4 stars

Quite a lovely read. It takes our hero lots of the book to convince the heroine that
a: the age difference isn't important,
b: he is Ok without children.

I'm always surprised that monied heroine's who are keen on having children aren't Ok with adopting a couple. Even Jane Austen;s brother was a ward to his uncle?

Not a bad couple. The rest of the silver dukes turned up so it's useful to have read the series.

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

A Delightful Romance Adventure
A wonderfully enjoyable romance story that captured my attention and my heart.
Robert the young duke and Fiona his older friend from childhood days took me on an emotional journey discovering just how much they needed each other.
It wasn't easy though, it took both of them quite a bit of determination and conquering one's fears, a few confessions, a dramatic ending that was shocking before they finally realized they were meant for each other.
The was a heartfelt wonderful and a bit predictable but it sure put a smile on my face.
Book rating 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars

4.5 Stars
Robert Durham, the Duke of Durham, has loved Lady Fiona Shoreham ever since he was a little boy. But he is six years her junior and had to watch helplessly as eighteen-year-old Fiona married the Earl of Shoreham. She is a widow now and lovelier than ever. He is considered one of the elite Silver Dukes. Lady Fiona Shoreham has never considered remarrying, especially not to a younger man. She has known the impossibly handsome Rob ever since they were children, but what was once a true and sincere youthful friendship has blossomed into so much more. But no matter how much she loves him, she can’t marry him as he needs an heir & after nearly two decades of marriage she never had a child. A compromise is the answer, or so Fiona believes. She is offering this handsome duke one week in her bed.
The fifth book in the series & it’s easily read on its own. I loved Rob, he’s loved her for as long as he can remember & his greatest wish is to marry her but she’s stubborn & believes she knows best. I liked Fiona but could have shaken Fiona at times as she thought she knew best & I found her a tad immature. I loved how supportive & understanding Rob was & how he gradually won her over. A lovely romance which pulled at the heart strings
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

🦋Starlight and the Duke🦋
Meara Platt
3.5⭐️

~ Historical Romance ~ Friends to Lovers ~ Age Gap ~ Close Proximity ~

. We follow friends who’ve know each other for years learning to throw aside society rules. Fiona is recently widowed and has been barren for 20 years. Her fear of being able to continue Roberts line holds her back despite what her heart wants. However, Robert Durham sees this as his chance to finally get the girl he loves.

I enjoyed the book to an extent considering it was predictable. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick romance read💜

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in return for a honest review ✨✨

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Pretty nice

Robert Durham, the Duke of Durham, six years junior to Lady Fiona Shoreham, has always loved her. However, she got married at eighteen. Almost twenty years later, Fiona is widowed and childless. Robert knows she is the only one for him and is determined to prove it, even if Fiona resists. After all, a Duke needs an heir.
Eventually, they come to a deal. Robert gets a week with Fiona, and he should move on. However, the Duke has other plans.
The story comes in Rob and Fiona’s third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
The book works as a standalone, though it may be a little confusing when we meet couples from the previous books. Still, I winged it. You can too!
The reverse age gap was the main allure here, especially since it is set in the early 19th century.
The plot is very straightforward, which is good and not good. Good, since we know how it’ll pan out and that’s pretty much how it goes. Not-good since it soon becomes a bit boring with the FMC repeating the same thing over and over and over.
Don’t get me wrong. It made sense for her to do so given the period, but there’s only so much I can empathize with. Must admit the MMC was more patient and persistent. Though he even loses it at one point.
Despite that, they were easy to like. She wasn’t some meek pushover. She was a bit too overbearing at times. It went with how her nature was described, so it’s consistent at least.
The book is fairly small, which is a relief, since the middle drags as they have the same conversation a dozen times. Luckily, things improve when we meet more characters.
There will be a final book in this series, and this sets the stage for it. I admit being intrigued about both those characters. The FMC even more so!
However, I wish the ‘starlight’ concept hadn’t been shoehorned into the narrative and repeated so many times. I just didn’t see the connection, so it felt annoying rather than cute.

To summarize, Starlight and the Duke is a quick and easy read if you don’t mind a bit of drama created by the FMC when there wasn’t a need for it. Not bad, though!
Thank you, NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Starlight is amazing and I love this age gap romance.
Rob is the Duke who has been in love with Fiona since he was very young.
She married another when he was young and stayed married for many years.
Now she is a widow and Rob still loves her but she worries about being older than him and her barrenness.
Romance, devotion, and steamy negotiations make this a must read.

Oh, this story is very near and dear to my heart. Fiona and Rob could be me and my husband, dealing with the issues they faced. The author does a perfect job of showing the pain, angst, fear and heartache that comes with being childless. Rob had such a tender heart (as did my husband), holding her, loving her and supporting her through it all. The shenanigans going at the house party was fun and a bit scary, and Fiona’s attitude was a bit frustrating at times, but the HEA was awesome. One of my most favorite stories of all time. Truly a treasure and kudos to the author for taking such a heart wrenching situation on and showing the pain associated with it, as well as the love that brings the victim back to life.

I received this story for free and these are my own views.

BOOK: STARLIGHT AND THE DUKE
AUTHOR: MEARA PLATT
PUB DATE: AUGUST, 2025
👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼
This book was okay, no drama, no miscommunication, just two people in love trying to find a way to be together. It was a cute book and I really admired the couple's devotion to each other, especially Rob's. The FMC was okay, but I was annoyed at how she talking about the same thing over and over.
👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼
The book is okay for a light, comfort read, but it was too predictable, nothing exciting happened.

The Silver Dukes never disappoint and neither did Robert Durham! I love it when a man goes after what he wants with a single minded intensity that leaves no doubt as to his intent.

In STARLIGHT AND THE DUKE, the Duke of Durham has loved only one woman his entire life. Unfortunately that woman is six years older than him and a close family friend. When Fiona marries he is just a young, devastated boy, when she is widowed, decades later, he is a grown man waiting and eager to pick up the pieces. Love like that is hard to find and despite her hesitation, Fiona is no fool and eventually gives in to what her heart has always wanted.

An unconventional pair with an unconventional love story makes STARLIGHT AND THE DUKE the unputdownable romance that it is! I’m giving this book the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

Friends since childhood, Robert has always adored Fiona. Now that Fiona is a widow, Robert is intent on pursuing her for marriage. Fiona loves Robert but fears she is barren, and Robert would have no child to carry on the dukedom. Can she overcome her fears for love? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

Rob has loved Fiona since he was a lad but being six years younger than her, she married another. Twenty years on she is a childless widow, trying to hold Rob at bay because she is unable to give him a son to continue his line. Whilst Rob knows he needs a son, he cannot marry another whilst his heart belongs to Fiona. It is a stalemate that Fiona tries to break, whilst in turn, Rob has every intention of wearing her down.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ms. Platt, thank you for creating this masterpiece. I could not put Starlight and the Duke down! What a perfect romance book. Tension, banter, sweetness, etc. = everything a reader could want.