Valerie Bowman is back with an enchanting, engrossing and highly enjoyable stand-alone installment in her much-loved Playful Brides series: No Other Duke But You. Poignant, heartwarming and simply irresistible, No Other Duke But You is a delightful read that is absolutely impossible to put down.

Finding soul mates for other people might be second nature to Lady Delilah Montebank, however, finding a suitable husband for herself is proving to be anything but easy. In her sixth season, Delilah has never been bothered about her single status, however, when her mother threatens to marry her off to a man who makes her flesh creep unless she can find herself a husband, she realizes that she has to act fast or else risk spending the rest of her life shackled to her worst nightmare! Never one to resist a challenge, Delilah is determined to prove to her mother that not only will she manage to walk down the aisle this season, but that she can win the hand of the Ton’s most eligible bachelor: the Duke of Branville. There is, however, one slight flaw in her plan: the Duke barely knows she exists! However, Delilah plans to use everything in her arsenal to win him over – and the love potion she has in her possession surely won’t hurt…or will it?

Delilah’s best friend, Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, thinks that her plan to become a duchess is ridiculous and doomed to fail. Like Delilah, Thomas has never given much thought to matrimony – especially as he has quite a lot on his plate. After his father’s death, Thomas had to look after his widowed mother, his two sisters and the family estate and this heavy burden of responsibility left him with next to no time for fun and flirting. Commitment is certainly not something Thomas would willingly enter into and he wouldn’t much care if he never married. Still, he cannot help but be slightly jealous of Delilah’s plan to marry another man – especially as he has had a soft spot for her for years!

Delilah is convinced that the love potion is just the thing to win Branville over. However, she mistakenly ends up giving it to Thomas instead! Still, she soon realizes that there are worse things than marrying your best friend. Thomas has always been kind and supportive and she has recently started to experience feelings for him that are far from platonic…

Has Delilah been looking in all the wrong places for a husband? And could the perfect duke have been under Delilah’s nose all along?

An outstanding historical romance that sparkles with humor, charm, pathos and heart, it is absolutely impossible not to fall in love with Valerie Bowman’s No Other Duke But You! Irresistible, irrepressible and a joy from start to finish, this friends to lovers historical romance will touch the heart, tickle the funny bone and warm the soul.

Delilah is a wonderful heroine I simply adored. Funny, intelligent, sensitive and resourceful, she is a terrific heroine and Thomas is a handsome, charismatic and kind-hearted hero I fell head over heels in love with.

A must-read for historical romance fans everywhere, No Other Duke But You is another keeper from the immensely talented Valerie Bowman.

Maybe 2.5 stars

Lady Delilah Montebank, the daughter of the late Earl of Montford has been told in no uncertain terms by her vile mother that at almost 23, it is time Delilah weds, she has until her birthday in just over a month to secure a proposal or her mother will betroth her to Clarence, son of the Earl of Hilton (who happens to be courting her mother.) Delilah tells her mother that she will make a match with the most eligible bachelor of the ton - the Duke of Branville! Determined to succeed, she immediately talks to her friend Lucy, the Duchess of Claringdon, matchmaker extraordinaire, and Lucy assures her that it can be done and they begin to plan.

Thomas Hobbs, the Duke of Huntley, has been approached by his sister Lavinia, she wants a husband and expects Thomas to get her one, by the end of the season. Lavinia is a nasty, miserable person and Thomas will need help - so he asks Lucy and Delilah to find a match for Lavinia and learns that Lucy is also helping Delilah secure a match! Thomas has loved Delilah forever, but has kept his feelings to himself until she was ready to settle down. And so it begins...

