❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Wonderful writing and great characters.
This series is one I will never get tired of reading.
Meara is one of my absolute favourite authors.

Brilliant story ,and charismatic hero and heroine, that become so important to the reader. I loved it 🥰

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Hmm this could have been a good book. The MMCs are childhood friends. They finally have a chance to be together in their 30s, but it fell short since the author focused on the FMC capacity to not have kids and it was extremely repetitive. Also for a book centered around a week long affair, the steam factor was lacking quite a bit.

#netgalley #StarlightandtheDuke

Starlight and the Duke is the sixth book in the silver duke series, but this can be read on its own. This time, it is the turn of Robert Durham, the Duke of Durham. He has just inherited the dukedom and is now in need of a wife. Only one woman will do: Lady Fiona Shoreham. Lady Fiona however does not think so. She is six years older than Robert for one and more importantly, after twenty years of marriage to the Earl of Shoreham and unable to produce an heir, feels she is the last woman Robert should marry.

She proceeds to try to find another suitable beau in the hope that Robert will get the memo and start getting serious about looking for his duchess. Robert on the other hand has always loved Fiona and plans to make her his duchess. When Fiona proposes that they have a clandestine meeting over the course of a few weeks at her home to “get each other out” of their system before Robert gets serious and starts duchess hunting, Robert decides to take her up on the offer, never intending to do anything but make Fiona fall in love with him and agree to marry him.

A sweet, easy read that you will enjoy. I received an ARC from Dragonblade publishing and NetGalley and submit my honest review voluntarily.

I read a ton of these types of stories, and sometimes they start to feel too similar. This one didn't feel that way I was very entertained. This story has everything. Delightful characters that carry the reader along. Trials are abundant, both physical and mentalbut the love prevails (as it should). Very entertaining read.

A wonderful read from Meara Platt. The Silver Duke saga continues when an unknown, former Silver Duke adds the Duke of Durham, Robert Durham (age 32) to White's infamous Betting Book. He's not a "Silver Duke." by age, but because he has a little silver in his hair. This is a love story between the Duke of Durham and Lady Fiona Shoreham (age 38), childhood neighbors and friends. He always loved her, but there was a six year age difference between them. She married at 18, breaking is almost 12 year old heart. A friendship that changes and could become true love if Fiona would forget about what everyone expects for this new Silver Duke. The two reach a compromise and spend a week together before attending a house party at Northam Hall. This brings all the Silver Dukes back together, with a few wives finding themselves expecting. Fiona is thrilled for them, but at the same time heartbroken because she feels like she never be a mother. When these two finally open up and fight for what they want it's magic.
There are a few twists along the way, a couple evil members of the Ton and a perfect ending for Rob and Fiona. There are lots of hints for the 6th book and it looks like a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Starlight and the Duke is the fifth book in The Silver Dukes series. This is a quick afternoon read of under two hundred fifty pages. It is also a stand-alone read, but the series is pretty good and worth reading.

Robert Durham, the Duke of Durham, has loved Lady Fiona Shoreham, but he is six years younger than her. Normally if it was the other way round, the age difference would be of no consequence. Fiona is finally free from her nearly two-decade marriage. There will never be another opportunity for him to make his move and claim her for his wife.

Lady Fiona Shoreham has loved him but kept her feelings on the matter to herself. Fiona believes herself to be barren since she never was able to have a child with her first husband. A Duke must have an heir in order to carry on the line. Knowing this she refuses to marry him. Despite this, she suggests a week with him for fun and then he will go on to choose a bride that can give him an heir.

This was a spicy romance with two characters who were interesting and entertaining. Looking forward to the next book in the series, which should be the finale.

Starlight and the Duke is book 5 in the Silver Dukes Series. Honestly, I didn't read the prior books, but the author references previous books and concisely explains the other duke's histories since many make appearances here. Overall, I enjoyed the book. After all, it is a historical fiction piece in England and it keeps that kind of charm from Pride and Prejudice but without propriety and formality. Actually, this particular book seems shocking for the era. I find it unlikely that a countess of her standing would suggest this type of behavior even to her childhood friend, even at that time period. I'm not a stickler for following society norms or at least making a book resemble an accurate following of society's norms, but the story is lovely.

The main character is the matchmaker of her group of friends and now the novel is focused upon her. She is recently widowed and comes off as sweet but opinionated. Her loyalty to her childhood friend, Rob, and now titled Duke, shows her endearing yet irrational kindness of putting others before herself. There is such a sense of duty in this book with every character. Platt's painting of Rob is also interesting. She describes Rob as a child following his best friend and also his current attitude as a strong and respectable grown man set in his ways. His perspective is well laid out for the reader and I like the humanity that’s portrayed through his eyes such as his insecurities or his scheming.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance digital copy. A lighthearted but a great read for my in between reads.

