Love this book, it is well written! One of my favorite authors! You fall in love with Rhys and Bella.

Once childhood friends, Rhys and Arabella had gone their separate ways when he had ruined their friendship on her eighteenth birthday. He began to live the life of his father, a rake with all the trappings that involved.
But five years later he inherited the Dukedom, which was not in the best of shape and he started waking up and seeing his life as it was.
Arabella had her seasons and was content to be left independent and write that book she knew she could. But her family decided it was time for her to marry.
The friends to lovers trope that the two decided to help each other and they eventually began to see the inside of their hearts and not all the outward dressing.
Loved these two characters and seeing how they tried to make their way back to each other, with some humor, and wonderful dialogue that made this story complete! Don't miss this one!

I loved this book!

Arabella and Rhys were childhood friends. They did everything together. Until her 18th birthday. Arabella realized that she saw Rhys as more than just a friend and Rhys broke her heart. We jump forward 5 years. Rhys is is a scoundrel of the worst kind. He throws wicked parties and dallies with way too many woman. His father dies and he is now the duke and has too many responsibilies.

Arabella has turned down 5 proposals. She has plans of her own and none of them include getting married. Her family wants her to get married. So to advoid this she inlists Rhys help. They will pretend to get engaged to get her family to back off and she will help Rhys with his ledgers and his sisters first season.

I loved seeing these two grow back together after 5 years of not talking. Arabella was such a strong female lead. She wanted her Independence and Rhys soon realized that he was a cad and that he wants her.

I have loved each book in this series. Christy Carlyle has a way of writing very flawed characters but making you love them even more for it. I highly recommend this book and this series in general.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for an early copy.

NOTHING COMPARES TO THE DUKE by Christy Carlyle is book Three in The Duke's Den Series. This is the story of Arabella Prescott and Rhys Forester, the Duke of Claremont. I have read the previous books (loved them) but felt this could be a standalone book if you wish to do so. Rhys and Arabella once were best of friends running around as children. But then when they were a little older Arabella started to have different feelings for Rhys who ended up breaking her heart and left. Now all these years later Arabella is turning down marriage proposals and working to get her parents to understand this but of course they aren't excepting of this. Arabella wants to continue writing and just settling in to a spinster's life but when she learns her parents have set in motion a house party to introduce her to eligible men she starts to think of a plan to help herself. Rhys is all kinds of wild with his life being a full on rake, even part owner in The Duke's Den. But when his father dies he is left to return home to see what is going on with his new Title. Which leads him to needing help with his ledgers then with helping his sister's debut season. This leads him to Arabella who they end up striking a deal to help each other with the situations they find themselves in. But neither counted on how their feelings start to be renewed and taking onto more emotions than before. This was another great story by this author.

Nothing Compares to the Duke is the third book in the Duke’s Den series by Christy Carlyle. Rys Forester has just become the Duke of Claremont but before that he was just Rhys, a trusted friend and confidant to Arabella Prescott. After Rhys betrayed her trust, Arabella cut him off deciding she didn’t need him or anyone to be happy with her life. But all is not right in Rhys’ world and he has no one else to turn to besides Bella. Can she put aside her anger to help him, or will past mistakes make it too hard to forgive?

This book was my first from Christy Carlyle, but I had heard of her through other authors and bloggers I follow. I enjoyed her writing style and found it was a quick read for me. I think the premise of the Duke needing his very smart childhood friend to help him out was great. I especially liked that Carlyle wrote a strong and engaging hero that just happened to have reading issues. Rhys was no less attractive or intelligent because of his difficulties and in fact, he was even more endearing for his willingness to ask Bella for help.

I didn’t connect as much with Bella, she was a bit of a spoiled brat at the beginning being the only child to wealthy parents. I understood why she had become closed off after Rhys’ betrayal and loved that she decided to make her life her own. I guess I just didn’t think that the “betrayal” by Rhys was that bad to justify hating him. Both Bella and Rhys use the past as reasons to hurt each other or keep the other at an arm's length. Which I felt was immature on both their parts and made some of the beginning of the story hard to read.

