This is a wonderful Historical Romance. Hadrian and Natalie were strong, endearing characters. They were both strong willed and determined to reach their goals. When they met their chemistry was undeniable but, Hadrian just had to convince Natalie that they were meant to be together. This is a wonderful story and I would definitely recommend it.

Forever My Duke was an excellent story. The characters Natalie and Hadrian were well developed and enjoyable. They were opposites as in she was a sassy American, and he was a British Duke. I enjoyed reading how they story unfolded and their romance blossomed. Excellent story that I highly recommend.

The Duke of Clayton is on his way to finally propose marriage to one of his father's friends daughters. However, he did not expect to be delayed by a snow storm. While held up at an Inn he meets Leo a 6 year old boy hiding from his caretaker. Nathalie promised in her best friend to bring Leo from America to England after his parents death at the hands of British solders to unite him with her friends family.

When the Duke finds out who Leo is he offers his assistance as he was headed to the same place. As Leo happens to be the child of his former fiance who ran away many years before. But as the Duke gets to know Natalie better he finds himself second guessing his original plans.

This was a good story but it was a little slow for me.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Forever My Duke is the second title in the Unlikely Duchesses series. A romance between an English Duke and an American woman who is fulfilling a deathbed promise to her friend to take her child, Leo, to England to be with his only remaining family. It’s a good story, a bit of a slow burn with all the drama and angst that two people who suddenly find themselves attracted to an unlikely partner will encounter. I liked Natalie and Hadrian’s story but I didn’t always like the main characters. At times, Natalie’s dislike for anything remotely related to the English can be cut with a sharp knife. She’s convinced that everyone she meets is cut from the same cloth as the people who tore apart her friend’s family resulting in death and her having to be here in the first place. Hadrian is of an age when he needs to consider marriage and since he has no belief in love is ready to settle down with a young girl (18-ish which isn’t young for marriage at that time fame) who was chosen as his future wife years ago – that he doesn’t know, like, or love her is beside the point. Meeting Natalie changed those feelings as the fiery, independent, stubborn woman captured him from that first unusual meeting. Now convincing her that she should stay, that he can love her for a lifetime is his only goal.

I enjoyed aspects of Forever My Duke, and I believe there is an audience that will completely enjoy this romance. I wish I could have connected more with the main characters, but that is on me. The story flows easily, the historical touches fit well, and I truly enjoy this author’s work. I simply couldn’t like Natalie very much and that reaction did matter to my reaction to the story.

*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.*

Forever my Duke was amazing story taking you to a journey of discovering falling in love. Just because someone had rules and prejudice, doesn't mean they can't be broken or let go off. 

Both main characters were in the beginning somewhat attracted to one another although their worlds couldn't be more opposite their feelings slowly and unexpectedly got deeper and the liking of one another got stronger.

Natalie was an independent teacher bringing her best friend's child from America to England to live with his remaining family although on her way to get there were more than few hurdles.

Hadrian the Duke of Clayton has decided, it's time to settle down and wants to court his cousin's daughter. What he 's never expected was to meet Natalie and slowly fall in love with her and the small orphan Leo. Their path strongly entwined and before Natalie could retour to America she also has fallen hard and deeply. 

If only Hadran would be a common citizen not a duke. Can she brake her rules and let he heart decide instead of brain?

This book was amazing to read, slowly unwrap Natalie and Hadrians love. It was like watching blossom opening up.

I really liked both characters, especially Natalie, but the story as a whole just didn’t grab me. I struggled to get through this. I love slow burns, but this was beyond that. It’s well-written and I think a lot of people will enjoy it, but it was just missing that special something for me.

