Amelia Grey is a favorite for me so I was looking forward to this last in a series book. Hurst and Ophelia have a rocky beginning and she’s on a mission that Hurst is convinced is not a good idea. He’s also got an inkling that she might be ‘the one’. I enjoyed their journey to their happy ending very much. Their tale was humorous and endearing with both characters having their own unique personalities and histories. I loved how Hurst slowly trusted Ophelia enough to share his whole self with her and in turn how she learned how much she really trusted him and could depend on him. It is part of a series but performs well as a stand alone. Fantastic read!

Love, The Duke is a captivating romance filled with sizzling chemistry and intriguing secrets. The devilishly charming characters and touching love story make for a truly sensual and witty read. This forbidden love story is another great addition to Grey's collection.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: April 1, 2025
Pages: 304

“Love, The Duke” is the finale in the Say I Do Series by Amelia Grey. I did enjoy the other two books in this series and this one did not disappoint. This was an enjoyable historical romance with provided passion and a beautiful heroine who refused to be stifled. There was chemistry between the hero and heroine and their interactions had me gravitating to a true love story between them. There was trust, vulnerability, and courage throughout the story. The plot kept me engaged and wanting to see the HEA in the end. A very enjoyable read and a work by Amelia Grey that made me love this whole series. Enjoyed and recommended.

Drake (Hurst) Cheston Kingsley, Duke of Hurstbourne, is still a bachelor. His friends, Rick and Wyatt, both dukes are happily married. Tonight, the trio is sitting in a hunting lodge, sipping brandy, when a young man arrives with an urgent letter for Hurst and insists on waiting for a reply. The letter is from Winston Stowe, a vicar and a childhood friend of Drake’s. He writes that he is quite ill and wants Hurst to marry his sister, Ophelia. Taken aback and knowing nothing of the young woman, he declines.

One day, a person dressed as a man, is shown into his library and admits to being a woman and saying she is Ophelia. She asks for his help in finding a missing chalice that had been in Winston’s care while he was the vicar. He has since passed away. She doesn’t want people to think that Winston could have stolen it. He assures her that no titled man he knows would have done something like that. But she continues to find every chance she can to check the homes of prominent men hoping to find it with Hurst reminding her that she cannot keep doing this.

When she finally has a drawing of the crest on the carriage of a man who visited Winston, Hurst knows who it belong to and promises to help investigate it. By now, they are both drawn to each other. Finding the chalice is first on Ophelia’s list in life and nothing is going to stop her. Thus, Hurst has to help her.

This is a good mystery along with a nice love story with lots of angst and scary moments. I have read many books by this author over the years and have always been pleased with them. I hope readers will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

LOVE, THE DUKE is a compelling story of a missing antique, a wedding request and many misunderstandings in Ms. Gray's final novel in the, Say I Do, series. It stars a dashing duke, Hurst, Duke of Hurstbourne, who receives a request from his childhood friend, asking him to wed his sister, Ophelia. Hurst declines, preferring to marry a lady he's attracted to the old-fashioned way. He doesn't know his friend is ill and the circumstances surrounding his unusual request.

Ophelia Stowe, a crafty, pretty lady, takes drastic steps recovering a priceless relic after learning it's missing from her deceased brother's church where he was the vicar. She needs to protect her family's name and her brother's good standing. She disguises herself as a man, adhering to societal rules of female conduct, and asks the Duke of Hurstbourne for his help. Hurst sees through her disguise and refuses. However, he is intrigued by the willfully, independent, lovely woman and proposes a plan to protect her from her hasty ways of thieving. Ophelia is drawn to hunkalicious Hurst with his kind heart and protective charms. Do they find the missing antique? Will they fall in love?

Arguments aplenty, a suspenseful plot, a simmering romance and subplots abound in Ms. Gray's enchanting tale. The story combines likable characters, a slow burn romance and a mysterious theft. Absolutely loved the story, but sad to see the series come to an end. LOVE, THE DUKE delivers a rather fishy, dishy, delightful adventure with romantic overtures!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story had a great set-up. Hurst and his two friends were sitting at a pub. A courier arrived, having traveled two days, to give Hurst a letter. It was from his childhood friend who is on his deathbed and requesting that Hurst marry his sister. I hadn't read the first two books, but I was impressed with the relationship and witty banter between the three men.
Next, the sister shows up at Hurst's house dressed as a MAN. But! Right away she admits that she's a man. We could've done a lot with that scene.
The rest of the book was OK, but could have been great, based on the shenanigans we were given so far. I feel like sometimes the easy way was taken with the plot. Good, but had potential to be great.
Thank you to the publisher for the copy.

