Snowfall and the Duke by Meara Platt is the fourth of her Silver Dukes series. He was not one of the original Sliver Dukes, but the Duke of Ramsdale is a worthy addition. He doesn’t live anywhere near London, but rather has a residence in Yorkshire, where he lives by himself and likes it. He has irregular visitors, one of which is Miss Temple, the vicar’s niece, as always, fundraising. He’s not sure what got into him but he offered her one thousand pounds to care for the poor through the winter, one hundred for each kiss they share. She is startled, but agrees immediately, and not simply for the donation. As she is leaving at the start of a blizzard, he stands at the window where he sees her horse slip and dump her to the ground. He and several servants rush to her rescue and bring her back to the house as a servant is sent to fetch the doctor. Since no other rooms are made up, he has her put in his bed. Totally inappropriate, but necessary. She has dislocated her shoulder and has a cut on her head, as well as general bruising. He is struck by the fact that had he not been standing by the window, no one might have discovered her in time.

Thus starts an amusing story of a man who has good, but foolish, reasons for not marrying. Ones she dispenses with as soon as she discovered them. She is not of a station appropriate for a duke, but no one in Yorkshire cares about that sort of thing. The story progresses, through some amusing scenes of his mother and brother arriving with several eligible ton beauties, all intent upon trapping him. That didn’t work, and they eventually left, disgruntled. One can always count on Meara Platt for an entertaining book. This was one of many. The main characters were well-rounded an interesting, the plot was predictable, but getting to the ultimate conclusion was extremely entertaining, and it was a definite happily-ever-after, even after they traveled to London and he had to put up with the ribbing of his friends.

I was invited to read Snowfall and the Duke by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #MearaPlatt #SnowfallAndTheDuke

When I saw this ARC on my dashboard, I immediately nabbed it because...Regency-era historic romance? Beauty and the Beast vibes? Snowed-in plot? Bargaining kisses via a vicar's niece for the community Christmas charity ball? Hello there, my reader's heart was already thumping madly. And what a delightful read it was that delivered on all fronts.

We quickly learn that the 'Beast' is Jonas Langford, the reclusive Duke of Ramsdale, who has been approached by our undaunted Miss Ailis Temple for several years now in her pursuit of deep-pocketed donations on behalf of their village community. Their rapport is witty and reveals that they have been at this for several years now as her charitable approaches have become regular enough for him to expect them. As the wintry weather looms outdoors, Jonas comes up with the outlandish proposal that Ailis accepts ten kisses per 100 quid (pounds to the non-Brits). Queue the nasty storm and Ailis being chucked off her horse that delays her return and forces her to remain and recuperate...right in the Duke's bed.

All this makes for a great setting for our heroine and hero to get nice and cozy...and not just with the sizzling kissing, but to delve into the more intimate side of their pasts that they begin to reveal to one another. I enjoyed these elements as they slowly let their walls down and began to trust one another...and thus, become more protective of one another. The arrival of unexpected guests in the form of the duke's mother, brother and a house party full of the ton's most beautiful adds some urgency to the rest of the story as 'real life' avalanches upon them suddenly. I love how loyal and protective Jonas' staff are of him and Ailis as well when the outsiders descend, which reflects their good characters.

I'm giving this three stars because as much as I enjoyed it, I felt some of their relationship became a bit rushed and that someone like Ailis wouldn't be giving in to the kisses as readily for a modest spinster of this time (I know, I know, this is part of the allure of the story). I also felt that the so called 'diamonds' that the duke's mother brings are almost too outlandish and forward in their attempts to entrap and seduce their way to becoming prospective duchesses (also, I believe there was always only one chosen 'diamond' per season, not multiple ones). I'm a wide reader of Regency genre and felt their behaviour was too modern, and that most young ladies, especially from the cream of the crop would not have acted so brazenly because a young woman's virtue was everything during this time period. It just felt too unbelievable, especially with the two sisters bed hopping constantly, perhaps in a way to contrast to Ailis' glowing virtues (hence Jonas' fond nickname for her 'Miss Temple of Virtue', which also became rather repetitive. This behaviour was often overlooked by widows, but not by the unmarried women, so it didn't ring true on that historic sense, but if you're not looking for historic accuracy, then it shouldn't bother you.

Overall though, if you're looking for an easy read with some great tropes, witticisms and romance within a northern England village (and Christmas time!) then I think you'll enjoy this. I may even go back and read more about the other Silver Dukes as I became intrigued by their brief appearance in the story.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade publishing for this advanced copy!

