I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Beautiful cover. A really good historical fiction romance novel. Recommend

A sweet look back at the Wilde parents and their romance - happily, without anything too harsh to mar the setting.

Hugo and Ophelia's story. This was a fun wrap up to the series. I would recommend saving this one until after you have read the rest of the series.

I'm obsessed with this series and was over the moon when I read about this prequel. And it (mostly) lived up to my expectations. Things are a bit rushed right at the beginning and I was worried about the insta-love element. Fortunately things slowed down around the 20% mark. From there I loved reading about the young Wildes and their parents are getting to know the background of the the foundational couple who made it all possible.

I was delighted for the opportunity to review this book from NetGalley. Eloisa James is a favorite author of mine and I devoured each book in her Wilde series as it was published. My Last Duchess does not disappoint! If you are a fan of the series, you already know about the marriage of the Wilde children’s parents, Hugo, Duke of Lindow, and Ophelia, Lady Astley. This series prequel tells the story of how the Duke convinces Ophelia that their mutual attraction, his fabulous home, and his eight children will make for a happy marriage. The story is expertly told and filled with James's characteristic witty dialogue. You will love the characters, especially the secondary characters, and be happy to see people you know from previous Wilde books again (some as children!). The audiobook is also well done and is beautifully narrated by Susan Duerden.

This is a prequel to a series I haven't read. Having eight (or more) children in the next generation will make for an expansive series if each one gets his or her own book, but as a plot point in this novella, it falls a bit flat. A duke with 8 children falls in insta-love and hijinks ensue. He gives up on the object of his insta-affections quickly, though, and moves on to a woman who is (*gasp*) older than he is, which the heroine and her friends love to point out constantly. None of the characters were particularly appealing to me, and the biggest crisis is how to ditch the old-fashioned lady who thought she was getting engaged to the duke. Perhaps if you're a fan of the rest of the series, though, you'll enjoy this view of how the third and last duchess came into their lives.

PS. I realize the chronology is off for any real connection to the Browning poem, but I had hoped for a little more of the sinister feeling of his "My Last Duchess."

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

It was typically well written for Eloisa James, but the whole eight children thing just didn't work for me personally. That said, I did enjoy the interactions among the children and between the children and the adults.

A delightful little niblet that charms us with a tale of how Hugo Wilde met and married his 3rd and last duchess. A fast romance that brims with insta love and humor. A wonderful introduction to anyone who has not read James' Wilde series.

I have enjoyed all of the Wilde books, so I was anxious to read Hugo and Ophelia’s story. Many of the characters were familiar to me including Lady Knowe and all of the Wilde children so it was like reading about old friends. If you enjoyed the other Wilde books you will want to read Hugo and Ophelia’s love story as well.

This book just wasn't for me. I hate Insta-love and I didn't care about the story or characters. I thought it was boring. I haven't read any of the books in this series, but if they're anything like this, I don't think I want to.

My Last Duchess (The Wildes of Lindow Castle #0.5). By Eloisa James. 2020. Avon (ARC eBook).

The divorce of Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, from his second wife has just been finalized and his meddling sister, Lady Knowe, is already on his case about wedding again in order to provide a proper mother for the youngest of eight children who are still in the nursery. So off to a party he goes and is bewitched with just one look by Ophelia, Lady Astley.

Having reconciled the loss of her husband, Ophelia is devoted to her young daughter Viola, and can’t even entertain the idea of being mother to eight more. One look at Hugo Wilde and Ophelia heads for her carriage. Not easily discouraged, Hugo seeks her out and propositions marriage. Not easily swayed by his charm and ducal status, Wilde will have to woo the lady a bit more, and he’s up to the challenge as he’s sure that Lady Astley will be his last duchess.

I enjoy James’ The Wildes of Lindow Castle series. And so far, Viola Astley and Devin Elstan’s romance has been my favorite. So I was looking forward to reading more about how Lady Astley and Viola became a part of the Wilde bunch. While it is a novella, it still felt a bit to short and insta-love-y for my taste. But I did love the scenes with the children, especially when the youngest ones interview Ophelia while they are in the carriage. Overall, a charming story and I look forward to the next Wilde romance!

Sometimes, there is nothing more satisfying than a well-written romance novella--a quick, fun read and nothing but the good parts! My Last Duchess is a prequel to Eloisa James' Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Readers of that series will be familiar with Hugo and Ophelia as the parents to the other characters in that series. It was an enjoyable read in it's own right, but will be richer for those who are already familiar with the Wilde family.

Eloisa James is a favorite of mine. I love her books and this is my Introduction to her Wilde series. It works well as a stand alone and I’m so excited to read more now!

Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, has lots of children. Eight in fact spanning from 18 years to 2 years old. He lives in a Castle that is mentioned quite frequently (I hope another book in the series takes place there) with his kids and twin sister. His twin, Louisa is trying to talk him into remarrying... so off he goes to London.

Ophelia, Lady Astley, has recently come out of mourning and this is going to her first society event with her cousin. She is a devoted mother to her two year old daughter.

I loved every minute of this short novel. We have instant love on one side of things. It is light, fluffy and delightful. There is delicious steam! It has depth of feeling, passion and some magic in the snow. It is a perfect December read.

Thank you so much to Avon for granting my wish to read this on Netgalley!
#EloisaJames #MyLastDuchess #NetGalley #Avon

Not as entertaining as was expected to be. Missed opportunities for better writing, Needs more flare and wittiness.

