Regency Christmas story, because it is never too early to read a Christmas story, but it was not my cup of tea mostly due to the fact that I didn't like the 2 main characters for different reasons, plus in my opinion it was a little bit too long.

Storia regency di natale, perché non é mai troppo presto per leggere una storia di natale, che peró non mi è piaciuta molto, soprattutto perché i due personaggi principali, per ragioni diverse, non sono mai entrati in sintonia con me, e poi era anche troppo lungo secondo me.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

I enjoy reading this book. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. I fell in love with Paul and Daphne. Their love story was so sweet, lovely and touchy. The writing style was so good. I will definitely add this author to my reading list.

I have not been disappointed with any of Ms. MacGregors books. Paul is the Duke of Southart who is trying to become a better man by taken his place in society. He wants to open a hospital in his beloved brothers name so Doctors have a place to do research and help cures for illnesses. He finds he is having to prove himself in more ways than one to society.

Daphne is left behind by her family when they leave to celebrate Christmas at her brothers country estate. when she goes for a walk in the park she is set upon by a third who stills her ritacule which contains a journal which she writes her deepest thoughts. She follows the thief to a gaming hell and runs into the Duke of Southart who happens to be her brothers former best friend. But Daphne brings out his instinct to protect her. While trying to find the thief and her journal they both help each other heal.

I enjoyed this book very much. I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

First of all I have to say, that I really enjoyed reading parts about Daphne, because she was charming, wasn't afraid to stand for herself and her believes, although she made some mistakes, the things she did, made her even more relatable.

I also enjoyed reading about relationship between Daphne and her family it was refreshing to see how real everything was. You could see, that even if they loved each other immensely, they also felt frustrated with each other or even mad. That's how family dynamics really are.

Speaking about Daphne and Paul.. Well, I liked how Paul tried to do the best he could for her. Or how he tried to help Daphne cope with her grief. But, and that's where my rating started to go down, Paul made me roll my eyes on several occasions. He just couldn't stop whining about how bad he was, how it was his destiny, how he ruined everything he touched. Sometimes he reminded me of a teenager.

Also the other thing, that I was not so crazy about, was a writing style. For me it was a little bit too flowery. Sometimes I even skipped some paragraphs or even pages because of it.

In conclusion, I must say, that this genre is my guilty pleasure, so there is no wonder I read many books with similar stories. That's why it's becoming more and more difficult to be surprised by plot twists or the characters actions. Unfortunately the same happened with this book.

I don't know if I read more books in this series, but you should try it. Maybe you will like it more than me.

This is the first book I've read by Janna MacGregor and while I do love reading Regency or historical romance, The Good, the Bad, and the Duke was a bit overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it was still a great book with a touching story of redemption and forgiveness, but there were too many characters and all of the characters were introduced all at once and without really giving much detail on all of the characters. This for me is a major turnoff when it comes to storytelling as it seems that authors are trying too hard to get the reader's attention - but that's just my own personal opinion.

The main characters, Paul, the Duke of Southart and Lady Daphne, the sister of a Marquis are old friends since childhood. With more than ten years apart in their ages, their friendship was a tenacious one. But one kind act when Daphne was nine years old forever embedded the Duke's selfless gesture in her young mind. Sixteen years later, and after some fallout between her brother and Paul, their friendship inevitably stopped and Paul had become a sore spot in the lives of all that were involved. This was where it got confusing for me and after some research, I realized that Paul and Daphne came from a previous story which had I read, all the minor characters might not have been so frustrating. Still, it would have been nice if the author hadn't thrown in so many characters from the start of the story. I don't mind supporting characters, but I'd like them to have some importance and add value either to the story or for the main characters.

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke, was however a very enjoyable read if I didn't allow the minor characters to confuse or frustrate me. I liked Paul immediately and the way the author wrote him made him a reluctant hero. He was jilted by his father, his friends, and his peers all because he was trying to make his father happy. His father, the previous Duke however, was never happy with Paul and had doted heavily on his older brother, Robbie. The only saving grace for Paul was Robbie but after both father and brother died, Paul was very much a recluse.