When the Duke of Hurstbourne received a letter from Winston Stowe, an ailing childhood friend, asking him to marry his sister, Hurst turns him down. When he returns to town, he is visited by a young man who insists he help find a chalice missing from the church where Winston was vicar. The young man turns out to be Ophelia Stowe, his friend’s sister. She isn’t looking for a husband, just help in protecting her family name. Hurst finds what he is looking for, the one for him. Now he must convince Ophelia. This is an entertaining story with a protective hero, a stubborn but delightful heroine, and a mystery. An enjoyable story and a lovely ending for the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This was a rather silly book. The heroine is a vicar’s daughter and sister. Her goal is to find the chalice that was stolen from her brother’s vicarage while he lay dying. She is afraid that her brother will be blamed for the theft. It seems rather unbelievable that the community would suspect a gentle vicar who was dying at the time, but I’ll suspend disbelief for that set-up of the plot. What was irritating was the insta-love between the hero, the title duke, and the heroine. He doesn’t want her to go searching people’s homes for the chalice that she thinks will be on display there. Her plan is weak, and his objection is over-the-top. But they do fall in love over the space of a very few encounters. She agrees to marry him if he doesn’t expect her to obey him about not searching for the chalice.

The mystery gets wrapped up about as quickly as it took them to fall in love. It was all quite serendipitous and unbelievable.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Love, The Duke is book three in the Say I Do series by Amelia Grey.
A charming and entertaining story from the very beginning.
Grey is a favorite historical romance writer and has created a story with very likable characters.
This is a well-written, entertaining, historical romance novel.

I only read an Historical-Romance occasionally. I much prefer a good murder with a hot romance. This book has neither a good murder or a hot romance. The romance is PG-13 at best. I liked Hurst from the previous books. I hoped for better for him, but not happening. Like the previous books this one is narrative driven, a lot of narrative. The only redeeming thing about this book is the light mystery that has drawn Hurst and Ophilia together. But it turned out to be slow, plodding, boring in spots and just plain predictable. Not a book or an author I will ever want to read again.

While on a hunting trip with his two best friends Duke of Hurstbourne receives an urgent message from a childhood friend he hadn't seen in years reminding him of a vow he made long ago and requesting Huest marry his sister. Not feeling a vow made at the age of ten obligated him to marry just anyone, Hurst declines the request and puts it out of his mind.

Ophelia Stowe is on a mission. The ancient chalice that is sacred to her dead brother's church has been stolen and she must recover it before it is discovered missing and her brother blamed for it. Dressed as a man she approaches the duke to ask for his assistance in finding the chalice. Hurst is not inclined to aid Ophelia but feels a qualm for the death of her brother and her predicament.

When Hurst sees her at a ball, he follows and finds her searching the rooms for the chalice. The scandal that would ensue if she was found causes Hurst to reconsider helping. The instant attraction could have had something to do with that and his offer of marriage a week later. Finding the chalice is Ophelia's first priority, but the passion Hurst can unleash is more than a tad distracting.

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

Hurst is so sure that he will know the woman that was made for him when he sees her. So, when an old friend writes to him and asks Hurst to marry his sister, Hurst declines. When a woman dressed as a man shows up at his door, he is shocked to find that she is the sister of his friend. The friend has died, and Ophelia needs help. He didn't go to his friend when he needed him, so he will help Ophelia, if she will listen to him. Ophelia is stubborn and headstrong. She will do things her way. Hurst and Ophelia clash at every turn, so how can it be that she is the one for Hurst? He wants to marry her, but she refuses to marry if she has to vow to obey him. She will not break a vow and so she refuses him. What can he do? He knows he can't live his life without her in it and neither of them are going to change. What to do?

This book was the ending of a wonderful series. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite. The initial premise of the story is good. Winston, realizing that he is dying, sends a letter to his old friend, the Duke of Hurstbourne. Winston, a Vicar, asks Hurst to consider marrying his sister Ophelia. Hurst rejects the idea but promises to visit soon. Hurst never managed to pay Winston a visit, and an angry Ophelia arrives in London, feeling that Hurst owes her a favor.
Ophelia wants Hurst to help her search for a chalice missing from her late brother's church. She fears that Winston will be blamed and that her and her mother will also suffer the consequences. Her plan for finding the chalice is ridiculous and Hurst pretty much tells her so. Of course, despite his better judgement, Hurst winds up embroiled in Ophelia's harebrained plans anyway.
I really didn't care for Ophelia. Her persistence in searching for the chalice despite the fact that her relationship with Hurst was flourishing, annoyed me. On a positive note, this story had no shortage of witty banter. Also, the couples from the first two books made a reappearance and the story had a delightful ending.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Delightful main characters Ophelia and Hurst both have strong opinions and beliefs mixed with caring. The push and pull interactions between them leads to a fun entertaining read. Though their personalities did cause a lot of friction and frustration throughout the book it did create a storyline that was lively and fun.

