I loved that this story did not follow the typical, historical romance 'formula'. It was a very unique tale that immediately drew me in. The characters were vivid and complex and made the story seem so realistic, that I often felt like I was actually there watching the story unfold.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I did not like the writing style or how the main character though of other women. This impeded me from finishing the book.

DNF at 25%. It's been over three years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now.

Apologies for the late response on this title, and apologies for clogging up an inbox on old titles.

While I am aware it's obvious, I have chosen not to read/review this title.

As always, I appreciate access to titles and look forward to the next one...which I have likely already read based on how long ago this title was published.

Thanks, again.

NO OTHER DUKE BUT YOU - Valerie Bowman

#12 in the Playful Brides Regency romance series

Great Characters! - 4.5 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Delilah needs to find a husband quickly, before her mother marries her off to the odious man she has in mind. So, in defense, Delilah sets her sights on the "catch of the season," never thinking of her friend Thomas as an eligible duke as well. Thomas, for his part, spends his time trying to point out that he has all the attributes that she's looking for besides being madly in love with her.

Writing - 4 stars - Bowman has created this long-running series, peopled with attractive and appealing characters.

Characters - 5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Thomas is a great hero. He's a young, rich, and handsome duke. But his problem is that he and Delilah have grown up together, so in her mind he's firmly in the friend category. When she thinks of making a match, she doesn't even consider him, despite the fact that they are great together. It took a bit of an adjustment to think of Delilah as a marriageable character since she's been the kid sister/annoying child in so many of the previous books. Now, all grown up, she's still the exuberant, fun-loving, but clumsy girl she's always been. She gets herself into trouble without any effort, and it's cute that Thomas finds it endearing.

Title - 4 stars - Delilah has her eye on marrying a duke in order to appease her mother, but she's looking at the wrong one, not the one she doesn't realize that she already loves.

Cover - 4 stars - An attractive couple, with big smiles on their faces. It's just like Delilah and Thomas--having fun and making each other happy. Plus, it's pink, like Delilah's favorite color.

Overall - 4.5 stars - This series has gone through phases, some more successful than others. But this book is a wonderful finale. I've been looking forward to Delilah's story, and it definitely did not disappoint. She and Thomas are perfect together, and I enjoyed the process while they figured out what was so obvious to everyone else.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.The side characters were such an integral part of this story as well. This is the love story i needed to read at this time. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you

A fun friends to lovers romance. Thomas has loved Delilah for a long time and is waiting to tell her his feelings. But when she decides to get married, she has already set her sights on Duke of Branville. It has some quirky characters, a Shakespearean play and a love potion.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

The was sheer fun. It carries uses the trope love potion, but does it with a twist more believably.

Lady Delilah Montebank is in search of a husband, finally, and partly because her mother ordered her. She has her sights set on the Bachelor of the Season, and regardless of her ability as a matchmaker for all her friends, she seems to fail at her attempts for her match.

Her best friend, Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, has been in love with Delilah since they were young. He claims that he has no interest to marry is a lie until Delilah decides she is ready to marry. While Delilah has her sights on another and with a ridiculous love potion in hand, Thomas does what he came in her schemes to prove that he and only he is worthy of her.

It's Midsummer Night's dream on a stage and in real-life in this book. It was fun. I am not a big fan of friends to lovers trope, but this book worked.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and St. Martins in return for an honest review.

Valerie Bowman is a stellar writer but this work fell a little short for me. Delilah did not quite live up to her build up in this series previous books. The writing was excellent but the beloved heroine was just shy of expectations.

Just the light historical romance novel to while away a rainy day - entertaining

Lady Delilah Montebank has her sights set on the Duke of Branville , she has just the think to sway him to her side - a love potion . Her best friend , Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley thinks she is mad - anyway her potion won't work , she has given it to him by mistake . Perhaps now is the time that Thomas can reveal his long held love for Delilah and she will still get to marry a Duke - just not the one she had set her sights on .

This is a lighthearted , funny , whimsical , easy to read novel with an HEA love story .

