I really enjoyed this historical romance between Viola, a shy debutante and Devin, Duke of Wynter. Viola wants nothing more than to live a simple life perhaps married to a handsome vicar she meets. When she catches the eye of the Duke, he is determined to win her hand in marriage at any cost. Lots of interesting and humorous events follow in this latest book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Wildly entertaining.

This is another Wilde triumph. This is Viola and Devin’s story. Viola’s mother married the duke when Viola was two. Viola was a shy child compared to all the Wildes. She put off her debut because of fear. She eavesdrops on the the Duke of Wynter and feels she has to set him straight. There are many twists and turns in their relationship. They are caught in a compromising position and are forced to marry. Being forced isn’t always a bad thing. I couldn’t put the book down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Eloisa James returns with another Wilde romance! This might be the best one yet, but competition for that title is fierce. Viola, the product of her mother's first marriage, has never truly seen herself as a Wilde. She doesn't match the rest of the Duke's children in looks or temperament. All she wants is a quiet life in the country where she never has to attend another ball. To that end, she has decided to fall in love with her family's newly hired vicar. The Duke of Wynter, has decided to finally get married and would also like someone who desires a quiet life. What he doesn't want, is someone who is currently in love with a vicar, so he's determined to win Viola over! The humor, the drama, and the romance make this book an absolute delight!

I'm rather new to books by Eloisa James. This is only my second book by her and the first in this series. Though read out of order, It can easily be a standalone and I wasn't lost when characters from other books in this series were introduced or mentioned. I enjoyed watching Devin's dawning realization that he was in love with Viola. She's smart and resilient and he was able to show some of his insecurities by the end of the book. An enjoyable read.

This book makes explicit verbal consent hot.

The pacing seemed a little off, or maybe just more relaxed than other books by this author. Days and, in one case, weeks passed between scenes. Not a bad thing, just a different feel.

A hang-up for me was that we are introduced to the heroine through a few events from her early teen years-- 12 and 15. She doesn't seem noticeably different as a young woman, so I struggled with a creepy Lolita-type impression. The age difference between the heroine and hero is not a deal breaker but considerable given her age-- I can't remember how old the heroine is actually supposed to be (19? 22?) so it's really close on the half-one's-age-plus-seven rule.

Recommended for fans of the genre. You don't have to have read any of the earlier installments in the series.

Say Yes to the Duke is my favorite so far in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Yet it took me a while to warm up to this book as initially Devin’s arrogance was hard to take. Through the superb writing abilities of Eloisa James, I began to see his indifference and detachment were masks that he wore to hide his hurt.

Viola has been known as the shy daughter, but she is determined to overcome this to get the man she thinks she wants. Viola creates strategies with the help of her sister Joan to counterbalance her anxieties around strangers. As the story develops, Viola becomes a formidable woman with great kindness and heart.

This book is about accepting love and affection. It is a very romantic book.

I liked the secondary story as well between Mr. Marlowe, his fiancé and Caitlin. Devin’s cousins and Viola’s sister Joan are prominently featured and I loved the interaction between all these characters.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC

*Review of eARC for NetGalley*

This is EASILY my favorite of the Wildes series so far! I don't know what it is, but I have had a hard time connecting with these particular characters in this series. Maybe it's because it's not entirely clear how this "Yours, Mine, Ours" family came to be through all these marriages and deaths and remarriages (I still can't suss out where Lady Louisa Knowe got her last name).

But that's not what I want to talk about with this book. Because Viola's story was so great! I understood her point of view, her background, that she felt like a fish out of water in the middle of her stepfamily. But also, that her feelings aren't due to anything unkind that her family has done to her. She's just different. Painfully shy for much of her life, to the point that she gets sick when she's in social situations. While her family understands this and tries to make things easier for her, their kindness somehow proves to Viola that she doesn't belong in the Wilde clan.

Then you have Devin, the Duke of Wynter. I admit, the random asides about his obsession with mathematics didn't have much payoff. It was a detail that was shoehorned in there without any reason for it. But that took a backseat to the fact that he, too, would rather avoid society if at all possible. Also, that he has Opinions about the frivolousness of society and isn't afraid to speak plainly about them. He was an absolute treat. His backstory about his parents made him very interesting (more than his supposed math prowess) - that he doesn't speak when he's angry because his father had a horrid temper and ran his mother off because of it. That was a great character moment.

The beta couple in here was great too. Mr. Marlowe - the vicar that Viola initially sets her cap for - has a complete bitch of a fiancee, Miss Pettigrew. Between Miss Pettigrew and her horrible mother, I was so ready for Marlowe to grow a pair and tell them both to pound sand. Or for Viola or Devin to do it for him and help him realize that Lady Caitlin is infinitely better. At first, Viola is jealous of Caitlin, but they eventually become friends and I loved that.

In fact, there are times that I was more invested in Marlowe and Caitlin's story that I was with Viola and Devin. That's not to say I wasn't interested in the main plot, but more that the subplot was beautifully written and even more beautifully resolved.

Great story, highly recommended. I may have to re-read the rest of the Wilde series to see if I'm missing something in those other books, or if this one is just that much better (in my view) than the others. Nothing wrong with that, but I am being 100% honest.

I really love this series. Say Yes to the Duke is another great entry to it. The main characters are both likable and you cheer for them from the start. The Wilde family is fun to read about and I look forward to the next book.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of Say Yes to the Duke by Eloisa James. I very much enjoyed this fast read. I found the characters likeable and I was invested in discovering their happily ever after with them. This is the first of the series that I have read, but I will be going back to read the others.

Viola Astley has never felt like a real Wilde, even though she grew up with them after her mother married the duke. She's shy, small, and prefers the company of her pet cows over a society ball. She even has her eye on the new vicar and a quiet life in the country. But the family has decided she will have a debut season, so off to London they go.

Devin, Duke of Wynter, is in search of a wife. He's decided one of the Wilde sisters will do, but obviously not Viola--she's not a real Wilde, after all. Until they meet and she challenges and intrigues him. He's determined to make Viola his duchess, even though she seems to be in love with the vicar.

This was a charming story about learning to love yourself and accept love from others. I look forward to the next installment of the Wildes.