Aah! What a wonderful, soulful story. Jonas is a silver duke who has become reclusive after the war. Ailis, is the vicar's niece, who is set on helping the downtrodden. Book 4 of this series has such subtle humor from page one all the way through. Yes, there is a bit of a struggle, but the joy, love, compassion and goodness shine so brightly that one is instantly captivated by it. I love this series for its uplifting qualities and unique plots.

Snowfall and the Duke is book 4 in The Silver Dukes, but can be read as a standalone. I have not read any of the prior books, and Platt dropping the reader into an established universe with two characters that already know each other fairly well, might be jarring to some, but I just rolled with it. The opening scenes with Jonas and Ailis bantering over him being a curmudgeon and her really needing him to apply some of his mighty wealth to the poor tenants set the pace and style for the rest of the story. I did enjoy these two very much and the story really flowed along like a warm hug. But there were some niggling details that were annoying.

The plot revolves around The Silver Dukes getting married. Jonas is described as early 40s and has silver in his hair. Ailis is about 30 so right away I was already predisposed to liking these two, simply because they were older adults. The book was tagged as Beauty and the Beast, but while Jonas is scarred from the Napoleonic wars and Ailis is caught up in a snowstorm (forced proximity!), that's really the end of the likeness. These two get along and when Jonas proposes kisses in exchange for charitable donations, Ailis is ready to play his game. She knows he's not looking for marriage despite the betting books or his mother descending upon him with his younger brother and a gaggle of what they all call diamonds. And this is where the book just started annoying me. I googled it and I can't find where women were all called diamonds by the ton during the regency period as a matter of regular discourse. I only saw it as related to Georgette Heyer who I've never read, but she was certainly not writing during the actual period. It just seemed really dumb. Also, Platt made a show of how different these women were from virginal, vicar's niece, Ailis (although the Temple of Virtue jokes were pretty funny). I thought the female rival plotlines where the other woman is portrayed as whorish went out with the 80s.

Luckily this being a historical romance, all's well that ends well, but these two details really kept this from being a 4 star read for me.

Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Ailis and Jonas. I liked that they were both more mature and knew themselves. Of course grumpy/sunshine is one of may favorite tropes! The arrival of family and the help of the staff to move along these two was lovely.

The best of the series...

I really liked this book and felt like it was the strongest so far in the series of Silver Dukes.
Jonas Langford is a grumpy duke, scarred by war who like Miss Ailis very much indeed. So much, he blackmails her for her charity cause. Ten kisses for a thousand pounds. A hundred pounds a kiss. She's never been kissed but Jonas is changing that immediately. I really liked Ailis, who stood her ground, had never been kissed until Jonas and accepted his offer and fully expects him to pay up.
Recommend.

Snowfall and the Duke is the fourth book in the "Silver Duke" series, the first of the series I've read and the first by this author too. While it mentions the characters from the other series, I do not feel it detracts from this story. There is enough content and it's very well written to be a stand alone tale.

Jonas Langford, the Duke of Ramsgate, has been named as the remaining Silver Duke and he would like to chuck that title as far from him as he could get. He has no use for the ton, and does not want to be subjected to the Marriage Mart. With the physical and emotional scars Jonas suffered in the Napoleonic War he feels it's unlikely he'd ever find a wife who would accept him unconditionally. He's lost confidence that he's worthy of love. Instead, Jonas holes up for most of the year in Langford Hall in Broadmoor except for the brief periods when Parliament is in session. He prefers his solitude, and can be quite salty when his peace is interrupted.

Ailis Temple, the niece of Broadmoor's vicar, is that very person who has been regularly interrupting the duke's peace and solitude for around six years. She doesn't wilt in the face of his grumpiness, Ailis is stalwart and firm until Jonas caves to her requests for whatever is currently needed for the people of Broadmoor. They seem to get a lot of fun out of sparring with each other. The banter between them is very entertaining. This time Jonas ups the ante and tells Ailis he will donate $1000 pounds to the latest cause but only if Ailis gives him 10 separate kisses. Shocking! But he's such a charming mischievous rake about it Ailis doesn't mind. She decides she'd like to know what kisses are like anyway since at almost 30 she'll be unlikely to marry. Plus, she's carried a tiny torch for Jonas for a while, perhaps kissing him will get it out of her system.

