Forever My Duke: Unlikely Duchesses

Olivia Drake

Dec 2019 · Unlikely Duchesses Book 2 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this eBook

Forever My Duke is the second novel in a brand new Regency romance series from Olivia Drake about rakish dukes and the governesses who steal their hearts.

“I find Miss Fanshawe to be quite charming—for an American.”—The Prince Regent

Hadrian Ames, the Duke of Clayton, needs a bride. He even has the perfect one picked out. That is, until he meets the lovely, free-spirited Natalie Fanshawe. She’s the opposite of what a man of his high rank should desire in a wife—an outspoken American who has never even set foot in a London ballroom.

But Natalie doesn’t have time to be swept off her feet by a handsome duke who must be a spoiled scoundrel like every other British lord. And she couldn’t care less about Hadrian’s title. After all, it’s not as if he actually worked to attain his wealth and status. He surely can’t understand what it’s like to be a busy woman, planning to open a school while trying to reunite a six-year-old orphan with his English relatives. Nevertheless, Hadrian launches his campaign to win her heart. Can the utterly delightful American beauty ever find a way to love him...despite his being a duke?

Ratings and reviews

This is the first I've read by Olivia Drake. I felt it started a bit bumpy with speech between the duke and his valet a bit too familiar, even for a long time retainer. Fortunately, things smoothed out and I was interested in following where the story would lead to reach the mandatory HEA. Natalie's ward, young Leo, steals a scene or two. I read a free advance copy; the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Forever My Duke by Olivia Drake Unlikely Duchesses #2 Mixed feelings on this one...it is well written and characters are developed so I could see and know them but I didn’t feel there was anything new and thus it was rather predictable. The gorgeous duke is off to meet the woman he is supposed to (maybe) marry and meets a beautiful woman on the way. She is taking a young boy to meet his grandfather and the handsome duke provides a ride. There is the romance, the dastardly bad guy, a young boy that reminded me of the one in O’Henry’s Ransom of Red Chief, a rather dysfunctional family, mention what war was maybe like and a bit more. What I liked: * Natlie: good friend to Audrey and unwilling to bow to anyone – she was American to the core and all for equality * Hadrian: a man I grew to like – he was able to take charge and get things done and was also likable * Leo: a boy with a lot of heart...but one who liked to disappear a lot * There was a HEA What I did not like: * The uncaring family that were related to Leo * The predictability Thank you to NetGalley an dSt. Martin’s Paperbacks for the ARC – This is my honest review. 3-4 Stars

Forever My Duke ended up being just okay for me. Granted, I don't read a lot of Regency romances these days, but based on my experience with the genre, this one didn't bring anything new to the table. I expected it to be unrealistic, and it is. So much so, that it kind of felt like a bunch of people pretending to be from that era. It has a rather slow start, and once the story gets going, it's terribly clichéd. Despite all that, I did rather like Hadrian and Natalie and had this been set in a more current time period, I would've loved this couple. Natalie is a bit too progressive for the time, which is one of the many issues I have with the setting. In the end, the story was somewhere in the fair to middlin' range for me. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I suppose I just wanted more than the typical.

About the author

Olivia Drake is a New York Times bestselling author who lives in Texas. Her novels have won critical acclaim and numerous industry awards, including the prestigious RITA. Olivia is the author of Scandal of the Year, Never Trust a Rogue, and If the Slipper Fits among others.