The second in the Unlikely Duchesses series, Forever My Duke is a true delight from start to finish. The first book left me feeling somewhat ambivalent, but the author created a much tighter, more engaging story here. Both leads had to deal with their own preconceived notions and prejudices, but change didn’t happen overnight. I appreciated the pace at which the author had the demeanor change, and love, unfold.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks goes to the publisher, via Net-Galley, for the opportunity to read and review Forever my Duke, Book 2 in the Unlikely Duchesses series, by Olivia Drake by Olivia Drake, an historical romance. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Natalie Fanshawe’s character is an engaging heroine. She has tremendous loyalty and willing to go to any lengths for those she loves. That is proven time and again in Forever my Duke. She’s an admirable character, so I became vested in her right away. Her tender care of her charge touched my heart.

Hadrian Ames, Duke of Clayton, is the typical ducal hero. In the beginning he’s austere and appears to look down his nose at anyone beneath him. But wait, there is more to him under the surface and a great many reasons why he keeps himself separate from others. It also explains why he’s ready to take his second cousin as his betrothed. I was able to warm to his character faster than I usually do, to his type of hero.

The romance between Natalie and Clayton has plenty of spark and fire. At times, it’s a bit of a love/hate relationship, but as the story proceeds, the couple’s overwhelming attraction takes over. There’s a good bit of sexual tension threaded through this book, which is an aspect of Regency romance that most appeals to me. I found their romance satisfied that love in a strong way.

If you enjoy historical romance with strong heroes and heroines and an adorable little boy, then you like love Forever my Duke as much as I did. I’m glad I took a chance on this one. Happy reading!

There was something that kept reading to the end, but then again there was several things that did not work for me. 

I liked Hadrian a lot, he was probably my favorite part of the book. Natalie just didn't do it for me, she was just meh. Their story had low to slim amount of chemistry between them. The sex scenes were not where they should be, and one was just plain awkward. 

Their story had a good premise, it should of been really good. The delivery was just off for me. There was several things that were told to us but never really shown. There was just one thing that made me a little upset. There was a rape threat made, and it was just not any reason for it.

Hadrian, the duke, is ready to settle down and knows exactly the woman that he wants to marry. When he unexpectedly meets American Natalie, she starts to shake up his ideas. Due to a promise made to her dying best friend Audrey, Natalie brings Audrey's son Leo to England to meet his grandfather. Not so surprisingly, Natalie and Hadrian end up traveling to the same estate. Now Hadrian can really see the difference between Natalie and his ideal. His biggest obstacle to a romance is Natalie's prejudice to the British upper class. I received a free copy of this book through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really liked Natalie because she wasn't afraid to express her opinions and wasn't intimated by anyone. Her prejudice against the British upper was totally believable since the book is set soon after the War of 1812. I liked that Hadrian wasn't as stuffy as his appearance and grew throughout the story. Leo was a delight. I really enjoyed this regency romance.

Hadrian Ames, the Duke of Clayton, needs a bride. He even has the perfect one picked out, Lady Ellen his cousin & daughter of Lord Godwin who was his guardian. That is, until whilst he’s travelling to Godwin’s home he meets the lovely, free-spirited Natalie Fanshawe. She's the opposite of what a man of his high rank should desire in a wife--an outspoken American who has never even set foot in a London ballroom. Natalie has travelled to England to reunite six-year-old orphan Leo with his English relatives. Leo was the son of her dearest friend Audrey whose dying words were for Natalie to take Leo to his grandparents.
Hadrian & Natalie locked horns from their first meeting & continued to do so but there was also an attraction, which grew as they spent more time together. It was a well written book with lots of clichés, the stiff upper lipped aristocrat & the free spirited American, the heir heading towards dissipation & the over strict guardian. I really liked both Hadrian & Natalie but loved Leo who stole every scene he was in & added levity to the book as did Hadrian’s mother. It flowed well & held my interest all the way through. The characters had depth & were well portrayed. I loved how Hadrian changed throughout the book & became a loving caring man.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I feel like it's not fair to call a romance novel formulaic and boring when that formula is a part of the genre, but Forever My Duke was too predictable to make it worth a second glance.

On the surface, the premise caught my attention. An American (Natalie) coming to England always invites some sort of chaos in a historical romance and I liked Natalie's character well enough, though her consistent stubbornness and complete 180 flip at the end did little to further endear her to me. She became the spokeswoman for rebellious Americans who can't stand the British which got on my nerves, especially when it came up over and over again, especially once her attraction toward a certain English duke (Hadrian) grew.