Years later when Daphne and Paul's worlds collide again, Daphne still saw the goodness in Paul that she had witnessed when she was nine years old. Paul is desperate to mend the friendship between her brother, Alex, and himself and enlists Daphne's help. As the story slowly unfolds, we find out that Daphne was always smitten with Paul and held him dear to her heart - unbeknownst to anyone. Because of the huge rift between Alex and Paul, she hid her true feelings for Paul until their paths keep crossing and she sees that Paul really does want to mend his friendship.

There are some very endearing moments in this story, and I liked how Paul's vulnerability is slowly revealed. His hardness was a slow but direct result of what his father did to him when he was younger. But a huge secret is revealed which makes Paul withdraw from Daphne. Although they shared similar goals, alas, Paul didn't want to ruin Daphne should his secret be revealed. Add in a very diligent and hateful reporter who is hard on the heels of Paul and will do anything to ruin him and his Dukedom. But Paul will also do anything to protect Daphne and her reputation.

There is a lot going on in this story so hold on tight! It was a very engaging book and if you look past all the minor characters that kept popping up without any significant reasons, you'll find that this story had a great message to tell. Paul was a wonderful character full of heart and disgrace and patience. Daphne was a sweet, although sometimes too naive lady who only wanted Paul's affections and love. Does the couple end up together after all the pitfalls and obstacles? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Thank you Netgalley and Janna MacGregor.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. Lady Daphne Hallworth ends up alone for the holidays. She uses the time to write in her personal diary and work on plans for the home for unwed mothers she wants to open. Someone steals her diary, and she discovers her brothers former best friend, now enemy, Paul Barstowe, Duke of Southart, is bidding on the same property she wants for her charity project. Paul is trying to improve his reputation, and wants to open a hospital to honor his brother. Daphne and Paul make an agreement for him to help get her diary back in exchange for her help changing her family's opinion of him. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This is the fourth book in the series and my favorite so far. Paul was already working on himself when the story starts. He struggles on his path to becoming a better person as he’s been scarred by his past. I really enjoyed reading as he came to grips with his past and how he saw himself. I thought him a very compelling character. Daphne also undergoes change as she decides she wants to pursue her own interests and not continue to live according to her family’s expectations.

I thought the twist in the story was good and I found the ending to be highly satisfying.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Fairly typical historical romance. Ruthless rake with redeeming qualities who is reformed by the love of a good woman. Said good woman is full of character and beautiful.

Lady Daphne Hallworth has been a good daughter and sister since her younger sister Alice passed away. She’s tried by all means to be a proper lady and remain out of trouble, even if it means not being true to herself, but as time goes by and she feels she’s become invisible to her family she makes the decision to embrace spinsterhood and the life she wants.
Lord Paul Barstowe was a second son and not likely to inherit the title, but when his father dies right after his older brother, he becomes the Duke of Southart. The former dissolute has to clean his reputation in order to garner the respect of his peers and to make possible his dream of opening a hospital to honor his dead brother.
Having read most books in the series, I agree that Lord Paul’s story had to be the most expected one. He’s one of the most interesting characters from the first book and it’s hard to know how good or bad he actually is until you read this book.
I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Paul and Daphne are a great couple and their story is a special one. I liked the plot and there was one twist I never saw coming. All of this made this book a really good read and my favorite from the series thus far.
I hope we get to read about Lord William and Mr. Farris at some point now that there aren’t any more Cavensham Heiresses.

Not certain why, but I had difficulty reading this book. I enjoyed the beginning and the endin, but basically skipped the middle of the book.

Like another title I read recently, this title is a standalone but numerous characters from previous titles are mentioned and it can get confusing, especially if, like me, you didn’t read the previous titles. This wasn’t enough to keep me from enjoying the title, though.

Probably my bigger problem with the entire book was the fact that Daphne almost seemed to switch personalities at times. She’s always tried to play the good girl for her parents because of her sister’s past but supposedly that isn’t really her. She seemed to easily lose her spark for someone that was supposed to be so spunky.

