Paul Barstowe is now the Duke of Southart. His brother, Robbie, whom he adored, had died as a result of rheumatic fever. His father loved Robbie but not Paul. To retaliate against his father, Paul spent a number of years gambling and acting like a true rake. Now, he has a reputation to repair. Paul wants to build a hospital that will treat patients with rheumatic fever and eventually found more hospitals to treat patients with other devastating illnesses.

Lady Daphne is the sister of Alexander (Alex), the Marquis of Pembrooke. Paul and Alex had been good friends when they were younger but an incident that occurred has marred that friendship. Paul knew young Daphne as a child and admired her stubborn ways. Daphne lost her sister, Alice, to suicide when the young woman found herself pregnant and unwed. Now, Daphne is 25, and a wealthy heiress. She wants to found a home for pregnant and unwed mothers.

When Daphne’s brother and sister-in-law head to their home in the country for Christmas and her mother and stepfather head to their own home as well, a mix-up occurs which finds Daphne left alone in the London home. Each of the groups thought Daphne was with the other. Sadly, having been under her brother’s thumb for so many years, she tends to be ignored. Rather than hire a carriage to join them, she decides to simply stay in the London house with the under-Butler and his mother to care for her.

A walk in the park ends up with her reticule and journal being stolen by an urchin. Giving chase, she follows him to a gaming hell but can’t get the journal. When Paul sees her there, he rescues her and promises to help her get her journal. This allows them to spend some alone time together. However, it will not do for her to be recognized with him in a gaming hell of all places. Joining forces, they plot to get her journal back before family secrets can be revealed.

There are a lot of characters thrown at the reader early on which can make it difficult to grasp who is who, which is pet peeve of mine when reading a book. I found Sophie to be immature and naive. Paul is impetuous and too ready to fall on his sword. (“…I’m not worthy…”) In fairness, there is some clever dialogue with the children. The best part is Rufina, the kitten. I’m always a sucker for a kitten in a story.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A lady with a noble mission. A duke looking for redemption. A forbidden love that cannot be denied…

Lady Daphne Hallworth is ready to celebrate the holidays with her family. But when they accidentally leave her home alone, Daphne uses the time to work on her dream—opening a home for unwed mothers. But her quest isn’t problem-free: She’s in a battle to win the property for the home against her brother’s best friend-turned-enemy, Paul Barstowe, Duke of Southart. And that’s not all: someone has stolen her personal diary, which holds secrets that could devastate her family. Daphne has always harbored private feelings for the man her family scorns…though perhaps striking a bargain with the handsome Duke will solve both their problems?

Paul, long considered good for nothing, aims to open a hospital to honor his brother and restore his reputation. So when a conflict over the land brings him straight into Daphne’s life, they make a deal: He will help her find her diary if Daphne can change her family’s opinion of him. But before he can win her family’s affection, he has to win hers first. Maybe love was the answer to their family feud all along?

Review:
This the fourth book in the series, there is no need to read them in order to enjoy the story. I would recommend reading them though, because they are good reads. The author does a great job of catching up those who have not read the other books, but if you have read them you will recognize some of the secondary characters if you read the other books in the series.
Daphne is passionate, stubborn and very strong and gets in a sticky situation that has her running into Paul and he decides he must help her. Paul has had a hard, lonely life and now has to deal with being Duke. He does know that he wants to care and protect Daphne though she thwarts him at every turn. The building of the passion between them is hot and fun to read. There are plenty of romance, secrets and drama to keep me interested until the end.
Overall, if you want a well written, historical romance with sweetness and spice, then throw in some drama and action and this is for you.

4Stars
* I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

I liked this very much and I'm glad to finally read Lord Paul Barstow's story such a shame that the Lady Daphne wants nothing to do with him.

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

perfect ending! The duke sure had some issues and Daphne tried too hard to be perfect. But the story was a good one with some twists that were intriguing. The gambling hall was a good addition to the story too. I found the book to be interesting and entertaining. I liked it!

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke by Janna MacGregor. I have to say I have read Janna’s books before and have enjoyed all that I read. This is no exception. This book is filled with so many heart felt emotions. Daphne is trying to get the property for her shelter and find her diary that could devastate her family. Paul, her brother’s former friend, agrees to help Daphne is exchange for her help to change her family’s opinion of him. I received an advance copy from Net Galley for an honest review.

