Chasing the Duke (12 Days of Christmas #7). By Tracy Sumner. 2020. Tracy Sumner (ARC eBook).

Lady Camille Bellington has been in love with her older brother’s best friend, Tristan Tierney, since she was a child. Now, Tristan, the Duke of Mercer, is back from the war and stays away from Society. Camille loves horticulture and makes a tidy sum with her plants and consulting. But it’s not enough to keep her family’s estate afloat. So she’s decided she will marry for duty, not her heart. She’ll no longer chase the Duke. But now Tristan is attending dinner parties and regaling guests with Camille’s embarrassing childhood escapades. Is it the Duke who is now doing the chasing?

Chasing the Duke is my second book by Tracy Sumner and this author became a must read after the first, To Seduce a Rogue. I really enjoy Sumner’s writing style, wit and charm, and look forward to reading more by her.

Having just binged on Bridgerton, this was the perfect book to read. The characters are very realistic and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Tristan and Camille. The writing style is descriptive and is to be savored.  
Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is about a poor young girl who meets a handsome wealthy duke and they fall in love. Sounds pretty generic when you say it like that but this was so much more. It was light-hearted and cute set during Christmas time. The characters are so realistic and relatable. The writing was descriptive and truly paints a picture of the setting and time period. It was very short but not insta-lovey which I was very happy about. The combination of a strong-willed heroine with a slightly damaged hero is my favorite. Overall I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of regency romance.

This was a shorter book, not a novella, but shorter. The heroine was a childhood friend of the hero. The hero was her big brother's best friend. They reunite when he returns from the war; she is 23 and he is 31. She is about to get married to a discount, but then, at a holiday dinner, she let's everyone know her secret: she is a botanist! And (horrors!), she runs a floral business with arranging, supplying and setting up floral displays for parties and balls and also does garden work in re-designing and replanting. She has been hiding it and doing hybridization work in a new plum variety and wants to present it to a male botany society. The hero, whonhas returned from the battle if Waterloo, is a war hero with PTSD. He has been living a lie because he gets startled and has a fit or he can't sleep because if the horrible dreams. 
There is so much more to read about and discover. I think this is supposed to be a series, but very loosely connected so it is a stand alone. The story was lively and had a wonderfully informed ending. I hate when a book just stops - I subtract stars for that!! I give this book 5 stars. I like the ages of the main characters and there is definite growth. The reader is sucked into the story and it flows so smoothly. I highly recommend reading this book.

This was a cute and fast historical romance. The ratio of fluff to steam was perfect. It was such a fun piece to the 12 Days of Christmas.

Another nice historical romance.
I like the way authors take the name of real seats of the aristocracy and then change their location – hence Longleat masquerading as Chatsworth.
Set after the Battle of Waterloo we have the soldier back from the wars with trauma hidden in his psyche. And a less than stellar relationship with his father. All of which makes him melancholy and less than jovial. But hiding his pain from all but his friend’s sister who had had a young crush on him that resulted in a very public and very unfortunate action in a church.
And we have a young woman with an unusual hobby for the ton – a scientific one at that and so she has a keen mind and is well read.
We then have a courtship of the usual type and trope that goes up and down with many mis-adventures. 
Whilst we know from the first chapter that all will be well at the end, it is always nice to read how the author will get them there – if the style of the written word is good and contents are well plotted.

This book was a very sweet love story. Somehow, you knew there would be a happily ever after and it did not disappoint. 5 stars

Camille has been in love with her brother's best friend for years. But he has been out of the country for years, so she has determined to give up marrying for love and will instead marry for duty. But just as she decides this, Tristan comes home. While she made her decision to marry to save her family home, can Tristan convince her to marry for love?

This was a great addition to the 12 Days of Christmas series. I loved watching these two find their HEA!

So good I could not put it down. I definitely enjoyed this Christmas read it was a little steamy but that was definitely fine with me. I truly love a book with women that speak their minds  and are not afraid to go against the normal. This book also has a meddling family and that’s always funny as long as it’s not your own family doing it.  I would definitely recommend this book

Tristan and Camille's story is a good idea. It has plenty of passion and is devilishly enchanting.
I have read books by this author before and plan to do so again.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this book. Camille is quick witted and intelligent. Tristan is struggling with his return from war. I loved that Camille is not your typical woman but working and Tristan supports her. I was immediately drawn into their conflict and story.  I recommend! 

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Love the series! This is Tris and Camille story. About a childhood crush and a broken war hero. How after many years the two meet again and time and love has changed them. Beautifully written..

Tristan Tierney, Duke of Mercer and Lady Camille Elise Bellington are simply glorious characters. They trade glib barbs, they exchange scorching looks and genuinely cares for each other's well-being! To top it all, whenever they come together, ahh, smoking hot would be an understatement!

This is a novella, I desperately want more pages. Tristan, a scarred war hero and Camille, the botanist who loved him since forever, are one of my top 5 book couple in 2020. A five star-read.

I voluntarily read an eGalley copy from NetGalley. My review is honest and unbiased.

