I enjoyed this historical romance between a seemingly stuffy duke and an intriguing American! This works well as a stand-alone, even though it is the second in a series. I liked the regency setting with a fresh feeling plot. I also liked how natural the child, Leo, was written. The bit of intrigue towards the end was great, and I happen to like ‘evil’ relatives in a storyline. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series!

Natalie has sailed across the Atlantic to bring 6 year old Leo to his rightful family. During a raid and massacre, Leo's parents were murdered. His mother's last request was that Natalie bring Leo to England to his grandfather.

His grandfather is a gentleman who has no desire to care for his grandson. He threw his daughter out when she married a man beneath her station in the world. So, why would he want this American child?

On the way, Natalie and Leo run into bad weather and are held up at an inn. At the inn, there is a true gentleman, the Duke of Clayton, Hadrian Ames.

The little boy engages Hadrian in a manner which has eluded him for most of his life. Leo can make Hadrian laugh. When he meets the lovely Natalie, he is immediately interested. When it turns out this child is the son of a cousin who was like a sister to him, he volunteers to take Natalie and Leo to meet his uncle.

Natalie is an American. She does not believe in the British class system, she does not plan to curtsy to anyone, and she feels that all people are of equal value in the world. Her late father was a senator in the federal government. She was raised to be involved in the world and she wants to make certain that Leo is treated kindly by the snobby new family.

Natalie and Hadrian fall into almost immediate lust. She does not believe he would ever consider her an equal. He is certain there is no way he can change his plans for his life. He plans to marry a teenage second cousin. She is not particularly interesting, but she is beautiful, which is rather what he wants in his future wife. For after all a Duke must continue his line of very special people.

There were things I really liked about this story. I loved Leo. He was bright and curious and anxious to learn about everything around him.

Natalie and Hadrian are interesting characters. She is a believer in the American idea of life. She is intelligent and brave. She is a strong guardian for a little boy who faces an entire new life in a new place. She vows to not let anything bad happen to Leo.

Hadrian has lived such a closed off life for so many years, he has forgotten who he once was. Between Natalie and Leo, he is reminded of the idea of fun and fantasy and adventure. He was very likable for me, because he is willing to widen his horizons.

Hadrian's mother and sister are lovely women. They believe in sharing Hadrian's wealth. They are as sweet and charming as Hadrian was cold and aloof, before he becomes a more fun guy.

This is a book I really enjoyed. Ms Drake is a new to me author. It is evident she has a true ability to create a good story.

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

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in the Unlikely Duchess series. I think I enjoyed it a great deal more than book 1. In this book we get Hadrian a snooty duke and Natalie a woman who is trying to protect her friends son. I liked the romance that grew between the characters. I am looking forward to more in this series.

“Forever My Duke” by Olivia Drake
I loved this story. I found if very difficult to put this story down for any reason, well it was a bit easier when my eyes just would not stay open any longer as I was nodding off in my chair. There is a lot of suspense which is all woven together so very nicely to make whole cloth. I received an ARC from the publisher and this is my honest review. I do whole-heartedly recommend this book to you. I expect that you have read the description and are thinking you might like this story. So, in that case, I say go for it. Note: there is some spice in this story, but I think you can handle it. Happy Reading ! !

While I love historical romances, I had a hard time staying engaged with this one. The over all plot is fine, but the story moves so slowly, and the book is so long.

Drake spins a refreshing tale of romance in Forever My Duke. I started this one on a late night flight and did not sleep until after I finished it at 2 a.m. The two leads bring out the best in each other, add in a small orphaned child, nasty stereotypical relatives, and that equals a great story.

This is Natalie and Hadrian, the Duke of Clayton’s story, Book 2 in the Unlikely Duchesses series; a standalone, no cheating, happily ever after, historical romance with sizzle.
Well written but I was bored with both characters, Hadrian continuing to call the child Brat was not endearing at all. I did not feel any romantic connection between the hero and heroine, especially Natalie, who puts on her American persona a little too often.
Slow moving plot, lacking flow, uninspired, too much disdain is off-putting and did not add to the story.
Not enough romantic build, the sex scene was too convenient without the foreplay written in the storyline.
I have enjoyed reading Olivia’s work in the past, this one not so much, I will still read her books when they come out.
I received a copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I always enjoy this author but must say while I liked this story , I was not able to really get into it as I would normally wish. It starts slow, but picks up the pace. However, the story while well written lacks a little life. I would term this a good read but not a great read. You will enjoy the story line and the characters are nice if not impressive. All in all a nice read. So for a stormy day, sit back and enjoy. Regards, Anna

3.5 stars
So many mixed feelings about this book.
It’s my first book by the author so I didn’t knew what to expect and it took me a bit to finish it.
The story was fast paced and interesting overall, especially for the multicultural characters and the mixture of British society and American citizens that fall in love and show the nothing can stand up to love.
Unfortunately, I had to stop many times while reading it as I kinda lost interest but there were parts/ chapters that I couldn’t stop as well.
I’ll be reading other books by the author as I’m still intrigued by the writing.