This was the first book I read in this series and really appreciated it.
The heroine is a strong woman and the love interest if fascinating.
It was an enjoyable and entertaining read that made me laugh and root for the heroine.
The style of writing is good, the characters great and the plot was lovely.
Recommended!
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC

This is book 4 in the Cavensham heiresses by Janna MacGregor. I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Daphne was very sassy and sweet, and Paul, well a Rake. The chemistry between them was electric. Daphne new what she wanted and went for it. The sexyness between the sheets was spot on. Very HOT.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book and all the thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks Netgalley and St' Martins.

Rated 3.5 - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DUKE by Janna MacGregor romps through London with another of THE CAVENSHAM HEIRESSES. This one is book four.

Upon the death of his father and his oldest brother, Lord Paul Barstowe became the Duke of Southart. Always considered the spare heir by his father, Paul feels ill-prepared and not necessarily well-received for this new station in life, due to his past transgressions. He is trying to redeem himself through a hospital charity to advance treatment of rheumatic fever for those suffering like his late brother. And by apologizing to those he offended in the past.

In Paul’s defense, his father always treated him with disrespect, which probably attributed to his devil-may-care attitude. Even after his death, his father torments him with continuous small debts just to embarrass him. What more can he do to him from his deathbed? Time will tell.

But Lady Daphne Hallworth, one of the Cavensham heiresses, knew Paul as her brother’s best friend and has special memories of his kindness to her as a young girl. Even though Paul thinks of her fondly, and is grateful for her belief in him, her family hates him and will never approve of them together.

But fate is a funny thing. When almost spinster Lady Daphne is overlooked as the family leaves for the holidays, each thinking she has gone with another, she finds herself alone in London for Christmas. Not wanting to ruin her brother’s holiday by asking him to come back for her, she decides to celebrate alone. When a young thief steals her reticule in the park, he steals more than her money. Her reputation, as well as her family’s, is in jeopardy if a certain gossip rag reporter gets his hands on her journal. This is just the beginning of the trouble she gets into with and without Paul, who tries to help her.

I picked this book for review because I do love a Regency Christmas-themed romance. It wasn’t what I expected, as I was hoping for a house party full of family and friends. I do love a reformed rake, but I just never warmed up to this one and found his obsession with his lust irritating. Even though he acted like he wanted to do right by Daphne, he did things they both might regret. I didn’t feel he put her first as much as he thought he did.

Paul is very down on himself and what he’s done in his past. He wants approval of his peers, especially since he’ll be working with them in Parliament. But he struggles with good-guy/bad-guy syndrome, always a step away from falling back into his past. He seems like a real sad sack sometimes – not the self-assured guy I thought he would be.

Daphne, on the other hand, has always been the good girl. She’s ready to do what she wants without her family’s approval. I get that she’s seeking her independence, but she pushed the boundaries, even when Paul asked her to stay out of a situation that could be her ruin. I began to doubt her good sense when she wouldn’t listen to reason. But she also has her sister’s death haunting her, which helps her sympathize with Paul.

All this sounds like a good novel, but repetitive descriptions and situations made me think it would have worked better as a novella. I’ll be curious what fans of the series think, because I think I should have been more familiar with these characters to appreciate their story more. I really wanted to like this couple, but they continued to rub me indifferent with their behavior. I think the author did a good job explaining how all the characters were related to one another, so I didn’t get lost.

The villain is extra creepy and well thought out for this time period. His nasty gossip rag entitles him to do whatever he wants without thought to anyone’s feelings. Pretty much like cyber bullying today.

A catch-me-if-you-can romance, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DUKE takes readers on a merry chase through seedy locations a lady should never tread. Their battles over good and evil often elicit a good chuckle. Good girl Daphne wants to be a little bad with the right man who hopefully can keep her out of terrible trouble. The epilogue will make you smile.

Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies.

The story itself isn't bad, but I did not like the author's writing style. It's very over the top and like the author is trying too hard to be "literary" with a metaphor or simile in every other sentence. This prevented me from finishing the whole book. Since I didn't finish it, I will refrain from posting a review elsewhere.