This romance really starts with one of my worst nightmares: having a journal—chock full of salacious imaginings and big secrets and worst and best moments—stolen. The journal belongs to Lady Daphne Hallworth, a beautiful 25-year-old spinster who has taken refuge in writing—and good behavior—since the death of her sister.

How far will she go to get it back?

Pretty far. First, a gambling hall. And when her first efforts aren’t successful, she’ll even accept help from Paul Barstowe, Duke of Southart, her brother’s former best friend whom she admired as a child, despite his hellion reputation. That reputation has only grown worse, and for good reason. Throughout his life, Paul sought to instigate responses from his cold, cruel father by being a debauched wastrel, and now he has to confront the sins of his past.

He wants to be a better man, but redemption is hard in an elite society where people remember everything, especially those who break convention. Society’s censure is worst when it comes to women, a fact that drives Daphne to search for her journal even harder once a page from her journal is printed in a famous rag newspaper (ahh, worst nightmare!).

Helping Daphne find her journal can be a way for Paul to win some favor back from her brother. It’s another way for him to redeem himself. But Paul and Daphne are also drawn to one another, despite both being aware of the obstacles they face. Can Daphne forgive Paul for the man he was? And more important, can Paul find himself worthy of lasting happiness?

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke is the second MacGregor book that I’ve read, and there was so much that I enjoyed about it. MacGregor is a fine writer who skillfully portrays the elite society the characters live in—their homes, their dress, their motivations and fears. And she doesn’t hold back in the physical department. The interactions between Paul and Daphne are flirtatious, provocative, and surprisingly steamy. Daphne is particularly enjoyable on this end—she’s imaginative and bold in ways that I admired and appreciated (even if I was a little confused about where all of that came from, given her innocence and the time period, etc.).

The romance between them was beautiful—how they each see something in the other that others don’t see. That’s what I loved most about this sweet, seductive book. Both Paul and Daphne have second chances to re-invent themselves. For Paul, it’s about becoming someone better; for Daphne, it’s about becoming someone less outwardly perfect. And if the characters are brave enough, they can meet each other in the middle.

**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, but all opinions provided are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! Watching Daphne go through a phase of learning about herself and deciding she's going to live life for herself and stop trying to please others. Paul had to be taught that he was worth something. That someone actually believed in him and loved him for himself. Daphne had loved him since she was a child and it took her awhile to realize it and to figure out who was most important in her life. Well worth the read! Thank you NetGally for the advanced copy!

This was a very entertaining read. I liked the characters of Daphne and Paul. Daphne had been the dutiful daughter and sister but now she decided she would live her life as she wanted. Paul had led a reckless life but was now trying to change for the better. I enjoyed the way Paul went out of his way to help Daphne and I loved the connection between each other. A number of events threaten their relationship not the least being Paul’s estrangement from Daphne’s brother. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was really excited for this book and while THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DUKE wasn't a complete winner it had its charm. Let me start by telling you what I didn't like:

♦ Wordy and long-winded: the story was stretched out, the writing a little too descriptive and flowery for my taste and repetitive because:
♦ The hero, Paul, kept having glum inner thoughts about how he didn't deserve the heroine. He also blamed himself for things he couldn't influence, playing the martyr.
♦ The heroine, Daphne, had some very dumb ideas born from defiance. Going into a very dangerous area of London alone with an "escort" because Paul told her it would be better for her to stay away...and it wasn't only that one time. She kept doing it.
♦ Language: Now, I'm in no way a historical language pro but words like "Plus,..." instead of additionally and "full of yourself" don't feel very historical - the language felt a little to modern. Granted, we don't get any idea what era this is supposed to be set in so who knows...
♦ The hero's nickname for the heroine: Moonbeam? Really? I cringed everything he said it.

Daphne had a backbone I admired. She defended her love for the hero and stood up to her (idiotic) brother (who was the hero of Book #1). She also didn't accept that the hero kept belittling himself. She showed him his worth beyond his lineage and helped him carry the pain from his childhood with a cold father.

Paul was, despite his doomsday moods, incredibly sweet and very endearing. He was so blindsided by his love for Daphne and was ready to take on her brother, who used to be his best friend but despised him now (and I never really found out why exactly - a little more detail wouldn't have been unappreciated). I adored him for supporting her in every aspect of her life, how he made her believe in herself and taught her to deal with grief.