Olivia Drake has written a good solid historical romance. It was a pleasant read and had a marvelous couple.

A thoroughly enjoyable Historical Romance .
This story is full of well developed characters , giving the reader a glimpse into the differences between British
Society and its classes and the newly formed independent American social equality system .
Our heroine a strong willed American named Natalie Fanshawe and the hero, Hadrian Ames, the Duke of Clayton, British aristocracy provide us with a romance that is enthralling . This is a meeting of strong characters showing how oil and water can finally mix and achieve a happy ending .
This was a fun , entertaining book fast paced book that was a great read and I would highly recommend it - I will certainly be looking to read the 1st book by this Author .

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was completely entranced by the story of Natalie, a brave American woman accompanying her ward to England, and Hadrian, an English duke. There was much warmth and humor in this book, as well as the conflict that Natalie faces as she embraces a country much different than the one she’d left. There was a bit of action and adventure as well. Hadrian and Natalie are different in so many ways, except for their love for a little boy, and their growing attraction for each other.

Natalie is American born, although she has British ties. She is against the idea that anyone is better then any one else. When she makes a death bed promise it brings her right back to old ties and into a stuffy Duke named Hadrian. That’s when all the fun and things get interesting. Leo is a sweetheart that gets into all sorts of mischief. Wonderful read and well written romance.

In this Regency romance, Hadrian Ames, Duke of Clayton has decided to marry having picked out a bride from a distant family relations who meets all the requirements of women belonging to his high status. Hadrian has not seen his intended for some time, but it appears she is less than desirable especially after he meets the beautiful and fiery Natalie Fanshawe. Newly arrived from America with an orphaned boy whom she promised to take to family, Natalie is less than impressed with all the rules and restrictions of the ton as it is known. Hadrian is every bit as strict and stuffy as Natalie expected. Her late father was from English nobility but from the wrong side of the blanket so she has quite a few preconceived notions about Hadrian and his ilk.

Hadrian comes to realize that he feels something for Natalie that is new and exciting making him want more. No matter how scandalous it might be for a Duke of high stature to marry such a feisty, stubborn American, Hadrian is determined to win Natalie over. Dukes seem to be able to make their own rules when it comes to high society. Natalie is quite resistant to the idea of giving up all freedoms to live in a country she has disdained all her life.

Quite of bit of the story is focused on Natalie and Hadrian’s stark differences in lifestyles and her demeanor. She would have never set foot in the country were it not for the young charge. There is quite a bit to overcome for this couple with scheming relatives and Natalie’s own reluctance to see beyond her prejudices, caused in part by a recent war with England and an atrocity she experienced at the hands of Redcoats.

The romance is quite slow burn and takes most of the story to be realized. The fun part is the pitting of Natalie’s American pride, brashness, and courage against Hadrian’s very proper, British Lord upbringing to which he clings most assiduously. When both their barriers breakdown, this couple finds they can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles despite the challenges.

A very entertaining read.
The heroine, Natalie, is trying to honor her promise to her dying best friend of reuning her son Leo with her stranged family in England and is there where she will meet out hero, Hadrian. So yes, their backgrounds are completely different and yet despite that, an attraction will bloom between them. I liked both of the main characters and also Leo, he was really sweet.

I think some could find the story a bit slow at times but I was entertained so it wasn't a problem for me, the writing had a good, fluid pace and if anything, I think what did bummed me out a bit was that there was no epilogue but other than that I'd surely recommend this story.

This book was just okay for me. It started out good but the middle was a little weak. It did end well. I liked the heroine and how she was american and independent. The Hero was swoon worth as well! Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

Hadrian and Natalie are opposites that fall in love. She is a strong woman, he is a duke. She is an American, he lives in London. He is an rich, she is not. Following their journey is a delightful read.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm really pumped to read more books from this author in the future. I love Duke romance novels.

Wasn't my favorite. The story just didn't come together for me. I disliked many of the characters. I always wonder in this internet age, how relations are proven in these "grand families."

Historical romance is not my usual read but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Natalie carries out her dying friends wishes and travels to England. The Duke of Clayton proves her opinion of the aristocracy wrong.