A very slow start with an almost none existent romance consisting of looks only and then rushed at the end. However the character's were well written and likeable.

I received this book from netgallery in exchange for an honest review as given above.

I have to say that I was surprised that it took me so long to finish, but its because I like Kristine Vayden's books, but this one not so much. I was expecting more, more of everything. The book focuses on the grief that both mc's were going thru< and how they were healing< i was bored a lot of times, that I started to read, and stop and start, I really hope that this is not the way the author will continue her new books, because if it is I am definitely getting off the train.

Quinton Errington was happy as a teacher at Cambridge. As the second son, he never thought his older brother would die in an accident and he would be the Duke of Wesley. Catherine Greatheart was to marry Avery Errington before his tragic death. It's only been six months, but Catherine's grandmother encourages her to start looking for someone else in the coming season. When her grandmother gets sick, Catherine is alone, or is she? There are two people who were almost her family, Quin, the new Duke of Wesley and his mother. Enlisting their help, Catherine and Quinn discover they have more than friendship. A nice romance with several strong characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This book was fine, I guess. Honestly, the romance was quite cute and the characters were really interesting. Both of them were really smart. Quinn is a professor and Catherine is quite bussiness savy and I really liked those aspects to their characters. I also liked how her being his brother's ex-fiancé was brought into the story and how it kept both of them from accepting their feelings for each for a bit throughout this book. I also really like the family aspects in this book. Quinn is really close to his mother and Catherine gets a lot of support out of her grandmother. I just really loved those dynamics and I also really liked how well she got along with his mother and how well he got along with her grandmother. So yeah, there were a lot of interesting aspects to this book that I really liked. But that isn't all to this book. I felt very distant from what was happening in this book. I just wasn't as invested in it as I would like. There were also quite a few moments where I felt bored and things felt a bit dragged out too much. The twist at the end seems very out of nowhere and I wasn't a big fan of it, especially because it was wrapped up a little too quickly for my tastes. So yeah, there were some good things about this book but also quite a lot of dissapointing things.

This is the first of a new series called The Cambridge Brothers by Kristin Vayden. I loved the premise of the book, spare inherits the title after a family tragedy and falls for his deceased brother's former finance.

I loved both Quin's and Catherine's characters, but sadly I felt like there was something lacking in them that I couldn't find. I had hoped they would delve more into Quin's backstory of working at Cambridge and tie it together with Catherine's love for numbers. I like my romances hot and this turned out to be just a sweet romance, so maybe that is what I was longing to see between the two.

I felt like the book took a good bit to really get into for me and wish that the pace had been there from the start. When I did start really getting into the book it was practically finished!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the above opinions are of my own.

This is the first in a new and unique historical romance series. Quin becomes the Duke of Wesley unexpectedly after his brother (Avery, the former Duke) and many of his brother's friends die at a bachelor party. The series highlights these second sons unexpectedly coming into titles and grieving their brothers.

In this first story, Wes leaves behind a fiancee, Catherine. She is an incredibly strong woman, struggling with the loss of her fiancee and future. She and Quin become friends in the wake of their shared loss.

I found this concept quite intriguing. The writing is very descriptive, with long passages detailing the setting. This is a slow, emotional, closed door book. The second half has more action and is more intriguing than the start.

Thank you to Sourcebook Casablanca and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up

An entertaining story of a tragedy and then unexpected love.

His beloved brother dies on the night of his bachelor party before his soon to be wedding. He was a teacher and happy with his life, but soon found, he could not run the newly inherited duties of the estate and also his main job.

She was finally out of mourning from her fiance's' death and knew she needed to reenter the marriage mart. Her previous future mother in law took her under her wing but then her grandmother fell ill.

When these two come upon each other, he cannot believe the feelings he has. Will these two come together and find love?

A great start to a new series!

Quinton is a spare and he loves his life as a Cambridge professor. But when his brother is accidentally killed just before his wedding, Quinton has to leave his old life behind and learn to become a duke, while grieving for the loss of his beloved brother. And falling in love with his brother’s fiancé can’t be of help, surely…
Catherine has lost the love of her life and has nowhere to turn… But the new duke, his late fiancé’s brother, is a very good and kind man and maybe they could help each other during this awful period of their lives…
I appreciated this book, which was well written and dealt with the issue of loss and mourning with surprising delicacy. But I wasn’t expecting a clean book, which, I must confess, is not my cup of tea… And I would have liked the book be set maybe later, a couple of years after the duke’s death, because it was strange to see his former fiancé profess her love for him and then proceed to fall in love with his brother after only six months after his death… Anyway, the author is certainly talented and promising, so I’ll gladly read other books from her, provided that they are steamier than this one!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first read by Kristin Vayden, and it was charming. A light Regency era romance where an unlikely duo is drawn together by mutual tragedy. The characters are well thought out, plot line flows beautifully. Your heart aches for their loss but then cheers the characters on to see what is before them. A lovely read for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea.

Great book! The author lead me to look up word which I’ve never heard of (a feature that I love in books!) Also the chemistry between the Main Characters was great! I am glad to have read it and loved every minute of it!

Quinton is happy with his teaching position at Cambridge. His older brother is a Duke and about to marry when a tragic accident happens leaving Quinton to become Duke. Catherine was to marry Quinton's brother but is left without a fiancée. The two become close over the death and healing from the previous Duke's death. The two end up with a marriage and happiness of their own. Low heat. Enjoyable read!

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

What a delightful historical romance that brings together aristocracy, love, intrigue, and humor.

Catherine Greatheart was dealt a blow where her fiance was killed in a fire before their wedding. She doesn't expect to find love again because she was well-matched with Avery, but cupid shot the arrow at her and Quin, Avery's younger brother and now the Duke of Wesley. Quin enjoyed being the younger brother without the expectations of taking over the family legacy and was quite well suited as a professor in Cambridge. However, tragedy struck and he had to learn to balance what he wanted and what was expected of him. What he never expected (and fought internally) was to fall in love with Catherine. But when he finally admitted it to himself, sparks flew between the two.

There was so much to like about this book - the slow romance between Quin and Catherine; the mystery regarding Lord Bircham; and Catherine's desire to be independent and treated as more than a fragile woman. Probably the character I liked the most after Quin and Catherine is Joan. She is the younger sister of Quin's friend Morgan. She may be but 14 but she is shaping up to be an independent woman fighting for their rights. I hope that there will be a book featuring her in the future.

I think one reason I don't read a lot of regency or historical romance is how women were treated at that time as if they were not intelligent and were to be coddled. I really liked how Catherine stood up for herself and it didn't offend Quin at all; in fact, I think he liked how she was able to hold her own when it came to business and other business affairs. She also did not let Lord Bircham run over her. He might have been the appointed trustee while her grandmother was incapacitated, but I don't think he took the time to get to know Catherine and her capabilities. But this is not uncommon for that time. I think by the end of the book he had been set straight! 

There was a bit of intrigue surrounding Mrs. Burke, the chaperone for Catherine while her grandmother was ill. It really brought an interesting twist to the story and it wasn't one that I expected and I think the revelation surprised a lot of people.

The story moves along at a slower pace until about the last 30% and then the twists in the story are interjected. I think that last bit of the story was my favorite part.

I enjoyed this book and we give it 4 paws up.

After the loss of his brother and her fiancé...

Quin, the new duke is bookish (he was a professor and loves libraries and books) is burdened by the dukedom and its myriad of responsibilities. Catherine Greatheart was engaged to Avery, Quin's older brother. Six months later, they are both navigating their grief, their loss of opportunities and possibilities. At times, the characters were hyper self aware, but they are completely enjoyable and relatable. I especially enjoyed Quin, who was charming and loves books.

Recommend.
4.5

2021 was the year of historical romances for me. I read my first historical romance book, and the rest is history! Once I read the synopsis for Fortune Favors the Duke, I knew I had to read it!