Robert, the Duke of Durham, has loved Lady Fiona his entire life. It started as a boyish friendship between neighbors as they played together as children. As Lady Fiona was six years older he watched as she went off to marry as a not much bothered 11 year old. But as he matured and turned from boy to man he knew his feelings were strong and true but it wasn’t until she became widowed that he felt a lasting relationship was possible. Lady Fiona realizes her feelings for Rob have also grown into something strong now that’s she’s been through her mourning and has started to live her life again on her own but understands she cannot provide what her old friend needs so he must move on without her. Meara Platt has a lovely way of putting her characters together and having them resolve their issues together. Although part of a series that mingles with the
Lyon’s Den books, this is easily a standalone book.

Robert, Duke of Durham, has been infatuated and in love with Fiona, Lady Shoreham, since a small boy. Younger by six years, his heart was broken when she married at eighteen. Now in his thirties and a Duke and she's a widow, he wants
nothing else, but to marry the woman he loves. Unfortunately, Fiona keeps refusing his offers of marriage. After twenty years in her marriage, she never had children and is obsessed with Rob needing an heir and marrying someone else. She continues to refuse his proposals. It was frustrating for me to read page after page of her obsession and their unhappiness. I wouldn't have blamed Rob for giving up.
I suggest reading the Silver Dukes in order with a cross over of characters.
Mild descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I loved thew reverse age gap story in this story, especially with it being a regency romance. you never see the man being younger. The childhood friends, he has secretly always wanted her tropes made it that much more intriguing. This is the fifth book in the series, I unfortunately have not ready all of the first books but luckily it read like a standalone. The banter was fantastic. IT was sad that Fiona could not have kids and they mentioned that a lot but i did really enjoy this story! will be reading more from this author

Every time I read a book in this series, I declare, “This one is my favorite!” Rob, with his patient wooing of Lady Fiona, has to be the most loyal of friends. I sometimes got frustrated with Fiona, however, her rationale for rejecting his suit can be understood against the backdrop of the times, especially when women took the brunt of the blame for everything that could go wrong. There is wit, humor, delightful interludes, and the sizzling attraction between Rob and Fiona is palpable. Rob already had the lady's heart, but winning her hand took a bit longer, especially as she is very conscious of the responsibilities he carries and is determined to ensure that he is not robbed of a future. The plot comes to a delightful and happy conclusion, leaving one wondering about the next Silver Duke. I received a copy of this enjoyable book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I really enjoyed this love story about Robert and Fiona, childhood friends who fell deeply in love despite the odds. It had so many refreshing themes; an older heroine, a widowed main character, a hero who has loved her for as long as he can remember and infertility. It’s ultimately about two stubborn, devoted people just trying to find a way to be together, and I admired their unwavering commitment, especially Rob’s determination to love her for a lifetime, no matter what society thought.

The author handled the sensitive topics with a gentle touch while still addressing them honestly, and there were some truly lovely emotional moments throughout. The plot felt unique compared to many historical romances I’ve read, and the romance was sweeter and less sexually explicit than I expected given the setup.

Even though there were plenty of side characters from earlier books that I didn’t know, it didn’t take away from the story and it’s actually made me curious to go back and read the rest of the series. Overall, this was a heartfelt, charming romance with strong characters and a lot of emotional depth.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this historical romance we meet another of the Silver Dukes. They were named that by society when they were still bachelors and had a touch of silver in their hair. Three of them have married in the previous books in the series. Now it's up to our new hero to see if he can at last persuade the woman he has loved nearly all his life , to marry him. Our heroine is a wealthy widow who has a very good reason not to marry again. If she can shield her heart , maybe she can convince her friend of that.
An emotional story of love that ignores all the rules.
Good fun.

Rob has been in love with Fiona since childhood. Now he has a second chance to have his dreams come true. But Fiona isn't convinced that it's a good idea. This is a sweet, open door, story of overcoming obstacles that society places on people both then and now. The author takes a gentle approach with the two main issues standing in their way yet doesn't shy away from them. Well done and a joy to re-engage with past characters from the series. This can be a standalone read without any concerns.

Starlight and the Duke features one of my favourite tropes – an older woman/younger man romance – though here the gap is a modest six years (he’s 32, she’s 38). Rob Durham, with his so-called 'panther eyes', makes for an engaging hero: attentive, patient, passionate, and generally the kind of man it’s easy to root for. Fiona, on the other hand, is bold enough to propose a one-week tryst to satisfy her desires – something I appreciated – but otherwise spends a great deal of time reminding us she can’t have children. While the social context of the era means this would indeed have been a major concern, Rob reassures her repeatedly that it doesn’t matter to him, so the constant repetition did become quite tedious.

For a book built around the idea of a passionate, time-limited affair, the actual heat level is surprisingly low: one brief on-page scene and the rest fading discreetly to black. I was expecting something much more steamy and so was quite disappointed.