I have read most of the books in the Playful Brides series and have enjoyed them, sadly, that was not the case with this book. I love a light, playful, funny historical, but this was just ridiculous and silly. The writing is good and the plot had potential, but the story dragged, had way too many primary characters, too many completely preposterous situations, a heroine who is immature, a hero who is too timid, misunderstandings that seemed forced and the complete butchering of almost all the titles. I was so looking forward to Delilah's story and wish that I could have loved this book, but for me, this book just did not work. Valerie Bowman has written many, many wonderful stories and I respect her talent as an author and normally, have no problem recommending her to my friends, but unfortunately, unless you like completely slapstick farcical comedy, I would recommend picking something from her backlist and skipping this book.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an e-ARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

Delilah had played matchmaker for her friends in the ton for the past several Seasons, but her mother has now issued a vicious ultimatum: find a suitable husband or she will have to marry her future stepbrother. She's determined to win the Duke of Branville, who barely even notices her, which distresses her good friend Thomas. He'd never said anything about loving Delilah sooner, and now he's about to miss his chance.

This is the eleventh book in the Playful Brides series, but it really isn't necessary to have read the others.

This one uses Delilah and Thomas, who were barely even present in prior novels, as the main characters. She is awkward and clumsy at times, and easily embarrassed unless with close friends. Of course, Thomas realizes his feelings for her aren't just that of friendship when she declares that she will use her matchmaking skills on herself, and what follows is something of a comedy of errors that mirrors the play that they're all putting together as a charity event. The potion mentioned in the official summary on Amazon isn't even introduced until halfway through the novel and is a huge chunk of that comedy. Because of course Delilah wants to put the love potion in Branville's eyes, but gets it into Thomas' and she thinks she's ruined his life by forcing him to love her and want to woo her. The misunderstandings continue, until the truth finally comes out. If you're a fan of mutual pining and friends to lovers tropes, this is definitely the romance novel for you.

I had fun with Delilah and Thomas in NO OTHER DUKE BUT YOU, and if you love Regency Romance or have followed the Playful Brides series then I’m betting you’ll enjoy this one as well. (Yes, the love potion is a bit over the top especially since so many characters believed in it – but the resulting chaos was entertaining. You’ll have to decide for yourself if that is offputting to you or not — I found it entertaining and chuckled throughout)

Delilah and Thomas have been best friends forever it seems. And Thomas has been in love with Delilah for almost that long. Unfortunately, Delilah is completely clueless about his feelings for her and has him firmly in the friend for life zone. Although Delilah has helped put several good marriages together through her matchmaking she had no great desire to enter into that state herself. That is until she is given an ultimatum and takes matters into her own fumbling hands. She has convinced herself the Duke who is the rage of the ton, and the man that every matchmaking momma wants for her own daughter would make the perfect choice for her– even though he has no idea that she even exists. How to accomplish this deed? Why not try a love potion? But first mistakenly test it out on your best friend, just in case it doesn’t work. Right. Things go horribly wrong – or totally right from Thomas’ viewpoint since he’s never told Delilah of his feelings her “love potion” belief just might work in his favor.

I did enjoy NO OTHER DUKE BUT YOU yet I’m not blind to some of the things that didn’t work for me. They were small in number, so I’ll not nitpick the details. Thomas has mentioned to one of his friends in a previous book that he was in love with his best friend but she had no idea and would remain his friend. So it’s not out of the question for Thomas to go along with the silliness of Delilah’s love potion belief. I adored Thomas and felt he deserved his happy ending. Delilah is – well, delightfully clueless, a bit of a ditz on many levels, and so blind to her Duke’s real feelings toward her. I liked Delilah, but it was Thomas who stole my heart in this story.

If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted romp, a love potion gone out of control and a lovely couple finally getting their happy ever after ending, then you’ll want to pick up NO OTHER DUKE BUT YOU.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Such a feel good book. One can't help but feel cosy as the book captures Delilah and Thomas and their journey.

No Other Duke But You brings together romance, comedy and a whole lot of good things in a nice little package.

This story follows Thomas and Delilah. They have been best friends for many years, helping each other through many terrible life events. Thomas, Duke of Huntly, has been secretly in love with Delilah for years, just waiting until she is ready to marry to declare himself to her. She is finally pushed into finding a husband by her terrible mother, Thomas is thinking this is finally his moment, but of course drama ensues.

This was a really fun read. Delilah was cute and funny. Thomas was sweet, even if he makes silly mistakes. The supporting characters kept things interesting. The homage to A Midsummer Night`s Dream was well done.