Secondary character Roberta Fawnsworth Stowe, Ophelia's maman, was charming and the cornerstone between their strong personalities with her clear thinking. She is a maman every child would want.

Previous characters for the first two books of Say I Do series make an appearance in this final book with author Amelia Grey doing a fine job keeping this book unique and engaging.

LOVE, THE DUKE is a Passionate, Historical Romance. Amelia Grey never ever disappoints her readers with her stories. There was so much depth, passion, emotions filled in the Novel. I flew through the book.

Highly Recommend it to all readers.

A convoluted tale that doesn't quite work

I loved the first two books of this series, but this third one felt like it was shoehorned in to fit the theme without really having its own internal purpose.

The Duke of Hurstbourne rejects a request from his childhood friend, Winston, to marry Winston's sister, Ophelia. Even so, when Winston finds himself in a bit of trouble, Ophelia turns up on Hurst's doorstep, insisting that he help her brother. This was an acceptable setup for Ophelia and Hurst's romance, rendering all the other nonsensical and somewhat outrageous details superfluous at best.

Some of these details seem to exist only to make the story fit with the other two, even when they strain the bounds of credulity. Others still seemed only to cause unnecessary friction and distract from the ultimate goal of clearing Winston's name.

There truly are too many inconsistencies and convoluted details to bear noting, so I'll just say that if you enjoyed the first two books as I did and wish to complete the series, you'll find a sweet romance couched in a bit of an adventure with a nicely predictable HEA. I reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

A vicar's sister....

Ophelia Stowe is determined to find a priceless church chalice to keep her beloved, deceased brother's name pristine. She dressed as a man to ask Hurst a favor. For the second time, Hurst turns her down. The first time was when her brother asked him to wed her in a letter, the second time when she dressed as a man to ask him to help her look for the stolen chalice. Sure, they could have hired a Bow Street Runner, but her plan was better. She's brave, honest and fearless. Hurst isn't the brightest of men. He's somehow looking to wed for love and can't see it when it repeatedly hits him in the face. He turns down Ophelia multiple times and just will not help her, always finding excuses. But Ophelia is worth the read. 5 stars for her. Maybe 4 for Hurst, who is a contradiction of childhood trauma and wanting to wed for love and not recognizing her when she shows up on his doorstep. Multiple times.

This book was a good read for me, though I admit I had to break it up into chunks. The intro of the marriage of convenience plot point was a tiny bit shaky, but Ophelia and the Duke's quirky-yet-charming interactions throughout the rest of the book more than made up for it. Hurst also grew on me the further into the story I got. Their search for the Chalice really brought out the chemistry between the two and the end was tied up nice and neat.

In this Historical Romance, Ophelia is trying to solve a mystery to save her deceased brother's reputation. At first she enlists the help of Hurst, a Duke who was her brother's childhood friend. When he refuses to help, Ophelia embarks on a risky venture to solve the mystery of who stole the Chalice from her brother's parsonage. Why is this plot so unnecessarily convoluted? Of course Ophelia gets caught multiple times by Hurst as she keeps sneaking into other nobles' libraries searching for the chalice. Hurst immediately finds her attractive even if he disagrees with everything she's doing. I normally am ok with a bonkers plot if the characters have chemistry, but these characters have pretty mediocre chemistry. They bicker a lot without much fire. And there is a little kissing before their marriage. I know it's personal preference, but I enjoy a little more flirting, banter, and steam in a Historical Romance. Still, this is an easy read. If you like a little mystery thrown in with your history, this might do the trick for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really love these trilogies. Over the course of the series you not only meet new delightful people but get to visit with the ones you already know. Amelia Grey’s stories are the best, with a captivating premise in each one. And a lot of humor. And a lot – I mean a lot – of steam.

Love, the Duke is the third and final book in the Say I Do series about dukes who are perfectly happy being single (or so they think) but suddenly realize it’s time to wed for one reason or another: save their title or property, secure their wealth, ensure an heir . . . . The Duke of Hurstbourne is the last of the three friends who now finds himself in need of a wife. Wyatt and Rick are happily – sappily – married but Hurst has held out. All those balls, all those young ladies of the ton . . . it all just leaves him cold. He is such a romantic that he will capture your heart right away. He’s always believed that the woman he marries will be “the one.” And that he’ll know it the minute he lays eyes on her. He didn’t just want a lady he could live with. He wanted the one lady he couldn’t live without, and he had to believe he would know her when he saw her. Makes you swoon, right?

