Four years after Aphrodite and the Duke of Everely ended their engagement, they get a second chance at love. What happens when she learns the truth about the past?

If you enjoy Regency romance with a focus on manners, this book is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

One of the things I really loved about this book was how diversity of this world. In a way it reminded me of Bridgerton, but J.J. McAvoy didn't attempt to explain how Black people came to be in Regency like Bridgerton. In this book, they just existed and I appreciated that.

I really enjoy a second-chance romance and this story about Aphrodite and her duke didn't disappoint. I liked the buildup up between the two and thought their love story was really well done. I also loved that we got a glimpse of life after the wedding. A lot of historicals end with a wedding, so it's always refreshing when the story continues after saying I do.

In addition to the two main characters, I loved Aphrodite's family and I could see the sisters each having their own book. I honestly think this book could be adapted into a series because there are some many other stories to tell -- including Evander's sister.

I will say that I was surprised at the conflict that Evander experienced and actually didn't play out the way I thought. I expected the book to be a little lighter, but it ended up being a little more serious. Which is completely fine, I still really enjoyed the book.

I hope this book will encourage more diverse representation in the Regency and Victorian era. Special thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is my first time reading a book by J.J. McAvoy and I plan to read more books by her. I must say I rather enjoyed Aphrodite Du Bell and Evander Eagleman’s having a second chance at romance. Aphrodite Du Bell is not alone with not liking her name. There are many that feel the way she does. Aphrodite lost the love of her life 4 years ago when he Evander a Duke married another but wanted to marry Aphrodite. Aphrodite has been called back to London by her mom to her sister’s debut. Evander is a Duke, a widow, has a young daughter and he broke Aphrodite’s heart. While Aphrodite is doing all she can to ignore Evander, he is doing all he can to get Aphrodite back, win her heart, trust again and ultimately her hand in marriage. Evander explains his reason for marrying another. He also has enemies that could keep he and Aphrodite apart. Aphrodite’s father is not so willing to accepting his daughter Aphrodite reuniting with Evander.

This is an awesome history read about a lost love, second chance, drama, enemies, forgiveness, trust and love.

Will Aphrodite accept Evander’s reason for marrying another, can see forgive him, will his enemies cause Aphrodite harm, can the two have a second chance at romance?

I received an ARC via NetGalley Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell and I am leaving my review voluntarily. Thank you.

This book was pretty well-written and somewhat enjoyable. It did not hold my interest, though, and I found the main characters bland and boring. The female lead seemed self-centered and annoying.

I have to admit I was absolutely drawn to this book thanks to the gorgeous cover! And, I was happy to discover that this book is not only a great balm for those waiting for more Bridgerton, but also a wonderful choice for those whose favorite Jane Austen is Persuasion, like me.

Aphrodite Du Bell has been in love with Evander Eagleman, Duke of Everley, all her life. She was once even engaged to him when she was eighteen, only to be left waiting, ashamed and alone. Ever since, she has kept to the family estate, too heartbroken to return to London at the chance that she might see him. But, at the insistence of her hard-headed Mama, she is back to stun all of the Ton--and catch a husband in the process. Whether she wants to or not.

Little does she know, Evander had a very good reason for why he didn't show. It all has to do with his family, who are mixed up in quite the scandal, should it be discovered. He is only back in London for the season, to chaperone his younger sister, Verity, as she comes out into society. Only, Aphrodite is there, too, and his love for her still burns just as bright as it did four years ago. Can things ever be repaired? Can Evander let Aphrodite in, even if it means exposing his family, and his painful past? And can Aphrodite handle the demands of being a Duchess, a wife, and a stepmother, all while keeping true to herself?

Aphrodite and the Duke is a story of a second chance at true love, and has a somewhat unusual setup for a romance as the heroine and hero end up married about at 40% or 50% into the book. I loved how they would fight and disagree but would quickly talk it out, discover just what laid behind the sharp words and overreactions, to the tender and bruised parts beneath. Aphrodite was a charming heroine, wise and innocent all at once, with a deep love for her family (who all feature and are fun characters in their own rights) and books. Evander was fine as a hero, though I sometimes found him a bit snooty, especially when it came to his stepmother and the villain. Though I had a few little qualms with him, I thought they made a wonderful couple, and evened each other out spectacularly.

A fun romance with lots of heart, I can't help but look forward to more historical work by J.J. McAvoy, hopefully featuring some of Aphrodite's family, or Evander's!