Camille Bellington has loved Tristian Tierney since they were children.  He is returned from the war and is now the Duke of Mercer.  He is a guest her aunt’s holiday dinner.  So is Camille’s intended.  She is still in love with Tristan; Tristan is totally smitten with her; and Ridley, her intended, hasn’t a clue.  From the moment at dinner when Tristan told the story of Camille and the swan, I was hooked.  Why is Camille marrying Ridley?  Just how is Tristan to win the independent woman?  

Tristan has come back from the war emotionally damaged.  His nightmares are horrific.  He has been reclusive, worked on restoring the estate he inherited.  Camille has a calming effect on him.  Camille is happy and independent.  She loves her plants and conservatory, and would love to be a member of the Botanical Society.  The chemistry between these two is sizzling.  Camille’s Aunt Bel and her friend Adelia, Countess Milburn, are scheming, gossipy, outspoken, funny, and absolutely loveable.  They want Camille to find love and be happy.  This a wonderful story, emotional, funny, and heartwarming, and it ends with a lovely epilogue where the reader smiles.  

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.  My review is voluntary.

Thanks go to the author and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Chasing the Duke by Tracy Sumner. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

Chasing the Duke is a delightful Regency romance with engaging characters and a light-hearted plot set during the twelve days of Christmas. The pacing kept me enmeshed throughout the novella, and this is definitely a short one, but since the heroine has been infatuated with the hero from childhood, it isn’t an insta-love romance.

Lady Camille is the heroine, and she is a strong-willed young woman determined to succeed as a botanist, an unusual career choice in the Regency period. I enjoyed her character for the most part, and her loyalty to her family is admirable.

Tristan, Duke of Mercer is an amazing hero, and I quickly became vested with his character. He’s a tortured soul, recently returned from war with nightmares of what he’d seen and experienced. He believes he is unfit to become any woman’s husband. This type of hero is my favorite!

The romance simmers in the first part of the tale, but once it ignites into full flames, it is combustible. The sexual scenes will appeal to anyone who enjoys steamy romance. I truly wanted them to find their happy ending, and I loved how the hero follows our lovely heroine, determined to earn her love.

If you enjoy Regency romances with plenty of spice, and an intriguing plot, then you will love Chasing the Duke as much as I did. This is the first novel I have read by Ms. Sumner, and I will be looking for more. Happy reading!

Camille dreamt of her brothers best friend while she was growing up.  When he returns from war, Tristan finds her engaged to a man she doesn’t love to save a family home.  Tristan attempts to save her from this marriage and realizes his own feelings for her.
Opinion 
This is a super cute quick read.  Who doesn’t love brothers best friend books?  Add in an English title and make it historical and you sold me on it.
The two main characters, Tristan and Camille, have so much sexual tension/love flowing between them that you can’t help falling in love yourself with the couple.  I love the moment he understood his feelings for her and made a decision.  This was swoon worthy.

Camille Bellington has always loved Tristan Tierney, the Duke of Mercer, and her brother’s best friend. However, realising that he will never marry, she has decided to marry another, to keep the family property and still work as a botanist. When Tristan is scarred from battle, he returns to find Camille betrothed and yet, when they meet again, it is difficult to deny their growing desires. 
This was an entertaining if short read. I loved the dynamics between the couple and found that their interactions were both entertaining and intense. The one downside was that there was not enough dialogue between the couple, and I would have liked to have seen the relationship develop as it did seem a bit rushed. I particularly enjoyed Camille’s aunt who was so witty, dropping more than subtle hints.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This Christmas Historical Romance is charming. A strong, independent heroine and a tortured war hero. He is a Duke and she is having to go against the ton's society rules to save her aunt's property. She does what a girl has to do. Become betrothed to a titled gentleman out of duty.

Tristan is a Duke. He went to war to get away from a troubled family. Little did he know that his best friend's sister has been pining for him. Until now. His return reawakens the feelings that Camille has been harbouring. She is a done with chasing after the Duke though. He thinks himself incapable of love, but seeing Camille stirs feelings that he thought were myths. Will they see through pride and honour and allow themselves to be happy?

It's an ideal fun read for the festive season. Very enjoyable.

This is a charming holiday story which creatively ties into the 7th day of Christmas (swans-a-swimming) without seeming like a stretch. Camille is a great character - smart, determined, and headstrong. The fact that Tristan approves of and helps her advance her botany works makes you like him and forgive him for his initial teasing attitude toward her. The chemistry between these characters comes across so clearly in the writing that you can't see them ever being happy with anyone else (even though they fight this notion for much of the story). If you are looking for a short story to get you in the mood for the holiday season this is the book for you!

Tris and Camille - Chasing the Duke is rife with sexual tension and clever dialogue from the opening paragraph. When Camille encounters her long ago crush, Tristan, after his return from war, she’s determined to stop chasing him in her heart and move forward with her betrothed. However, their mutual attraction pulls them together again and again, and Camille must ask herself if the duke is worth chasing one more time. 
Entertaining and sexy.