The romance itself is sweet and Rob’s unwavering devotion shines, but the combination of low spice and a heroine stuck in her own doubts kept it from being as compelling as I’d hoped.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Rob has loved Fiona his whole life, but she was married off at eighteen while he was only twelve. Twenty years later, she's widowed with no kids, whereas he's still unmarried because Fiona is the only one he wants. She returns his feelings but doesn't want to marry him because she is convinced she's barren and he, a duke with no other male relations, really needs to marry someone who can give him children. Rob doesn't care and wants her, kids or no kids, so she compromises by offering him a week of sex, after which he's supposed to pick a young bride at a nearby house party. Rob doesn't say no to sex, but what he really wants is to convince Fiona to marry him, and he's not even sure she's barren; he wants a marriage and decent amount of time to keep trying for a baby with her.

I liked the premise, and Rob is a standup guy, very attractive and passionate, and overall a great romance hero. Fiona is a little exasperating as written, reminding us every other sentence that she can't have kids. For a book with a weeklong tryst in its premise, there isn't much spice at all (one brief scene with oral on heroine, and everything else basically fades to black), which I found surprising and disappointing. This was my first book by the author, so perhaps the absence of on-page intimacy is standard for her books, but still, based on the premise as written in the blurb, I believe anyone would have expected graphic scenes.

Half the book is at the house party, where a lot of characters from previous novels in the series appear and where Fiona realizes she'd be too jealous if Rob married anyone else. There's also a subplot with Fiona's widowed neighbor and his boys and his weird sister, which ties into the party.

There was some nice writing and strong emotions in this book. What lowered the rating for me was the repetitiveness in both inner monologue and dialogue, which led me to skim in places, and the fact Fiona wasn't given much personality on the page other than her presumed infertility, even though we are told she has all sorts of great qualities.

Overall, this book is between 3 and 4 stars for me, but closer to 3.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was enjoyable, a good addition to the series.

A week to be wicked...

Robert Durham, a duke, is six years younger than Fiona. Fiona, now a widow, wed at eighteen and is now a widow at 38. She is six years older than Rob's 32. Rob has been in love with Fiona since forever and he has not wed, as the only one he wants to wed is Fiona. Fiona will not wed Rob, who she adores, as she believes she is barren, as she has born no children in her passionless years of marriage.

Fiona makes a deal with Rob. She will give him one week in her bed with free access to her body.
Rob agrees to the deal, though he has his reservations and a stipulation to wait three months after their week together (consequences).

Recommend. I liked both Rob and Fiona. He only wants her. She wants what's best for Rob.

Starlight and the Duke by Meara Platt is the latest addition to her Silver Dukes series, although this one is stretching it. He is only thirty-two and has minor streaks of grey in his sideburns. Robert, Duke of Durham is frustrated because the woman he loves, the one he has loved for years, is toying with other men, trying to drive him away. But she gets herself in trouble and that is why he is here. Fiona, Lady Shoreham, is a childhood friend and the woman he has loved since he was three years old. She is now a widow but refuses to marry him because he is a duke and needs an heir and she had been married for nearly twenty years and had not borne a child. She has a solution for him: join her for a week and she will give him full access to her bed so he can burn his lust out. She believes that will solve the problem. He disagrees, but gives in to her plan.

This is an amazing plot, different than most. The are good characters, both stubborn, but both in love. She loves him so much she feels she must do what is right for him. That is, find him a wife that will bear him children. Not only does he need an heir but he will be an amazing father. He doesn’t care. He has no heir and it is immaterial to him. He just wants Fiona. While this is a marginal Silver Dukes’story, it is an excellent story in its own right. Well worth the read.

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

this is the fifth book in a series i haven't read before. in all fairness, with historical romances, sometimes you don't need to read the earlier books to understand the story.

thank you netgalley for giving me the chance to read this arc for free.

“silver dukes” is essentially referred to men in their 40s who, for some reason or other, are confirmed bachelors by the ton. the series is centered around a group of these men, and one them is robert. although he's not actually 40, he still fits the bill with his silver hair and title.

his love interest is fiona—she's a cousin to one of the silver dukes who has his own book in the series (the very first one!). fiona and robert share an age gap, with rob being the younger of the two. they are childhood friends, and rob's been in love with fiona for over 20 years.

“I found my fairy princess when I was barely a lad out of leading strings—she just took a little longer to find me.”

i really enjoyed this story! it's not as sexually explicit as i thought it'd be—for a week of steamy content, there's really only one moment that stood out to me. most of the time, it's rob being a simp for fiona, and fiona not believing she deserved him because of how her previous marriage ended.

there are no miscommunications or third act breakups, which i loath the most in books. there is a brief moment where rob actually considers marrying someone who looks the most like fiona and i'm??? i really rather you didn’t, rob.

my main grievance is fiona constantly mentioning she can’t have children. girl we get it, it's awful and you want a family, but can you not mention it every 2 sentences, please? 🙄

the banter between the couple??? so good! they are so comfortable with each other, and i love the trust and friendship they share.

there are obviously a lot of characters i don't know from previous books, but for the most part it was easy to ignore. however, it did get me curious, so i might read the rest of the books on a later date.

—3.75