I was given an arc of the book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review

What a delightful story. Lady Delilah Montebank is twenty-two, lively, sweet, and kind. She has a lot of friends and her best friend is Thomas Hobbs, the Duke of Huntley. They have grown up together. She also loves animals.
Lavina is Thomas's older sister who has gone into spinsterhood but has now decided she wants to get married but expects Thomas to find him for her. But she is not a nice lady which will make it harder. There are so many things happening in this tale. Love potions, plays, a Roma woman, all kinds of marriages, and courting. I am sure there are other things.
The book is both fun and a little sad. Delilah and Lucy are matchmakers and have been very successful. I loved the matchmaking they kept getting them, five or six, now it was definitely getting crazy. It was well written and entertaining. The characters were engaging and warmhearted. It was an easy read and the author did a great job keeping it all straight.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This was definitely so interesting, this was definitely the first book I ever read from this author and I didn’t know what to exactly expect from this but let me say that I was pleasantly surprised. I did find myself enjoying this very much and I am so thankful that Netgalley and the publisher gave me the opportunity to read this. It does not reflect or influence my opinions at all.

Valerie Bowman has done it again with the 11th book, No Other Duke But You. In Thomas (Duke #2) and Delilah's story, whom I've been waiting to read, the chemistry is real and everything you can hope for in romance. I enjoyed the fiery spirit of Delilah's and the loyal yet secretive love from Thomas.
The only reason I rated this book a 4 out of 5, instead of the full 5, is that I think Thomas could've been a bit more forward. At times, it seems as if he was ok to wait a couple more years for Delilah, which is cute but....not necessarily as endearing.
I would definitely recommend this book to my friends who enjoy a juicy romance with a dash of heat.

Such a fun romance that starts out with them just being friends and going along through all that life has to offer, then one day IT happens and you are in love! Oh how did that happen? You will just have to read this book to find out! Thanks for the great book!

DNF @ 30%

I enjoyed the previous two books but this one? Not so much. It feels like I'm reading YA; the characters sounded so young, and I didn't really like that.

This is a delightful historical romance. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre. Delilah is a headstrong Lady who starts the book by buying a love potion to give to the Duke of Branville (the catch of the season). Delilah's best friend the Duke of Huntley would also be the catch of the season if he'd ever declare the wish to marry. However the reason he hasn't ever married is quite simple, he is in love with Delilah.

When Delilah gives him the love potion by mistake, a series of funny events take place and Delilah slowly comes to realise she may have set her sights on the wrong Duke, the right one being under her nose all along, but she feels she has tricked him. How can she be sure he isn't just under the influence of the love potion? Great dialogue and some very lively additional characters make this story engaging and interesting.

I can happily say this book was seriously cute. It had an adorable lighthearted romance, with a cute as hell heroine and a swoonworthy hero. It was a little silly, but silly was perfection.

AND! This book had a PARROT!

It was like two loves coming together in one enjoyable read. Seriously, I have no complaints. No Other Duke but You was fun!

No Other Duke But You ⭐️

The eleventh book in the Playful Brides series, No Other Duke But You, is inspired by William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
SINGLE LADY SEEKS DUKE
Lady Delilah Montebank has her marital sights set on the Duke of Branville. There’s just one problem: he barely knows she exists. But no matter, she’s got a plan to win him over with her charm, her wit―and perhaps the love potion she has in her possession wouldn’t hurt her cause...
Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, thinks his best friend Delilah’s quest to become a duchess is ridiculous. He’s always said he’d rather give up all the brandy in London than commit to one person for life. Besides, he knows that Delilah’s love potion can’t possibly win over Branville...since she accidentally gave it to him instead. But perhaps this is the excuse he needs to show her he’s always loved her...
Delilah can’t believe she gave the potion to the wrong duke. Then again, Delilah could do a lot worse than win the hand of her handsome best friend. Could it be that the right duke has been before her eyes all along?

After six seasons, Delilah Montebank needs a husband. With her mother growing increasingly frustrated by Delilah’s constant attempts to make matches for her friends while neglecting her duty to secure a betrothal herself, the clock is ticking. Either Delilah finds someone to marry or her mother will pick a husband for her. But as Delilah sets her sights on London’s most eligible bachelor, the Duke of Branville, she realizes extra help is required. Her solution: a love potion. Delilah's best friend, Lord Thomas Hobbs, doesn’t believe in love potions, but when Delilah accidentally sprinkles the potion on him, he knows it’s the perfect excuse to finally act on his feelings for her. He’s always loved her, but as Delilah begins to fall for her friend, she worries about what will happen to the two of them when her potion finally wears off. And even if Delilah and Thomas can make a go of their relationship, they'll still have to earn her mother’s blessing. There isn't much emotional depth, though there are still feel-good moments that make the courtship lean more toward sweet rather than sizzling. With runaway squirrels, Shakespearean plays produced in secret, and numerous clumsy misunderstandings, this is cotton candy in book form: light and whimsical but not enough to fill you up.

