This book had my emotions torn every which way. Fear, guilt, desperation, patience, restraint led to truth, unburdening and unconditional love. The story of Clara, a young girl thrust into responsibilities beyond her age, a moment of indiscretion and a forever pain and shame to be hidden from the world. She would go on to live her life for her siblings taking nothing for herself until she meets Quincy. Quincy grew up with an ice-cold witch for a mother and a devotedly loving father. After his father died his mother wanted to get rid of him in a cruel way. He decided at fourteen he would find his own way in the world and he did. He returned over a decade later to find all three of his older brothers dead and he was now the Duke of Reigate. Stunned beyond belief he needed time to process. He went to his best friend and brother of his heart Peter. It was Peter's cousin Clara that gave him the reassurance he needed. She stood by him all throughout the transition. Things became complicated and a fake engagement was born. As time went on Quincy and Clara fought against their growing love for each other. When Quincy's mother threatened Clara, she gathered her immediate family and revealed her deepest darkest secret. She expected they would no longer respect or love her and reject her outright. But they surprised her with their unconditional love and support and surrounded her with loving arms. With this ammunition Quincy's mother was about to sneak out and wreak havoc on them all. But Quincy and Peter stopped her and threatened her. She promised to stay silent. But his mother still had one card left to play and she did. It devastated him. He no longer was sure of himself. If not for Clara he would not have found the utter truth of it all. Now there was nothing standing in his way from marrying Clara and she finally accepted. This is just a tiny synopsis of the story but there is so much more to it. I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.

Engaging, romantic, and a solid new addition to romance. Britton gives the reader her usual sass and insight. And who doesn’t love a handsome Duke?

This was a book that had all my emotions invested in it: full of humor, heartache, tenderness, romantic love, and love for family. From the beginning you are invested in Clara, a woman who has devoted herself to being useful to her family because a secret from her past means she believes she cannot have a husband and family of her own. Her little sister is engaged and Clara is dealing with some up-coming empty nest panic- who is she when she doesn't have a sister to care for? She's so used to emotionally isolating herself from everyone, including her family, that she seems to have convinced herself that she has no worth outside of what she can do for others.

Quincy lost his father when he was young, and ran away from home (and England) rather than deal with his cold and cruel mother. Returning to England to visit friends, he decides to visit home and get some closure- only to discover his three older brothers are dead and he has inherited the dukedom he never expected or wanted! Taking over the estates means abandoning dreams of travel to try to repair the damage done by his brothers but worse, it means living near his mother. Quincy may play the devil-may-care charmer to the outside world, but he is a man who cares about doing what is right, even if it means sacrificing his own dreams.

The fake engagement between Clara and Quincy is the answer to both their problems- but of course it becomes far too real since both already had feelings for the other. I enjoyed seeing how they supported each other in difficult times, always providing what the other needed to solve whatever problem there was, even if that problem was their own emotional turmoil. They really are a perfect partnership and I was cheering all the way for them to finally realize it.

This was the first Christina Britton book I read, but I will definitely be reading others by her. The second in a series, but I didn't feel like I was lost for not having read the first book already. Though now I will certainly go back and find it. "Someday My Duke Will Come" is a lovely story of friendship and partnership, discovering yourself and how sometimes another can see you better than you yourself can- and they can help you discover the best in yourself. Well-written and emotionally captivating, a great read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Someday My Duke Will Come is the second title in the Isle of Synne series, and while Clara’s and Quincy’s situation drew me in quickly I do think that if you haven’t read the first story, A Good Duke is Hard to Find, you will not feel the least bit lost. There are enough background and appearances by other characters to give you a very good idea of what has gone before. I will always believe in reading from first to last stories in a series, if at all possible, this time it’s possible to just jump in and enjoy.

