in front of her nose – namely that her best friend, Thomas, is in love with her. Thomas is kind and generous and he’s long avoided the matchmaking ways of his friends because he’s head-over-heels in love with Delilah. I adored Thomas and he made me melt with the way he saw and loved Delilah for who she is. I won’t spoil the story, but I will say how he shows Delilah he loves her makes him an absolutely swoon-worthy hero. I did feel a bit sorry for him and normally it’s a big pet peeve of mine when characters don’t just talk to each other about their feelings, but it worked in this story. The romance between Thomas and Delilah made me smile and sigh. Obstacles, schemes, and matchmaking gone awry don’t stand a chance when you have two people as well-suited as they are. They’re genuinely sweet and make such a lovely pair that I didn’t want to put the book down because I liked them together so much.

No Other Duke But You pays homage to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, complete with a play, mismatched lovers, a love potion, and some nighttime hijinks. It’s a fun spin on a classic and it works because of the cast of characters’ spirited natures. Most of the Playful Brides heroes and heroines play roles big and small in this book, which is sure to please fans as this is the final book in the series. No Other Duke But You reminds me exactly why I fell in love with the Playful Brides series to begin with: it’s a warm, energetic romance with characters you’d want to be friends with and a love story that will make you smile.

This was a fun book to read! It is a story about wanting to fall in love with the “right man.” It ends up with the heroine realizing that love has always been right in front of her, she just saw him as her best friend.

Valerie Bowman has done it again! Lady Delilah and Lord Thomas are firmly in the "friend zone." Thomas is madly in love with his best friend, Delilah. When she is finally pushed to secure a husband, Thomas isn't the person she considers. With the help of some new matchmakers, Thomas has to get Delilah to see him as a husband instead of a friend.

Mrs. Bowman writes a lively story with her trademark sense of humor. Although this novel lacks some of the intrigue and danger seen in the other novels in this series, it's enjoyable all the same.

This book was bittersweet as it is the last in a much beloved series by Valerie Bowman. No Other Duke But You lets us know that sometimes love is already staring us in the face.

Delilah, our heroine, has been a present character in these books since the fourth, and it was about time for her to get her own love. She is a matchmaker, more often than not, conspiring with Lucy Hunt for uniting their friends in love. This story begins with Delilah being handed an ultimatum by her mother, either she becomes engaged by her birthday, or else she will have to marry an unsightly, repugnant man. Thomas, her best friend, wants to be her someone. Kisses are stolen, potions are administered, and love prevails.

Our heroine is a bold, strong-willed, lover of love, and Thomas has loved Delilah since they were young. He has just patiently been waiting on the side-lines for her to be ready. These characters are beautiful and the story flowed wonderfully. I will forever and always recommend a Valerie Bowman romance novel.

This was a whimsical and fluffy addition to the PLAYFUL BRIDES series, which I admit, has been going on for quite a while. I jump into the series after every book or so though, and it’s really easy to get back into. There might be a bit more dialogue from extraneous characters from previous books, but overall NO OTHER DUKE BUT YOU provides a wholesome, heart-filled romance between two good friends.

There are some things that hindered me from enjoying the romance, fully. One is the fact that Thomas was passive towards Delilah for the majority of their lives. He really took her for granted until she started showing interest in another potential partner, and that interest was what galvanized him to start wooing him on his own. Of course, with the help of all these background characters that proved themselves extremely meddlesome. Delilah, on the other, was exceptionally dense with Thomas’s feelings (as well as the machinations of their friends) and it was a bit tiring keeping up with her antics, while watching Thomas follow her and try to convince her otherwise. Things got repetitive around the middle, and when I took a break with the book, I found it hard for me to get back into it.

I think NO OTHER DUKE BUT YOU would be better as a sweet read in one sitting, because it can be easily forgettable due to its overuse of historical tropes and cliches. On the other hand, I am weak for these cliches, and Thomas and Delilah both showed growth as characters overall, which made me ultimately enjoy the book. I would recommend it for readers following this series, and in general anyone looking for a romance read that’s a bit mindless, but nonetheless sweet and fun!

I absolutely loved this one! Such a fun friends to lovers romance. Witty and entertaining through out the whole read! I simply can't wait for the next one so I can devour it as fast as I did this one! Delilah is a always matching everyone else and now its her turn!

I do like romantic fiction books.
I do like cheesy and make me feel writing.
I do like dukes and duchess too!
But what I liked the most about this book, besides plot and characters is magic potions!
This book has all of that!
No Other Duke But You scored 4/5 for me and yes, I did like it!!!

I love the Playful Brides series. The story is about Lady Delilah Montebank wants to marry the Duke of Branville, but he does not seem to realize she exists. She decides to try a love potion on him. Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley is Delilah's best friend and thinks the plan is not a good idea. Also, she gave the love potion to Thomas by mistake so he knows it did not work on the Duke of Branville.
But maybe it is Thomas's chance to show Delilah that he loves her. I love the plot of this story it was very good. I really liked Thomas.

I liked this book. Loosely based on (and featuring a performance of) A Midsummer Night’s Dream, No Other Duke But You is fluffy and it’s fun. Valerie Bowman is a good writer and the ‘farce and folly’ vibe of Shakespeare’s famous comedy is well executed.

However, I didn’t like this book as much as some others I’ve read by Valerie Bowman. This is probably due more to personal preference than anything inherently wrong with this book. For me, the hiccup here was that the characters felt a bit…juvenile. Sometimes I felt like I was reading about the emotionally immature antics of teenagers rather than grow-up people. So many of the decisions made by Delilah and Thomas left me exasperated…like the wholehearted belief in the love potion? Come on, now. I would have liked a little more emotional meat, if you will. I’m an emotional carnivore.

Again, I don’t LOVE friend to lovers typically…so keep that in mind too. *shrugs*

But none of that is to say that I didn’t enjoy reading this No Other Duke But You. I did. If you are in the mood for romantic comedy of errors and something light and even a bit silly then this is a great choice.

Love, love, love this story. Thomas is the sweetest man. . When she gives her heart, you can't help but cheer for her. This is such a wonderful story...some incredibly sad parts. Looking forward to the next story...

It's the story of Lady Delilah Montebank and Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, And a love potion. It's like a story out of one of Shakespeare's plays. She wants to marry another Duke who doesn't even notice her, doesn't even know she exists. Thomas doesn't want to get married, ever. But then he unfortunately ends up with Delilah's love potion.

A well written story you have to love!

No Other Duke But You ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Valerie Bowman

The constant dream of every young woman in a Historical Romance is to marry a Duke. Lady Delilah Montebank prompted by her mother to marry. If Delilah didn’t marry this season her mother planned to select a husband for her.

Delilah decides to tell her mother she has set her sights on the most eligible bachelor in the ton who happens to be a Duke.

Like most of us, we never see what is there before our eyes and look beyond. Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley her best friend since childhood is in love with her.

As this story emerges, our author has added some quirky aspects to it. I found so enjoyable.The love potion was priceless. Thomas saving himself for Delilah his true love if only he could make her see his love.

This was a sweet heartfelt story I would recommend.

Lady Delilah's mother orders her to marry. Since her mother is an overbearing shrew who has never loved Delilah, she obeys her and starts the husband hunting with her matchmaking friend, Lucy. The Duke of Branville seems to be a likely candidate. She doesn't love him but she promised her mother and doesn't want to disappoint her. Thomas, the Duke of Huntley and Delilah have been best friends for many years. He thinks the whole matchmaking thing is ridiculous as he never plans to marry. Delilah thinks maybe a love potion will help with her in her quest to meet Lord Branville. She has plans to give this potion to him, but it lands on Thomas instead. Now, what? Thomas seems to be in love with her. She knows it's the potion but she loves him, too. What can she do? She can go back and see if she can get an antidote. There is none. What will Thomas do when he finds out about the potion? I love Thomas and Delilah. They are fun characters and it's a great story. I received this book from Net Galley and St. Thomas Press for a honest review. The expressed are my own.

Lady Delilah Montebank has enjoyed six seasons of merry matchmaking for others but now her mother, who has zero faith in her, has decreed she must marry. If Delilah can't make a better match before her 23rd birthday, she'll be forced to marry the portly and dull earl's son who her mother believes to be the best Delilah can hope for. Delilah is determined to prove her mother wrong and make a better match so she sets her sights on the catch of this year's season, the Duke of Branville, except he's hardly even aware of her existence. She's not worried though; she's charming enough, notorious matchmaker Lucy Hunt is her best friend, and her cousin has found an elixir of love she can use to further her cause.