Once the fake engagement plot starts and Bella and Rhys are forced together the pace of the book picked up for me. I loved reading each rule they broke and seeing the tension build on the page. Fair warning to anyone out there that hates slow burns, but the actual culmination of that tension doesn't happen till the last third of the book. It feels organic because so much forgiveness has to happen first, but I also am always impatient when reading slow burns. In the end the love story gets a very satisfying conclusion and I’m happy to see these two together. I only wish there had been more page time devoted to them together in a real relationship.

Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable read. If you’re in the market for a lighter historical romp, with some classic fake relationship tropes you’ll definitely enjoy this book. I give this 3.5 out of 5 stars because of some of the character issues I mentioned above. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley who supplied the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Nothing Compares to the Duke is the third book in Carlyle’s Duke’s Den series, and like the previous two is a hit! The book can be read as a stand-alone, but I do recommend reading the others to get a better background of what exactly the Duke’s Den and to understand some of the secondary characters, this book does not really go as much into the Den as the previous books did. This book follows the story of Arabella Prescott, the beloved only child of a viscount, and Rhys Forester, the new Duke of Claremont. Bella and Rhys have been childhood friends and used to know each other as well as they knew themselves. Until on the day of her birthday party he broke her heart and Bella vowed to never speak to him again. Bella went on to become one of the most sought after debutantes, but with five rejected proposals and three long seasons under her belt she is ready to live life alone on her own terms. This all comes to a halt when her parents essentially tell her she has to marry or she will be depriving her parents’ of one of their long held dreams to work abroad. Bella decides to take matters into her own hands and approaches Rhys with a proposition.

While Bella has been amassing and rejecting proposals, Rhys was making a name for himself as a rouge with wild parties, dangerous behaviours, and many affairs – all while accumulating wealth through his investments. When he gains his father’s title he learns of all of the debts that come with it, and is forced to go back to his estate to get to the bottom of it all. When Bella approaches him with an offer to be her fake fiancé in exchange for help with his ledgers, he takes the deal. They both need something from the other, what harm could come into it right? Neither of them expected that their old feelings would resurface as quickly as they did, making their deal a little bit more complicated.

I really enjoyed this series and book, Carlyle has a talent for writing historical romance that is still realistic to the time period but also empowering the females in her books. Of the three books in the series, this one was my least favourite – I still enjoyed it, but not as much as the others. I found Bella to be a very strong female who stuck to her beliefs and trusted that she knew what was in her own best interests without succumbing to the pressures of society. I enjoyed the back and forth commentary between Bella and Rhys and loved the sexual tension in the beginning half of the book.

The second half of the book was not as interesting as the first, and I found myself reading just to finish it rather than eagerly looking forward to it. It became very predictable and I just didn’t find that there was really anything to look forward to. I also thought that Rhys’ sudden change of character to go from reckless party boy to a one-woman-man to be a bit quick and unrealistic. I would have liked some more insight into his character and his character development, it just didn’t seem very believable to me. There was a lot more development of Bella outlined in the pages than Rhys.

Overall, I do recommend this book for fans of historical romance, I recommend that you read the first two novels as well.

~ Harshita

I was hooked from the beginning and looked forward to a rekindled friendship between Rhys Forester, the Duke of Claremont and childhood neighbor, Arabella Prescott. What was disappointing was, as the book went on, the past began to repeat itself and while Rhys spoke of his desire for Bella, it came off as more of reliving his past and fond nostalgia more than love. I was hoping he would make some grand gesture towards Bella to own his feelings for her. Instead, he withdrew like he had in the past and if it wasn't for Bella, there would be no happy ending.

The writing was strong but the relationship between the characters was a bit too one-sided.

Rhys Forester, the new Duke of Claremont, cares only for pleasure as he hosts more and more decadent parties. He doesn't want to think about ducal responsibilities and he especially doesn't want to think about his great regret: hurting Miss Arabella Prescott on her eighteenth birthday. He will never forget the hurt on her face and wishes there was a way to undue his bad behavior. Arabella Prescott is a whiz at puzzles and has spent the last 5 years toward creating enough of them for publication. If she's busy enough, there are a few moments a day when she doesn't think about Rhys. Will her shattered heart ever heal?

