This book was fun for the most part but all in all the chemistry fell flat. I don't really have any specifics to pull from but that was just the feeling I got after finishing it. I liked it but I didn't love it.

A really intriguing premise and an innovative idea! The writing was also excellent. I did not finish in time but I thoroughly enjoyed what I did read! Really looking forward to finishing this.

Listened to this after reading the first two books in the series and I'm even more confused about the timeline of events??
And I'm having a hard time believing this is the same narrator from the other two - Alice sounds uptight and snobby, Blackwood...idk,

Thank you to Avon and HarperAudio for providing me with an audio ARC of My Inconvenient Duke through NetGalley, in return for my honest review.

We follow two characters who have been friends since birth but grew distant after a passionate kiss that the Duke of Blackwood walked away and didn’t com back from. He believed he wasn’t good enough for his best friends younger sister, but it all comes rushing back when she is actively finding a husband in order to protect her family’s estate and her brother’s wellbeing.

This was a fun read with cute moments between the FMC and MMC. I was waiting for their story which showed up in book 1. Going back in time to when their marriage came to be was interesting. There were a few parts where the inner monologues became redundant, but the overall story was captivating. Especially when they didn’t ride off in the sunset after getting married. They still have obstacles to overcome.

Sometimes a historical romance just hits. And this one starts out so strong but kind of crumbles towards the end. It starts out as a really fun brother's best friend romance with a growly, protective hero, but then it tries to be a marriage in trouble when really it just seems to re-litigate the relationships that happen in the first two books in this series. I really liked all of the characters and I am motivated to go back and read books 1-2 but I do feel like the first 2/3 of this book outshines the ending. Drink this book: Enjoy with a really lean, crispy chardonnay like Chablis.

DNF at 10%

Loretta Chase can clearly write - that is not my issue with the book. Unfortunately, this book is handling the love story using some of my least favorite plot structures and is majorly taking for granted that I remember the first two books in the series. In looking at reviews of this book to see if things get better, I found that the story I'm looking for ends up being only about 25% of the book at the end. I will satisfy my Loretta Chase craving on some of her other works, thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

It was a slow start & felt a bit distant but picked up. As the book went on & wrapped up with a strong finish

In trying to get back to reading historicals, I grabbed the latest Loretta Chase novel as I’ve been told Chase is a fantastic historical author but this book didn’t win me over.

Lady Alice Ancaster needs a husband, and fast, because her reckless brother is going to get himself killed, leaving the dukedom—and her future—in their repellent cousin’s clutches. Blackwood has known Alice since childhood, since he is one of her brother’s best friends. As Alice is back to take on the Ton, Blackwood is sent to keep an eye on her but he has secretly been in love with her for years and doesn’t think any suitor is worth of Alice.

I did a hybrid audio/kindle read and the audio narrator didn’t help the book along. I felt that the plot dragged quite a bit. The villain of a cousin felt a bit insane, the politics of the day were brought up a lot for no reason but to remind you that women had little agency at this time, and the estrangement in the second act breakup felt long and unnecessary. Overall, the romance felt secondary to other plot points and this book wasn’t for me.

⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the ALC.

#historicalromance #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #novelsandneedlework #elc #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview

This was not the best of Chase's books for me, I wasn't engaged in the two lead characters or the conflict they were engaged in

I was extremely disappointed with this story. This book was not nearly as good as the first two in the series. While the first two were more fast-paced and had an interesting plot and characters, this book was just tedious in comparison. It was slow, and I honestly struggled to finish it. By the end of the book, I was listening to it at 2.5x speed just to get through it.

Let me start off by saying, I thought this historical romance was fantastic! I loved Lady Slices,Alice's character, the storyline and the romance with the Duke. Well done! The narrator was also top-notch. 5 stars!

Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperAudio Adult for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loooooove a good historical romance and this one tickled all the right spots in my brain.

Alice is an absolute gem. Maybe she gets herself in a little bit of trouble but she is doing what she can and what is important to her and I love a strong woman in the lead.

Our Duke, sweet Dis-Grace Blackwood. He’s in for it now! I understand now that this is book 3 in the Dis-Graces series, but I was able to follow along just fine not having read the previous two. Those have been added to mr TBR though!

Kate Reading, my favorite female narrator, did the book and I can’t say enough good things!

My Inconvenient Duke by Loretta Chase is the long-awaited addition to Chase's Difficult Dukes series. In this story, we get to see into the lives of the enigmatic Duke of Blackwood who was married in the prior novels but seemingly estranged from his wife, Alice

The story starts as a bit of a prequel to the previous novels with Alice, who also happens to be the Duke of Ripley's sister of one the Dukes featured previously in Chase's novel. Duke in Shining Armor, entering into the London season to seek a husband. Blackwood, who has history with Alice that is slowly revealed throughout the novel, comes to London ostensibly to keep an eye on Alice and becomes more embroiled with her as seeks to protect a young London pickpocket.

