The Good, the Bad and the Duke by Janna MacGregor 4 stars

The Cavensham Heiress #4.

I read the first two in the series, couldn't quite finish #3, but this one was pretty good. Former bad guy or annoying guy from the prior books gets his own story. Paul, the Duke has known Daphne's family since childhood. In fact, he is Daphne's secret crush, but there is bad blood between Paul and Daphne's brother and things are rather chilly. So bad boy is trying the redeem himself, but memories and attitudes last a long time. Other people never want to let him forget who he was, but people can change; there is a redemption arc there. Something happens to Daphne and we have trips to gambling dens and bad neighborhoods. In addition, there is a threat with a tabloid newspaper that has to solved with some b&e. Is there a happily ever after? Of course there is, so no worries there.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for this ARC

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke is the best book in the Cavensham Heiresses series so far. Janna MacGregor’s writing just gets better and better.
I have read the other 3 titles in this series and enjoyed them all. This title could be read on its own. The family relationships from the previous books are easily explained and understood.
Lady Daphne finds herself forgotten as her large family departs in haste for the Christmas holidays.
“With thought after thought, the truth slammed into Daphne, and she fought to maintain calm. If Alex thought she was with her mother and her mother thought she was with Alex, they wouldn’t discover she was missing until Christmas Day. She was truly home alone.”
The character of Paul, Duke of Southart, has appeared in the other books and was a rogue of the first order.
“You’re such a scoundrel.”
He gently bit the lobe of her ear. “Ah, you’re starting to recognize my strengths.”
It shows the writing skill of Janna MacGregor that she can take Paul’s character and redeem him from the wrongs he committed against Daphne’s family and extend family in the previous books in this series.
Forgiveness, paralyzing grief, redemption, the value of men’s friendships, family secrets, romance, intrigue, and sexy times! This book has it all.
Can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Took up the invite to read this title. For enjoyment, I’d rate 5 stars! This is the 4th installment in The Cavensham Heiresses’ series but I read this as a standalone.

Heroine finds herself left behind at the family’s town house in London as they were getting ready to leave for the Christmas holidays. The novel also deals with various themes: sense of identity, familial ties, and social stigma of which found very relatable.

Overall, the writing is very well done. Absolutely recommended! But I felt the cause of the mayhem wasn’t made part of the whole story. A brilliant finale nonetheless! Go read it :)

Paw?

I hate cats.

Why would she destroy a perfectly good tablecloth? Were no rags available?

Ow!

So his friend is no longer his friend. But was that before or after Alex married Paul's fiancee?

What is this, The Thornbirds?

You're a good man, Tait.

If suicide is stigmatized now, what must it have been like then.

She should just admit she was robbed.

A heroine with a strong will trying to start her own charity. A misguided hero trying to fix his reputation and build a hospital for his deceased brother. Can they help each other achieve their goals? Lady Daphne is accidentally left alone at her home in London. She decides to use her time alone to start working on her charity home for unwed mothers in tribute to her late sister. In doing so her diary is stolen which contains family secrets that must be retrieved! Along comes handsome duke Paul, her childhood friend and secret crush to the rescue. He decides to help her get the diary back in exchange for her help in salvaging his reputation. Together they help each other heal and find a love worth sacrificing all for. I love this book! I love how Paul treats Daphne, and vice versa. I love when Daphne says “He’s the only one who puts me first.” “He sees me”. Gives me goosebumps! Great read!

The Good, The Bad and The Duke by Janna MacGregor was an enjoyable romance. Abigail Linton, approaching 30 is the spinster in her family who takes care of everyone, while her siblings all take advantage of her, treating her like a servant. She takes her future into her own hands, finally and obtains a position as a governess to a young girl on an adjoining property. As a young girl she had a relationship with the girl's older brother, Max. They were confidantes and loved each other...promises were made.

After the death of Max's mother, his father took him, his brother and his young sister away to London and rarely returned to the estate. Max wrote letters to Abby and she to him, but they never received them and each thought the other had forgotten their promises. Now Max has returned to the estate with his unsavory friends, only to find Abby firmly ensconced in his home and soon in his life. As they come to know each other again, can their old hurts be forgiven?