I have SO been enjoying the Wildes of Lindow Castle series and I was really excited for the prequel with Hugo and Ophelia’s story. So romantic. I want to be wooed by Hugo. I mean, how can you not love his wit, humor, intelligence and determination to win Ophelia over??? It kind of made me laugh because for the time period it seems that it would be taboo to be looking for a third wife. I mean, maybe it didn’t matter if you were a duke? He also has eight existing children!!! His sister advised him not to start off any courting by mentioning the number of children he has.

This is definitely a love at first sight book. It is not without conflict as Ophelia has enough money, a nice house, a staff and a daughter she loves. Most importantly, as a widow, she has quite a bit of freedom and independence. She really was not on the marriage mart. She tried hard to resist Hugo’s charms. Also, eight children!!! It makes me tired just thinking about it. I like that they are not perfect characters and are accepted by the people they surround themselves with.

I may be a bit biased as I write this because I love everything that Eloisa James writes.
Any fan of historical romance will love this book. I stayed up late reading it. I think we all need some joy in our lives right now and a place to escape to. So why not Victorian England? Enjoy the London Frost Festival right alongside the characters. I feel like I pick up a lot of well researched historical tidbits in these books. I loved this story. Highly recommended.

My Last Duchess was such a heartwarming story! Hugo was amazing as a hero and I loved loved loved seeing the Wildes as children. It is a must for fan of the Wildes and fans of historical romance in general!

Five stars for the simple fact that this book is a beautiful lesson in consent.
Before I get into the great story that it told, let's take a moment to appreciate the exceptional representation of consent in this book. KUDOS TO YOU Eloisa James!

Consent was represented romantically with a simple, "May I?" to the more nuanced legal consent of not trying to seduce someone who may have had enough to drink so that their judgement may be impaired. And it was all done in a way that kept the story and romance going.


Now, about the couple...
Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, meets Ophelia, Lady Astley, just once and falls head over heels at first sight (as happens with all of the Lindows). He needs a mother for his eight children, but she has no desire for more than just the one she has. Hugo decides to look elsewhere, but as their paths keep crossing he realizes that it will be Ophelia or no one.

This novella was fast pasted, but filled with love an passion. It was a great addition to the Lindow family story.

3.25 stars? 3.5?

I’m...conflicted. And honestly not entirely sure where I stand. While I appreciated what a quick and easy read this was and had quite the laugh through some parts, I just found myself a bit detached from these characters and the constant emphasis on vanity. If I had to listen to our heroine mention how round she was or how red her hair was I was going to start throwing hands.

HOWEVER, I am aware of the fact (or at least I’d like to think this) that I’m sure I would have enjoyed this prequel a lot more had I actually read most, if not all, of the books in this series. I’ve only read one another one and I gave it the same conflicted rating as this one. Oh damn, I made a mistake

5/5 for that cover THO

Hugo Wilde isn’t interested in getting married again.  His twin sister, Louisa, makes him think seriously about that choice as he has eight children, and they have no mother.

Hugo was in love with his first wife and they had three sons together. Unfortunately, she died.  His second wife he married just so his sons could have a mother – he was not in love with her.  She ended up having an affair and leaving her four small children with Hugo and obtaining a divorce (scandal!). He also had a ward that he adopted so that brought the children total up to eight.

He finally agrees with Louisa and heads off to London to find someone to mother his children.  He’s a duke so it won’t be that hard to find another wife, so he thinks.  All the women are a little leery of him as they know how many children he has and the divorce doesn't help matters. Though Hugo has no plans to fall in love again, the minute he sees Ophelia he is sunk.  It is said that Wilde men fall in love at first sight and this is proving correct in the case of Hugo and Ophelia.

Ophelia is a widow with a two-year-old daughter. She loves being independent (she has more than enough money) and she loves being a true mother to her daughter.  She's not interested in getting married again and she’s certainly not interested in taking care of 8 children who aren’t her own – even though the oldest 4 are older and away at school.

Hugo isn’t taking no for an answer and pursues Ophelia. They end up spending one night together and Hugo wants only her. Unfortunately, Ophelia is steadfast in her refusal and Hugo has no choice but to move on.  What he moves on to doesn’t make him happy, but hopefully will be a good choice for the many children whom he loves beyond all else. When Ophelia finds out he's moved on, she starts to rethink her decision, but it may be too late.

This was a short but very sweet novella that I enjoyed immensely.  When I read romances about adult children I’m not normally interested in reading about their parents.  In this case, I was curious about Hugo - especially after hearing about his past wives. I wanted to know how he had met his third and final wife and I’m so glad I read it!

Hugo was charming, Ophelia was lovely, and their story was adorable.  I loved the children as they were so freaking cute! The questions the younger ones had for their potential mother were hilarious and they were so very serious about them, you couldn’t help but want to hug them.

Overall a great story and one that’s not to be missed.

Rating: 4 out of 5

My Last Duchess is a prequel to the series where we get to see how Hugo and Ophelia first met and got together. It's a lovely romance, even if it gets serious very quickly. Then again, maybe that's less shocking given the time period.

Ophelia is a widow with a very young daughter who she dotes on. Hugo is a widow and recent divorcee (his second wife ran off with her lover and left their children behind) with 8 children and a dukedom to manage. He intends to find a bride he's not romantically interested in to help his daughters debut, but instead he meets Ophelia. He's instantly drawn to her, but Ophelia is resistant to the idea of marrying again.

I enjoyed seeing the development of their romance and how their mutual love for their children only enhanced the attraction between them. It's also fun to see younger versions of the characters we know from earlier books in the series. AND it is the perfect book for winter as their first meeting is during a snowstorm and they take the children to a winter festival. This is definitely worth a read. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.