Quin, due to a tragic accident, has now inherited the title of Duke. Lady Catherine Greatheart, his brother’s fiancée, is also thrown into chaos. She has no idea what the future holds for her now. But, as you can guess, these two begin to gravitate toward each other because of the uncertain future.

Now, this is not my normal genre. I have not read this genre in years. This is a unique diversion for me. I enjoyed these two characters and their situation. They just felt like they belonged together. But, like usual in this type of romance, there are no surprises. This story is predictable and a bit too subdued for my tastes. But, it was very good for a quick, easy read.

Need a good romance for the new year…This is it! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for an honest opinion.

Quinton and Cathrine are connected through their shared grief for the late Duke of Wesley, his brother and her fiancé. This death is not just a jumping off point for the story, but explored in the grief of both of our main characters (as well as several side characters). The nuanced way we followed them through the pain of loosing a loved one, moving on and forward was nuanced in a way I found a lot of comfort in.

I enjoyed the main couple immensely and - while understandably slow - their building relationship was believable in a way that I cannot see either of them with anyone better matched. Obviously the fact that Cathrine was engaged to his brother is a hurdle between them. All their inner conflict about this payed off in a scene I particularly loved.

We also got to know a small cast of side characters, of whom I loved Cathrines grandma, Lady Greatheart, the most.

While I’m glad the third-act conflict was not between our couple, the mystery plot came out of left field and made the ending feel detached and rushed. Maybe I would’ve liked that plot point more, if it had been hinted at (more heavily?) earlier in the story.

That all being said, I read the first act of the book at the station, waiting for my delayed train and nearly froze my fingers off because I couldn’t stop reading. 10/10 would freeze my fingers off again for that part of the book, the third act though … that could wait till I’m back in the warmth indoor.

3.5 Stars
Quinton Errington is perfectly happy teaching history & politics at Cambridge, with his elder brother Avery carrying the duties of being the Duke of Wesley. But when a trip to celebrate Wesley's last week of bachelorhood ends in tragedy, Quinton, who becomes the Duke, would give anything to have his brother back. Wesley's would-be bride, Catherine Greatheart, is left heartbroken and alone. Her grandmother has fallen ill, and Catherine has nowhere left to turn but to the family she was so close to being part of. The new Duke is kind, and she could use a friend. Between learning how to be the head of his family, mourning his brother, and trying not to fall in love with his late-brother's fiancée, Quinton will need some help.
This is the start of a new series & I found it to be a well written romance, which I enjoyed. I liked both Quin & Catherine but I was left a bit uncomfortable about their relationship. She’d been in love with Avery & stated it often so I couldn’t believe that she could fall in love with Quin just six months after Avery’s death, it felt wrong. The book started slowly & the paced picked up after the first third. The author handled the feelings of grief really sensitively & well. Not a light hearted read, I do look forward to the next in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

*3.5 stars*
This was a really sweet story about overcoming tragedy and finding happiness in those around you. The premise was great, but unfortunately, I found that the overall story didn't end up being all that memorable. There wasn't much to make this book stand out in the historical romance genre. That being said, it was still an enjoyable read and I'm glad I picked it up.

I like Catherine a lot. She was grieving the loss of her fiancé yet still had a good head on her shoulders. She was brilliant with her estate and investments, and I loved seeing a woman in charge in that regard. Quin was grieving the loss of his brother and coping with the sudden inheritance of a Dukedom. I thought he handles the stress relatively well, and enjoyed watching him fall for Catherine slowly but surely. While I did like seeing Catherine and Quin take comfort in each other to help overcome their loss, it ended up being a different kind of romance than what I usually prefer in this type of book. It was a slow, sweet growth of affection that morphed into love and while I know some readers will absolutely love that, it wasn't my favourite.

There was little in terms of twists and turns and intrigue, so you'll have to read this for what it is. A mature exploration of the ripple effects of tragedy and the steps people take to overcome loss. The book has great characters, and it's a nice story. It just didn't grab my attention.

Fortune Favors the Duke by Kristin Vayden
The Cambridge Brothers #1

Grief hits people in different ways…a mother, brother, fiancée…all find themselves grieving the loss of a duke and yet through their grief healing and love is found for all of them. A sweet romance with a slow burn that introduces close male school friends who will star in this series. This is the story of Quin and the woman he finds his happily ever after with.