The snow and ice have really picked up by the time Ailis has left Langford Hall. Her horse slips on the ice just outside the manor and Ailis falls, causing a dislocated shoulder and minor concussion. Ailis wants to get home as soon as she's stable, but Jonas won't hear of it. He insists on treating her at his home and have her recuperate there too so that she doesn't suffer further injury. As soon as the blizzard stops Jonas will ensure that Ailis will be safely home with her uncle and her reputation will be protected. It will all work out perfectly, right?

What follows is a charming and funny story of Ailis & Jonas becoming ever closer and more in love with each other, his mother, brother, and some truly awful house guests arriving to celebrate the holidays. Queue sneaky plans by the dowager duchess to help get Ailis out of Langford Hall and back home before the guests realize she's been staying there unchaperoned. The "diamonds" that Dowager Duchess Ramsgate brought to socialize and possibly marry Jonas, oh my stars. Calling them horrible just scrapes the surface. They should have been tossed in a snowfall and left there until the Spring thaw.

Yet even the shenanigans by the diamonds were not able to do a deep amount of damage. One was extremely unpleasant, but her ugly behavior was resolved quickly. It was heartwarming to see the strength of the love between Ailis & Jonas come through. I enjoyed Snowfall and the Duke, I think it's a great choice of book when you need something to make you smile.

Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing & NetGalley for this ARC

Another great installment for the Silver Dukes series. A lovely and heartwarming story of Jonas and Ailis, a story of healing wounds and opening up to love. Ailis ends up stranded by an accident at Duke of Ramsdale’s house, while they share the ten kisses they bargained for and getting to know each other. Every character in this book is colorful and delightful, from Jonas well-meaning, loving and meddling family, to family retainers. And having a glimpse of the rest of the Silver Dukes was a great bonus. The author was setting up a story for Fiona (we met her in Cherish’s and Bromleigh’s story) and I can’t wait to read that too!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!

Ailis is recuperating at Jonas' house and they get stranded there by a snowstorm. They make a wager between them of 10 kisses. They had great, sexy banter between them. Plus both of them have a cutting wit. Excellent story about looking below the surface to the real person.
Thank you to Dragonblade for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Jonas Langford, Duke of Ramsdale, was the ton’s most eligible and desired bachelor before the Napoleonic War left him horribly scarred and had him retreating to Langford Hall in the quiet Yorkshire village of Broadmoor to live out his life in solitude. That is, until one Miss Ailis Temple, the beautiful spinster he thinks of as Miss Temple of Virtue, tumbles off her horse in front of his home and dislocates her shoulder. She came to him seeking charity contributions for the local vicarage, however he strikes a bargain with her. She is to give him ten kisses, a hundred pounds a kiss, he says, never believing she will accept his terms. But she does, and Jonas realizes his life may never be the same again.
A mature couple who will melt your heart. I loved Jonas & Ailis, he’s closed himself off after being captured & scarred in the war a decade before, she’s a ray of sunshine who treats him as a man & not a title plus she makes him smile. Thrown together when she is thrown from her horse in icy conditions & then marooned when they are snowed in, it gives them an opportunity not only to get to know each other but to start to share their ten kisses. A heart warming story, beautifully written with a great cast of characters & two people finding love
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

A heartwarming and entertaining story. I enjoyed the romance, banter and connection between Jonas and Ailis. Ten kisses leading all the way to a wonderful happily ever after.

I loved this book! Will not criticize this book because it was that good! 😊 I will update my review another time!

This was such a nice, cozy read! I love a man who is incredibly down bad, but struggling with his feelings. There’s just the right amount of angst without outright drama, which was so refreshing <3

This was my first book from this author, but I will definitely be checking out her other work!!

A little rambley but the positives outweigh any critiques. This series taps into old(er… ish….. I’m not expert,okay.) school historical romance vibes and does them really well.
Points for :
• a 30 year old fmc
• having her involved in the church yet not a cliche naive prude
• having the big strong duke being the insecure one who needed reassurance was an interesting change

Ailis is the village vicar’s niece and visits the Duke of Ramsdale to ask him for funds to support the needy in the community, because so far he’s not been very forthcoming. Once there, Jonas (the Duke) offers her a scandalous bargain - he’ll give her £1,000, the full sum they’re hoping to raise, if she’ll give him 10 kisses in return. Ailis doesn’t take long to decide to accept the bargain because she’s long found the Duke attractive and she seizes the opportunity to have her first kiss with him. Jonas is shocked that this paragon of virtue actually accepted his bargain (he does try to back out and give her the money without the kisses), but when an accident means that Ailis is forced to recuperate at his home during a snowstorm, he’s going to be awfully tempted to turn those 10 kisses into something more.