Both Clara and Quincy had a major trauma in their young teen years, both have dealt with those events in their own unique ways. Quincy by leaving home and traveling the world, being gone for long enough to not know that he is the surviving son and the new Duke. Clara by believing she was unworthy of marriage and seemingly contently set herself out to be the caregiver to her family. Now, they are about to be drawn together in a fake relationship to stop Quincy’s nasty mother from insisting he marry the woman his deceased brother was about to bring into the family. No, not going to happen. Soon a friendship will turn into a pretend romance… and soon that pretend will turn all too real.

I enjoyed this couple’s story, wished for more to happen to an evil woman, and had a good time seeing how the story is moving forward for other characters. There were moments where I’d wished to see more action and not merely being told what was happening – but aside from those few moments, Quincy and Clara entertained, delighted, and kept me interested throughout their story.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Forever via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Lord Quincy Nesbitt and Lady Clara Ashford were introduced in the Isle of Synne book #1, and you could tell there was a bit of warmth and attraction between them then.

Finding out that his three older brothers are dead, Lord Quincy Nesbitt is the now the Duke of Regate, a position he never wanted. He must now use his personal fortune from his time in America to try to revive the Dukedom.

Lady Clara Ashford has known tragedy. After a heartbreaking incident, she has decided she will raise her younger siblings and be happy with her lot in life. With her brother dead and her sister getting married, now what will Lady Clara do?

Quincy and Clara have secrets. Can their pasts be put behind them so they can look to the future together?

I loved this book. I was lucky to get a review copy from NetGalley and read it right after I'd just finished the first Isle of Synne book. I am so glad I could read them in succession. Fabulous story.

Quincy Nesbitt unexpectedly inherits a dukedom after he’s returned after fourteen years. He left after his father dies at the age of fourteen after overhearing his mother’s plan of shipping him out to the military. He’s the fourth son, and as far as his mother is concerned an unwanted and better forgotten, a son who his father dotted on. Confirmed spinster Lady Clara Ashford's world changed years ago and now that her sister is getting married it’s time to live her life. She’s always been attracted to Quincy Nesbitt, but she knew it could never lead anywhere with her secret history. He’s come to pay a visit to her brother to only learn he’s now the Duke of Reigate. I love this emotional and romantic story of two wounded souls with demons of their own to fight, can they continue to hide their feeling for one another or will their fiery passion consume them? I have voluntarily read and reviewed this excellent the book.

Quincy Nesbitt left home at the age of 14 after hearing his mother and older brothers plotting to send him off to the Navy as a means of getting rid of him after the tragic death of his father, the only person in his family who ever truly loved him. Years later, he returns to London as a man who has done well for himself in live and pays a courtesy call to his family home even though he dreads it only to learn all of his older brothers are dead and he is now the duke. He was about to set of travelling and now finds himself stuck with an estate in terrible shape thanks to his family's mismanagement. To make matters worse, his horrid mother expects him to marry his late brother's fiancee.

Lady Clara Ashford has always had a tendre for Quincy and she boldly lies by announcing they are engaged, rendering him ineligible to marry the other woman. For herself, Clara swore she would never fall in love or get married after suffering from her own personal tragedy, but Quincy tempts her like no man ever has.

While their fake engagement starts out as a ruse between two people who are clearly attracted to each other, it can't go on indefinitely. They both have experienced tragedy and you can't help but root for their HEA.

Warm, scandalous, and seductive!

Someday My Duke Will Come is set in England during 1818 and features the laidback, newly-appointed Duke of Reigate, Quincy Nesbitt and the sweet, kind, Lady Clara Ashford as they navigate a fake engagement, a meddling mother, histories strife with heartache, a newly acquired dukedom impoverished due to mismanagement, and a sizzling attraction that’s hard to deny.

The prose is light and amusing. The characters are tentative, passionate, and supportive. And the plot is an engaging mix of familial drama, redemption, desire, manipulation, shame, matchmaking, scheming behaviour, and steamy romance.

Overall, Someday My Duke Will Come is a fun, easy, swoon-worthy read by Britton that I can honestly say is quickly becoming one of my favourite historical romance series.