Lord Thomas Hobbs, the Duke of Huntley, finds his best friend Delilah's crusade for the Duke of Branville to be preposterous. Thomas was forced to grow up very quickly and take over the responsibilities of his dukedom at a young age, but he's been a great success. Extremely loyal, Thomas values his friendship with Delilah above all else and doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize their relationship; moving their friendship to the next level must be her own idea, or at least she needs to think it's her idea. He's always been adamantly opposed to the lifelong commitment of marriage, but that's only because he's been waiting for Delilah to be ready to see him as more than a friend. When Delilah accidentally gives him her love potion, he thinks this may serve as the perfect excuse to confess his true feelings for her.

Naturally, when Delilah's friend Lucy suggests matchmaking Thomas with this season's diamond of the first water, Delilah finally begins to notice him as a man. But in typical flighty heroine fashion, she attempts to quash these feelings; she longs for her mother's approval and she promised an engagement to the Duke of Branville, specifically. And yet, as other ladies flock to her very eligible best friend, Delilah finds herself dealing with a new emotion: jealousy, which Thomas notices and hopes to use to his favor.

Delilah is so big-hearted and it was so frustratingly relatable to see her mother's treatment of her and lack of faith in her. I just wanted to beat Delilah over the head and get her to open her eyes to the lovely man who's been by her side all along. She was very immature, especially for her age and her single-minded focus on a man who was clearly not interested in her, whilst ignoring the man who was perfect for her, was just so cringeworthy and frustrating. For much of the time, I was just thinking Delilah didn't deserve Thomas and yet I could see why he was drawn to her and her caring nature. Also her random slips into French were annoying and didn't make much sense.

This was quite a whimsical book with the characters trying to make matches to all the wrong people, very much similar to the play they are putting on, though they of course do not notice the similarities themselves. It's all very much a farce with many oblivious characters but of course it all works out in the end. It just takes a very long time to get there and while it was entertaining and amusing at first, I began to lose patience with it after a bit and wanted everyone, especially naive Delilah, to just get on with it. It's yet another plot driven much by the lack of or poor quality of communication, also not quite as significantly as many of the books I've read lately. It's not your typical historical romance, but more like a romantic comedy, and much of it was at least whimsically amusing before I began losing patience and finding it tiresome. I enjoyed it, but I definitely wish Thomas and Delilah got more time to actually be together.

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

Why doesn't Thomas just tell Delila that he has loved her forever in the beginning? I guess I should be glad that he didn't because then the book would have been over in two pages. Because, No Other Duke But You, was so much fun to read. I would have been disappointed if it were over sooner.

I absolutely enjoyed Thomas and Delilah 's story. The author has great characters with entertaining story line that will keep you are what is next to come.

Thomas the Duke of Huntley has been best friends and in Love with Delilah since they were young and has always planned on her being his ducheses when she was ready. But Delilah thanks of Thomas as her best friend and when her mother will pick a husband for her she is set her sights on another Duke. This makes Thomas realize he must move quickly to prevent the women he loves from marrying another and to have her realize she loves him.

This is a fun read and you will enjoy Delilah's skeems.

I received this book from net valley for an honest review.

No Other Duke But You is the eleventh and final book of the Playful Brides series. It was a wonderful story! It's a friends to lovers tale with a mix of humor and Shakespeare. Delilah is a character that is full of life, but due to her mother's remarks and snide comments, she feels inadequate. It is until her mom threatens her to marry her off that she decides to finally marry. Delilah has played matchmaker for some time now and, due to her mother's manipulation, has decided to find a match for herself by her birthday. Thomas, Duke of Huntly, is her best friend and has loved her for a long time. He decides to "help" her get engaged to someone else. Thomas was a very sweet hero. He was always there for her. He tries to make her see that she is wonderful as she is and that she does not have to change to please her mother. Delilah decides on who she wants to marry, while putting together a play for charity, Thomas is determined to show her that he is her ideal match. I enjoyed reading as Delilah slowly was beginning to learn that she reciprocated those feelings too.
This story had humor and twists and turns of characters that were being matched with people who they were not compatible with. A love potion is used by Delilah. She mistakenly uses is on Thomas and therefore does not believe him when he confesses his love for her. The moments between them were sweet and it was nice to see Delilah accept who she is and that it's okay to be a little clumsy and outspoken. That there is someone out there who believes being clumsy and outspoken adds to your character.
Great story and I highly recommend. The cover of the book matched the personality of both Thomas and Delilah. Very sweet and funny!