And okay, I don't actually know how dukes act but Hadrian's complete disregard to everything once Natalie showed up seemed out of sorts. And every description of him reiterates the same three physical attributes followed by Natalie's indecisive "I like him but he's English, oh what will I do?!" There just wasn't much to either one of them beyond a few (somewhat extreme) personality traits.

As for their romance, I don't mind insta-love when something is done with it but I do tend to dislike insta-love straight to marriage, even if it might have been a socially acceptable thing to do in the time period of the book (like many of the historical romances I read).

In this case, Natalie and Hadrian knew each other for mere weeks and their relationship was never really developed beyond having an intense attraction toward each other (more insta-lust than insta-love). As the basis for a marriage, I struggled to see a good reason for it especially as Hadrian was using it as his argument for Natalie to accept his suit and trade everything she knew for a life with him. I liked that Natalie called him on this plan of his and appreciated her desire for him to admit he loved her back but I didn't really believe her love for Hadrian so it all didn't quite ring true for me.

As a whole, I found the story a bit boring. It's a quick read, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't really sticking with it most of the time because the characters didn't keep my attention and something just felt... off about the plot. Now, I will give Forever My Duke its due where it comes to Leo, the boy Natalie has taken guardianship of. Any time there's a child character I tend to love or hate how they're written. In this case, Leo was probably my favorite character and the only thing saving this book from a true do-not-recommend label.

I might have been able to give it a few points for the story pace too if not for the last 10% when it felt like a mad rush to throw in a final bit of conflict to get Hadrian to "see reason," or however you want to phrase it. This particular twist was really easy to call based on a previous portion of the book, which isn't necessarily bad but combined with the pacing, it made the ending seem superfluous.

Overall, I wasn't terribly impressed with Forever My Duke and can't say I'd recommend it to anyone looking for more than a quick romance with little story or character development to support it.

I was entranced with this story. It is heart-warming. The slow burn romance between Hadrian and Natalie is so sweet. The character building is wonderful and the story is beautiful. I really liked how Hadrian did not shy away from his feelings for Leo. Leo is such an adorable child. Everyone has to love him. I also loved that Natalie would not back down in her American ways. She believed and she lived it.

I found this to be an enjoyable read from start to finish. while some of Natalie's stubbornly blind hold to her opinion/plans was a little annoying after a while (a personal pet peeve) it didn't detract from the over all story which contained interesting characters & balanced plot & pace. the banter between the H/H was fun to read and they were both likable and well suited to each other that could't help but cheer Hadrian on in his attempt to woo & win Natalie. The child was also well written and not just a plot muppet which was also appreciated. This is a fully stand-a-lone story so no need to worry about not having read book 1 in this series (I hadn't and had no issues) or lingering open plot lines at the end of it.

Natalie is really an unlikely duchess. She is an American and has only come to England to see her friend's son reunited with his family. The family isn't so sure they will accept him and she get help from another of his relatives. Hadrian is bowled over when he meets Natalie, but he has no intention of getting involved with Natalie. He is on his way to see a distant cousin about marriage. He has several requirements and the cousin seems to fit them all. But Natalie seems to have so much more. Can he convince her to stay in England? Natalie knows there can be nothing between them because of their vast differences. Will she stay?

Forever My Duke was my first book by Olivia Drake. I found it to be a very enjoyable read that kept me entertained throughout.

Hadrian Ames, the Duke of Clayton, and Miss Natalie Fanshawe meet at an inn on a stormy night. That sounds very mysterious and romantic… truth is they met because of Leo. Leo is a precocious six-year-old who Natalie is guardian of, and he has decided to sneak off to hide under the Duke's table. Of course Natalie goes looking for him but before she can find him she comes face to face with the gorgeous but stuffy Duke.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Natalie was spirited, caring and passionate. Hadrian was exceedingly proper but had a huge heart hidden underneath that stuffy exterior. And Leo was just too cute for words. I couldn't help but cheer for them to find a way to be together. To ignore societal norms. To become a family.