While I had some issues with the characters and the writing I actually enjoyed this Christmas story a lot. Janna MacGregor shows promise and I'd be happy to try another book by her!

Another wonderful story from Janna MacGregor! I loved both Daphne and Paul, especially since Paul had a colorful history from the previous stories (you do not need to read the earlier books to enjoy this one, but you should as this is a great series.). I had tears on and off, and loved the strength that Daphne showed to get what she wanted as she moves on from her past grief. I highly recommend this story.

I received an ARC through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

Breathtakingly Romantic! I was captivated by this story, from beginning to the end. I have enjoyed this series very much but this was my favorite so far. This was so well written and the characters are just so well developed that all the idiosyncrasies of the characters helped tell their story so much more in depth.

I totally loved the characters of Lady Daphne Hallworth and Lord Paul Barstowe and this friends to lovers romance. The way in which Lady Daphne was not afraid to go after what she wanted, if it was a kiss or her journal, or building a home for unwed mothers, made her such a great heroine. I also felt so much for Lord Paul with all his troubles and past problems with his family and friends. He suffered so much pain and just wanted to be loved.
But seeing these two come together was magical and breathtakingly beautiful. The endearments and the heartwarming manner with which they see each other has such inherent warmth as well as sizzling passion. Getting to see the other couples in the previous books was an added bonus. Don’t pass this book by. Janna MacGregor has such a way with words it will cast a spell on you and take you on a beautiful journey.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Absolutely outstanding Regency romance. I've had the pleasure of reading book 4 in this series as well and thoroughly enjoyed that. I look forward to reading all the books in this series. Ms. MacGregor takes the reader on an interesting journey into the Lord's and Ladies of the tons lives. Lady Daphne has reached the age of 25 and considers herself a spinster. As a youngster she was precocious and enjoyed her time with her older brothers friend Paul. There is a rift between Paul and Daphne's family but there are strong feelings between the two. The story has intrigue, suspense, can be read as a stand-alone with a HEA. This is definitely an enjoyable story. I received a complementary copy via Net Galley and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by this author.

I adored The Good, the Bad and the Duke! The hero is trying to atone for his past mistakes and finds an unlikely ally in his ex- best friend’s sister. Clever dialogue, intrigue, and a Christmas setting add to his superbly written, sensuous regency romance.
The prologue immediately drew me into the story. Lord Paul Barstowe helps nine- year old Lady Daphne Hallworth save a baby magpie from being the family cat’s dinner. The prologue is important because the reader gets a glimpse into Paul’s character and a hint that Daphne sees Paul as more than her brother’s best friend.
Lady Daphne Hallworth is not amused. Her family accidently left her home alone in London during the Christmas holidays. Daphne is determined not to be forgotten again. Daphne visits her solicitor to inquire about a property for her charity when her reticule containing her journal is stolen. Daphne chases the thief to Reynolds Gambling Establishment where she sees Paul, now the Duke of Southart.
Paul saves Daphne from possible ruin by saying that Lady Moonbeam is his escort. Loved the reason why Paul calls Daphne Lady Moonbeam; he noticed her hair and eyes and he acknowledges that Daphne is a beautiful woman, not just his former friends little sister. Daphne explains to Paul that her reticule has been stolen. Paul agrees to return to Reynolds and look for it in the morning if Daphne will help him mend fences with her brother. The enduring connection between Paul and Daphne intrigued me because Paul was no longer on speaking terms with Daphne’s brother, Alexander, the Marquis of Pembrooke. Janna MacGregor does a fabulous job balancing Paul’s past actions with his desire to help Daphne and become a better man.
Paul’s past actions were influenced by his relationship with his father. To get his father’s attention, he acted out, gambled and caused trouble. Loved that Paul’s father continued to plague him after he died. Robbie, Paul’s brother, understood why Paul acted out and made promise to try to be a better person before he died. Paul is home alone for the holidays as his family members have died.
It was great fun to see Paul struggle with his attraction to Daphne especially when they were at the gaming hall. The chemistry between the couple sizzled off the pages. He saw Daphne as a strong woman who wanted to honor her late sister’s memory. Paul understood that working on the charity would help Daphne work through her grief because he was still grieving for his brother. Loved the couples witty banter and I adored when Paul decided to court Daphne.
The fast-paced storyline kept me reading. Loved the element of intrigue surrounding the reticule and its contents played an important role in the plot. There are several surprising plot twists and turns which surprised me. Janna MacGregor’s writing style evokes passion, emotion and understanding. Lady Margaret stole the show when she realized Paul had no friends or family. She offers him her kitten so he won’t be alone. Daphne shows strength of character when she speaks up to her brother and tell him that Paul sees her—he understands her in a way her family cannot.
The Good, the Bad, and the Duke has all the feels; the characters, their romance, the complex plot are perfectly written. And the powerful message of forgiveness is appropriate during the holiday season.
Janna MacGregor is a new- to- me author. After reading Paul and Daphne’s story, I bought her back list and read each one. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

