A Good Duke is Hard to Find
Series: 1st Book in the Isle of Synne Series
Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book I read by this author and I will say that I really enjoyed this story. I loved the pace of how Lenora and Peter each day they spent together in this beautiful island fell a little more in love with each other. They were attracted to each other from the first day they met, but I liked how the author took her time to show us how their emotions played more of an important role in this story, rather than them getting physical very fast. They both find themselves healing from past events. They needed to work on those emotions before they could move on to a happier future.
I liked that the mythology of the island was a reflection of their love story. Luckily they had a better HEA. Secondary characters where very like able too.

I look forwards to reading more of this series!

Despite a horrible father, Lenora is a compassionate and empathetic young lady. Her nature brings out the best in Peter as she quietly assists him with the ‘small’ things that add up to huge issues in British society; helps him to not embarrass himself in front of others by using the wrong place settings while dining Lenora has such a soft way of helping with such things as dancing, his clothing, etc. And, he knows he is being kind of manipulated but accepts it from her.

Fairly quickly in the book, we find out of Peter’s revengeful scheme toward the current Duke of Dane for the duke’s lack of help when Peter’s mother was dying. Now the current duke is dying, and Peter has come back from America to seek his revenge. Peter is now the heir as the duke’s son and Lenora’s former betrothed has passed. But he meets Lenora and changes begin to happen to his heart as she quietly instructs him. That change of heart is not welcome, though.

The supporting characters are just that supportive, encouraging and kind. You will love Margery and Lady Tesh, as well as, Freya. They are the ‘sense’ of family Lenora needs. While Peter has Quincy Nesbitt, close friend and confident. Each of these add to Peter and Lenora’s HEA journey in a precious, challenging but needed way.

Interestingly, it is very near the end of the book before we find out one of the villains is not a villain and the other is as bad as he seems.

Thank you so much Forever, for always taking me into consideration for ARC's and granting me the privilege of obtaining one.

This said, however, it's either that Regency is NOT my cup of tea, or I have a mindset more focused on contemporary romance, cause I tried soo much to like this, it just didn't hold my attention as I wouldve liked. I read it all, I finished it, and I must say, Lenora and Peter make a fantastic couple. THe island of Synne setting was fantastic as well (I have this idea of some place similar to Jersey Island, and I pictured it like this, and loved it), the encounter she has with Peter upon her arrival after her THIRD broken engagement. All of that was ok, it just seemed boring for me and it literally took me forever to complete this book, because of that same reason: historical vs contemporary. I do applaud Christina Britton for the descriptive elements. You can tell she KNOWS what she's talking about. This was just not my fave read or soemthing I would dig more into, but that's on me. I loved the writing style and the details. the storyline is ok, and all characters are actually enjoyable.

I am fairly new to this genre, and so far it seems very hit or miss for me. I wasn't able to really connect with the characters in this one, and the plot felt a little weak to me. The revenge part seemed a little over the top. I was just generally bored overall. I don't think there was anything wrong with the book itself. It just wasn't for me.

2.5 stars. This was just okay for me, but I did enjoy the last half somewhat more. I liked the setting on the Isle of Synne--always nice to have settings other than London for variety. The characters were fine, but I didn't have strong feelings for either one. Peter annoyed me a good deal in the beginning, but of course he had reformed by the end! I have no complaints about the writing style, so I think what made this one not stick out to me was that there really wasn't much of a plot. It did pick up a bit in the last half--once the fiance that Lenora's father picked for her showed up. But the story is driven much more by the characters' emotional journeys (Lenora getting past her guilt about her first engagement, Peter getting over his thirst for vengeance) than by much of an external plot. I like a bit more robust plot with more action, so this was a bit too quiet for me, but if you like a more emotion-driven story you might enjoy this one. I may or may not read the second book in the series, since I did enjoy the writing style and it appears to involve a fake engagement, which I always love!

This was not my favorite romance, but I think that ultimately I was not the right audience for it. Historical romances are just not for me. A lot of the set up, character traits, and problems were a result of the time period, but they made it hard for me to love this book.