Although I enjoyed the romantic aspect of this novel, I felt the characters were oddly developed. Abby, as a virginal spinster would never have acted as recklessly as she did with Max and then attempted to go on her merry way alone. Max, as a gentleman, would most likely not have taken advantage, although it seems that everyone else took advantage of her. I felt that if Abby would stop jumping to ridiculous conclusions and Max didn't get so angry, they could have resolved their problems much more easily. But then the book would have been much shorter!

“Friendship is really the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.” –Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

**Review May Contains Spoilers**
This review features book 4 in The Cavensham Heiresses series. Rating: MA: mature audience, adult themes, explicit-graphic sex scenes between consenting adults

Book 1: The Bad Luck Bride: [Clair & Alex]
Book 2: The Bride Who Got Lucky: [Emma & Nick]
Book 3: The Luck of the Bride: [March & Michael] 5-stars
Book 4: The Good, the Bad, and the Duke: [Paul & Daphne] expected pub date Nov 27, 2018
Book 5: Rogue Most Wanted: expected pub date June 25, 2019

I read book 3 ‘The Luck of the Bride’ and loved it. I was so looking forward to the next book in the series. When reading book 3, I CNPID [could-not-put-it-down], unfortunately, when trying to read book 4, I kept putting it down. That doesn’t usually happen. I could not stay with it. I’d pick it up and start again thinking I missed something only to put it down again. I finally gritted my teeth with a determination that I would read to the end.

What I liked: the reformed rake Lord Paul Barstowe, who later became the Duke of Southart. Bless his heart. I felt for him. His story was not a happy one. Dang!! I was so upset by his circumstances. Poor guy. We were pulled through the wringer with him in the highs and lows of his life. I was so frustrated that I wanted to do something violent like shake someone, punch my pillow or throw my device. Since I like my reading device, I decided to hang on to it.

What I didn’t like: I didn’t like any of these people. Especially the elder Lord Southart. That old-bastard can rot as far as I am concerned. He was evil. Then we have Lady whats-her-name. That would be Lady Daphne Hallworth, who got on my last nerve. She’s one of those stupid virgins that acts in a way that puts everyone in jeopardy and then is so innocent she can’t think her way out of a wet paper bag or see reason. I wanted to shake her silly. If she had only trusted Southart to do what he promised, then they could have stayed out of trouble. But no, she had to do it her way and set that bull-dog of a reporter on her trail. What the crap was she about as she continued to go out of her way to cause a scandal?

The story-line and resolution were predictable and telegraphed for all to see. That reporter was stupid when he had the story of the century in his hands. Anyone that knows reporters knows that once they get the whiff of a story/scandal, they are a burr you cannot shake. That fire was out too quickly for the time period. Half of London should have burned down, the print shop or his building at the least. Everything felt contrived and forced.

The backstory involved characters from books 1&2, which I have not read. However, I did not enjoy their presence in this story as I did when they were in book 3. They were awful. Their anger and resentment flowed throughout the story trying to create angst between the men. The only problem was it didn’t ring true. It felt contrived and forced and then was suddenly resolved and everyone was making kissy-face with each other. No way!! I didn’t believe it for a second.

“What happens this weekend stays between us. We set the rules.” –Jayson James, Summer Escape

Don’t even get me started on the sex scenes. Man, that ticked me off even more. This little virgin/trollop was not plausible in the least. She was way too aggressive for an innocent and it was just wrong. I didn’t like her at all.

I volunteered to read an uncorrected digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley. The views expressed are my own. Projected publication date: 27 Nov 2018.