This was such an enjoyable read! I loved that Arabella was clever and wasn't afraid who knew it. And who doesn't love a reformed rake. I'm glad Arabella didn't immediately forgive Rhys when he apologized, although I thought her trust issues were drawn out a bit too much. They mystery of who was stealing Claremont money added a good twist to the overall story, but didn't take anything away from Rhys and Arabella's love story.

When I requested this novel I was into the ideal of reading this novel but I discovered that I was unable to provide feedback on this book due to the series being archived prior to download and file/download issues. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience of not being to review and thank you for taking the time to provide me an ARC of this novel.

Everything about Rhys appeals to me. He is dissolute, a rogue and debauched. But is it a ruse to cover up his unhappiness? You will have to decide. A friends to lovers trope that does not always make you smile but will make you think. Arabella was hurt and I think she hangs on to it too long. Rhys thinks he is no good for her and I think he should get over his way of thinking. However, this is nice story about childhood friends who realize that they want to be together and fall in love.

Arabella Prescott and Rhys Forester played together as children. On her eighteenth birthday, she caught him on a bench in the garden with a woman. They were definitely not talking. He had her heart and she was devastated. She asked him to leave and he left for five years. Rhys had become just like his father and he did not like his father. He had the same bad reputation of debauchery and being a reprobate. He was tired of living this life and since his father had died, responsibilities rested even heavier on his shoulders. He felt unworthy.
I loved this story. Rhys always had to play the joker and smile. Even though he really didn't feel like it. The characters were warm, fun and so lifelike. It was an entertaining and interesting read. There were a lot of turns in the tale and the author did a great job writing it. It covered some of the backgrounds of the early 1800s. I highly recommend it.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

He's the duke of decadence, throwing lavish parties and living a carefree life. But when the money runs out, he heads home to figure out what went wrong. She's his childhood best friend. She's clever, a puzzle maker set on publishing a book, but her parents want her to marry before they pursue their own dreams. He needs her to figure out the books, she needs him to play the fiance...

I'm all about fake relationships, especially when there are rules. And this book scratches that itch. Plus they're estranged friends to lovers and have a mystery to solve. I enjoyed reading this. There was just enough angst and longing. Personally, I would have loved to have the mystery element more prominent throughout the book, as those were some of my favorite bits.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

Arabella "Bella" Prescott is done with the marriage mart. There's only one man she's ever wanted, and no one else has ever lived up to expectations. Bella is ready to settle to a quiet life in the country, but unfortunately, her parents are serious about seeing her married. That is where Rhys Forrester, the Duke of Claremont, comes into the picture.

Once upon a time Rhys and Bella were the best of friends, but he ruined that the night of her birthday party years ago. Still, Rhys needs help and so he seeks her out. Bella agrees, but only if he'll play the role of her intended to get her parents off her back. It's all fun and games until Rhys starts to realize he wants more. Could Bella possibly return his feelings?

Author Christy Carlyle is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical romance writers. Her latest novel, NOTHING COMPARES TO THE DUKE, did not disappoint. Although it is part of her Duke’s Den series, it can be read as a standalone. Bella and Rhys have a simple, yet complicated relationship. It's clear they are meant to be from the start, but fate has other plans for them. They'll have some hurdles to overcome to get their HEA. I cannot wait to read the first two novels in this series. .