I absolutely fell in love with Aphrodite and the Duke. I was incredibly excited about for this book because I am a long-time J.J McAvoy fan, and I knew I had to read this book when I saw this gorgeous cover.

Aphrodite Du Bell must return to London at her mother's request to aid in her sister's debut to society. Although Aphrodite has no choice but to return, she is determined to avoid one person, in particular, the Duke of Everly. Evander, the Duke of Everly, broke Aphrodite's heart all those years ago, and now he returns a widow, hoping to win back Aphrodite.

I thought this book was so cute. I loved all the interactions within the Du Bell family. I would devour a series on just the family alone! I was immediately hooked and drawn in by the first few chapters. This book just oozes romance and Evander will definitely make you swoon. The sexual tension between Aphrodite & Evander *chefs kiss*

I found the book was really well written and there was just something about the writing that made me feel so close to the characters. I definitely want to see more regency romance novels from J.J. McAvoy.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This cover is gorgeous!

A stunning second chance romance between two childhood friends.

Aphrodite's family forces her into town for the season for her sister.

She now has to see the Duke who jilted her. Love that the Queen is fascinated by her and her beauty.

There is definite regency steam🥵

The Duke has so many family issues going on that it's not safe to be around him. You could end up as collateral damage or a pawn in someone's game.

Loved this one and once again look at that cover!

I'm going to the Bridgerton experience this weekend so excited.

Thank you randomhouse and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

A diverse historical romance with lots of angst!
I truly enjoyed this book, the writing is exactly what I love from JJ McAvoy. She writes such fierce female leads, and I was curious to how it would translate in a historical setting... I was not disappointed.
But there were moments, that I had a hard time connecting. Aphrodite is just way too naive at times, I keep reading that she is comparable to Daphney from Bridgerton (the show) but she is a bit older, she has had family members be married, and to just not know anything about sex was way too unbelievable.
Despite some inconsistencies with the historical aspects, with Black and Brown people existing in those times, I think this book was still really enjoyable.
I am invested enough to continue the series, I just hope some more of the setting and development evolves a bit.

Overall, I was excited to read Aphrodite and the Duke because it was a second-chance love and my first chance at a historical romance centering on black women. I loved reading about Aphrodite's mother and her ways of handling her six children. AND her protecting Verity after her best friend's death! I loved reading about Aphrodite's relationship with her father and her brother Damon. Also, is there a book about Damon and Silva? I'd love to read their love story!

The book is split into two parts, during Aphrodite's return to London and after. The first part was done well in introducing the du Bell family, showing each child's personality perfectly without feeling overwhelmed. In fact, it was a great foundation for starting a series based on each sibling. Readers saw much of what is entailed during the season of women entering society in hopes of marriage. I'm not sure if comparing it to Bridgerton does this family justice but there are similarities one may find. Readers also see Aphrodite's turmoil at reuniting with her former love, a newly widowed and pining Evander Everley.

What didn't work for me was the second half of this book. Many of the characters were left feeling undefined or falling flat and I'm afraid the second half made it even worse. Particularly, I had the most issue with Aphrodite's growth because I felt like there was none. The synopsis mention's her issue with living up to her name but aside from her expressing distaste for participating in London society, we're made to believe she navigates it well and effortlessly. And her other issue of a broken heart is resolved within the first half. So that leaves Aphrodite not with her own issues and deep personal growth but instead with Evander's. Her main goal now is cleaning up after him and fixing the estate. For the most part, she does this amazingly well. Until she doesn't with the biggest issue of all involving Evander's evil older half-brother. Where she thinks she is helping ultimately ends with her harming others around her and exposing things they never consented to. Yet the book ends with her only realizing she was in over her head and less about seeking forgiveness from those she (albeit unintentionally) harmed.

I wish there had been more about Marcella because she was integral in the second half of the book yet readers saw little of her own story and issues being a young girl so disgustingly exploited. It could be a great lesson on the issues with introducing young girls to society and the harm of pressuring them on the need to marry as quickly as possible. I also hoped to see more of Verity and Dr. Darrington.

I wanted to love this book so much. I love the representation, I love the big family, the loving and teasing parents, and the relationship between the siblings (both good and bad). But overall, the story was tough. The multiple POVs made it so I never really connected with any of the characters that much, and Aphrodite seemed a bit bland. Yes she’s beautiful, but we don’t really see anything of her personality.

