As a disclaimer, I DNFed this book so my review is based off of what I did read. I was honestly just not hooked by what I did read and really wasn't encouraged to continue.

A delightful charmer. I preferred it even to the first book. Full of great opposites attract romance and fish out of water humor with some genuinely moving sadness and explorations of grief!

This book is cozy and romantic. There's nothing too earth shattering about the characters or the storyline. But that's not a bad thing. It's a warm up with a cup of tea and read on your couch kind of story.

This one was a surprise in the best way. I love all things time travel!!!
The romance was kinda meh but mostly because I didn't really like Rose so who cares if she ended up with Henry ro not. Plus the romance felt a little too cute or convenient but I liked that there was actual effort put into the time travel logic

I picked up Bryn Donovan's first book in this series -- Her Knight at the Museum -- on a whim at the library months back, and absolutely adored it. The premise was fun (a bit Enchanted meets Kate & Leopold, with a dash of Thor thrown in for Griffin's mannerisms), the characters were really likable, the historical details rang true, and there was magic and sweet romance mixed with a touch of spice.

I had *no idea* Donovan was going to do a follow-up story, so when I saw this pop up in an email promotion, I was *so excited*. I really liked leading lady Rose in HKatM, and you can never go wrong with a Regency hero OR the sunshine/grump (and emotional/intellectual) dynamic.

And I'm happy to report that Her Time Traveling Duke was almost as charming as HKatM. Rose really shined in this, and Henry was a solid counterbalance to her whimsy -- I liked that he had reasons for his broodiness, and that his biggest flaw was he didn't like to be ignorant/embarrassed in front of others; that's a very human, understandable trait to have, and far less egregious than being a stuck-up snob over money, breeding, or simply being A Man.

The explanations for the time traveling and just why Rose and Henry found each other were handled well/made sense in the context of the story, and the roadblocks they had to clear felt organic and not just a case of wilful misunderstanding (which has become my very least favorite thing in romances). This also felt like another love letter to museums, libraries, and higher education -- when you've been thrown hundreds of years into the future, where else do you go for help/enlightenment than the museum or library? -- which, more now than ever, I deeeeeply appreciate.

And I also appreciated that Emily and Griffin returned, as did the mysterious Jason Yun and Rose's unlucky brother Ryan, and that there were more hints about the secret magic-collecting society Jason works for. REALLY hope Donovan does a third book that delves even deeper into all of that -- centered around Ryan and a lady who's out of her own time, for a new twist on the formula??? Fingers crossed, anyway!

A super solid, entertaining read that's not too heavy, but also not too light, and thus just right for me! Can't wait to put this one in customers' (and friends') hands!

This was just not to my taste. It's me, not the book (I think). It's possible I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book, but I don't think so. I just didn't like Rose at all. She's not "chaotic", she's, I dunno, childish and unsupervised? I know the Duke was exploring time travel, but he seemed pretty cool with 21st century Chicago. Right.

I probably should have chosen another time to read this book. I may give the first one a try, and perhaps try this one again at some point in the future. I'm sorry I didn't love it.

I really appreciated how the story explores the challenge of holding onto what you love while being open to unexpected possibilities. Themes of time, love, and self-discovery weave beautifully throughout the story. Henry’s old-fashioned values clashing with Rose’s modern spirit created such an engaging dynamic that felt authentic and heartfelt. It reminded me how love can surprise us when we least expect it, and how sometimes stepping outside our comfort zone leads to the most meaningful connections. I loved every second of this enchanting story..