I didn't know that this was part of a series but I was not lost, and kind of figured out who the previous book featured and plan on going back to read it. I did enjoy this book. So we meet Arabella when she turns 18 and she has the biggest crush on her best friend, she is at her party and doesn't want to give her speech without him she is too excited until she finds him with a widow in a scandalous position, she runs away and tells him to go, not only does he go but they do not speak for 4 years. Rhys has always regretted what happened with Bella and he truly misses her, but now he needs her help so he gets his gumption and goes and asks for it and for her forgiveness, she does agree but wants something in return, she wants to fake an engagement which she truly doesn't want but needs so that her parents will stop trying to get her married off, but you guys know what starts as fake doesn't stay there..I had read some previous reviews saying that Rhys betrayed her but he didn't they were friends, she saw him as more but at that time he didn't he just saw her as his friend.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a decent historical romance. Rhys and Bella are childhood friends. Bella develops feelings for him and on the night of her coming out he betrays her trust. Five years later, they meet again and this time the sparks of passion are mutual. While I enjoyed reading how they gradually come to love each other, I was a bit turned off by Rhys constant whining that he wasn't good enough for her and constantly doubting how she feels about him even though it's so obvious that she loves him. Thank God they figure it out at the end and make it official.
Overall, worth the read.

The synopsis here didn't do justice to the story. I liked the characters and their interactions. I enjoyed the romance - a good read.

Talk about a Den of Sin. Rhys is exactly who I think of when I envision this. I'm so glad that he has proven yet again that a Rake can be reformed.
Bella is so smart, to smart to let Rhys get away with much. I'm so glad that she sticks to her guns.
Nothing Compares to the Duke, was a rather fun book to read.

This is a review for Nothing Compares to the Duke, by Christy Carlyle. It is the final installment of her The Duke’s Den series.
The hero and heroine, Rhys Forester and Arabella Prescott are childhood friends, who grow into adults and then realize their feelings are more than friendship, at least from Bella. On her 18th birthday, she is searching for Rhys and finds him in a compromising position with a widow. Crushed, she tells him to leave and their relationship appears to be ruined.
Five years pass. Bella has had four seasons and is determined to not marry, as she still loves Rhys, even after his betrayal (not that she’d admit that to herself). If she can’t have love, she doesn’t see the point in marrying. However, her parents are determined to see her wed as they intend to leave for Greece for a 3-year teaching opportunity and do not want to leave her behind unsettled. During a house party, Bella is subjected to four different suitors her mother is desperately trying to entice Bella with, when who should appear, but Rhys. Turns out, his father has passed, his estate finances are in a jumble and he needs her help to figure out what’s going on.
Fast forward: Bella and Rhys agree to help each other out. Rhys will pretend to be engaged to Bella; she’ll help uncover what is happening with his finances, as well as help with his sister’s coming out to Society. As you can presume, they start to fall in love and have a hard time with a fake betrothal that feels very real. In the end, they overcome their challenges and find their happily ever after.
I enjoyed this story, but would provide feedback to the author and publisher on two things:
1. The estate finances mystery feels underdeveloped. If this is going to be part of the plot, make more of it. It seemed like there were so many storylines going, this wasn’t necessary and left me wondering why it was included.
2. It seemed odd that the scene where Bella loses her virginity is skimmed over, but later scenes are more detailed. It makes sense to me that the first scene should have been a larger focal point, or all of the scenes should have been skimmed over.
3. The ending/final reconciliation felt very odd. Rhys hosts a house party and appears to have gone back to his old ways and Bella just appears and it all works out? I felt this couple deserved a better finale than this.
Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars, with the subtraction of a star for the three reasons listed above.

Another enjoyable read by Ms. Carlyle. The novel contains romance and bit of mystery and adventure that involves the two main characters, Arabella Prescott and Rhys Forester. They grew up together , Bella admiring Rhys as a child and developing infatuation when she became a woman. Rhys knew of Bella's feelings but is a rather selfish individual and ended up destroying their friendship. He gave up and left, living a lifestyle of a rake and partier, but returns to her years later when he needs her help, for even after all this time she is the only one he trusts to help him understand the mess his father left him. Bella is no longer a girl filled with infatuation, but ca clever, intelligent, and independent woman who still carries a torch for Rhys. Both are not the same people they were years ago, but time has a way of changing things. Rhys seemed a little quick to reform his ways and Bella gave into her desires, but overall a good read.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm usually not one for a story where the main female is heartbroken right off the bat. But I kept reading anyway. Bella turned out to be a smart strong woman. She would think up a plan and go get it. Rhys turned out to be an okay guy. When you put both their lives together it ended up being a good read.