The only thing a didn`t really care for was that the characters are made to seem quite clever, so it was hard to believe that they would either fall for or come up with silly plans. But it kept things interesting, so can`t really complain.

No Other Duke But You is a wonderful story filled with energy and fun. Delilah’s mother has finally reached the end of her patience with her daughter and gives her until her birthday (two weeks) to find a husband. The alternative is to marry the man her mother chooses (not Prince Charming), who just happens to be the son of Mother’s betrothed. Since Delilah and her friend Lucy are great matchmakers, she sure she will find a suitor before time runs out. Now the fun begins. When in a hurry for romance and all else fails, what is one to do? One acquires a love potion. That will do it, won’t it?
Loveable characters (except Delilah’s Mother, she makes mean girls look sweet) win your heart and draw you into this delicious romp. Delilah is vivacious and adorable, kind, caring, and a little quirky. Thomas, who is now the Duke of Huntley, is strong, handsome, patient (to a fault), kind, and protective. He and Delilah grew up as friends. They are perfect for each other, if only he and their friends could convince Delilah. I enjoyed this story from the moment Delilah chased the squirrel through the house right to the end. I happily recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I really loved all the characters in this one. I loved both protagonists so much, but especially Thomas. Their relationship is so charming and the whole book is so humorous, it really delivered that warm fuzzy feeling I like getting when reading historical romances.
My criticisms would be that the villain wasn't as fleshed out as I would have liked and I thought the protagonist was way too forgiving. I also would have liked to see more of Delilah and Thomas as romantic partners.
I do think the synopsis is a somewhat misleading in that it says too much about stuff that only happens a bit later in the book.

This book was just ok. I actually had a bit of a hard time reading this book because I just couldn't stand the main female character.

Delilah and her friend, Lucy, are planning a play for Lucy’s country house but practicing in London. Delilah’s mother, a widow, insists she marry this season and suggests a choice of hers which Delilah will never accept. Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, has 2 sisters – one happily married, and an older sister who wants to be and tells him to find her someone. That will not be easy.

Thomas is Delilah’s friend. He loves her and wants to marry her. Delilah is attracted to Lord Branville who wants Lucy’s help to wed Lady Rebecca Abernathy. Then there is a mix up over a “love potion”, a horrible mother and the play. Mrs. Adeline, a male parrot, is a cute addition to the story.

This is a fun book! My favorite, and true, lines are “Your closest friend may be your true love.” and “Family isn’t always the people who you were born with.” I recommend this fun, romantic book. 4.5 stars

This is number eleven in the Playful Brides Series and this is the end of the series. To wind things up for this grand finale Ms. Bowman has given us a book that has many characters participating from earlier books in the series. But being the accomplished author that she is this is still a delightful standalone book.

I can count on this author for laugh out loud moments that populate the pages. While the characters are readying themselves for a charity production of A MIDSUMMERS NIGHT DREAM their lives are remarkably resembling that Shakespearean play. There is mistaken identity and various delightful couple switches. The friends to lovers trope is well done.

I highly recommend this book and this author to all Historical Romance fans.

I loved this story, this comedy of errors. Delilah and Thomas were wonderful together, as friends and as more. The secondary characters were also a lot of fun. I enjoyed the journey and highly recommend this story. I plan on going backward to read more of the books in this series.

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

I have been in love with Valere Bowman’s work for a while. I am drawn to her writing, her characters, and the relationships of romance and friendship that she creates. Least to say, I’m a huge fan of her work.

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman is the adorable tale of Delilah and Thomas. I met them in previous books in the Playful Brides series, but getting to know them now was a lot of fun.

First, Delilah is one of my favorites. She is kind and filled with so much heart. You can’t help but want to be her friend and listen to everything she has to say. I really connected to her, to her dreams, and the longing for true love? Perfect. I adored Thomas. He is the boy next door that everyone wants to fall for. And a Duke at that? Definitely can’t beat that.

