Series: Playful Brides, Book 11
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: April 30, 2019
Source: Publisher
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SINGLE LADY SEEKS DUKE
Lady Delilah Montebank has her marital sights set on the Duke of Branville. There’s just one problem: he barely knows she exists. But no matter, she’s got a plan to win him over with her charm, her wit—and perhaps the love potion she has in her possession wouldn’t hurt her cause…
Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, thinks his best friend Delilah’s quest to become a duchess is ridiculous. He’s always said he’d rather give up all the brandy in London than commit to one person for life. Besides, he knows that Delilah’s love potion can’t possibly win over Branville…since she accidentally gave it to him instead. But perhaps this is the excuse he needs to show her he’s always loved her…
Delilah can’t believe she gave the potion to the wrong duke. Then again, Delilah could do a lot worse than win the hand of her handsome best friend. Could it be that the right duke has been before her eyes all along?
No Other Duke But You is a delightful Regency romp with charming Shakespearean twists. I adore a good friends-to-lovers romance author Valerie Bowman hit all the right notes for me with Thomas and Delilah’s love story. It’s sprightly, sweet, and melted my heart more than once.
Delilah is a completely endearing heroine. She has a sunny nature, a kind heart, and a quiet vulnerability that tugged on my heartstrings. She’s not elegant or refined, which means some people (her horrible mother in particular) look down on her and make her feel like she’s less than the wonderful young woman she is. Delilah’s biggest fault is that she can’t see what’s right in front of her nose – namely that her best friend, Thomas, is in love with her. Thomas is kind and generous and he’s long avoided the matchmaking ways of his friends because he’s head-over-heels in love with Delilah. I adored Thomas and he made me melt with the way he saw and loved Delilah for who she is. I won’t spoil the story, but I will say how he shows Delilah he loves her makes him an absolutely swoon-worthy hero. I did feel a bit sorry for him and normally it’s a big pet peeve of mine when characters don’t just talk to each other about their feelings, but it worked in this story. The romance between Thomas and Delilah made me smile and sigh. Obstacles, schemes, and matchmaking gone awry don’t stand a chance when you have two people as well-suited as they are. They’re genuinely sweet and make such a lovely pair that I didn’t want to put the book down because I liked them together so much.
No Other Duke But You pays homage to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, complete with a play, mismatched lovers, a love potion, and some nighttime hijinks. It’s a fun spin on a classic and it works because of the cast of characters’ spirited natures. Most of the Playful Brides heroes and heroines play roles big and small in this book, which is sure to please fans as this is the final book in the series. No Other Duke But You reminds me exactly why I fell in love with the Playful Brides series to begin with: it’s a warm, energetic romance with characters you’d want to be friends with and a love story that will make you smile.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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