Both Ailis and Jonas were enjoyable characters. Ailis is a bit of a do-gooder but she’s not self-righteous about it, she’s kind and wants to help the community. She’s honest and forthright with Jonas, and I really enjoyed the way she teased him. Jonas needs someone who sees beyond his title and treats him like a fallible man.
Jonas fought in the war with the French and was a POW for a years before making an escape. His time in the war has left him scarred and surly, and he hides away in his country estate. There’s definitely strong grumpy x sunshine vibes at the start of the book, but being around Ailis slowly lets light back into Jonas’s life and shows him what he’s been missing out on.

Ailis and Jonas dance around each other, engaging in some increasingly passionate kisses (for charity of course), before they succumb to their feelings.
Chuck in a meddling brother and mother, and Jonas doesn’t stand a chance of being left to hide away. I enjoyed the relationship between them and Jonas, particularly with his brother, and the plotting to push Jonas and Ailis together.

This was an enjoyable (if predictable), low angst read that would be perfect to read around Christmas time when you’re in the mood for some fun banter, steamy kisses, and just cute vibes.

Snowfall and the Duke is the fourth book in The Silver Dukes series.

Jonas Langford, Duke of Ramsdale, has the reputation of being a beast. After the Napoleonic War left him scarred, he believes no one can possibly love him. He retreats to his country home to avoid being ton’s attention, to live out his life in solitude.

Miss Ailis Temple rides her horse out to ask the Duke, for a donation for the people that needs his help. When the Duke seems reluctant, Ailis make a bargain for 10 kisses in exchange for the donation. The two come to agreement and Miss Temple leaves only to fall off her horse in a snowstorm on his property. Feeling responsible Jonas brings her inside to care for her. But who will receive the most care between these two.

This was wonderful. It is refreshing to see a book about characters that are older than the typical debutantes. Ailis is not your average character. She is thirty, opinionated, and caring. She manages to hold her own with Jonas. The characters were well written as well as entertaining. The snowstorm adds to the story by holding them hostage, so to speak, to 'heal' one another. It was a quick afternoon read, but I was disappointed when it over all too soon. I am looking forward to the two remaining books and hope to read the three previous one.

What an adorable little treasure. Those seventeen chapters flew by far too fast. Two equally traumatized souls find redemption and true love in a snowstorm, among other things. Don’t we all long to be romanced by a dashing duke?

Ten Delicious Kisses
The surly Duke of Ramsdale thinks to get out of making a charity donation when the vicar’s niece comes to call. Ailis Temple or Miss Temple of Virtue, his moniker for the thirty year old spinister, is surprised when the Duke says he will provide the entirety of the money they require to help the poorest through the winter, if she will allow ten kisses, one hundred pounds for each kiss. But it is the Duke who is shocked when she accepts. Loved this story of this reclusive Duke who hides his scars and his heart, and the sunshiny do-gooder that everyone loves.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meara writes her characters with such heart. she doesn't cover them in glory but nor does she blame or shame them. she strips judgement from some often battered souls. and i always find her books a ease and comfort to read even though they can have some harder themes sometimes. but of course neither does she make the harshness of some people trouble piffy or glossed over. there does as always feels the balance in this new book of hers. almost like a beauty and the beast take on it was what i got from my first reading of the blurb.
this man has been hit by war rather than a spell or curse though. and hes been hiding away ever since. but then Ali comes knocking on his door. shes not there for anything but help and charity, and risks asking it of this cold man in this isolated life he leads. but when a storm traps them both together will they find more from each other than they thought possible. and will a deal turn in to more than just a "you give me what i want and ill give back" transaction. for behind kiss there seems to be a whole lot more swirling around than a mere storm in the weather. and reading these two coming together like this is such a heartwarming read. we get the historical fiction and lovely romance all mixed together and they both lend themselves readily for this plot.
the side characters all hold their pride of place throughout the book too and add such charm and wit to an already great story.
i really enjoyed reading this book.

First off … Ailis was just the perfect blend of innocence, wit, wise in ways the duke wasn’t and accepting of so many people. She was so fun to read and enjoy her journey. Jonas was the perfect broody, scarred hero with a backstory. Him having a soft spot for Ailis made it so much fun. Jonas’ family’s plot twist in the end really had me laughing and I enjoyed every minute of the crazy chaotic masterplan.