Alice and Blackwood's romance is a slow burn and is more introspective than Chase's previous, slightly mad-cap novels in the series. The elements that make this series so popular are still here but the witty banter is a bit more toned down.

Chase admits in her author's note that she struggled with writer's block while writing this novel. I think despite those struggles she produced a novel that examines Alice and Blackwood and helps them come to a mutual understanding. I would highly recommend this to any fans of the Difficult Dukes series and also would recommend that everyone read the first two books before reading this. While you can read it without them, the story is richer when you read this as part of the series.

Note: I received a complementary copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book reminds me of all the reasons I adore #historicalromance. It never gets old! I absolutely loved these characters and the #secondchance and #hefallsfirst tropes. This one had a little bit of everything in it. The reader is given a MFC that is independent and takes charge of her destiny when she sees clearly that the men in her life are destructive. We also get a MMC who thought he had more time to be a rogue and brush off responsibility, but has a harsh wake up call when the only woman who ever truly caught his eye decides she is going to marry and sets off to find herself a hand-picked husband. In the mix is a bit of mystery and goodwill storylines.I enjoyed the audio production of this book and will get myself a hard copy to re-read because there is so much to the storyline that I found it a bit harder to make sure I was tracking correctly with the audio version. Plus, this is one I'd like to add to my on shelf collection.

The combination of Loretta Chase's writing and Kate Reading's performance is perfection! Just a note that this series is best read in order (I have been so intrigued by what was going on with Alice and Blackwood's marriage since the first book) even though much of this book takes place before book 1. It is second chance and marriage in trouble and the incredibly classic Loretta Chase can this man get his act together to be worthy of this incredible woman. Highly recommend!!!

DNF - 80%

Loretta Chase has been writing historical romance for decades, and she crafts an intricate plot and full world. I would recommend this series to readers who want a lot of plot, and who like to know what’s going on in the whole world of the story.

I read the first book in this series a few years ago, but hadn’t read the second yet. I think there were parts that I would have enjoyed more if I knew the other couples a little better.

I am a chatty person and my taste in books tends to lean chatty as well. The way Chase jumped between POVs was popular in older historicals, but isn’t something that I’m used to. I felt like there wasn’t enough time spent on the emotions of the characters, so the whole book felt like it was written at a distance. Again, readers who enjoy lots of action and plot might enjoy this style, but it was not for me.

While I was intrigued in the beginning by the couple’s set-up, the slow burn was missing the “burn” for me. And when it finally did burn, I didn’t feel the emotion, it felt like just another plot point that happened.

I would recommend you start with the first book, A Duke in Shining Armor, and see if the high plot style is for you!

🎧The narration was fantastic, but I needed a little more help to differentiate the POVs.

I didn't love this book or the narrator, but you know I'm always going to give my girl Loretta Chase five stars.

I always love a Loretta Chase book, however I had a hard time paying attention to the narrator. Her voice is so calm and even that I found myself losing large chunks of the story because I had not been able to focus on her voice. The parts of the story that I did hear were great and I purchased the book so I could finish the narrative.

ROMANCE , MYSTERY, AND SO MUCH MORE
I was unfamiliar with this author and my first thought after reading the first chapter was that I had read this plot a hundred times before. Wrong! This plot is unique to me in several ways. Usually authors head for the couple finally getting together and screech to a halt.- The end!
But not so here. As with real life that's when the fun and drama really begin. Also interesting subplots and historical bits.
I highly recommend this book and thank the publisher for this ARC. It was a breath of fresh air for this genre. Good narrater the audiobook.


BookBub review as Chris B.
Barnes and Noble Dot Calm
Goodreads Sunny
Amazon Chris B.

Oh my gosh I adored this book! Alice has grown up watching her brother and his friends the "Dis-Graces" get into scrapes her whole childhood and she is determined not to let their reputations impact hers anymore. I loved watching Blackwood back all of her missions - from getting a street urchin out of legal trouble to saving her brother from a scrape. He was delightfully down bad for Alice. It was so fun to watch him admire her so much while angsting about how he can't be the man she needs. Alice is a bold heroine who works hard to right society's injustices and I fell so hard for her. My favorite part of the book was getting to see how well-suited they are for each other. They are both people who like to follow nontraditional paths and it was so satisfying to see them find someone who will support them in their unusual exploits. It was so clear that they were partners who were well-matched in intelligence and propensity to scheme. I'm so glad I picked up this book and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series because I have to know how the rest of the "Dis-Graces" find love.

This narrator was a delight to listen to. Her voice was so pleasant and I loved the varied accents she brought to the story. I sometimes struggle when one narrator voices all the characters but that was not the case with this story. Kate Reading did a fabulous job with all the characters and I will definitely be reading more from her catalog.