What I liked:
* Quin: second son, professor, the spare that became the heir, kind, generous, loving, and much more than first meets the eye.
* Catherine: engaged to Avery, raised by her grandmother, mathematically astute, lost her fiancé, strong, capable, a good match for Quin
* Lady Greatheart: grandmother, witty, loving, kind, a force to be reckoned with – really liked her
* Lady Wesley: Mother of Avery & Quin, lost her son, cared for Catherine, supportive, loving and kind
* Meeting Morgan and Rowles – the other two Cambridge Brothers (I think)
* Joan: Morgan’s sister: intriguing young woman in her first season and I wonder who she might end up with
* The slow falling of Quin and Catherine as they became friends first
* That Quin and Catherine seemed a good match
* That Catherine was able to stand up for herself
* That Quin was able to apologize
* That there was chemistry between Quin and Cathering…eventually

What I didn’t like:
* What and who I was meant not to like
* That it was a bit slow in spots so found myself skimming

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read another book in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourbooks Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

This is the first book in a new series, "The Cambridge Brothers" . The premise of the series is that this group of friends are all 2nd sons who became friends in school, Cambridge. They decided to stay and teach as Professors at Cambridge. Due to a tragic accident, a fire, all their older brothers (who also were friends) died in a fire. So now these young men are no longer the spare, but are the heir. Their lives have changed drastically.
This is the story of Quinn, now the Duke of Wesley. Quinn is having trouble adjusting to his new role, while at the same time mourning his brother, Avery. But there is also Avery's fiancee who is feeling lost, Katherine.
I loved the character of Katherine. She was a strong minded, intelligent, compassionate female character. She had goals and ideas of what she wanted to do with her life and her money. Avery had understood that, and that's why she agreed to marry him. She didn't know if she'd find anyone else who would respect her in that way.
And then Quinn came to check on her and see how she was doing. She felt an instant connection to Quinn, different from what she felt for Avery.
This story proceeds to show how the relationship progresses between the two. It introduces the other members of the brotherhood, setting up future books.
All in all a very enjoyable read.
4⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

“Quin made a silent vow to watch over the ladies of the house. It was the least he could do for Lady Catherin, and an honor he could do for his brother’s memory. Honor. The word resonated with him, gave him a peace that had long felt lost.”

If you’re looking for a sweet and earnest historical romance, Fortune Favors the Duke is a must read.

The new Duke has a proper scandal brewing.

Quinton Errington is perfectly happy teaching at Cambridge, with his elder brother carrying the duties of being the Duke of Wesley. But when a trip to celebrate Wesley's last week of bachelorhood ends in tragedy, Quinton, who becomes the Duke of Wesley, would give anything to have his brother back.

Now, under the most heartbreaking circumstances, Wesley's would-be bride, Catherine Greatheart, is left wanting. Her only protection left, her grandmother, has fallen ill, and Catherine has nowhere left to turn but to the family she was so close to being part of. The new Duke is kind, and she could use a friend who understands what she's going through.

Between learning how to be the head of his family's estate, mourning his brother, and trying not to fall in love with his late-brother's fiancée, Quinton will need some help—and it's a good thing he's not alone.

First off, Quinton and Catherine are an adorable couple. Quinton and Catherine are not supposed to be together: Catherine should be married to Quinton's brother, Wesley, and Quinton should be a professor at Cambridge. But the book begins with a twist, and not only does Wesley die tragically during his bachelor weekend but so do all of his friends. The story picks up six months later when Catherine is coming out of mourning and ready to begin her life again. Both Catherine and Quin have lost something major: their life plans. Both are adapting and trying to figure out where they belong in their worlds. Their individual struggles are beautifully played out in the book. Kristin really develops Catherine as a strong independent character who does have a sad backstory and very few people in her life that she can depend on. We discover that Catherine is smart and good with numbers, which her fiancé encouraged while many men brushed off. Quin, our charming academic, not only finds her attractive but is entranced by her intelligence as well. Watching Catherine learn to be fierce and independent on her own during the story were some of my favourite character arcs.

