Ten Days with a Duke: A Regency Holiday Romance

I very much love this series, The 12 Dukes of Christmas, and will be sorry to see it come to completion in the next offering. Every single book in the series has been, charming, delightful, heartwarming, and has left me with the feeling that I’m glad I read it. Of course, one gets a good feeling from reading these books as they are set in the village of Cressmouth, which celebrates Christmas year-round. This offering, Ten Days with a Duke is no different. It was thoroughly engaging. For those who would like to know, I classify it as an enemies-to-lovers trope as well as a second-chance-at-love. Olive Harper met Elijah Weston several years prior. Elijah was attracted to Olive, but because of his father, he humiliated her in front of others. The Westons and Harpers had been feuding for years. Years later, Olive has become very successful in running the family’s stud farm. Without her knowledge, Olive’s father makes arrangements to offer the stud farm to Elijah, the Weston heir, if he marries Olive. Elijah comes prepared to offer her marriage, and maybe an “I’m sorry,” but instead he is forced to accept her terms, that within ten days he can prove he can ride her prize stallion, Duke. It is at this point that it became so much fun to read this book. To read about the differences between the two characters but also how their differences complimented each one’s strengths. It was a rocky road to travel to a HEA. Misassumptions and secrets were put to rest. My thanks to the author for the ARC and for giving me the opportunity to review this work. All opinions stated are my own. Rating: 4 ½ stars with about 3 ½ stars of steaminess.

Beautiful story of love and forgiveness Olive knows from her father's feud with his father that she cannot trust Elijah Weston, so when their fathers agree to end the feud if the two of them will marry, she's more than a little hesitant. Having no other choice if she wants to keep the family farm, she challenges Elijah to a dare: he has ten days to convince her famous (and very temperamental) horse, Duke, to allow him to ride. It took me a while to like Eli - about as long as it took him to grow a pair and stand up for what he knew was right. Olive's character was strong and resilient right from the start, and I loved seeing her blossom beyond her self-imposed limitations. Theirs is a sweet romance with a satisfying HEA. I really love the way the author has put all these different twists on the name, Duke, and how she's connected all the various characters from all the previous books in the series. While each one is a standalone romance, seeing everyone interact together adds a richness and vitality to the little mountain town. I highly recommend binging on this entire series every holiday season. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

🗝️🗝️ONE OUTSTANDING JOURNEY🗝️🗝️ Dashing duke! Erica works her magic once again with this incredibly tantalizing delight, delivering some fierce animosity, callous actions and cruel tactics, grabbing your attention from the first sentence, till the very last word, catapulting this jewel to a whole new level. Sparks ignite as drama, intrigue, resilience, suspense and intense situations ensue in epic proportions, kicking this gem into a tailspin with astonishing impacts, merging this bad boy together seamlessly. Serendipity and mayhem descend in a flurry of mischief and wicked lessons, showcasing the crushed perimeters and broken barriers, limitations are explored and expanded, exposing the impish quirks and defying bents, bursting this baby to life brilliantly. The attraction and chemistry builds as each layer is peeled back, baring incredibly deep emotions and undeniable affections, connecting them to one another beautifully. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits adding depth and diversity, transforming into genuine charismatic personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and such vivid descriptions that feel as though you were transported to the middle of ground zero with them. Fantastic job Erica, thanks for sharing this little gem with us.