Cover Image: The Duke Meets His Match

The Duke Meets His Match

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Member Reviews

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn't really get into the book. There aren't any "big" problems with it, I just didn't find it very compelling. I also wasn't a huge fan of the male protagonist. He seemed very arrogant and self-centered. This does improve somewhat in the course of the book, it just made it a bit more difficult for me to get into the story overall.

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The Duke Meets His Match is a historical romance written by Karen Tuft.

Summary: George, Duke of Aylesham, knows he needs to find a wife in order to provide an heir to the estate. There just isn’t anyone he can see himself tolerating for the rest of his life.

But, when he is forced into a delicate corner by the Prince Regent himself, he finds himself blurting out his engagement to one Miss Susan Jennings.

Never mind that he is not engaged. Never mind that he actually cannot stand Miss Susan Jennings, and she cannot stand him.

Now he must convince Susan to marry him-in just ten days.

My Thoughts: Now that I have written the summary, I am very tempted to go back and read this book again right now (something I never do.) I really liked it. It’s a great story, has fascinating characters, and plenty of witty comebacks and plot twists and turns.

For anyone who enjoys historical romance, this one is highly enjoyable and one of my favorites for 2020.

I would definitely buy it-and that’s the highest praise I give any book.

I would like to thank Covenant Communications for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. Thank you!

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From the moment I began reading this novel, I didn’t want to set it down! These characters were intelligent and witty. Their first two meetings left them less than impressed with each other, and made their subsequent “convenient betrothal” all the more interesting.

I really liked both Susan and George. They both thought that a worthwhile marriage to someone they could respect, let alone hope to love, had passed them by. I appreciated the way both of these characters approached the situation that they found themselves in, and their willingness to put forth their best effort to make the betrothal and marriage work. They talked things out when problems arose and it was beautiful to watch genuine affection and love begin to develop.

This was a wonderful novel and I now want to go back and read other books written by this new to me author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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I love books by Karen Tuft, and The Duke Meets His Match was no exception! This book dragged me into another world full of wit, suspense and victory. George and Susan did not start off on the right foot... and continued to be at odds with each other. Their banter is so funny, as I'm pretty sure I grinned most of the book. George is forced into a hard situation but really thinks things thru afterwards and you can tell he has a big heart thinking of how things affect others. His character grows and I loved watching him understand his failings and correct them. It was inspiring. Susan is a very strong woman and I loved seeing stand up for herself. I kept giggling at the nicknames George and Susan had for each other... "harpy" and "His Loftiness." A side character that I loved was Lady Walmsley! She brings so much to the story and is such a spirited old lady! It was so good to see some characters from the previous books and excited to hopefully eventually see more of their stories!

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This story was enemies to lovers in such a good way! Both characters were outspoken and cutting and their tension and chemistry was off the charts! I’m always nervous to try a new author, but now I feel the need to look up all of Karen Tufts books and add them to my TBR! The humor was witty and I absolutely adore an intelligent female! I thought this was a clever way of proposing a marriage of convenience that I hadn’t seen done before and I really enjoyed it! The romance and swoon worthy kisses were a nice addition sprinkled throughout this story! I would happily read more from this author!

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From the moment I read the synopsis of this book I knew I wanted to find a copy to read. Thank you to netgalley for the free advanced copy of this book. As a lover of all thing she regency romance, this setting, this first meeting, and these two characters captured my attention early on. I enjoyed seeing the enemies to lovers trope play out as well as the forced marriage unfold. The conflict was interesting, became very familiar with the Prince Regent within this fictional story and watch two intelligent main characters fall for each other without any intention of doing so throughout the story. While I enjoyed the story, enjoyed the characters and the plot, I felt like something within the story left me with the feeling of being underwhelmed. I could have used a few less references to the female bosom as that word tends to make me cringe, especially when used repeatedly. That being said, I enjoyed the setting, the clean romance, the character development and the regency era story and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to read this book.

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Regency books about a heroine that is considered a ”spinster,” and a hero that is not interested in getting married is not an uncommon one. This is my first book by Karen Tuft.

