Everything about this book was 5 stars for me: cover, description, characters, witty dialogue, and romantic arc. The eight children brought a wonderful layer of humor.

I really love this series and can't wait for more! I enjoyed the backstory and it makes me want to start the series over.

Eloisa James is always a must read for me. And, while this was good, there was something a bit missing. I liked it, but didn't love it.

This is a book that definitely ended too soon for me. I could have kept reading about their lives. I enjoyed this read and loved those kids. Eloisa James is always a fun read, but I think this may be one of her bests. #netgalleymylastduchess

I've really enjoyed the books in this series and My Last Duchess was no exception. It was a good read but more of a novella than the others in the series. The writing and characters are wonderful, as always. This is a great introduction for those new to the series, as well as a treat for those that have read the other books.

The prequel to the Wilde family saga. An entertaining look at how it all began though it can stand alone if you haven't read any of these delightful stories.
The Duke is charming and having lost his wife does not consider himself in need of another until he does. She isn't interested. We all know how that goes but it is wonderful reading anyway.

I love the Wildes'! This was an entertaining back story of the Duke. Fun to see how they got started. Looking forward to more!

Phee is such a great character. Well written and likable. Hugh is such a Duke. Put these two together and it's such a great story. Phee is living her best life and doesn't want to change. Hugh comes in and convinced her that her life can get even better! Great story!!

I enjoyed reading the love affair that brings Ophelia into the Wilde family. An enjoyable prequel to the series.

A good intro to this loud and lovely family. The relationship seems a bit rushed at the beginning and I wanted a little more background on the heads of the Wilde household.

The story that tells the beginning of the Wildes! Squee!

How fun to read the story of Hugo, the Duke of Lindow and Lady Ophelia Astley. The duke’s first wife, Marie, left him a widower with three children. Right before he met Lady Astley, the duke was granted a divorce from his second wife, Yvette, the mother of four of his other children. The divorce moved through the Parliament very quickly and quietly so the father of seven children, and guardian to another, might find a new wife to help him raise all of those children.When the Duke sees Lady Ophelia Astley at a ball, he is struck with the knowledge that she is the woman he wants to make his last Duchess. However, Phee does not wish to be the mother to eight stepchildren or a Duchess. She is happy with her life and her two year old daughter, Viola, who was born after her husband, Baronet Peter Ahsley, died.

What a wonderful prequel.
It was fun, for someone who has read the Wilde books, to go back in time to visit with a younger Duke, Viola’s mother as a young woman, and to observe Horatius, Alaric, North, Parth, Leonidas, Alexander, Betsy and Joan as children. Horatius was still alive! Sadly, he was a prig, but he was alive!

I couldn’t believe the Duke even considered Lady Woolhastings for his Duchess. While reading about Lady Woolhastings, I pictured Lillith from the Cheers television series, portrayed by Bebe Neuwirth. Pretty, not young, not kind, not fun. Head shaved. Hmmmm.

This book makes me want to re-read the Wilde Series.

I loved this joyous, lovely book.

I adored this story so much. It was brand new for me and it tells the story of the parents, Hugo and Orphelia whose children are grown in this series. It was so awesome to see how they meet and fall in love and the trials that they face before they get their happily ever after.

I loved it so much I went back and re-read this whole series again and it made me notice some things from those stories that previously I had not noticed but that related to Hugo and Fee's story in this book.

Fee is a widow in this story and is in love with her young daughter. Huga is a father of 7 children from his first and sexond marriage. His first wife died but his second ran off with another man and so he divorced her and now needs to find a mother for the kids. He doesn't want love or even sex just a mother. But he sees Fee and falls hard... But she does not feel the same way. And so will he win her or not? Obviously you know he does but what a curvious road he and Fee go on and I absolutely adored it.

Fans of Eloisa James Wildes series will really enjoy this, although it works completely as a stand-alone title. In this title, we go back in time a bit and learn the backstory of Ophelia, the current (and I guess, last) wife of Hugo Wilde, patriarch of the huge Wilde family. We get Ophelia's daughter, Viola's, backstory as well. I read Say Yes to the Duke (which is Viola's story) before I read this one. It was fun to be able to fill in the blanks, and fun to meet all of the Wilde children when they were youngsters. This is an interesting format -- a little long to be a novella, but a pretty short novel. I like the length, because I was just able to concentrate on getting to know Ophelia. If you are a long time reader of this series, you will enjoy many fun "aha" moments as you read this one. But even if it is your introduction to the series, you'll enjoy it.

I loved it! I loved it so much that before I was finished reading the review, I bought the next book in the series and that didn't disappoint either. This book had everything: scandal, romance, struggle, a bit of an adventure. The hero was strong and brave. The heroine was kind and loving. There was also a bit of humor that I really appreciated.

I usually love Eloisa James novels and have read all the books in this series but for some reason I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Overall it was a good read, with some beautifully described scenes (the snow! the carriage! the Frost Fair!) but I found the plot rushed and a little over the top. Earlier books in the series describe Ophelia as beautiful but she describes herself as fat and round with a long pointy nose. Most of James's heroines are confident and have a lot of self esteem so that was a little off-putting. This is the weakest entry in the series, but the storyline I was most looking forward to. I may be judging harshly because I have such high expectations from this author!

First off, I would mostly likely kick a person out of my carriage if one jumps into even he is professing his love for me. One step at a time and that is exactly what this character did. She kept him at arm's length and made him work. This was a delightful quick read. A good introduction to this Wilde series.

I don’t always like a prequel—they can be too winking at the reader, full of inside references to later events—but this was charming. Hugo Wilde, Duke of Lindow is newly divorced and persuaded that he should marry again for the sake of his eight (!) children. He reluctantly travels to London, where he sets eyes on Ophelia, the widowed Lady Astley, abs decides he must have her. Ophelia is attracted but doesn’t want to give up her cozy life with her young daughter for the chaos of a duke’s household. Hugo is determined to persuade her otherwise.

This is a short novel, somewhere between a novella and a full-length book. But it felt just long enough to tell a very sweet story of love and family.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

My Last Duchess by Eloisa James is the prequel to The Wildes of Lindow Castle series.

This book is a must for fans of this series.

You will love reading about Hugo, Duke of Lindow, traveling to London for the season to secure a duchess for himself and his eight children. Like all the Wildes, he falls quickly in love with widow and young mother, Ophelia, Lady Astley.

You will enjoy the interactions between Hugo and his sister, Louisa, Lady Knowe. You can see their twin bond in action and see how much they love and respect each other.

You will adore meeting all the Wilde children when they were young.

If you haven’t read any of The Wildes of Lindow Castle, this is a great starting point.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC