A tender sweet romantic tale where cupid mark was sure. Joan was a strong and brave woman who knew what she wanted out of life. I almost didn’t like Joan’s brother, but his heart was in the right place. Morgan was irritating and pushy, but his heart was in the right place where his love for his sister was concerned. It was a sweet, sassy, and delightfully enticing read.

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 2 of the Cambridge Brotherhood series. New duke Rowles is adjusting to his new responsibilities after the death of his older brother when he’d rather continuing being a theology professor at Cambridge. Also, he is dealing with his mother who suffers from dementia and worries over the gossip surrounding his own sanity. When he sees his best friend’s sister Joan at a ball, they dance, and she’s able to soothe his worries. But she’s got secrets of her own, like being a staunch supporter of women’s rights and being the secret decipherer of forgeries for her brother at the War Office. And then there’s the mystery of why her brother is trying to keep the two apart. I loved how supportive these two were of each other, with Rowles’ ill mother and Joan’s secret work.

I don't really have much of a strong reaction to this book except to say that it was perfectly okay. The dialogue was a little stilted which sometimes made it feel like the leads didn't have much chemistry. But overall, I think it just had so much potential that it didn't live up to - I love the idea of a professor and a woman who works for the home office in a job not typically afforded to women at the time. But I just ultimately was a little bored while reading.

I haven't read anything previous from this author, but I have heard of her, and I was pleasantly surprised! If you enjoy historical romance, this is definitely one I would recommend! It is #2 in a series of standalones, and I do want to now go back and read the first book. The couple has fascinating and interesting conversations, and the chemistry is there as well. I would say it was a sweet romance, but not incredibly spicy.

Based on the description, My Dearest Duke had a lot of potential. It promised secrets and drama and passion. But unfortunately, in my opinion, My Dearest Duke didn't really deliver on any of those things.

I wouldn't say that Dearest Duke is objectively bad - there are moments of tenderness and plenty of strong banter between the two leads. But unfortunately, it didn't manage to draw me in either. The chemistry between Rowles and Joan felt like it was told rather than shown; while they had plenty of feisty philosophical discussions, their interactions didn't feel flirtatious, beyond being told explicitly on the page that they were flirting. There wasn't a lot of passion between them in other scenarios, and I generally found the romance element of this romance novel to be lacking, which isn't ideal.

I also felt that this book didn't deliver on a lot of the things that were, to my eyes, set up for drama. Rowles' mother and Joan's work with the Home Office both fizzled as plot lines before they were truly utilized. The first half of this book seemed to prime us for a lot of drama to unfold, but instead, very little ultimately happened. Even the emotional elements didn't quite land. In the end, I was left with questions as to why certain details had been included at all.

On top of all of this, I found the writing to be awkwardly executed and the characters to be flat. Ultimately, a book that didn't quite know what to do with itself and therefore, couldn't quite realize its potential.

2.75/5

An intriguing yet ultimately a tad frustrating tale of two people struggling with who they are and who they want to be. Know that there are surprisingly strong religious undertones and that it's a clean romance that takes on challenge of mental illness. Rowles did not expect to become the Duke but then his brother died. leaving him both the heir and the guardian of his mother who has issues. Joan likes her work at the War Office and worries that marriage will force her to stop. When these two meet, they discover they've actually got a lot in common which leads to discussions about a wide range of things. I liked them and rooted for them but thought this needed a bit of a spark (not steam, spark). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was not my most favorite story. Contains spoilers.
This book seemed that it would be nice, but some things just don't make sense. The heroine is a 19 year old debutante that has a skill in detecting forgeries for the Wsr Department. Her father taught her as a child, but then realized that she was better than he was. He brother has taken over the position as a spy, but she does the forgery detecting. Her nickname is "Saint" and I still can't understand why. The book details her work in charities as teacher of etiquette for an orphanage and she attends women rights meeting with her small group of friends. But they do not go to rallies or parades, they just sit around and complain. And again, she is only 19, but has the attitude of a 30 year old spinster. Until she is around men. Then she is a coy, blushing debutante. I didn't like this character. She is too much of a 'party-and-fashion girl' for me. The hero is a duke who previously was a teacher, but he is only 24 years old, the same age as her brother. And her brother and the hero are supposed to be best friends. This book has a lot of implied conspiracy theories or intrigue, but they never play out. The hero just seems blah to me. He doesn't want to court the heroine because his mother suffered from grief and had to be medicated because she would hurt herself or others with her wild outbursts. So we continually read how he is trying to save the heroine from himself. But I do approve of how the hero treated his mother. He had a doctor on call at all times, a suitable apartment for her with numerous nurses and attendants to care for her.
I read this book from start to finish, even though their conversations were more like theoretical debates intead of normal.conversations. How off putting! Imagine coming home and being tired and having to have to be able to debate with your spouse because that is the only way the two of you know how to communicate. Also, each chapter opened with a quote from a book about Joan of Arc, but in no way did this heroine receive messages from God about how to win a battle.
I gave this book 3 stars, which is probably 1 star too many. Do not bother reading, I already did for you. Spend your time with your families. PS. I changed my review to 2 stars.

