A relatively short tale but sexy and seductive and romantic all rolled into one. The book is almost totally focused on John and Cecelia- there are a couple of lines covering the parents and friends but otherwise just the two of them out and about or trapped together. A cute couple and a strong romance.

While their parents are seeking a holiday match, Cecilia wants nothing to do with John, the ill-tempered earl whose pranks tormented her when they were younger. John equally disdains wedding the hoyden who was so disagreeable the last time they met. Snowed in alone, will their feelings shift from animosity to affection?

This is a short, steamy novella that focuses more on their physical relationship than the development of their relationship.

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

This is a Matchmaking Chronicles prequel but you don’t need to read it to enjoy the series. It’s an angst-free, Christmasy enemies to lovers that’s super contrived and yet super cute.

Loved reading the fabulous and fantastic story. When Cecilia and John end up stranded in a snowstorm, their loathing feelings for each other begin to change. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story written by the phenomenal author, Darcy Burke.

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
This little gem had everything a good Christmas novella ought to have, at least to me: humour, steam and snow with just the right amount of warm and fuzzy! 🎄❄🔥💫💝🍀
You may already know of it since it was a part of last year’s Duke in a Box anthology. And if you don’t, I highly recommend it!

She’s Cecilia Bromwell, daughter to the baron Winchcombe.
He’s John Rowley, Earl of Cosford and heir to the Duke of Ironbridge.
They first met at a house party where one of his impulsive pranks went terribly wrong and she had her sweet revenge which he returned with equal vigour. Ever since she loathed him and dubbed him ‘the menace’. He repaid the kindness by dubbing her ‘the shrew’.
Same country estate, different house party five years later. Their parents having decided they would make an excellent match, they both find themselves the only unattached attendants amongst the married couples and both determined to convince their parents they don’t suit.
In a clumsy moment he spills a glass of wine on her, and as a revenge she plans to lose him the very next day in the woods. Only she hadn’t factored fresh snow and his total lack of orientation into her plan. Trapped in a cosy cottage in the woods during a snowstorm, they soon discover there’s indeed a very fine line between love and hate…

Yule Be My Duke is a prequel novella to the Matchmaking Chronicles series. This book kind of sets up the background of why Cecelia considers herself to be a matchmaker. Cecelia attends a house party with her newly married friends and finds that her parents are trying to set her up with John, the Earl of Cosford. There is one glaring problem with this match. They hate each other. Five years ago they went back and forth playing pranks and ruining each others items. They not so fondly refer to each other as "the menace" and "the shrew." After an ill conceived plan, they become stranded in a snowstorm and are forced to really get to know one another.

This had a cute set up but ultimately, both the hero and heroine were a bit too immature for my liking. That should be expected though because they were only 20 and 23. It was definitely an instalust/love book. It kind of has to be at novella length. They spend twelve hours together and end up professing their love. This one was just okay. I didn't really find the pranks funny. Burke's writing is so readable and easy. I absolutely recommend the Matchmaking Chronicles as a whole. You can read them without reading this but its quick so I probably wouldn't skip it.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, house party, only one bed, snowed in, forced proximity, prank wars, prequel, compromised

Thank you to NetGalley, Darcy Burke, and Zealous Quill Press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #zealousquillpress #YuleBeMyDuke #MatchmakingChronicles

Yule Be My Duke is super charming! It is a prequel, set at least 15 years before the rest of the Matchmaking Chronicles series. In the Matchmaking Chronicles, John and Cecilia, Lord and Lady Cosford are the hosts of matchmaking house parties. Yule Be My Duke is John and Cecilia's love story!
Cecilia is a feisty, spirited young woman-- who holds grudges for a long time. John is an earl, an heir in line for a dukedom. He is just back from his grand tour and meets Cecilia again at a house party. The house party has been put together to arrange for John and Cecilia to meet and marry. At least that is what their parents want. John and Cecilia do not. John thinks Cecilia is a shrew, Cecilia nicknames John Menace. Five years previously, through misunderstandings, youthful pranks and stubbornness, they become enemies.
This novella has a lot of tropes that I love-- house parties, enemies-to-lovers and lost overnight in a cabin. So so good! There's a lot of good dialogue-- Darcy Burke does such a good job with it! John and Cecilia's chemistry is great. This takes place over the holidays, but I don't think it is too Christmas-y. There's mention of Christmas and of course there is a yule log hunt, but since it isn't in a holiday anthology the time of year is but a season (and way to move the plot forward).
I believe Yule Be My Duke appeared first in an anthology, but this edition is extended and for the better! There's also some background on why Cecilia loves having house parties to match up their friends. I loved the additions to the novella and it really made the story whole! Also, the epilogue answers some questions I had from the other books in the series. I really recommend this book, it is cute and fun and a great fast read!!!