Now Quin is sweet and dreamy. He's the younger brother of a duke and was never expecting actually to be the duke. He has some serious guilt he's dealing with: he doesn't want to be duke; he's mourning Wesley and feeling some survivor's guilt because he was supposed to go with his brother to the weekend party but bailed. Quin also has some strong sparks when it comes to Catherine but feels like she is off-limits because she was engaged to Wesley. He wants to help her find the next chapter in her life out of a sense of obligation but discovers he wants to be her next chapter. The two have a slow-burn relationship that really develops from them trying to be friends first. And then they realize that they do love each other. Now friends, maybe I'm a bit of a sadist, but I wanted more yearning, more tension and more angst between Quin and Catherine as they try to overcome emotional and social hurdles to be together. Their path seemed just a little too easy for my liking. But, when they did declare their love, I was so happy. They had been through so much emotional pain, and they really deserved their happy ending. As a side note, this is a closed-door romance, but man, would I have loved to see what Quin was like when he finally had his way with Catherine.

There is a plot twist near the end of the story, which I loved. It made me sit up and scream in happiness. I loved what Kristin suddenly threw at her characters. Let's just say that the villain in this story is terrible and has a heartbreaking story, and whew, a couple of characters will need some serious therapy after the ending of the book.

This is clearly the first in a series. While it tells us about Catherine and Quin, it also sets up the series well. The secondary characters – many like Quin the second brothers of aristocrats whose lives suddenly changed after one night - are interesting and engaging. I will read the next book for sure.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Will they let fear of a scandal come between them …

What a surprising delightful read this story is. I have skimmed through some earlier reviews and I came to have doubts about this book, but I loved it.
It was not the angsty read I could have expected with the subject, instead it is a lovely sweet tale of healing by loving again.
The opening scene sets the background plot for the whole series as the heroes will mostly be spares turned heirs. Thus like Quinton who was much content with his position as the second born son.
Why he struggles to reconcile with his new duties, having gained a title at the cost of his dearly loved brother’s life. But he must let go of his old existence to embrace his new one.
Catherine is well acquainted with the pain of loss, having lost everyone except her grandmother. Yet, it does not diminish the hurt, even more when she thought she had found the one man perfect for her. Still she understands she must reenter the mariage mart, and she does not see it as the happy prospect her first experience was.

I loved how their romance progressed, until they rekindled their relationship, they never saw the other as more than a futur family member. Yet, they turn their past acquaintance into a friendship, one which opens their heart to new possibilities.
But the feasibility of them as an item is impeded by their previous connection, can they go after their heart’s content without risking the waging tongues and a scandal.

I just did not understand the real necessity of the chaperon’s scheme.
In all, a sweet tale of two persons who understand the weight of their shared loss and find in the other a soul mate.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 kisses and lovemaking behind closed doors.

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

"𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚; 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧"
- Catherine the great

*Thank you very much to Sourcebooks Casa, Kristin Vayden, and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC of "Fortune Favors the Duke" in exchange for an honest review *

Three things I loved about this book, the quotes on each chapter. And how it deals with grief. It felt like an original book. And the kiss I didn't notice how of a slow burn this is until the kiss.

I never read a historical romance that dealt with grief like this.

It's super easy to read and short.

But I usually like my Historical romances to be filled with love scenes. It took 40% before we saw any romance.

After that I only skimmed it, it got boring it needed more plots.

If it had more romance I would have probably wept, since romance mixed with grief can make anyone cry.

I still admire that work it felt like something new. It got me with Catherine's quotes they complimented the book in the best way.

Morgan was my favorite character 🙊I hope the 2nd book is about him

This was my first book by Kristen Vayden and it was just okay. The setup is something that I’ve seen work in other books but it fell flat for me here. It follows Quin who suddenly finds himself the heir when his brother dies in a carriage accident. He befriends his brothers fiancée, Catherine, who now find herself without a betrothed. The two develop feelings for one another over their friendship.
I struggled a lot with the uneven pacing of the book. Literally nothing happened between the prologue where the brother dies and the 80% mark and then suddenly everything was going at once. I was also not prepared for it to be a chaste book with only a couple kisses as there was no indication that this would be the case in any of the book’s descriptions. Overall it was fine but not something I see myself returning to.
Thank you ti NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.