This book is definitely for fans of the tv show Bridgerton.
There are many similarities that readers craving more Bridgerton will be satisfied.
Aphrodite reminded me very much a Daphne from the TV version of Bridgerton. She was a bit naïve but still likeable. I enjoyed her journey throughout the book. Aphrodite is the diamond of the season and is struggling with the expectations and pressure that title brings. She is also struggling to resist her feelings for her childhood friend turned lover Evander, a duke who jilted her some years before. Evander is back in society as a widower determined to win back Aphrodite. Their romance is a second chance romance. The romance is well paced and fun to read about. I couldn't wait to find out the reason Evander had for jilting Aphrodite.
I will say, the story did have a lot going on. There are many characters that each get an introduction and this did drag the story down a bit as well as the pacing. I was also surprised this was low on the angst scale considering these two used to be lovers and one betrayed the other. I was expecting way more tension and angst than I got.
Despite those things, I found the story to be delightful and romantic.
There is great representation here without it feeling like a checkmark on a list.
Definitely recommend!

I thought this was a really well written historical romance, that I really enjoyed reading! Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

3.5 stars rounded up

Aphrodite and the Duke is a second-chance historical romance with a plot that extends well beyond marriage, and I can see why it has been compared to season 1 of Bridgerton. A diverse cast of characters, a heroine who knows nothing about marriage ahead of time, an involved queen, external conflict, and plenty of family drama all bring to mind the show.

I will say, as a regular reader of historical romances, the pacing, language, and plot choices weren't what I was expecting. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I wasn't surprised to see that while this author has a decent backlist of contemporary romances, it is her first foray into historicals. The language feels a bit formal for the genre and I'm interested to see if future books might show more comfort and personal style in the prose. In terms of pacing, it's unusual as well.

While many modern romances (especially with an older heroine like Aphrodite) allow their heroines some degree of understanding what happens in the bedroom, that is not the case here. Aphrodite is extremely naive and unschooled, to a somewhat unbelievable degree given her age. And that continues until the wedding, which happens around the halfway point.

The second half of the book is focused on external family conflict and the couple working through their communication issues and baggage from the past. Which I actually liked- I prefer books that look at the struggles that come with acclimating to marriage early on, but it's unexpected. Most of the time you only get post-marriage conflict in a marriage of convenience or a couple that has separated and is coming back together. This is a little different because the characters had a broken engagement, not a separation post marriage.

All that to say, this wasn't what I was expecting, but I ended up liking it pretty well. I would have liked to see Aphrodite be a bit less naive, and it would be nice to have the diversity feel like more than window dressing. I get that we're just now making more space for Black authors and other authors of color to write characters of color in historical romance, but I think authors like Vanessa Riley, Beverly Jenkins, and more recently Adriana Herrera and Erica Ridley have done a great job of making their character's identity a bigger piece of the puzzle.

Regardless I'm happy to see more books like this, but I think it could have gone farther. And similarly, the language could feel a bit stilted at times and I hope McAvoy is able to find a happy medium in future books that balances the formality of the time period with her own voice. All in all, not a book I loved, but one I liked and an author I hope to see more from in the future. I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This is a lovely cross racial romance. Aphrodite is the beautiful daughter of a Marquess. She is a favorite of the Queen. She is is intelligent and the talk of the ton. The Duke of Everley, Evander is a man with many secrets. He is also the one who broke Aphrodite’s heart. The plot is interesting because there are multiple layers. It is first and foremost a second chance romance for Aphrodite and Evander. Then it is also about the differences in the family situations and how it impacts them. The author does a fantastic job of intertwining the two and keeping the readers interested. The characters are wonderful and interesting. Evander and Aphrodite are rockstar characters to the very happy end.

The "for fans of Bridgerton" log line is everywhere these days, but this book is the actual closest comp to season 1 I've read. The sibling/family dynamics on both sides were a top highlight, as was the meddling queen; the POVs from secondary characters were fun, tongue-in-cheek stares into the camera, but their uniqueness ultimately served only to underscore their sudden absence in the last 60% of the book. Aphrodite's relationships with all the non-romantic characters, and particularly with Emeline, was where the novel shone the brightest. The eye for historical detail and speech also felt impressive. For fans of Regency historical romances with low stakes, few obstacles to the main couple's reunion, a continuation of the story past the courtship & wedding, and large, fun (and inclusive!) casts of characters.

