To be honest - I had to warmup to Jack and Desirée. But as I was reading they slowly but surely stole my heart. I loved the twins and her brother's. Together they made this story special.

It was a quick, fun and delightful read and let's not forget - swoony!!!

"I grieved for years, too scared of another loss to risk putting my heart and my children through pain like that all over again. I wanted to shield them. To keep them safe. I was wrong.”Her brow furrowed. “Wrong?”“Running away is the right answer when you’re facing cannon fire or giant wasps. It’s the wrong answer if you’re running away from love. You are worth it. My children are worth it. I am worth it.”He reached out his hand. “Marry me.”

Now we wait to see the next duke finding his HEA.

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

I absolutely adore Erica Ridley's books. A delightful read indeed. Desiree and Jack's narrative seamlessly aligns with the breezy tone of this series. The characters, with their sharp repartee and amusing exchanges, added a layer of enjoyment. The clever interplay of the cast and plot intricacies made for an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable story.

"The Duke's Bride" is a rather predictable romance read. It was just overall okay for me but some parts fell a bit flat. It was capable of holding my attention but it didn't really draw me in due to its aforementioned predictability.

I loved The Duke's Bride! The flow and plot of this book was wonderful. I loved Jack, his children and their banter. The children were so delightful and witty. Desiree was a wonderful, strong, independent woman. Her character was so well written and I adored her. Thank you for a wonderful book!

A well written and entertaining feel good Regency romance novella with good historical details. I'll be reading more from this author for sure. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for my opinion. 3.5 stars. 💝

These short, charming. romantic reads have really grown on me lately. I love discovering a reliably good author that I can go to for great entertainment in between heavier reads. I also like when books in series can be read independently of each other. Thumbs up!

I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10. This book was a NetGalley copy that I was sent in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the Author via the Publishers for the opportunity to read this.

Out of the first 6 books in this series, this one is my favourite. This time the Duke in question is a female with the surname le Duc. As Desiree takes up a position as a temporary governess to the 10 year old twins of Jack Skeffington, single father and confirmed bachelor. As time progresses Desiree realises that she is developing feelings for the children in her care and not only just them. As she has major reasons for having accepted the temporary position, her loyalties are torn between her family across the channel and the one family that she finds herself living with. Which family will she choose and more importantly how can she make that choice?

Grab a copy yourself and immerse yourself in the lives of Desiree and Jack.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a short novella and while a quick read it is enjoyable.
Jack has been raising his twins alone since his wife passed but now it is time for them to have a governess.
Desiree and her brothers had to escape France but now that the war is over all they want is to return home. With the salary she can earn as a temporary governess, they can go home sooner.
There isn't a lot of action or character development in light of how short the novella is but the relationship between jack, desiree, and the twins is sweet.
An uncomplicated HEA.

This is a cute story. It isn't as funny as the other books in the series, but it is entertaining. Jack is a former privateer, and a current smuggler, with 10 year old twins. The twins are smart, precocious and competitive. When Jack realizes that it was time for the twins to have a governess, he has no idea how to go about it, so he asks his friend and neighbor Desiree to help him find one. Desiree is a French aristocrat who, along with her two older brothers, fled from France after their parents were killed during the French revolution. They've been in England for 18 years and were waiting until they helped the man who rescued them pay off the lien on his home. Desiree thinks that she'd like to be Fred and Annie's temporary governess while she helps Jack find a permanent one, so he agrees. Neither of them realizes that their secret crush is returned, until Desiree moves in with Jack. Even after they realize that their crushes are in fact mutual, they're both against any relationship. Jack has had his heart broken once already and Desiree is moving back to France. Unfortunately for them, the four of them slip into a routine that is very family-like, and resisting temptation becomes increasingly harder. Jack is a relaxed, confident man with no regrets about his life. Desiree is a bundle of energy trying to stay busy and help her family any way she can. Fred and Annie are firecrackers. This is a heartwarming story that began with tragedy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

My favorite of the series! It was enchantingly heartwarming. To watch love grow. When I sigh at the end of a book... Just saying, a must read. Book provided by NetGalley.

The twins dialog and banter made this book and the love their smuggler father Jack has for them sweetened the pot. The love story between Jack and Désirée wasn't what I'm accustomed to reading. It wasn't very romantic. Stolen kisses and a bit encounter isn't romance to me. However, the children are the stars of this book. I enjoyed it and can't wait to begin The Duke's Embrace with Désirée 's brother Sébastien.

Perfectly charming and heartwarming characters. Interesting plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Enjoyed every minute of it!

Such a fun read. Desiree and Jack's story fits perfectly with the light-hearted feel of this series.. I love the character with their quick wit and laugh out loud banter. I really enjoyed the playful weave of cast and plot together to create a great read.

The Duke’s Bride by Erica Ridley is book 6 of the 12 Dukes of Christmas Series. An historical romance set at Christmastime is always a fun read. A classic tale of a man who has closed his heart when his wife dies but has two children to take care but does not know how. Enter the heroine to help take care of the kids until he finds a suitable tutor. This leads to friendship and confidentiality between two strong people. They finally heal through the love that is built on trust and admiration. While this is the first book I have read in this series, I will go back and read the others ASAP!

I really loved this book - it was so sweet and just a really heartwarming story - I totally needed it.

Another fun book from Erica Ridley, the Dukes series is almost ridiculous but in a good way. I particularly enjoyed the kids in this one.

This is a well-written book which kept my attention throughout ,I enjoyed reading this entertaining series

Take one single father , with a secret and one French Madmoiselle also with a secret...……… plus a full wine cellar and you get an highly entertaining romance .

A great book for a rainy Sunday afternoon

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4
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e-Book/ Netgalley/ December2019
<i>Thank you Netgalley and the author for the review copy. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.</i>
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I am a huge fan of Erica Ridley's 12 Dukes of Christmas series and it is no surprise that I have come this much into a series!. Historical Romance will always be my feel-good guilty please reads and this one is definitely not an exception ❤️
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This book follows a stern mastermind & a single father to twins, Jack Skeffington, who is in dire need of a strict governess, and a determined & witty Désirée le Duc, who just happens to be Jack's business partner's sister. How these two confront what is happening and their feelings towards one another is the main plot.
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First, as usual, I loved the writing and the word choices used for the characters and it went really well with the personalities of them as well. I loved the contrast of personalities in both our main characters and the kids were absolutely amazing to read about! Especially the interactions between our main characters really made me root for them at the end and the ending was an absolute delight to read about!
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Overall, I am really glad I am continuing with the series and if you are looking for a short historical romance series, I definitely recommend this one!

Another good book to read from this author. Compared to other reads by her, this book could be summarized into one sentence : A fluffy historical romance with a lot if bubbly moments.

Always a winning author for me. Immersive world, steamy interactions, and a HEA. What more do you need? Im not usually a fan of French/English romances, I find they can be a bit heavy handed at times, which is just a personal preference, which pulls this rating down for me.