Quinton and Catherine are united in grief over his brother's death. No one can understand their loss expect the grieving brother and the fiancé. When spending time together becomes more than just a shared grief, suddenly there is an attraction between the two that cannot be denied.

This story is a lovely story of how love can happen after grief and readers will really enjoy.

FORTUNE FAVORS THE DUCHESS...

While it's titled for the Duke, this Duchess definitely has a hand in making her happily ever after.

Catherine is ahead of her time. Highly intelligent and with a need to use her mind, she is not your average Lady. Her brand of thinking isn't generally respected either so only a certain kind of man will do.

He just happens to be the younger brother of her former fiancee. Not just anyone will do for Lady Catherine and even the Duke himself agrees.

In a night of drunken revelry, many of the Ton’s elite young men are killed in a tragic fire, including Avery, the Duke of Wesley, leaving behind a devastated mother, brother and heir to the title Quin, and fiancée, the on-the-nose-named Lady Catherine Greatheart. Their shared grief forms a bond between the two families that draws them together socially, even with the loss of the person who originally formed their bond.

In short order, Quin and Catherine find themselves drawn to each other. First as friends with shared intellectual interests, and then as people strongly attracted to one another, but who fear the other will be offended because of their former relationship with the dead Avery. This, however, is quickly resolved. They begin to court, but on the down-low. And you just never see the objection here, anyway. Once families decide to unite in this era, shoving the kids at each other would be de rigeur. There is no tension in this relationship at all.

When Catherine’s Grandmother, who is her guardian, suffers a stroke, her finances are put into the care of her cousin, Lord Bircham, a complete misogynist. He also saddles her with Mrs. Burke, a mean-spirited “chaperone” who is actually his spy. Let me say here, that Catherine’s grandmother is a fantastic character and it is such a shame that she’s sidelined in this way, but it needs to happen for the fortune plot and I get it, but she was really fun and is some of the best writing in this book.

I just can’t warm up to the protagonists, though. Quin is a bit better than Catherine, who is too perfect. She is the Mary Sue version of Catherine the Great. And, again, there’s no tension, though the attraction is relatively well done. It’s just rather boring. I can’t get emotionally invested.

At first, the idea of shared grief looked promising and would be a really different angle to explore in a relationship. But though lip service is often paid we are told, not shown, the grief. Quin missed his brother and was sad. Catherine had loved Avery but now she loved Quin, was that wrong? It’s written about like that. So you can’t feel any feelings about it.

There’s a clever plot twist near the end and a weird mystery that is immediately resolved. This author can’t seem to sustain a question for more than half a chapter, it seems, and it again diffuses all tension. You know everything will be fine.

While this book is decently-written, the author has a penchant for repeated words and phrases that become tiresomely overused. Bless her for not having people “let out the breath they didn’t know they were holding” though “unshed tears” did make an appearance, but her workarounds, including the massive overuse of the word tension, aren’t completely successful. There’s also title drift with Mrs./Lady Burke and several other characters. The book needs a really good editor to look it over both for continuity errors and repetitive phrasing. Even using the free Hemingway editor would probably get rid of some of this. Good beta readers would also help eliminate these issues from the writing, which is otherwise competent.

The dialogue is particularly good and period-appropriate. While it isn’t the best I’ve ever read, she has a real feel for it and what the characters say out loud is some of the best writing in the book.

There’s some kissing and closed-door married sex, but there’s not much heat here. Again, there are zero emotional stakes.

The worst thing is that this is basically thinly veiled Catherine the Great fanfiction. I came for Regency romance and this is not what I signed up for. I will not be seeking out more books by this author.

I wanted to like this one - the characters are interesting and the blurb caught my attention but I just couldn't get into it unfortunately. I may try again later.

Incredibly boring and the romance was so meh. I was expecting so much angst and pining and, well a lot more. The development of the plot was weird.