Well, that provides the first humorous encounter, because when he meets Ophelia Stowe she is dressed as a man, and his brain is a little confused about the little tingle and instant something he feels. It’s not so funny to Ophelia, however. Her brother was a childhood friend of Hurst’s who while terminally ill sent Hurst a letter requesting he marry his sister. Still holding on to “I’ll know her when I see her” he declines. After Winston Stowe, who was a clergyman, dies a priceless artifact goes missing. Having what she believes are a couple of good clues and fearing her brother’s memory will be tarnished Ophelia decides to search all the book rooms of London’s rich men. She approaches Hurst to enlist his help. Only then does he realize her connection to Winston, but she’s not there for marriage; she’s there for detective work. He is appalled at her disguise and totally against her plan.

Remember this is the Regency Era they are living in. It’s hard to imagine how many rules there are preventing women from doing anything independent. A single woman could not go to a man’s home unescorted, hence the costume. And if she is caught snooping in a titled man’s house for that relic, whether dressed as a woman or a man, there will be severe consequences. She didn’t even know about her brother’s letter until after his death, so she’s not interested in snagging a husband; she just wants to return that stolen vessel.

What follows is a charming story of action, mystery, intrigue, whodunit and two people so attracted to each other you chuckle and swoon whenever they are together. The attraction is strong; so is the frustration. He’s a man and he’s a duke – what more does he need to get his way? But she’s a strong-willed woman determined to find that relic and save her brother’s legacy, even if her heart beats wildly every time she looks into those vivid green eyes of his.

They are perfect together. He soon comes to the conclusion that he can’t beat her so he must join her – to keep her safe, of course. It’s not because he’s drawn to her like a magnet. And those magnetic scenes? Wow, sexy, swoony, scorching. Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of Love, The Duke via NetGalley. It was so much fun to catch up with Wyatt and Fredericka and Rick and Edwina, to get to know Hurst and Ophelia and the rest of their families, and to enjoy the absurdity of the ton and all those rules. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and series and recommend it without hesitation. I am sorry to see the Dukes’ stories end but I know author Amelia Grey will have something equally satisfying soon.

Love, The Duke by Amelia Grey, book three in the Say I Do series, is a charming and entertaining heartwarming, lighthearted historical romance novel. Each chapter begins with a tidbit from Man’s Practical Guide to Apprehending a Thief by Sir Bently Ashton Ullingswick, which plays into the story.

Drake Kingsley, Duke of Hurstbourne, The duke of Hurstbourne, Hurst receives a letter from his childhood best friend, Winston asking him to marry his little sister. He had not heard or seen him in a long time. Winston is ill and wants to be sure his mother and sister are taken care of. He saved Hurst life and was promised by him he would help him anytime he needed him too. He declines, planning to visit him after keeping the plans already made. After he returns home his is told he has a gentleman visitor who must see him. When he meets the gentleman, he knows it is a woman disguised as a man. He is surprised to discover she is Winston’s little sister, who has grown into a lovely lady.

Ophelia Stowe informs the duke that a priceless Chalice is missing from her brother's church, and she must find it before the new Vicar shows up. If not her brother's name and reputation will be ruined, alone with hers and her mothers. Hurst refuses to help her, telling her that her plan will not work as she will get caught or worse. Ophelia informs the duke that he broke his promise to her brother and was too late to see him as he passed, shortly away after writing the letter to him. Feeling shameful, Hurst plans to watch over Ophelia; trying to keep her out of trouble. Ophelia is not only stubborn, but very independent, headstrong, and defiant.

Despite all the arguments over finding the Chalice, Hurst finds himself attracted to Ophelia. Though he refused to help her search the missing relic, he offers a marriage of convenience; trying to control Ophelia’s reckless search. Ophelia is frustrated as she needs to recover the chalice before the new vicar takes over. She will do all that is in her power to locate it; even if it puts her in danger.

There is a lot of, a slow burning desire growing between them.

Hurst and Ophelia were a lovely couple; their disagreements were entertaining as were their loving moments. Though there were many misunderstandings, each having strong feelings, there was still a strong attraction between them. This wonderful, fun and suspenseful read, had numerous twists and turns along their journey to find the Chalice and a forever together. I’m sad to see this series end, as I’ve enjoyed all three books, but this was a lovely way to end it.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #LoveTheDuke