Daphne takes a stroll in the park and sits on a bench to write in her journal. A street urchin comes up to her begs a coin and steels both her reticule (purse) and her journal. Daphne gives chase and hesitates when she sees him entering a gaming hell. She enters through a side door and inside the Duke, Paul Barstowe, recognizes her as his old friend and whisks her away from prying eyes. They team up to recover her reticule and journal which starts some grand adventures and deliciously romantic encounters.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was fun, not always true to the time period but so well done we will give it a bye. Daphne and Paul were made for each other. I was delighted that they didn’t take forever getting to the reality of their love. The story takes place over the Christmas holiday and there is even an impromptu carol singing in the dark London streets. This is a standalone but a good part of the story rests on what happened in the first books of this series (THE BAD LUCK BRIDE and THE LUCK OF THE BRIDE). For full enjoyment you may want to read those first although this one can be enjoyed by itself with no proble

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DUKE by Janna MacGregor has a beautiful cover. Yes, I know I’m being shallow in that respect, but I do love stories with a holiday theme and it was the cover that pulled me in. Well, that and the title — who could resist that? I do admit, however, that I was a bit hesitant when I read the introductory blurb. Home alone at Christmas? Wasn’t that a movie a long time ago? But a Christmastime romance was just too good to pass up, although in hindsight, I kind of wish I had.

Paul (the Duke) and Daphne (who’s home alone) had known each other years ago, but have not been in contact for a very long time due to a serious falling-out between Paul and Daphne’s brother. In a series of misadventures, they meet each other in London at Christmastime. Thus ensues further misadventures which, among many, includes clashing with each other over the desire to purchase the same London property, each for their own philanthropic plans, and the need to retrieve Daphne’s journal, which an enterprising guttersnipe has stolen.

I can only admit that I found the book, which was gifted to me as an ARC, tedious. It was complex, with so many plots and subplots swirling around that it became difficult for me to stay focused, especially because any sort of resolution seemed beyond grasp. I got the impression that the characters were having as much difficulty as I was to stay focused. For these reasons, I can only provide a lukewarm recommendation of this novel.

4.5 stars - I enjoyed this read, thoroughly! I love a good redemption, friends to lovers story. She’d had a crush on him since forever and he’s always appreciated her friendship, but he’s starting to see her differently. Watch the pieces fall into place is a real treat from start to finish.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this historical romance although I did think the story line of Paul was dragged on for a little too long. It seemed like every time something good was going to happen something bad would prevent the truth from coming out. I like the sparks between Daphne & Paul & seeing their relationship develop was enjoyable. Overall a good read.

Nothing like a falling for your brother's best friend story. In this case it is brother's ex-best friend, a duke who is generally regarded as a rake which certainly adds some spice. I really loved Daphne and Paul's history and the feelings that grow from childhood adoration into more. The reason this read was more of a like than a love for me was that there was so much going on in the plot that nothing seemed to be focused on enough to be more than a distraction. From orphans, to family secrets, to dueling real estate concerns, to making amends for past wrongs, to declarations of independence, and more, there was so much going on that nothing seemed overly important. There were moments that I really loved but they were quieter scenes that showed Paul's soft side.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really like the good, the bad, and the duke. This is third in a series but it is not essential one read the previous books in order to understand this one. The duke is trying to redeem himself and get back his friendship because of what he did in the previous books so you may miss some of why the duke and his friends are at odds for much of the book. However, this book is a romance and that part really works. Daphne has loved the duke since she was a child and he saved her from a magpie. Now Daphne has been forgotten in London for Christmas and worse yet her diary has been stolen. The diary that contains secrets that could ruin her family. She is also close to becoming a spinster and rather than marry she wants to open a home for unwed mothers. The duke wants to help Daphne so she will help him regain his friendship with her brother but instead he falls for Daphne even though he does not feel worthy of her. This is a fun book to send a few hours with.

***ARC was provided to me for a fair and honest review***

Overall rating: 4/5 Fun Christmas time story with a charming romance.

Heroine (Daphne): 5/5 She’s a lady who is content to be spinster and wants to honor her dead sister by building a charity for unwed mothers. She knows what she wants and will fight for it

Hero (Paul): 4/5 He is a newly reformed rake who has inherited a duchy who wants to honor his dead brother by building a charity hospital.