*Thank you very much to Sourcebooks Casa, Kristin Vayden, and Netgalley for providing me with a E-ARC of "Fortune Favors the Duke" in exchange for an honest review *
I really loved both Quin and Catherine! I especially loved Catherine's Grandma, she just SO witty! I loved how fresh the author was able to make this, with Quin's love of knowledge and Catherine's knack with numbers, it was refreshing to see a "nerdy" Historical Romance. Fans of the genre are sure to love this!

After the loss of Avery, the Duke of Wesley, both Lady Catherine Greatheart, Avery’s fiancée and Quinton Errington, his brother, are confronted by both grief and conflicting feelings of attraction. Quinton “Quin” is forced to leave his life at Cambridge where he taught politics and history, to be the new duke. When he meets Catherine again, he realises that his feelings are more than brotherly but decides that it is best to move on. Yet when his mother invites Catherine to stay, their time together makes it difficult to ignore their feelings.
The first chapter introduces what will become the premise behind the series, with Avery being killed in a fire at his own bachelor party, together with his friends. Like Quin, the younger brothers of Avery’s friends are also thrust into taking on family responsibilities, hence ‘The Cambridge Brothers’. The characters of Quin and Catherine are well explored and the story well detailed. I did find the transition from love for one brother to another in such a short time frame, a bit uncomfortable but felt tremendous regard for Quin in his response to his feelings.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I've read a zillion such novels but this is a new author to me. And wow! Now I'm going to have to purchase all of her books to read! But great H/h especially H. And great, HOT sex scenes. We LIKE steamy scenes. If you want "sweet" there are plenty of those on amazon--find one you like and use the related books section to find more. But if you want steamy, well, start here! Well done, author!

I really liked the synopsis to this one and I'm always looking for a new-to-me author, especially in historical romance.

I loved Catherine and Quin. They're both really good people finding their way through a tragedy. I loved how they listened to and supported each other, how they slowly got to know each other, and how the relationship organically progressed. Catherine's grandmother was one of the best parts of the story and Quin's mother was fantastic as well.

Plot wise, it is a bit of a lag. Nothing much happens in the first half of the book and then it's all twisty backstabbing and urgency. I would have liked a bit more balance, but it's understandable why it didn't play out that way. Sort of off topic, this is the chastest historical I've ever read. Trust me, I was here for the longing filled glances, but was surprised to see a lot of things fade to black.

Overall, it was a quick read with characters I couldn't get enough of. I am curious to see who will be in the next book (Morgan or Joan, I'm looking at you) and will likely read it.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

The Cambridge Brotherhood series focuses on friends whose older brothers tragically die in a fire. The friends, who were second sons, or “spares” now find themselves heirs to their family’s titles. Fortune Favors The Duke focuses on Quinton, the new Duke of Wesley, and Katherine, Quinton’s late brother’s fiancé.

This book is not a light-hearted romance. The romance is there, but much of the focus is centered on grieving and healing. The emotional depth of this novel is phenomenal. The topic of grief is handled in an informed, respectful way. The book lagged for the first half; there needed to be more substance. However, the second half took off rapidly, and there were copious amounts of content. I drifted for the first thirty percent, but after that point, I became avidly invested.

This is a sweet/clean romance. I did not feel this detracted from the story, yet I know some would want a warning. I was pretty impressed that a few kisses and longing looks could translate into the passionate connection Quinton and Katherine shared. I could feel the turmoil and indecision roll off both characters. The journey to love that Quinton and Katherine’s transverse is realistic. Starting as friends with a common loss, they find strength, camaraderie, and eventually healing love.

This story had both strengths and weaknesses. The plot needed more urgency in the first half. All the action occurs in the last forty percent. This needed to be spread throughout the entirety of the book. There was a secondary plot line that involved a secret I found disturbing. I liked that this was a raw, gritty look into the aftermath of a tragedy. The characters were vibrantly stunning, even the secondary characters touched my heart. My heart ached for Quinton and Katherine’s loss. The couple’s journey through the grief process was organic and honest. The second half of the book was excellent. I enjoyed the premise of the series and look forward to Quinton’s friend’s stories. Fortune Favors The Duke is the first book in The Cambridge Brotherhood series. Read this in knowledge that it deals with heavy subject matter and is a sweet/clean romance. I feel that this was a strong beginning to a series that could be hauntingly beautiful.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.