This is my first read by this author. The blurb sounded interesting but It was way too long for me to keep my interests.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DNF at 34%

I don’t think this is a bad book, I just think it’s not for me. I was ridiculously bored after the first third; I don’t think it would be fair to the book if I continued forcing myself to read. The writing style is decent, but I felt no emotional connection to the characters or their romantic relationship. I get it, the hero must pursue his revenge at all costs even though it’s glaringly obvious that his hatred is unwarranted and he’ll eventually forgive his “enemy” at the behest of the heroine. I skimmed ahead and, yep, that is in fact what happens. YMMV, so read other reviews and a sample to see if this would be a better read for you.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! A Good Duke is Hard to Find, is my first book by Christina Britton. I am a fan now and can't wait for the next book in the series. Peter and Lenora just pull you in, along with Lady Tesh. This book made me laugh and made me cry but I had a hard time putting it down. I am so glad I had the chance to read this book!! Thank you Christina Britton for your wonderful characters and for pulling me into the Isle of Synne!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review. Lenora has had it rough, three times left at the altar much to her fathers demise. She just wants peace away from society's gossip. So she goes to the Isle of Synne with her friends Margary. While there with friends she runs into Peter who has agreed to stay at the Isle of Synne for one month. This was an enjoyable read, I loved these characters and seeing their happily ever after thru.

A Good Duke Is Hard to Find is a somewhat paint-by-numbers romance, about a thrice-jilted heroine who flees to a remote locale to lick her wounds, and a returned-to-the-continent hero who is emotionally blackmailed to remain in the area. While pleasant, I found neither hero nor heroine particularly compelling, and I had to re-read the blurb to be write my review.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a review; all opinions are my own.

After being left at the altar four times Lenora’s father says she will be married to a man of his choosing by special license immediately. But Lenora is given a short respite at the Isle of Synne, part of the Dane ducal holdings, where she has spent many years of her childhood.
Peter has become the heir to the Dane Dukedom by chance. But he was refused aid when his mother, estranged from the family, grew ill. His mother died in his arms and he vows revenge on the dukedom. By chance he has become the heir. He will not marry to provide an heir and he will let the fields go fallow.
But will he change his mind when he meets Lenora? Will she turn away the man her husband has chosen for her?
A classic romance storyline brilliantly retold. The main characters are fresh, human and real to the reader. I would recommend this book to my patrons.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for granting me early access to A Good Duke is Hard to Find!
While I very much enjoyed the book overall, I found myself liking the secondary characters and the relationships between them and the main characters better than the main characters or their respective relationship. I want to read more about Quincy and Margery and Clara (and Gran!), as well as the Isle of Synne, but I was satisfied to leave Peter and Leonora where they were. While I liked both of the main characters well enough, I would have liked more depth of character development - some of their behaviors didn’t seem believable or felt like a throwaway to give them more substance, but then weren’t developed. Overall it was fun and I do want to read more in this series as it develops. More of a higher 3.5 than a full 4 stars.

2.5 Stars

A Good Duke is Heard to find is the first in a new series from Christina Britton. Leonora escapes to the Isle of Synne after her third failed attempt at marriage. While there visiting friends, she meets Peter Ashford, an expatriate recently returned to England from America and the heir to the Duke of Dane. Peter has reluctantly agreed to remain on the island for a month to honor an old promise to his deceased mother.

The blurb for this book made me want to know more about Leonora from the start. I had expected her to be a bit of a brat and was pleased to see that she was a very sympathetic character. Leonora has felt duty bound to accept all three marriage proposals since her father has arranged them to further his own career in politics. After the latest humiliation he sends her out of London until the rumors die and is told she must marry, or she will be disowned. Peter has come to the Isle a successful man after he escaped England with nothing but the clothes on his back thirteen years ago. The struggle to survive has made him a hard man, and all he wants is to pay back Lady Tesh for her charity to his mother during the last days of her life. Peter has no love lost for the family he has remaining in England and even actively plans to ruin the Duke who refused to assist him before his mother’s death.

At the beginning of the story I was ready to love this book since it checked off so many of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, grumpy one loves the sweet one, a cinnamon roll hero that blushes, family secrets, and a revenge plot. Unfortunately, the pacing of the story was just so tedious that I was forcing myself to finish the book well before the halfway mark. I needed more action, more conflict, I needed answers about why the family turned their back on Peter, and what exactly had happened to Leonora’s first fiancé. But I got none of that.