4 Stars!! This was a really great book! I really enjoyed reading the love story between Daphne & Paul. I also enjoyed reading and reacquainting myself with the past characters from the previous books I’ve read in this series & where their stories have led. I wasn’t that crazy about Paul & how he handles a situation towards the end- he made such a big deal over it but I guess it was a big deal to people back then. This was still a great read! If you’re a fan of historical romance that has some sexy scenes along with- a bit of mystery, a few hints of possible scandal, a few smile worthy moments, a dash of intrigue, coupled with the unveiling of a few life altering secrets all while 2 people fall madly in love, than this is the book for you! This is the 4th book in ‘The Cavensham Heiresses series’, but it can be read as a standalone. I’ve read all of the previous books in the series & enjoyed reading all of them & look forward to reading all future books in this series!
*I received this book at no charge from the publisher.*

FOR ME THIS IS REALLY A 3.5 READ

Daphne has known Paul since she was a little girl. She has always admired him and seen the best in him, even when no one else did.

Paul has been a less than perfect person. His misdeeds have caused Daphne's brother, his former best friend, to become disgusted enough to end their friendship. When his older brother and father both die, Paul inherits the title. He is a duke.

He tries to overcome his sins by being a much better person. He begins to live a better and more productive life.

When Daphne loses her journal she is willing to do anything and everything to recover it. She is afraid that all her inner thoughts will be published and ruin her family.

She even goes into a gambling hell to try and recover her property. Paul finds her and attempts to protect her from anyone seeing her or knowing she is there. Paul will do anything he can to protect her. He is strongly attracted to her, but feels he is not good enough for her. And of course her family would never approve of any relationship between the two.

Paul has been less than heroic in the past, but in reality he is a good man who is working toward doing good in the world. He is bright and funny and thoughtful.

Daphne is not my favorite heroine. In fact, she would not be in my top ten.

Daphne was not consistent as a person. She behaved in a manner which would never have been realistic for the time. If one is afraid her writing may bring shame on herself and her family, I would not expect her to be insisting she go to a gaming hell. For me, she seemed to have gone from a tomboy who was funny, bright and thoughtful to a young woman who is self involved and very stubborn.

In this book, I felt there were too many inner thoughts and not enough actions. It would be difficult for someone to follow the cast of characters and their relationships if they were not familiar with the earlier books.

I loved the first 3 books in the series. Ms MacGregor writes wonderful plots and characters who are entertaining. This series has been one of my favorites.

I look forward to the next in Ms MacGregor's series. She writes with humor and warmth. She has created a group of characters who drew me into their stories.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

This is my first dip into the Cavasham heiresses world and...I must say, while I can see that Paul did some questionable things in the past, I never got the feeling he was a bad guy, exactly. Maybe that's because the circumstances behind why he acted the way he acted were pretty clear. Family can mess a person up something fierce and Paul's father wasn't exactly the best example of fatherhood a boy could know.

Which isn't an excuse (okay, maybe it is), but, all in all, I think Paul didn't do too badly. (I might change my mind if I read the earlier books, however. But my initial impression wasn't of a bad guy, just a guy doing questionable things for all the wrong reasons.)

But this isn't all Paul's book. Daphne has a starring role, too. She's...mourning, I think. Even though time has passed since her sister's death, she wasn't given the chance to mourn properly and it drove her to cling to her sadness instead of addressing it. It isn't until she's left behind and comes back into contact with Paul that she begins to come alive again.

I haven't been reading a whole lot of historicals recently, so this was a nice literary break from the usual. Daphne and Paul had issues hey needed to work through and, by gum, they did just that. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

Janna MacGregor continues to put out a Romance that will make you laugh, make you cry and most of all make you love the characters. Daphne and Paul are the couple every romance reader loves. This book will be one you cannot wait to turn the page on. Daphne and Paul are kindred sprits who cannot help but be together.

Reading Janna's book is always a pleasure, especially when the whole scene comes full of the Christmas spirit... and a passionate and human couple.

Yes, human because they are not perfect. In fact, Daphne Hallworth as anyone has her questions but she tries to be the best person to those around her.

On the other hand, we have Paul Barstowe. He made a mistake in the past and got everyone away from him. But he was not a bad person!

In tribute to his brother, Paul wants to build a hospital and take away the bad impression people have of him.
When Daphne loses her diary - and on those pages contained the true face of her - Paul helps her to find it, and together they fight the greatest of battles: to hide their real feelings for each other.