After selling off his business interests in Boston, Quincy Nesbitt is finally back in England – but he doesn’t plan to stay long. After amassing a fortune, Quincy is, at last, going to fulfill his longtime dream to travel the world and see all the places he and his father hoped to visit. But before he goes, he will see not only his former business partner, Peter Ashford, the Duke of Dane, but also his family – who he hasn’t seen since he ran away after his father’s death 15 years ago. He visits Peter first and once again sees Lady Clara Ashford, the woman he can’t seem to forget. He reminds himself to keep his distance as he is not in the market for a wife. But all his plans are destroyed when he learns the shocking truth – all three of his brothers are dead and he is now the Duke of Reigate and the dukedom is in ruin.

Lady Clara Ashford is firmly on the shelf – at least that is what she wants. She once harbored dreams of a husband and family, but a mistake years ago cost her her dream and instead, she has become the family caregiver, first mothering her younger siblings, then nursing her father, and recently helping her cousin Peter in his new role as duke. She is content but wonders what will happen to her now that Peter is married and her sister Phoebe is engaged. If her Aunt Olivia, Lady Tesh has her way, Clara will be married – but such a thing is not possible and she has no room for a man in her life. But if she did, she can’t deny that Quincy Nesbitt would be her choice. He is smart, charming, and oh so handsome – and the first man she has been interested in for many years. She tries to keep her distance, but when she is listening to his concerns about the dukedom and his mother arrives with a bride for him in tow – she does the unthinkable and tells the duchess that Quincy can’t marry the lady because he is engaged to HER.

Unable to escape the lie, they agree to remain “engaged” until after her sister marries, but when soon, Quincy wants to make their engagement real – but Clara knows that her past makes that impossible, no matter how much she wishes things could be different. When the duchess begins prodding into Clara’s past, secrets will come out and everyone will be in for a big surprise!

This was a well-written, smoothly paced romance with likable characters. The story is rather simple and there is not a lot of conflict or angst – I did feel like Clara held onto her secret a bit longer than necessary and the end was a bit flat – but overall, Quincy is exceptional and I would read the book again just to get more of him! The book has meddling family, secrets, heartache, surprising revelations, warm love scenes, a sweet declaration scene, HEA, and an epilogue. This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone title (but if you want more Quincy, read the first book!!) with no problems. I enjoyed this story and I happily recommend the title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. *

1804

Quincy Nesbitt is the youngest of 4 sons of the Duke and Duchess of Reigate. Today, the family is burying their father and Quincy is devastated. He had loved his father and they had been very close. His mother is a cold and angry woman, incapable of showing affection. She and her son, the new duke, have decided that Quincy will be signed up aboard a Navy ship to toughen him up. Hurt and angry, he decides to run away before he can be sent away.

1818

Quincy has returned to London for a short visit with his friend, Peter, before taking off on long travels. The two men had built a profitable business in Boston in America and have now sold it. Quincy plans to travel and Peter is now the Duke of Dane and married to Lauren. Peter also is caring for his two cousins, Lady Phoebe Ashford and Lady Clara Ashford, daughters of the previous duke. Phoebe is betrothed and Clara, now 30, hopes to find some to love one day.

Quincy decides to brave calling upon his mother only to find her dressed in black. She tells him that all of his brothers have died and he is now the Duke of Reigate. She is still very cold to him. He soon learns that his greedy brothers sold the family treasures and squandered the money. He knows that the proceeds of his Boston business will hopefully keep the dukedom afloat for awhile.

At Peter’s home where Quincy is visiting with Clara whom he admires immensely, his mother calls upon him bringing a young and very wealthy heiress who had been his deceased fiancé. His mother insists that he marry her to bring money to the family. He refuses and together with Clara tells the woman that they are betrothed. After they leave, Quincy and Clara wonder how they can get out of this lie or do they even want to?

What a delightful romance full of fabulous characters and written to keep the reader interested from the first to the last page. I really liked Clara and Quincy. Both of them have faced some adversity in their lives but have relied upon their strength to help them through. Well done, Christina Britton.