This was OK for me. Maybe because this was a prequel to all other books that I haven't read yet and didn't really appreciate it for its purpose. Maybe they had other interactions on other books, I don't know. After reading some historical romances lately that felt like a chore, this was a breath of fresh air. Very easy to read, enjoyable plot, and has funny characters. The spice on this was also on point. I would have loved to read an extended version of this but this in itself if great.

This was a quick and lovely read. Unfortunately, everything moved a bit too quickly for my taste, and they never really felt like an enemies-to-lovers kind of relationship, especially since they hadn't seen each other for five whole years.

All in all, it was cute to read their banter and they were well-matched, both in wits and passion.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Menace and the Shrew:
This story is short but packs a fully passionate story into a few pages.
Enemy to Lovers says it all. Both Cecilla and John needed to grow up and get over their childish behaviors before their love could come to a happy and rewarding conclusion.
An enjoyable read for a romance reader with a high amount of steam.
My favorite part in the book is the kissing lessons that were a hoot.

This was adorable and perfectly steamy! I loved that it was short but still contained enough to be an interesting story along with the spice.
Thank you netgalley for the e arc

They both loathe each other. When Cecilia and John are stranded alone overnight together in a snowstorm they know the consequences. However, by being forced to be together, they realize it might not be as intolerable as they thought. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Zealous Quill Press for my honest review.

Having read the other novels in the Matchmaking Chronicles series it was nice to find out more about Cecilia and John. I loved that they had started as enemies over what had happened during a house party years ago, although I would have believed that animosity would have continued had they had other such encounters in later years. I was definitely on Cecilia's side over the whole feud - dumping lemonade on someone's head is not an equivalent punishment for that person putting jam in your shoes. Her plan to strand him in the woods was a little cruel but in her defense she didn't know he would have a terrible sense of direction. As they state multiple times, getting caught out in the storm and having to stay together in a tiny cottage overnight was the best thing that could have happened to them. I thought it was somewhat amusing that Cecilia's father was so upset despite the fact that prior to the whole incident he had planned to make her marry him and then once she actually wanted to he was all upset about it. This story also gave a little more background on the matchmaking history of Cecilia's family and why she fancies herself a matchmaker in this series.

Prequel novella to the Matchmaking Chronicles series. Cecilia and John dislike each other because of some mishaps that happened five years ago while they were young and immature. Now they’re at a house party where their parents are trying to set them up together. Both insist that the other will not suit, but they end up stranded together in a snowstorm. With the forced proximity, they talk out their issues and anger at each other, discovering that they can get along and that they’re attracted to each other. It’s a pretty quick turnaround there from hate to love, but still fun to read.

I always enjoy books by Darcy Burke. Yule be my Duke is a very quick read and is the love story between John and Cecilia. I actually really liked both of these characters and am very happy they got a second chance at love (the first was when they were very young.). While it is an insta love story, it is very believable. Thank you NetGalley and Darcy Burke for an advance copy.

This is an enemy to lovers story that began with a misunderstanding but then escalated in to one-upmanship. This is a novella so the story moves quickly. A sweet quick read.

This is a fun, entreating, quick read. John and Cecilia are entertaining, relatable, fun characters. I enjoyed their romance and these characters. What makes it all the more enjoyable for me is that these are characters that we see in other books written by Burke. The romance so fits these characters, especially given their history. The story is easy to consume and enjoy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved it. I just think the idea behind this story is so refreshingly simple, and it's there to be just enough to give a perhaps otherwise more ordinary regency story a twist. That said however, there is nothing ordinary about this author's writing. She is capable to making you fall in love with her characters, to feel for them and to truly experience the journey of their romance along with them.