This is a clean romance, with much theological discussion and Christian overtones. I consider myself an open-minded reader, and while I usually gravitate toward romance novels with a bit of spice, I'm OK with all closed-door sex scenes if I can get into the characters and plot. Unfortunately, I found this to be a bit too wordy and draggy and just wasn't quite the sweet, emotional read I was hoping for, nor was its cloak-and-danger storyline completely satisfying.

The strengths of this book: I love MMC's who are academics (not enough in Regencies, IMO) and Rowles is a truly sympathetic character, a decent man who is trying to make his way in life after losing his father and older brother and being forced to deal with the insanity/dementia of his mother. He's a sweetheart. I also thought his mother's mental illness was depicted in an honest way, more realistically than one generally finds in this genre. The language and behavior are true to the period.

The biggest weaknesses: I love the "big brother's best friend" trope, and typically with this sort of storyline you can expect a protective brother, but Morgan goes overboard. He's supposed to be Rowles's friend but is consistently suspicious and unsupportive. His uncalled-for comments about Rowles's mother and the punch he throws at Rowles, leading to a fight--right after Rowles has disclosed the awful scene he just left with his mother--do not endear him to the reader. Also, Joan's character and abilities are not well enough developed. I kept thinking that maybe I missed something in a previous book.

Overall, I really thought I would enjoy this, but it wasn't what I was expecting. The writer has a polished style that I enjoy, but the plot and characters--other than Rowles--weren't my cup of tea.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own.

My Dearest Duke is the story of Rowles, the Duke of Westmore who inherited the title after the unfortunate death of his older brother. Rowles was happy as a professor at Cambridge University when he had to leave to assume the title. He is left caring for his mentally ill mother, who often confuses him with his older deceased brother, Robert. Joan Morgan is the sister of Rowles best friend, Morgan and they develop an attraction to each other as they are often meeting up at different ton events and Morgan asks him to partner with Joan as she is trying to attract suitors. The story seems undeveloped in terms of the relationship between Rowles and Joan and instead she has Joan spending more time with her brother, Morgan. I was expecting to receive the answers to some of the questions I had while reading the book but at the end, but it ended kind of abruptly and now I have more questions than answers. I have read this author's works before and was expecting it to be more romantic, more steamy and more adventurous but it was not.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving this review

A clean romance featuring two characters with secrets that hold them back from pursuing their attraction. Rowles has to give up his beloved professorship to become the Duke after the death of his brother. Joan's secrets can ruin her chance of a good match. Joan is Morgan's sister, Rowles best friend. They enjoy debating with each other and as attraction grows they have to deal with what is holding them back. A quick, enjoyable read.

I don’t know much about regency times on the subject of mental health, but I know men could put their wives (or female family member) into an asylum for almost any reason. The Duke of Westmore (Rowles) was trying to keep his mother at home even though she suffered from what we know as dementia. Lady Joan finally has her debut into society, alongside her brother, Morgan. She is gifted in ways that she helps her brother’s conundrums from the War Office.

Rowles and Joan have a very cerebral relationship in the beginning. They both felt a pull towards each other, but Morgan was insistent that Rowles let Joan go. This I didn’t understand because Rowles was his best friend. Morgan allowed his sister to do spy work and other mature endeavors, yet he didn’t trust his best friend’s intentions?

I wondered if the lamb on Joan’s baby blanket would be tied together to the name she was reading at the foundling home—Agneau, French for lamb.

I enjoyed the plot and the characters, but Rowles was always quoting the Bible.

I received a free copy of the book and I reviewed it voluntarily.

My Dearest Duke by Kristin Vayden
The Cambridge Brotherhood #2
Historical Romance
Publication Date: November 8, 2022

Lady Joan secretly works with her brother at the home office. Her role must remain a secret because she is about to make her debut into society. Rowles wasn’t supposed to inherit the Dukedom, but after his elder brother dies, he does his duty and takes up the post, despite missing his role as a professor. He meets Joan, sister to his best friend, at a ball and their conversation sparks a light in both of them. Both hiding secrets of their own, a romance might not be so easy.

This bordered too closely on Christian fiction for my personal tastes. It was a closed door romance without any real passion, or at least my idea of it. The debates regarding theology were too wordy for my little after work reading brain and I actually started skimming them. The dialogue between the two characters was intelligent but lacked flirtation or a lightness to it.

The plot regarding the spying was hard to follow. I’m not sure how Joan was able to arrive at certain conclusions, particularly near the end with the incident involving her brother.