But beyond this story being another love story, it was also filled with a fun plot and characters that were easy to relate to. I wasn’t a fan of the idea of a love potion, but the crazy road to realize that it didn’t work was insane.

I think the pacing moved quickly enough, that I didn’t even realize time had passed. It was easy to read and I really appreciated that. Sometimes, as a reader, there are books that you just really want to get lost in and lose the track of time with. And this was definitely it.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and hope there will be more in the series.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I love slow burn romances, as well as friends to lovers romances. So I adored this final book in this fantastic series. Valerie Bowman knows how to write a romance that simply charms. The characters are fabulously crafted and gloriously complicated.

Lady Delilah Montebank and the Duke of Huntley have come to treasure each other as the best of friends, beyond all and any imperfections that the other has, long ago. But when Delilah is given an ultimatum by her mother, she has two months to come up with the match of the season for herself. But is the Duke of Branville really the match of the season? Only time will tell, as Lucy and Delilah take on maybe more than these two seasoned matchmakers can deal with. Will Delilah find a match in time or will she be destined to a arranged marriage? And why can’t Delilah get the Duke of Huntley out of her mind since Lucy is try to make him a match?

Full of heartfelt goodness, and the perfect amount of sweet and charming moments. I will miss all these characters. But I am anxiously awaiting for what Ms. Bowman has next in store for us.

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

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman is the final and 11th book in her Playful Brides series.

A reenactment of A Midsummer Nights Dream begins to reflect the reality of lovelorn couple, Lady Delilah Montebank and Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley. Lady Delilah most marry in a months time or be subjected to an odious match of her spiteful mothers choosing, while self professed bachelor, Lord Thomas now must find a way to convince Lady Delilah that the perfect match has been by her side the whole time. Through many missteps and miscommunication … and the help of many friends, these two manage to find the love that was with them the whole time.

Only having read the novella before this in the Playful Bride series, I was able to fully enjoy the book on its own, but could appreciate how the ensemble cast of characters would be a treat to any who have completed the entire series. An enjoyable romance to be had by new and returning fans.

Delightful friends-to-lovers romance!

Delilah has a list of husbandly attributes and a deadline from her controlling mother to find her own match, so she enlists the reluctant help of her best friend, Thomas, a man who has his own ideas about Delilah's future husband. What follows is a madcap romantic comedy that proves the heart knows what it wants and cannot be manipulated.

Every bit of this story is literary gold, with wonderfully complex characters and situations that stay just on the right side of absurd. The reader is thoroughly drawn into the setting and environment, making this a truly absorbing reading escape. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Lady Delilah Montebank hasn't been concerned with finding herself a match...she has been too busy matching up other people for marriage with her best friend Lucy Hunt, Duchess of Claringdon. When her mother informs her that if she does not find a match by the end of the season, she will wed Lord Hilton's hideous son, Clarence. Determined to prove her mother wrong, Delilah sets her sights on the Duke of Branville. Too bad Delilah's best friend, Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley has other thoughts on the matter. He has secretly been in love with his best friend for years and Thomas is going to do whatever he can to get Delilah to fall in love with him!

Oh this was such a great friends to lovers historical romance! I just adored Delilah and Thomas. They were both a little quirky in their own ways but I just loved it! It was obvious they belonged together and it was such a fun ride waiting for them to get there. I loved reading about Thomas hobby...who knew the start of photography went that far back! Overall I just loved this story and its great characters. I highly recommend this!

Not my favorite of the series but still enjoyable. Lady Delilah Montebank came off as too scatterbrained at times but I did like the match with her best friend, Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley,

Wonderfully written story that hooks you in from the first page, great characters too.

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

A one-eyed cat, a male parrot named Miss Adeline and a love potion gone awry.

The misadventures in matchmaking for of a group of young ladies of the ton. Lady Delilah Montebank and Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley have been friends for a long time. Lady Delilah has a deadline imposed by her evil mother. Thomas needs to convince her that the reason he has never married is because he has always had his eye on Delilah. Madam Rosa supplies Delilah with the Elixir of Cupid and its application does not go as planned. Shenanigans ensue. The ending is a large wedding attended by all their friends.