Forever My Duke left me with a smile on my face after spending a quiet Sunday cuddled up with its characters.

Hadrian Ames, the eighth Duke of Clayton, was a man responsible for his duties and keeping his word, or even when the promise was not made by him, but a family agreement.
It was because of an old agreement that he was leaving London to go to the country to the house of his cousin, and former guardian, Lord Godwin, to renew relations with his cousin's daughter, Ellen, who might become his bride.
The fact was that Clayton should have married Godwin's eldest daughter, Audrey, but she fell in love with the vicar Jeremy Bellingham, and eloped ten years ago.

Because of the bad weather, Clayton had to take shelter in an Inn longer than planned.
He had his room invaded by a six-year-old boy playing hide-and-seek. Immediately afterward, Clayton found himself facing the most enigmatic woman he had ever met.

Natalie Fanshawe was an American and guardian of little Leo. She had promised Leo's mother, her best friend, that she would give the boy to her family in England. And after writing two letters to the boy's grandfather, unanswered, Natalie decided she would keep her word anyway.

Leo, like every healthy child, enjoyed exploring the environment and was always disappearing. So the next day, when they were supposed to get the mail carriage, they were late because he had fled again.

As a good gentleman he was, Clayton offered to take them to the city, which was the same fate as his.
Only when they were traveling Clayton found out that they were going to the same address and that his cousin Godwin was Leo's grandfather.
Audrey and her husband had died in America.

Immediately Clayton became Natalie's champion.
Godwin had in fact received one of the letters but did not reply.
His second wife, Priscilla, and their eldest son, Richard, Viscount Wymark, did not like to know that there was a boy who could be entitled to part of the inheritance, especially since Richard was an inveterate gambler with debt.

On the other hand, Lady Ellen was a charm. At only 18, she was eager to have her first Season, and she didn't want to be engaged to Clayton, who was 12 years her senior.

With so much confusion going on at Godwin's house, Clayton preferred to take Natalie and Leo to his house in London, where she would be chaperoned by his mother, and his younger sister Elizabeth, very well married to a very rich Marquess, had a son of Leo's age, who could be his new friend.

And over the days, the attraction between Clayton and Natalie had grown, and a part of her family past had surfaced. What could be a disgrace turned out to be a blessing, and the American, averse to the nobility, had her princess day by winning the biggest bachelor of the Season.
5 stars

Oh how romantic! To meet in an Inn, during an ice storm and then to find out they are going to the same estate, each for a different reason. Natalie is going to Oaks Knoll to deliver the Earl's grandson following the child's parents death. Hadrian is going to Oaks Knoll to get to know Lady Ellen who he is expected to make an offer of marriage. Nothing turns out like they expected.

I enjoyed how this book had a different premise than most HR's. An American who didn't want an English Duke. Most unusual for the genre. It is a lovely love story and the author brings these two around to the HEA we expect but what fun getting there.

Forever My Duke was a perfectly average book. Nothing jumps out as good or bad. It’s fairly forgettable.

The characters are nice and likable. They were developed, but I didn’t develop an emotional connection to either of them. Natalie’s self-righteousness about being an American became a little annoying. And I say that as a very proud American. I understand she has some (valid) bitterness, but she needed to be less judgmental. Clayton was a really nice guy. He is a little stoic, but its easy to see how much he cares about those around him. He also cares about his title and attached responsibilities, but doesn’t get super uppity.

The romance was well done. It was paced well. I particularly liked reading their interactions and how it built a nice foundation for their romance. Just like with the characters, I didn’t 100% connect with their story I don’t know why-sometimes you just don’t click with a particular story.

Thanks for reading!Holly

This is the first time that i have read any books by Olivia Drake and from this book alone, it will not be the last. I do enjoy a good historical romance and this book didn't disappoint. Recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.