I love the book cover; it looks stunning! It’s a stand-alone book, but it does have characters from her other books. As for the main characters, George can be a little bit too grumpy and brooding, and I guess because he has found no hopes of making someone genuinely interested in marrying him. Meanwhile, Susan is very honest and opinionated, a common trait of a so-called ”spinster” during that era. And let’s not forget a bluestocking. While I am glad that in our period, everything has changed, and women with more progressive ideas are being acknowledged, I still think that we have so much more to improve to become a better society.

When Prinny is included in a regency book with quite a modern writing style, it makes me realize,” oh, this was during the regency era.” If you are prickly with historical errors, then there are some in this book. I wanted to like it because the plot was somewhat interesting, but in the end, I find that it lacks character development, and some moments were just too meh (especially the scene with the German Royals; it was only to overly dramatic). I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I’m giving it 2.5 stars.

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Susan Jennings is mostly satisfied with her life as a spinster. She has a loving family, nieces and nephews upon which to bestow her affections and a pleasant life. She has no patience for the London social scene and prefers to stay at her family's country estate ensconced in the library.

While attending a nearby wedding, she has a run-in with a lofty, annoying man who sparks her temper. Months later, after being dragged to London, she gets formally introduced to the man--only to discover he's a duke (and still very irritating).

George, Duke of Aylesham, needs a wife and an heir, so he braves the Season, hoping to find a fit. Most debutants bore him to death. At the first ball of the Season, he runs into the harpy he saw at the country wedding--only to find out she is his close friend's sister.

That same week, the Prince of Wales informs George that he has offered George in marriage to a German princess--a match George has no interest in. HE claims he already has a betrothed, and when Prinny pushes him for a name, Susan Jennings' name pops out.

Now, if he can only convince Susan to marry him.

What I Liked and Didn't Like About the Book

The plot moved along at a nice pace, and the storyline was unique. Susan was a likable character, and George showed growth as the story progressed. I read an advanced reader copy and found a few mistakes that should be fixed before the final publication (in the initial ballroom scene, Susan is talking to two ladies and goes to get them punch, where she encounters George. After their encounter, she says she has to take punch to her chaperone and a different lady).

If you're looking for a sweet historical romance or sweet Regency romance, this light read fits the bill. If you're looking for an inspirational Regency romance, it falls far short. The characters attend church but show no spiritual growth or insight throughout the story.

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At thirty years of age, Susan Jennings has long been considered a spinster. Exceptionally intelligent, she has little tolerance for London and the dreaded Season—if that’s how one is expected to find love, it’s not for her. But when an invitation arrives that cannot be ignored, Susan leaves her comfortable life in the country and enters the fashion and frivolity she most despises. She quickly discovers, however, that there is more to loathe in London—and his name is George Kendall.

George, Duke of Aylesham, has learned to keep his distance from cloying females chasing the title of duchess. Susan Jennings, however, proves an entirely different challenge—a woman who has pushed him to the limit of his patience with their every encounter. But their simmering hostility is disrupted by a thoughtless slipup: to avoid a marriage of political strategy, George claims he is already betrothed. And when pressed for the name of the lucky woman, only one name comes to mind: Susan’s. Their forced betrothal proves advantageous, but when their verbal sparring must change in order to be convincing, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred by something neither expected: love.

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Great enemies to “betrothed” historical romance!
I enjoyed Susan and George’s banter and Lady Walmsley and her butler were too cute.

This is a clean regency romance with a happy ending which I enjoyed very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I loved this book. Susan and George hate each other from the very beginning. Some scenes had me laughing out loud with their dialogue. When George is put in a precarious position he needs Susan's help to come out victorious. Their hearts start to change as they come to know each other. I would highly recommend this book.

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The beginning is strange, the dialogues are not the best.... kinda weird. Some parts are don't have any emotions, it was like reading a newspaper (I don't know how to explain it). And there are not many descriptions of the character's personalities or the world in which the story took place.

Also, the POV of each character seemed to be in different books rather than complementing each other. But... around 50% of the book the story starts to get better and more enjoyable. Although it's not a spectacular story, it's engaging and quick to read.