The second half of the book there is a lot of anger and pining between the two characters. Mostly due to Leonora’s expectations from her father and Peter’s outright refusal to marry. We don’t get any real resolution to either secret until the very last 20% of the book. At which point the author went into hyper drive to info dump all the secrets she had been teasing for the entire book. Since this is a romance, we do get that HEA, but then are forced to read through a sex scene which feels completely useless and an epilogue that really shared no additional information.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone unless you love a slow book with a lot of pining, angst, and internal monologues. The promise of family secrets was alluring but never paid off, and romance between Leonora and Peter barely had any heat at all. If you’re looking for a good book that has plenty of familial secrets and intrigue pick up a Lisa Kleypas or Tessa Dare before you pick up this book.

~ Lindsey

Will post on blog closer to release date

Lenora has been engaged three times, and all three have fallen through.
After the third scandal, she and her friend leave society to visit the isle of Synne while her father cleans up her reputation and tries to find her another suitor. But when they arrive at the Isle they run into the reluctant heir of the dukedom who is dead set on revenge against the current Duke and his family.
Lenora is unreasonably attracted to Peter and Peter can't stop thinking about her. They slowly fall into love with each other but he keeps pushing her away.

I loved Lenora and Peters characters, they are an adorable couple too.
The book is very typical of a historical romance with all it's cliche moments and I loved it!
I can't wait to see more of this series.

Peter and Lenora have a beautiful story. A dutiful daughter who always does what everyone expects who has secrets of her own and a tormented man who finds out the past isn't always what it seems. These two souls belong together and this book has the reader rooting for them to find their Happily Ever After.

I thought this was a sweet romance with a really great concept. Miss Lenora Hartley has been engaged 3 times and never married. In 1817, this is not a good look. She escapes with her best friend to their favorite place from their childhood where her best friends grandma lives, the Isle of Synne. When they arrive the meet Peter Ashford, an American businessman who is the heir to the land on the aisle but has a bone to pick with the aging duke. Meeting Lenora changes everything for him, and sparks something in Lenora. But will their past get in their way of a future?

It was really romantic and Peter Ashford sounds gorgeous! He’s a bit of a tortured soul and more focused on revenge so he wasn’t always super likable. Overall the plot was a little slow for me, it lacked the development I really wanted. I was hoping for a bit more heat but it was very sweet for an enemies to lovers romance!

My six word review:
A Hot duke and scorned lady!

I enjoyed the characters and the unfolding story. I find it appealing that the hero is so self sufficient, confident, and successful as an adult, yet so incredibly insecure when it comes to the social graces. He is baffled by all the courses of a meal, all the utensils required for dining. He never learned to dance. His wardrobe lacks clothing suitable for social engagements. Of course, this is an area of his life he purposely neglected. The heroine is a kind soul who has had a run of bad luck fiance'wise. And the bad luck to have the controlling father she has. The two meet, clash, aid, abet, and go through all the emotions involved in love and misunderstanding.

This was an interesting story but the title isn't accurate. The hero in the story is not a duke. He wasn't raised a duke or to be a duke. He is the last heir in a line if heirs that have died and he has been living in America the last 13 years. He came back to tell the dying duke that he will let dukedom fall to pieces and neglect the duke's family because the duke didn't help him when he was 13 and his mother was dying. The heroine is a lady who has been engaged 3 times and 1 engagement ended in a jilting at the altar. Since the hero was not raised to be a duke, he doesn't act like one, nor does he act like an heir. He acts like the working man he is. This plot is odd, but the rest of the story is very good. It is well written, although there seems to be too much antagonism and unnecessary angst between the characters. They need to communicate better. The characters are likeable; the heroine is in a bad situation and she overcomes with grace and dignity. The hero. What can I say but that he is a man who lets his pride get in the way. But not to the point that he loses everything. The grammar and spelling were correct and the speech patterns seemed correct for the time period, formal and exact. While I feel that the title wasn't correct, the rest of the book fell in line, with a smooth read and enjoyable description of the area. The heroine was a party girl ( fashion, dancing, balls), but she has to dig deep at the end to survive where most ladies of the time period ould not have done. This story is a recommended read with 4.5 stars.

I was utterly delighted with this new series from Britton! A vengeful, yet sad young man who is now the presumptive heir of the Duke of the Isle of Synne returns only to exact his revenge (NO HEIRS FOR YOU). He isn't expecting to find the beautiful and also sad society miss who's been jilted three times living with the woman who helped him and his dead mother all those years ago.

Fun Norse inspired mythology paired with a gorgeous setting I felt MUST be like the Isle of Skye, this was so much fun.
Stay tuned for my full review on Library Journal.