I do appreciate the novel included a subplot regarding mental health and attempted to explore the effects of a parent with an illness. I think the author tried to strike a balance between portraying mental health in a fashion which was accurate for the time period and well at the same time not casting a negative light on those suffering with mental health issues.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an advanced reader’s copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well-written romance with some serious themes. It dealt with bereavement and grief. I think that this book would be of comfort to someone who is dealing with the loss of a loved one. Given that Rowles the duke is a professor of divinity at Cambridge, Christian concepts do come up. The book was not preachy, but a Christian reader would certainly have a greater appreciation of it.
On a lighter note, the brother-sister relationship of Morgan and Joan was a highlight. There was lots of arguing and good-natured banter between the two of them. Morgan's career as a spy lent this story a bit of intrigue. There were a few loose ends in that regard, so I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Morgan got his own book to complete this series. Rowles and Joan would definitely need to make another appearance!
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

A clean Christian romance. I wasn't expecting the religious overtones from reading the summary. A fire in the recent past made many second sons inherit the titles. Rowles is now Duke and responsible for his mentally ill mother. He's afraid he will inherit her mental illness. Joan is his best friend's sister. She secretly does handwriting and behavior analysis for the home office through her brother Morgan. Morgan, now an Earl since his brother died in the fire, is weirdly violent (he punches Rowles for no reason) and overprotective of Joan. Joan's abilities should have been interesting but it doesn't happen.

This is a love story between two guarded, intelligent individuals.
I think the slow burn of their relationship worked for the tone of the story. I really liked how they connected over their political discussions and similar life experiences. Both are dealing with a loss of a loved one as well so they connect over that as well.
I was not a fan of the religious undertones of the story. Just not my cup of tea.
I think the secrets reveal was worth the wait and exciting.
Overall, this is a sweet Regency romance that I think will charm the slow burn lovers.

I have enjoyed this series and this second book is no exception. This time, we get ex-theology professor Rowles Haywind who not only has to deal with leaving his post at Cambridge to take up the Dukedom, but also his mother who has suffered from mental illness which weighs heavy on Rowles. Enter Lady Joan Morgan, his best friend's little sister and one of the only people to truly see Rowles.

I liked Joan and she was the perfect balm for Rowles. Every interaction they had eased the weight that Rowles seemed to carry with him everywhere. She seemed to know what to say when it needed to be said, easing his fears and opening his eyes to the prospect of getting his happily ever after.

Joan was a special girl and she needed someone who was going to allow her to spread her wings, much like her family had. Rowles supported her, cheered her on and let her know that he loved her, not her last name or bloodlines.

Another enjoyable entry into this series. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t realize this was a book 2 in a series. I don’t think I missed anything by not reading the first. The story was pretty good. I enjoyed the build up and the relationships. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but I definitely felt like certain things were not resolved well. I would have rated it higher but that was a disappointment.

My Dearest Duke is the second book in The Cambridge Brotherhood series. One thing I liked about the story is the variety of intellectual discussions between the protagonists, Rowles and Joan. Their conversations about women’s rights, politics, philosophy, and more are interesting and show the growing spark between the pair. I like how they intellectually challenge and engage each other and how they connect over their interests and past tragedies. Both have suffered tremendous losses, and they seem to understand each other even more because of their similar feelings and experiences. Their clean romance is one of the highlights of the story.

Another relationship I enjoyed was between Joan and her brother. Though he is a bit overprotective at times, Morgan has his sister’s best interest at heart. He is a good man and a loyal brother, but I didn’t really understand why he was so opposed to a relationship between Rowles and Joan other than the fact that there was a history of mental health issues in Rowles’s family.

Reading about the cruelty often inflicted upon people with mental health issues is always so eye-opening. In the story, Rowles’s mother has a mental illness, and so little is known and done about it that she becomes confined with little treatment. Rowles worries for his mother, himself, and the possibility of his children inheriting, which prevents him from acting on his feelings. Ignorance and prejudice, especially in regard to mental health make his mother, and him by extension, the gossip for the ton.

The story was a bit slow for me, and though I did like the intrigue as Joan and Morgan worked as agents for the government, I feel like the story could have ended way sooner than it did. Even with the undercover operations, and nefarious plots underfoot, the story dragged, and it could have wrapped up sooner than it was. I also wasn’t a fan of the religious aspects of the story and probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I had known religion was going to have a big role in the story. I feel like this should have been categorized as a Christian romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This is the second book in the Cambridge Brotherhood Series. I did like that Rowles the Duke of Westmore and the issues that he is facing with his mother were included in this story. He lost his older brother in the fire from the first book in this series. Rowles is just a professor of divinity at Christ’s College in Cambridge, so when his older brother dies, he becomes the Duke of Westmore, as his brother never married or had children. This issue with his mother seemed to be a problem that not many regency books use for the blue blooded families or it’s not a relative this close.

Lady Joan Morgan, younger sister to the Earl of Penderdale Collin Morgan, known as Morgan throughout the book, is ready for her season to start. When the Duke of Westmore, her brothers best friend shows up for her come-out, she can’t get past how handsome he is. The topics they talk about are also intriguing and she likes his mind.

At 65% I was getting nervous. The happy ending was so close, what else could there be?!?

At 70-ish% I thought the story could have stopped there. I know that two things were still open, but it just dragged on and I kept skipping paragraphs, to get to the talking parts.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a lovely gentle book where the character's interactions with each other mostly take the form of debating each other about the rights of women. Now, I have no quibble with the fact that women were treated horribly in the Regency, but I found myself thinking that if I wanted to read Mary Wollstonecraft's Rights of Women, I would have picked that up instead of a romance novel. That's probably just a me problem, but reader beware....