While it would also appeal to fans of second-chance romances, the reader never really gets a look at Aphrodite and Evander's first dip into romance. They share memories of growing up, and Aphrodite reflects on how young she was when he jilted her, but there is little shown to the reader to help understand their romantic attraction to one another and it felt flat as a result. (And personally, I thought he didn't grovel nearly as much as he should have.) Much like Bridgerton season 1, the main couple's relationship seems to take a back seat to other developing relationships, platonic or romantic.

I can also see readers, particularly those well read in this genre, having issue with the pacing. The villain does not show up in person until 72% of the way into the story, and even when he does, it isn't clear what threat he actually poses to A & E - and the threat, when it does come, is to someone else. Readers used to the pace of A settling in to her duties and cultivating her relationship with Emeline will find this an abrupt and long-forgotten-about callback, and readers expecting the villainous through line from the copy may get tired of waiting for it to arrive.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the advance copy.

I read this book in one 24 hours sitting. It was entertaining enough, however I was not the biggest fan of the plot structure. The pace felt a little off and the book felt like it was trying to do too much all at once. Overall I wasn’t mad that I read this book, however it was nothing special and I will probably forget 90% of what happened. I will be picking up other books by this author, as they are things that look interesting to me.

I loved this book so much! "Aphrodite and the Duke" is the perfect Regency romance - funny, romantic, diverse and full of drama. This story is what Bridgerton season 1 should have been.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Aphrodite and the Duke was one of my most anticipated historical romance releases, and while it gets off to an odd start, it ultimately does not disappoint. Diversity within the genre is always welcome, especially when the focus isn’t on how traumatic it is to be Black in a predominantly white environment. Race is commented on, but it’s done so in a way that doesn’t make it a big deal, including the intriguing genetic lottery that comes about from mixed-race pairings.
The book is split into two parts, and they’re distinct tonally, but feel very much part of the same story, with part one following the reunion between Aphrodite and Evander and part two following them while they’re married. I was a bit confused why perspectives from other characters, like Aphrodite’s married brother Damon, and Evander’s sister Verity, got more page time in part one before Damon, and was almost ready to put it down. But once Evander’s character becomes a real presence, it sucked me in, and I appreciated having a greater understanding of his motivations.
And ultimately establishing Aphrodite in context with her family provides a greater contrast with Evander’s more dysfunctional relatives. Her family is delightful, giving me Bennets-meet-the-Bridgertons vibes in terms of their loving, yet rambunctious nature, and her mother is clearly a literary relative of Mrs. Bennet, with all her interference in her daughter’s romantic affairs.
Evander’s family, his sister and youngest brother excepted, cause a lot of the drama for him over the course of the book. His half-brother is an entitled piece of work, and his mother (who eventually married their father) coddled him, leading to an antagonistic relationship with Evander. There are shades of Darcy and Wickham (with a darker edge) to their dynamic.
Because of my conflicted feelings about the structure, the romance took time to grow on me. But once I was a fair bit into part two and the stakes for them grew, I loved the two of them together and wanted them to have happiness and peace.
While every book with even a whiff of historical romance has been compared to Bridgerton these days, this one is the closest in terms of capturing the (somewhat) race blind nature of the cast of characters, as well as some key archetypes, like the varied family dynamics, along with a somewhat Austenesque feel. If you’ve been looking for a book in a similar vein, or have simply been craving more diverse historical romance, I would recommend checking this one out.

(ARC from NetGalley- 3.5/5 rating) Bridgerton girlies, this one is for you! Ok so the story starts with a very close knit, noble family of the ‘ton. Aphrodite is the eldest daughter and resents her name because it makes her feel like she has to be compared to the unattainable beauty of a goddess. She only ever felt free when she was with Evander, BUT he jilted her 4 years ago and married someone else. Now Evander, a widower and a Duke with daddy issues, is back in town and seeking a second chance.

The sibling dynamics were so much fun, the duke had that whole damaged hero thing going, and honestly I want to know the story of Aphrodite’s parents. In my opinion, the romance, actual plot line, and “spice” were well balanced.

I wanted to love this book - and I love the representation, the cast and the premise! What didn't work for me was the storytelling. It felt very TELL not SHOW - and when combined with the passive voice... I couldn't ever really get in to it.