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

What a breathtaking love story!

Oh my, I just loved this story of Quincy and Clara, two hurting people who find everything they're missing in each other. Such a tender story, yet with plenty of heat and heart. I love the various characters (and it was wonderful to see Peter and Lenora again) and the story is unique, though a bit heartbreaking at times.

Quincy had my heart right from the prologue. What a strong, brave young man he had to be! And Clara had such a huge heart despite the horrible things she'd endured. These two really belong together, and you could feel their love floating right off the page. I adored their HEA, and appreciated the years-in-the-future epilogue.

If you like your Regency romances to make you swoon hard, this is the book for you. It's every bit as good as the first, and I recommend it just as highly. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

A ruse....

A well timed release....a good book to read after a certain Netflix series.
Quincy is back in England after fleeing his atrocious family. His mother is the wicked witch and evil queen rolled into one.
He inadvertently has become a duke in his absence and his awful mother has already planned his marriage to a girl she can control, thereby controlling the dukedom (which is impoverished).

I enjoyed Quincy greatly.
But the real hero is 31 yo, Lady Clara, who literally is his knight in shining armor when she saves him from an unwanted marriage by claiming he is already engaged to her. They decide to keep the ruse up for several reasons.

Quincy and Clara have chemistry and friendship and she's the stronger of the two, with a spine of steel.
Recommend.

This was the first book I’ve read by Christina Britton & I absolutely adored it! I will def be going back to read the first book to this series!! I really adored the sweetness of this romance! Quincy is a wonderful hero! *I want him for myself* Quincy was actually the youngest in his family and never thought he’d one day be the new Duke. He left home at 14....feeling unwanted by his mother and brothers after his fathers passing! *I seriously feel for him* Lady Clara is an older unmarried sister. She has a past with a man & don’t want to marry. Clara feels an attraction toward Quincy she doesn’t want.....same goes for Quincy. But these two are going to find out that friendship often leads to love! These two come together faking an engagement hoping to solve their problems without actually getting married. I loved watching these two fall into love and overcome their pasts that held them back!! It was so sweet! The characters were so well written, I connected with them instantly! I can’t wait to see what’s next!

3 stars to this charming, fun and sweet Regency England romance novel! The second installment in the Isle of Synne series, this book follows Lady Clara and the newly titled Quincy, Duke of Reigate. What starts as a fake engagement for convenience becomes a very real marriage of passion. With fun and steamy banter and delightful secondary characters, this novel was a joy to read! Perfect for fans of Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare. Thank you to Forever, Grand Central and Netgally for this advanced reader copy!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’m glad I gave this series a second shot, as Someday My Duke Will Come was much better, likely due to the tropes involved being more to my liking. And while this is the second of the series, it works perfectly well as a stand-alone, with the couple from the previous book only being background characters in this one.

Quincy was one of the more intriguing characters from the prior book, and I enjoyed getting to know him better. The crazy events of his past were intense, and his mother is a piece of work. I admired his courage in the face of adversity, and that there was a balance of him being shaped by those experiences without it letting him be defined by them to the point of embitterment. There were some secrets about his past that were unclear even to him, and the reveal of those secrets was incredibly satisfying.

Clara is a great heroine. She has secrets from her own past that have shaped her, and I love her dedication to her family, as she thinks she won’t ever settle down and marry and have one of her own.

I enjoyed the dynamic of the two together, with Clara initially stepping up and helping Quincy evade matrimonial machinations, and that and their existing friendship translating well into a sizzling romance.

If you love a good friends-to-lovers/fake engagement story, this one is great and checks all the boxes. And if you just happen to love historical romance with complex, yet endearing characters, I also think you’ll enjoy this.

Deception, Conniving, Touch of Romance! This book has it All!

Quincy inherits a title he doesn’t want to claim. His mother is what you would personify as the wicked witch and someone you would never ever turn your back to!