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The Duke Meets his Match was a sweet of two people not looking for love and finding it in a unconventional way. Susan and George started as an arrangement that led to true feelings. I enjoyed the book as it was very well written, and interesting to read historical accuracy is a fiction novel. .
I do wish this book was longer, but the ending was perfect nonetheless. Highly recommend for those who like historical romance and enemies to lovers stories.

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This story was a clean romance but I was very disappointed that it was classified as a Christian historical book. read. I kept reading because the characters were engaging and the plot was entertaining, and I was hoping for some faith or spiritual lesson to evolve. It never came and left me feeling like I wasted my time. I believe the author or publisher should reclassify the book to a secular read or rewrite it with a faith theme. In my opinion, it would bring more value to the author's writing.

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I really enjoyed reading this book! Susan is almost thirty, and has pretty much given up on romance any time in her life. She's happy in a library just reading a book. One day while she is doing that, two men come in and have a private conversation, and she gets discovered after that conversation. George Kendall is very upset to find some "harpy" has overheard them talking. Almost a year later, he is introduced to his friend's sister, the same "harpy" from a year before, They don't like each other at all. But the same week, George meets up with the Prince, and is told he is going to marry a German princess, which he doesn't want to do, since England is in a war with France and he happens to know the German royals are allied to France. So instead of marrying the princess, he tells the prince he is engaged to Susan. And that is where the fun begins! Great clean story I highly recommend!

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Enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, and political machinations - this story has it all! I love that we were able to experience a couple in their 30s come to learn each other and fall in love with that understanding. Just beautiful.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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I really enjoyed the premise of this book, and Susan and Aylesham were just wonderful characters, as were many of the background characters. I was also delighted with the ending of book as well. It was so sweet! The only issues I had was that the climax seemed overblown in comparison with the rest of the book, and the language was a bit anachronistic in several places. That said, I am intrigued by this new to me author, and would pick up another book by her in a heartbeat.

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An enjoyable, humorous sweet romance from Karen Tuft! The Duke Meets His Match has a colorful cast of characters, each one making a distinct impression on the reader. Though there are many characters to remember, readers will have no issue keeping track as each one is unique and well-written. I especially enjoyed the banter between George and Susan, and the plot is quite fun. The story can be a bit slow at times, and there were far too many words emphasized by italics, in my opinion, but I still greatly enjoyed this story! Fans of Joanna Barker and Sally Britton won’t want to miss this lovely Regency romance. 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I really enjoyed The Duke Meets His Match. I thought the cover was creative and the title definitely matched the story. This book is really well-written, flows smoothly and comes to a nice conclusion...although I do wonder if we will see more stories about members of Susan's family. Susan is a smart, funny, creative individual, with a mind of her own. When her and the Duke first meet, they clash because they are both so outspoken; and it is not a very common trait for women of that time period. The Duke comes across as arrogant, smug and one who thinks highly of himself. As the story progresses it does become a story of opposites attract. That spark that had them clashing is the same spark that makes them good for each other. They both evolve over the course of the story and we see a completely different side of the Duke by the end of the story. There is a bit of suspense and humor in this romantic historical fiction story, making it a very engaging read. The only character I couldn't stand was Prince Regent, or Prinny as he was also known. He was smug, annoying, rude, demanding, and had had an obnoxious habit of saying "we" when talking about himself! Unfortunately, he does not improve as the story goes along! I would recommend this book across multiple genres, as it truly has something for everyone. Thank you to Covenant Communications and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

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I have not read a pure romance novel in many years. The Duke Meets His Match written by Karen Tuft is a wonderfully charming story about a Duke and his betrothed who meet and in the course of events are married within two weeks of really knowing one another. Our bride is 30 years old which is considered rather old to be unmarried in London society. But the Duke himself is also older and has never married until his heart is won over by the lovely Susan. This is a love story without any descriptive sexual moments which is one of the reasons I like the book. It reminded me of growing up reading this kind of love story and enjoying them thoroughly. I do believe that true love exists and is a blessing to both the bride and groom. I thank NetGalley for this ARC and I highly recommend reading this book if you enjoy sweet love stories that you can share with your young daughters. This book made me happy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ romance stars. @kktuft #regencyromance #purity #strongfemalecharacters #charming #lovestory #romancefiction

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