Dawn With A Duke by Erica Ridley
Dawn with a Duke by Erica Ridley Series: 12 Dukes of Christmas Series Book #9
on September 4, 2020
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Romance / Holiday, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 200
Goodreads
From a New York Times bestselling author: Secrets and scandal abound when two delightful, strong-willed opposites are snowbound together in this laugh-out-loud, feel-good romance!
As the daughter of a duke, Lady Isabelle’s pristine reputation is paramount. Her high status is how she’ll attract the titled suitor her mother insists she wed. When Belle’s chaperone falls ill en route to a party, she must pose as an independent widow to avoid gossip. Why not have a wee innocent flirtation with a handsome tailor staying at the same inn? She’ll be gone in the morning…
A sudden blizzard upends Calvin McAlistair’s plans when he’s snowbound at a posting-house. He has no time to play lady’s maid to the helpless beauty next door, no matter how much he enjoys unbuttoning the straitlaced widow. His future depends on impressing an important investor… who will ruin them both once they realize Calvin has spent a scandalous fortnight with Lady Isabelle!
The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. Twelve delightful romances… and plenty of delicious dukes!
THE 12 DUKES OF CHRISTMAS:
1. Once Upon a Duke
2. Kiss of a Duke
3. Wish Upon a Duke
4. Never Say Duke
5. Dukes, Actually
6. The Duke's Bride
7. The Duke's Embrace
8. The Duke's Desire
9. Dawn with a Duke
10. One Night with a Duke
11. Ten Days with a Duke
12. Forever Your Duke
Dawn with A Duke by Erica Ridley is book nine in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. I adored this book. The plot is fresh and unique. Ridley uses the forced proximity trope to spin her wonderful web. Lady Isabelle stops at an inn to care for her ailing maid when she and the hero Calvin McAlistair meet and get snowed in together. Calvin is the perfect flawed hero – reclusive, a bit shy, and sometimes a curmudgeon. He is also not of the aristocracy but a tailor. I liked him because I felt like I could relate to him and his desire for solitude. Lady Isabelle is a delightful heroine. She’s gentle and kind, trapped in the confines of nobility, Belle longs for more in life. Ridley shows her deeper understanding of women and their historical plight by accurately portraying Isabelle as a wealthy woman caught in the expectations of her family and society. Most of these women had very little say in their destiny. There is some steam in this story. Ridley does a magnificent job weaving the Regency Era and its trappings with a dream-like romance. So far, my favorite book in this series.