Lady Clara has skeletons in her closet, but now that eyes were on her to marry she was frightened! There was no way she would ever marry because she was determined to be a spinster.

Quincy and Clara were childhood friends and they turned to each other and hatched a plan. A fake engagement that would protect her from her Aunt and it would cease his mother and her efforts to marry him off. The plan is sure to backfire because his mother remember is evil and bound to discover secrets, but there is more than her secrets that become undisclosed!

This book has more twists and turns and intrigue that you will want to keep turning the pages!
The author has done a fantabulous job with the storyline and the characters are well-developed.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantastic read.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

I loved these two and their friends-to-lovers/fake engagement romance. Clara has given so much of herself to ensuring the happiness of those she loves, without any thought for her own. At thirty-one, she's firmly on the shelf, even if she does occasionally long for a family of her own. She's also calm, selfless, and nurturing but with an intriguing bit of fire she keeps well hidden. It was such a pleasure to watch those simmering coals ignite, first in her defense of Quincy then later when their friendship takes a deeper turn. There are also emotional depths to her that she has suppressed over the years. Watching her come to terms with the events of her past was both heart-wrenching and empowering.

And then there's Quincy. ::Sigh:: He's the hero many of our hearts seek. Charming, fun-loving, steadfast, loyal, a gentleman to his core, incredibly sexy, and endearingly vulnerable. I adored him. His life experiences (as a young boy in England and as a man in America) have given him emotional depths that he also keeps well hidden. My heart ached for him as his story unfolded but rejoiced as certain truths were brought to light. He's the kind of hero who makes you want to laugh with him, play with him, hug him, and drag him off to have your way with him. Did I mention how much I adored him?

I love the path Britton took with Quincy and Clara, bringing them together first as partners to defeat the villainous duchess, then evolving into friends with lively banter and subtle flirting, building their chemistry until it ignites, then finally guiding them to a deep, abiding love. I like that they each have an individual journey and growth arc within the journey they take as a couple and that those individual lessons help bring them closer to one another. I turned the final page of their story with a heartfelt smile and a happy sigh. It doesn't get much better than that.

While Someday My Duke Will Come can be read as a standalone, it does feature several characters from book one, A Good Duke is Hard to Find. You can absolutely start with book two and enjoy it but I believe you'll enjoy it more if you read the books in order. The third book in the series, A Duke Worth Fighting For (Margery's story), is scheduled for release in August 2021. I already have it on pre-order and am counting down the days until my next visit to Christina Britton's Isle of Synne.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

This was the second book in the series, and the second book I've read from the author! I really enjoyed this story of two damaged souls finding kindred spirits in each other.

Lady Clara Ashford has no intention of marrying. Her mother died when she was young, and she took on a mothering role for her younger brother, and baby sister, Phoebe. But, when she was 15 she was seduced by a rogue, to devastating consequences. Her father spent a fortune making sure no one ever found out, but Clara never got to have a season Out in London, and she decided she would spend her life at home on the Isle of Synne, caring for her family, and being useful in all ways she could. Now that her brother and father have passed, and her younger sister is engaged to be married, she realizes she'll be alone with no real purpose to her life.

Quincy Nesbitt, the new Duke of Reigate, is at loose ends. He came back from Boston to visit his best friend Peter (the hero from book 1), before taking off on his lifelong dream trip around the world. But, when he visits his mother's house in London, after running away following his father's death 15 years earlier, he finds that all 3 of his older brothers are dead, and he is now the Duke. He has no interest in the position, especially once he discovers the dukedom is bankrupt, and he'll have to use his personal travel fund to fix it. But, before he can even worry about that, his devil of a mother is trying to foist off his dead brother's fiancée on him. Over his dead body. Maybe a fake engagement with Clara can save him!