paul barstowe, now duke of southart, was a charming, possibly misunderstood villain in the earlier novels in this series, so in the good, the bad, and the duke he's up for redemption. and you guys, he's possibly the absolute best?

i mean, i'm also clearly a huge sucker for reformed bad boys. a fact that's been well-established here. but i love a hero who is complicated and imperfect. i love that the romance is partly about how much he would do for the woman he loves. there's something heady and delightful about that.

because from the moment this story opens, it's clear that paul will do what ever he can for daphne. that somehow, some way, she's caught his eye and he's never not seen her. and she sees him too. she sees his imperfections, she knows he's done wrong, but she also sees how hard he tries to make things right. how deep his sense of honor runs, and she simply can't stop herself for loving him for it.

this was such an enjoyable read, i've been on a contemporary kick of late, but i really enjoyed this historical.

**the good, the bad, and the duke will publish on november 27, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press in exchange for my honest review.

What a fabulous book, especially at Christmas time. This is the 4th book in The Cavensham Heiresses series, but you can read them as standalones. Lady Daphne Hallworth has loved Paul Barstowe, Duke of Southart, most of her life. He was her brother Alex’s best friend and was always kind to her. After Paul and Alex severed their ties, she still cared for Paul, no matter his reputation.

Daphne doesn’t expect to wed and plans to use her money to build a home for unwed mothers. She is going to tell her family but gets left in London as they head for their estates to celebrate Christmas. Her mother and step-father go to their estate as Alex’s family goes to his, each thinking she’s with the other. While visiting the park a boy steals her bag with her journal in it. She chases the boy, not caring about money, only getting her journal back as she has written in it for many years and many secrets. She runs into Paul and he agrees to help her get the journal back.

Paul wants to build a hospital in memory of his deceased brother and is the other bidder for the property Daphne wants. While not happy about the land, she invites Paul and his friend Devan to have Christmas dinner with her. He wants to show her he’s not the rake he once was, and they spend time together. When her family returns, Alex is furious with her for seeing Paul. She reminds him she is of age and that is all I’m saying. I won’t ruin this wonderful story and can highly recommend it!

Note: Alex’s daughter, Lady Margaret, will have him prematurely gray. I love her scenes in this book. I can’t wait for her to grow up and get her own HEA!

I absolutely loved this book. It has been awhile since I’ve read a good historical romance and in the span of a week I’ve read two! Daphne is one of the best protagonists I’ve read not only in this genre but overall. She is a breathe of fresh air for a historical romance heroine. There need to be more like her. And Paul, don’t get me started on how wonderful he is. I am incredibly glad that I read this book. The two I read this week have reminded me how much I love this genre.

I'm giving The Good, The Bad And The Duke a rare (for me) 5 stars. Janna MacGregor has story with a well thought out plot, well worded, easy to follow, and characters that jump off the page. I've thought about this review for a couple of days. How to intrigue you without giving too much away. I'll try. If you're not having indecent thoughts about the character of Paul, I'll eat my new, stylish hat. Lets just get this over with. Paul, Paul, where for art thou Paul? You are the romantic moon in my night sky. I'm ok now, the drooling has stopped. On to the review.

Our heroine is Lady Daphne Hallworth, sister to Alex, Duke of Pembrook. Alex had his own story in The Cavensham Heiresses series. Daphne is described as having ebony hair and sparkling gray eyes. Sounds like a lovely combo, no wonder Paul is attracted. She's also brave and self-sufficient. I like that in a heroine.