I fell for both of the main characters, Katherine and Quinn. Their relationship developed organically, which I loved. They listened to each other and supported each other through a difficult time. Watching their bond grow was beautiful. However, plot-wise, the book was just okay. Not much happened in the first half of the book. The pacing felt off to me. Overall, I enjoyed the characters in this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to #NetGalley #SourcebooksCasablanca and Author #KristinVayden for the advanced copy of #FortuneFavorsTheDuke

A slow burn, blush free romance (no steam).
This story follows Catherine and Quin on their path of grief and recovery, finding friendship and support in each other leading to love.

Quin has had to assume the role of Duke following the death of his brother (and his brothers friends) in a fire. This means he has had to give up his teaching profession at Cambridge and focus on family matters.

Catherine was engaged to marry Quin’s brother and after the mourning period her grandmother encourages her to get back out in society and find herself a husband.

Quin and Catherine strike up a friendship, with both of them starting to look to the other for advice and support and their feelings change although neither admits it at first due to how it would be perceived by others.

When Catherine’s grandmother, who is one of my favourite characters in the story, becomes ill her guardian appears with a new chaperone for Catherine. The Chaperone is not the most pleasant individual and has a plan to ruin Catherine and force her to marry her guardian.

This story does have a happy every after and was an enjoyable read!

Publish date: 28 Dec 2021

This was an entertaining, well-written Regency romance. The development of this relationship and the characters in the book were wonderful. The book held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. A standalone book, it is the first in the Cambridge Brotherhood series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books in this series as well as others by this author.

3.75 Stars

What I Loved: The premise: It sounded just like the kind of historical romances I grew up reading and in a sense it kind of was. The chemistry: Even if this is a sweet/clean romance, the kisses Quin and Catherine shared were definitely scorching. Grandma: I absolutely adored Catherine's grandma, she was delightful! Quin was the stuff dreams are made of, a prince of a man.

What I Liked: I liked Catherine, she was a bit headstrong about some things, especially considering the time period this is set in, but she was also nice and resourceful. I liked Quin's mother's machinations, I actually would've loved seeing more of this and less of the Lord Bircham thing.

What I Didn't Like: I felt a bit let down that with as long as the book is, we don't really see the progression of Catherine falling in love with Quin in a more natural way. It was like Catherine saying she was in love with Avery (Quin's brother and her fiancé) one second, and then suddenly she was falling for his brother. It was too rushed for me. Plus the conflict with Lord Bircham and the chaperone he brought for Catherine felt like it came out of nowhere and while intriguing, it wasn't related to Catherine and Quin, so I wasn't sure why it was included. Additionally, I had a problem with the editing, I know this is an ARC and I really hope at least the majority of the spelling/grammatical errors, missed or misused words were fixed, because it was a bit grating. 

All in all, this was a good, enjoyable read. Quin was swoon-worthy and Catherine was lovely and I was rooting for them to get their HEA. Recommendable!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

What a delightful and heartwarming book. Here you have the second son who is never expecting to become Duke but being thrust into the role after his brother dies. Quinton is heartbroken to become the next Duke of Wesley because it means his brother has passed away. There is also his brothers would be bride Catherine who is also heartbroken. This is such a lovely story about how Quinton and Catherine start out as friends trying to get each other through the grief and fall in love. It’s a fun story with great characters and I would highly recommend it to read.

This is a bit of a mixed bag for me.
While I overall liked the storylines and the writing, the characters weren't great.
The heroine was wishy-washy a lot of the time and the hero was sometimes a bit bland.
Also, I wasn't aware that this was a clean romance when I picked it up and was surprised by that. (Especially since most HR aren't these days),
I was excited about the romance storyline since it dealt with grief and forbidden longings but I don't think the romance was executed well here. I felt no sparks between the two for most of the book and then all of a sudden they are professing their love for each other. It felt like it came out of nowhere.
The grandmother character was a hoot! I really enjoyed her character the most out of all of them.
Once again, the writing wasn't bad I just think there was a pacing problem and the characters could have been better.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Quin's brother died before he could wed and now Quin has to give up being a professor to be a duke.
Catherine believed she was going to be a duchess and now she must re-embarak on the marriage mart.
I wanted to like this book but the pacing was too slow and if felt like there was a whole lot of talking but very little action.
This book just couldn't hold my attention and it took me a while to finish. None of the characters stood out in any way to me.