Plot: 3/5 Daphne accidently gets left behind while the family travels to their country estate for the christmas holiday. During a visit to the park to deal with the accidental abandonment she gets her bag stolen with her private journal inside. She runs into Paul, Duke of Stouthart in the attempt to get the journal back. He agrees to help if she can help repair his friendship with her brother. While on their mission to get the journal back they also find that they are bidding on the same land for their respective charities. Despite all the family animosity the pair start to explore their feelings for one another.

Personal Review: I enjoyed the story, Daphne and Paul have really good chemistry and are fun to read. Most of the side characters are from previous stories and were fleshed out in their respective stories. Though this is a sequel it can be enjoyed as a stand alone.

My one issue is with their conflicts, there is just too many. I wish either the Garland storyline or the charity/land storyline got to be more of a focus and developed more. The search took up most of the story but once the thief is caught (a young orphan boy) we could have gotten to know his character better especially with how they dealt with him. It would have made him more sympathetic.

A very romantic story. Daphne has always been infatuated with Paul. After she finds she’s in a bit of a jam he comes to her rescue but she has to promise to help him also. With lots of adventure they manage to accomplish both. Love their characters in the story.

In this fourth book in the terrific Caversham Heiress series Paul, Duke of Southart, tries to redeem himself by aiding Daphne, sister of Paul’s once-best friend, Alexander Hallworth, Marquess of Pembrooke. Daphne has accidentally been left behind in the chaos as her family headed off to their country estate for the holidays. Rather than follow, she decides it might be nice to have some time alone. Paul and Daphne are in conflict as they both have their sights set on the same property – Daphne to build a home for unwed mothers-to-be, in honor of her late sister, and Paul to build a hospital specializing in the illness that killed his older brother. But when Daphne’s journal, filled with personal musings that would hurt and embarrass her family, is taken, she turns to Paul for help in getting it back. Paul, hoping for a chance to heal the rift with his friends, agrees. But it’s not as simple as it would seem. Wonderfully complex characters, who played peripheral parts in the earlier novels, take a well-deserved center stage here. Thank goodness there is a number five in the works.

Well-drawn characters and growing tension gripped me despite the mostly predictable progression of this story. Do not take this as a detriments, as the genre lends itself to predictability. The tale itself was well told.

I adore this series! Paul and Daphne are such a fun love story and I had been waiting for Paul's story! I read this in one sitting and when I was done I wanted to read the series over again! Janna is so great with her world building and characters. Her storylines always have so much that happen. I feel like it could be BBC series! Haha! Love it!

This is Book 4 in the Cavensham Heiress series. If you have not read the first two (book 3 is a good standalone), you'll be confused at the beginning. There is a sweet prologue that immediately pulled me in and endeared me to both Daphne and Paul. However, then the storylines of Books 1 & 2 were dropped in, and names and titles all started to run together. MacGregor flips between calling characters by their first names and their titles, which is plausibly what some of the titled did in real life, but can be disorienting if a reader is not familiar with the characters. Once Daphne and Paul's individual story really began, the storylines from Claire and Emma's books were less necessary and the reader is able to just go with it. Daphne is 25 years old, unmarried, independently wealthy, and virtually invisible to her family. Paul is now a Duke, but he's trying to recover from a self-inflicted poor reputation and all his bad choices when he was young and not yet a Duke. To make it harder, Paul's deceased father is taunting him from the grave.. Daphne and Paul were friends before (see the prologue) but the events of earlier books, mean they can't be friends any more. Nevertheless, Daphne and Paul find themselves thrown together in the days before Christmas, and make a deal to help each other. Daphne must recover something that was stolen from her; Paul wants his friendship back with her brother, Alex. On the road to HEA, Daphne shows herself to be stronger than the average spinster, with plenty of spirit and determination to do what she feels she needs to do - whether it's entering a gambling hell to recover her stolen property, or building the home for unwed mothers that will not appeal to the ton. Paul, on the other hand, takes the long road to believing himself worthy and therefore worthy of Daphne. It's not often that we have a hero who is so certain he is not good enough - especially one who is a Duke - though he does make the standard mistake of believing he therefore knows what's best for both himself and for Daphne, without asking her of course.. He's also sloppy with his follow up, though Daphne maintains her faith in his promises. I really liked both characters and it was easy to cheer them on, especially Daphne. When she stood up for herself, I applauded. Paul, I often wanted to shake him. Luckily he pulls it together. Side characters are interesting and provide both needed comic relief and perspective to each of the characters. Fans of the series and MacGregor will enjoy this one. Those readers who are new to MacGregor, should start with the Bad Luck Bride and read the series in order..