Quincy and Clara had chemistry way back in book 1, and I was hoping to see them together! They both had such damaged souls, which we learned much more about here in their own story. They really were such excellent partners for each other, and I adored they way they tried to protect each other along the way. They both had devastating things that happened to them in their youth that they had to learn to overcome, and they really helped each other to do so. Plus, Quincy's best friend Peter is Clara's cousin, so he was already beloved by the family (and by me! He was a favorite for me in book 1)!

The side characters here were fun, and we met most of them in book 1, especially Clara's crazy, crotchety, hilarious aunt, Lady Tesh! Quincy's mother was truly a heinous witch, and I wanted to see her suffer so much! Even in the end, I felt like she didn't really completely get what was coming to her, which I would've appreciated.

This book was so sweet, and also had some steam! I really enjoyed getting to know Clara and Quincy, and watching them fall in love. If you're into maps and other fun extras, you can find them on the author's website, in addition to content warnings. I definitely recommend this book, and series, for all historical romance lovers!

Content Warning for talk of infant mortality/stillbirth (off page).

This was a really sweet romance between Quincy, a newly minted duke, and Clara, a woman who vowed never to marry because of a scandal in her past. The two agree to a fake engagement (on of my favourite historical romance tropes), but they end up developing real feelings for each other. I really liked both of the characters in this and would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.

Some books just capture your heart from the first page and don’t let go. That is exactly what Someday My Duke Will Come did for me. Christina Britton swept me away with endearing characters who made me smile and tear up and a romance I found it nigh on impossible to tear myself away from.

Quincy has launched himself onto the list of my favorite heroes. He’s sensitive, caring, and kind – a total sweetheart you could see anyone losing their heart to. He has charm and good humor to spare, but beneath the surface are old wounds from the death of his beloved father and the cruelty of his horrid mother. Quincy has dreams of seeing the world; dreams that are dashed when he learns that all three of his older brothers have died and he is now a duke. Having run away from home at fourteen and shaping himself into a self-made man, Quincy goes to the one person he knows he can talk to: another unexpected duke – his best friend, Peter. But it’s not Peter who becomes Quincy’s shelter from the storm of emotions swirling around him, it’s Peter’s cousin Clara.

Clara grabbed my heart as thoroughly as Quincy did. She raised her siblings after her mother’s death and has taken care of her family so thoroughly that at nearly thirty-one she finds herself at loose ends with her sister getting married and her family no longer needing her like they once did. Clara has no intention of ever getting married – a secret that pains her to this day prevents it. But her aunt is determined to see her wed and it’s getting stressful. Then Quincy shows up with his mother trying to foist an unwanted engagement on him and Clara has the perfect solution: they’ll pretend to be engaged until her sister is wed and Quincy sets the dukedom to rights. The problem is, the more time they spend around each other the harder it is for them to resist falling in love.

Together and separately, Quincy and Clara are simply wonderful. Clara is kind, nurturing, strong, and quietly vulnerable. Her family has leaned on her for so long it was lovely to see her find someone she could turn to. Quincy has strong shoulders and a soft heart and I loved how he never pressed Clara to open up to him, but rather let her know he was there for her and proved it. The two of them made me smile so often. There’s playfulness and joy in Someday My Duke Will Come and it balances out the elements that tugged on my heartstrings. The love story develops organically and I was rooting for Clara and Quincy every step of the way.

Someday My Duke Will Come is the second book in Britton’s Isle of Synne series but having not read A Good Duke Is Hard to Find I can safely say you can jump in here. Peter and Lenora do play strong supporting roles in this book and I cannot wait to go back and read their story. I loved how supportive Clara’s family was and how Britton portrays love in all its forms in this book. It would be remiss of me to discuss this book and not highlight Peter and Quincy’s friendship. It was such a joy to me to see an openly loving, supportive male friendship portrayed in this story. I hadn’t realized how much I’ve missed that in historical romances in particular until I came across here.

Someday My Duke Will Come was a delight from beginning to end. It’s a sprightly book with good humor and heart, but there’s also honest, raw emotion that tugged on my heartstrings. I cannot wait to read more of Christina Britton’s work!