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

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

How can anyone not love a duke? This is an easy set-up: an egalitarian American who was raised to disdain the English aristocracy finds herself inexorably drawn to one of the wealthiest dukes of the realm. Knowing they're going to find their HEA doesn't make the journey an easy one, however. The secondary characters are a bit standard, but this story is driven by the fascinating character studies of its two main characters, Natalie and Hadrian. Hadrian has had duty drilled into his psyche since early childhood, so much so that he doesn't hesitate to question whether it's the best course or not. Until he meets Natalie, an outspoken, provincial young woman who challenges everything he believes in. But he's not the only one being challenged. Turns out Natalie has a few things to learn about drawing easy conclusions as well. The writing is so on-point that I was simultaneously convinced that they absolutely belonged together and that there was no way it would ever work between them. As the story unfolds, questions arise and are answered in unexpected ways as both Hadrian and Natalie sort out what exactly is the most important driving force in their lives: duty? patriotism? family? love? I was instantly captivated by this beautiful romance and read it straight through in one sitting. It's a terrific regency that shows it's possible to root for both the English and the Americans, even right after a war. Aside from the class and culture differences, there's a side story involving the family of the child Natalie has brought to England, with a little bit of action and suspense toward the end. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Full review posted at Reader's Edyn on 02/23/20 Natalie is an American and has no desire to be in England any longer than necessary. Disgusted by the separation of classes based on titles people are born to, she assumes the ton is nothing more than a bunch of soft dandies. If it were not for the final wish of her best friend, she would not be here. Would not be delivering the young Leo to a family he has never known. Would not have accidentally stumbled into Hadrian’s room at the inn, searching for her young charge. Would not be questioning everything she thought she knew about the upper classes of England. Would not be falling hard for the haughty Duke. Would not allow herself to entertain the slightest fantasy about what life might or could be like with Hadrian at her side. And yet, here she is. But her promise has yet to be fulfilled and in the face of unexpected complications and danger lurking around the corner, there is quite a lot left to sort out before she can hash things out with Hadrian. Her worst fear, previously surrounding the safe delivery of Leo, has now undergone a complete transformation and now has everything to do with losing Hadrian due to their glaringly opposing beliefs. Hadrian is captivated by the opinionated Natalie from the very beginning. She challenges him at every opportunity and shows no fear in expressing her severe dislike for the very fabric of the society in which he was bred to thrive in. Wanting to prove her wrong, he suddenly finds himself struggling with the callous beliefs of the society that produced him. The family who raised him to be the Duke that he is now turn out to be strangers; people he no longer wishes to align his life with despite his father’s wishes. Plans he had made suddenly seem unfathomable. In what seems like an instant, Natalie shakes his very foundation. Hadrian quickly adapts to scenarios as they occur in ways he never would have prior to his meeting with the beautiful Miss Fanshawe. Weaker men would have crumbled with the revelations Hadrian uncovers, but his strength of character sculpt him into an even better person when everything is said and done. With any luck, his transformation will be enough to convince Natalie that their differences are not as disparaging as they had originally seemed and that there is a happily ever after in their future – if only she will agree to this journey of love and happiness at Hadrian’s side – an equal to be loved and cherished as demanded by her American upbringing. The title of this series pretty much says it all. Unlikely duchesses. Natalie for sure fits this bill. For a Duke of the English aristocracy to fall for an American of the untamed wilderness would be one heck of a faux pas. Luckily, once the lust bug strikes (which is pretty much immediately), both Hadrian and Natalie begin to break from their lifelong beliefs and let their feelings lead them along their path as they work together to solidify a positive future for Leo. The trick is to find a place in which they can happily co-exist without giving up too much of themselves in order to accommodate the other one. I completely adored this book and could not put it down once I began it. While it wasn’t a story of mystery in the sense that you weren’t sure what would happen next, it still continued to move at a quick pace and kept me engaged with all of its quirky characters – even the ones I strongly disliked. Just about the time I had reached my limit of the wretched Godwin family, a wonderful change of location was provided in which Hadrian’s lively mother and sister were introduced. Both Millie and Lizzy added the perfect amount of light-hearted joviality and mischievous matchmaking to this tale. I thoroughly enjoyed them both and would be thrilled to encounter them again in a future book. Hadrian is initially presented as haughty with an inability to bend. However, we glimpse the slightest crack in the façade with his first interaction with Leo...

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.