Oh boy did I pick the wrong time to be reading an advance copy of an historical romance. I happened to start this book just in time for the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, and I hated just about every dude in the world at that point, and THEN I dove into some historical romance tropes that I already abhor to top off all of the latent rage. So I'm prefacing this entire review with that disclaimer, because it's possible that at another time, I might have had some different, less irritated feelings about this one.

Lady Daphne Hallworth gets left behind in London during the holidays when both her brother and her mother think she is with the other on their journeys out to the country. Rather than follow them immediately, she revels in her newfound freedom, planning for her future life of independence. Her plans get thrown a bit out of wack when her reticule is stolen. She doesn't care about the bag itself, or the money inside—no, she is concerned about her personal journal with VERY intimate information being revealed. Not only does she have private information about her sister's death that would cause pain for everyone if it came to light, but she also has some very detailed fantasies that would be super embarrassing. When she runs into a gambling hell to attempt to retrieve it, she encounters an estranged family friend—Paul, Duke of Southart—who wants to help protect her reputation and get her journal back. Romance ensues, as it tends to do in books like this.

I do appreciate the fact that Daphne is not a 16-year-old, or even 18-year-old, young girl who is drawn in by a rake. She is a 28-year-old woman who might be considered a spinster well settled on the shelf. And I think MacGregor did a solid job of showing that, when you like someone, even a small gesture can have a huge impact. But from there, it was kind of downhill for me. The most annoying thing is, I think this book is actually attempting to show a relationship and people ahead of their times. For example, one of Daphne's aims is that, as an independent woman, she wants to open a home for unwed mothers. Not something that you typically see represented during this time in romances. And then, you'll get a moment like this in chapter four: "Paul's gaze strayed to her velvet dress, which emphasized her straight backside and hugged her plump, perfectly shaped bottom, which begged for a man's touch." Now, it's a romance book, of course there are going to be descriptions and appreciation of body parts; it's the editorializing of "begged for a man's touch" that really irks me. And as much as there seems to be an attempt at showing that both of them have equal power in the relationship, and Paul is not the most alpha of alpha males that I've seen, he also still says and thinks things like whether or not he'd "allow" certain men to be around Daphne. Not exactly a woke bae attitude, even for the time and place.

Beyond that, there was some phrasing that stood out to me in an incredibly negative way. Something like, "He could feel her feminine softness unfurl around him." What? Or, "His cock was currently throwing a temper tantrum that it had been teased without any promise of a release in the near future." Or even, "Immediately, his cock twitched like a setter ready to point. Or a pampered lapdog begging for a treat." Yikesssss.

Here are some of the historical romance tropes in this book:

Second son in line to nobility, a playboy who has to straighten up and fly right when his older brother dies unexpectedly.
Not only was he a playboy, but he got around and everyone knows of his prowess.
Man smells like sandalwood.
Man gives woman a stupid and annoying nickname that he uses incessantly even after she has asked him to stop.
Man is tumescent immediately and always in her presence, and has an animal draw to her so he just can't control herself. (LITERALLY THE LAST THING I NEEDED TO READ ABOUT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME WAS MEN WHO JUST CAN'T CONTROL THEMSELVES BECAUSE DICKS AND TESTOSTERONE AND THE SOCIETAL ALLOWANCE THAT MEN DON'T HAVE POWER OVER THEIR URGES.)
Now I'm not necessarily shitting on tropes; they're formulaic because they work, and the romance book world is a billion-dollar-a-year industry. So they're doing something right. But these are some of my least favourite, so it irked me even more.

And the icing on the cake? OF COURSE she winds up pregnant in the epilogue. Because what is a historical romance heroine for but to fulfill the egotism of reproduction.

So anyway, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The book's publish date is November 27, and you can find more information here.