Cute and kitschy but emotionally unsatisfying. A comedy of errors, the romance between Delilah and Thomas, along with all the background shenanigans, pushes this novel into the territory of the ridiculous. With much of the character development relying on history established in previous books. Having read other books in the series and enjoyed them, I would NOT recommend this as a stand alone read.

After months of starts and then being so disgusted by the juvenile story line this truly this should have been a DNF.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley.

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman
Subgenre: historical romance
Release date: 30 Apr 2019
Publisher: St Martin’s Paperbacks
Format: ebook and print
Length: 312 pages
RRP: $8.79 (ebook); $15.99 (print)
The matchmaking team are at it again. Lucy Hunt and several of her friends are determined to make matches for friends and others who request it.
Lady Delilah Montebank, is in the team of matchmakers with Lucy, and Delilah has been so busy during her six seasons, she hasn’t had the time to even think about her own match. That is until her mother tells her that she must make a match by her birthday, or she will be marrying Clarence Hilton, the son of the Earl of Hilton, who was reportedly her father’s best friend.
Delilah is a very pleasant and somewhat naïve young lady. She believes in love and making the best matches, but she doesn’t really understand the true nature of the relationships between men and women. She is rather clumsy, for example, when out walking with her target Duke, she is whipped in the face by a tree branch. She speaks bad French whenever she tries to inject it into her conversation, and she has a parrot, that repeats whatever he hears, called Miss Adeline. And her own mother despises her daughter.
Delilah makes the mistake of telling her mother that she will marry the ultimate catch of the season, the Duke of Branville.
Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, has been reluctant to marry. He inherited the dukedom while he was completing his university studies, and he has since felt he has much to live up to. He has a sister who is very demanding, and insists through blackmail that she be entitled to a match to her specifications, but managed to scare off the best of men. Thomas decides it is time to find a wife and he approaches Lucy Hunt to make his match, Delilah, but Delilah is not to know. He has loved Delilah forever.
What ensues is matchmaking chaos. Each of the people who were seeking a match seem to find another more compatible. This makes for a very frustrating time for Delilah and the matchmakers. Delilah goes to extreme lengths to make sure the Duke of Branville is attracted to her, including a potion. Eventually Delilah realises Thomas is her one and only.
Shakespeare’s play A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream is the focus, and is the way in which each of the characters being matched can interact and to be visible to their possible match. Then Delilah’s mother finds out she has participated in the play, and she takes it out on Delilah, and says she must marry Clarence. Fortunately, Thomas finds out why the mother wants this arrangement between Clarence and Delilah, and banishes her mother from their life once they marry.
I have been enjoying this series around the matchmaker friends. This particular story has many elements of a comedy of errors as Thomas tries to convince Delilah they should be together as he has loved her forever. Delilah is totally oblivious to the clues Thomas sends her as she is focused on her own matchmaking and the match she needs to make. I really like that, as he understands her, he was able to take things at an appropriate speed, like her first kiss. I also like what he did to her mother. (Yes, I did find her mother very loathsome and odious and there was not enough done to her to make her suffer).
reviewed by Heather
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

Heroine a Bit Dizzy and Ditzy

I'm not quite sure exactly what I think of this book. Parts of it were what I enjoy about a Regency, like the sometimes funny play of manners of the aristocracy. The characters can get themselves all tied up in knots and involved in a variety of unlikely schemes. I enjoyed the group of friends, both the gentleman (who particularly showed their mettle at the end) and the ladies. I quite liked the hero, with his unrequited, long-time love for his best friend (the heroine, Delilah) and his attempt to subtly show her how he ticked all the boxes on her ideal husband list. I wasn't so wild about Delilah herself. She had a naivete about her mother and the hero that just didn't ring true and actually became annoying. When she latched on to an idea, she wouldn't let go, no matter what others told her or what she herself experienced. She might be compassionate, but she didn't come across as terribly bright or able to make logical decisions. It got a little tedious at times to see her make the same mistakes, think the same silly thoughts, or do the same not-to-bright things over and over, dithering about the same conundrums constantly; her head is a very unsettled place to be. I found myself wishing at times that the hero had a more worthy heroine. The book was mostly clean right up until the end, so the sudden sensuousness of the novel was a bit jarring even though I don't mind a sensual romance. It just didn't seem to be a natural part of either their relationship or the book itself.