Our hero, and my crush, is Paul Barstowe, second son of the Duke of Southart. He's described as being the handsomest man in England. I guess so, if you like blond hair and blue eyes (yes please). Through tragic circumstances he becomes the Duke.

We open when Lady Daphne is 9 years old and trying to save a baby bird. Paul helps her and wins her gratitude and admiration. Before he leaves he gives her a stone he's found, it's heart shaped (this is important to remember). Cut to 16 years later. Lady Daphne has a Home Alone situation. A street urchin steels her reticule with her journal in it. Big trouble, she's written lots of juicy stuff in it. She has to get it back and Paul enters the picture. He, reluctantly, helps her get into a gambling hell, among other places, in search of her journal. A knight in slightly tarnished armour. Ms. MacGregor gave me a great archaic word, confabulation, meaning a chat. Love it. Daphne has to fess up that she's alone and Paul feels obligated to look after her. This is convenient since he has taken to calling her Moonbeam and having poetic thoughts. He's a goner. What he doesn't realize is Daphne has decided to marry him. Reformed rakes make the best husbands, right?

Ms. MacGregor gives us admiration, bad boy antics, regret, attraction, a longing to belong, lust, love, misunderstandings and do-gooding. There's a plethora of emotions running through this story. As this is a romance book there is a happy ending. We'd be disappointed if there wasn't. Receiving a free book ARC is a true privilege and one I always enjoy. Being able to share my opinion is a pleasure. Both are free and without obligation. Happy reading.

I loved Daphne and Paul's story!! I always hoped he would get his HEA and MacGregor didn't disappoint!

When Daphne is loft alone at home during the holiday season, she decides to make the most of it and do the work she needs to get her home for unwed mother's off the ground. After visiting the location she plans to purchase, she is robbed and her personal journal is stolen. She must get it back or her family could be ruined. She runs into her brother's former friend, Paul, and he agrees to help her out. She knows that she shouldn't allow him to be around her, but he is going to help her...

Paul agrees to help Daphne in exchange for her help in trying to restore his friendship with her brother. But as they spend more and more time together, an attraction grows between the two. What will happen when Daphne's brother finds out they have been spending time together? Will it make the situation worse or will it end the rift between the friends?

I loved watching these two together. Daphne had known Paul practically her whole life and know that the person she had known as a child was still there somewhere. She hoped that when her brother learned of what Paul had done to help her, it would help to start mend their broken friendship. We see a little glimpse of the two together when Daphne was young and they seemed to have had a bond then too. If was a much different bond now that they were both adults!

This was a great addition to the Cavensham Heiresses series and I can't wait to read the next one!

1 spinster whose family forgets she exists (literally)
1 Duke whose father and elder brother are deceased
1 missing journal that contains the scandalous writings of said spinster
Lady Daphne Hallworth has had her eye on Paul since she was 9 years old and he helped her rescue a baby bird. Paul was rewarded by the mama-bird with a permanent scar on his cheek. When Daphne’s family leaves her alone in London over the holidays, Paul comes to the rescue and keeps her company. The couple realizes they are meant for each other, but life keeps getting in the way. The family tree looks like an episode of Jerry Springer.
3 Stars

Janna MacGregor has exceeded my expectations in this story. Paul was the character we loved to hate. He was the Rogue in the previous stories of this series that seemed to have no visible redeeming qualities. Like Daphne he has been trying to be invisible to prevent his heart from hurting. The one thing they have always done is admired each other. The perfect quote from the book is, “Sometimes the heart does what it wants no matter what common sense says.” As the two begin to spend time together they try to fight the urges they have to physically devour each other. They are not successful and find themselves in some steamy situations. They fall in love and believe that with all the family drama there is no way they can be together. Daphne, however, is fierce and loyal and refuses to let anything stand in the way of keeping her from the man she loves even if it’s his own self doubts.

This story is one of my favorites because the main characters are both so flawed. You cannot help but root for them and hope for the best possible outcome. Daphne’s character still shines bright even with all the darkness and heartache she hides beneath the surface. It is a sweet and heartwarming story. Having scorching heat searing love scenes is just icing on the cake. Margaret giving Paul a kitten will bring tears to your eyes and you will cheer when the outcome is happy all around.