This was as a delightfully fun read. The characters are amazing, from Anthony, who doesn't have many expectations for himself, to Jane who is discovering a new world where people love her, to sad Margaret, and then happy Wakefield who rarely lets anything bother him. The writing is brilliant, and readers of the series will thoroughly enjoy it! I did not read the first 4 books in the series, but now I will go back and read them as well.

This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for my homes review.

Amazing 5 Star Read! The Worst Duke in the World is one of 2021's greatest books for the start of this year! I absolutely loved this tale! I love the fact that Jane is a down to earth girl and that we're seeing a character that is just every day and not always in high society yet a high aristocrat falls for her, I love stories of class differences and just everyday people! I would most highly recommend this story!

I just finished this and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

We’ve got rags-to-riches, a disreputable Duke, a corpulent pig named Duchess, a precocious child marquess...and protagonists that may not know what they want, necessarily, but know definitively who they are.

I’m going to have to ponder my thoughts about this one, but the Worst Duke in the World is one of my favorite reads in 2021 so far.

Lighthearted, lovable historical romance about a Duke who thinks he wants one thing but really ends up needing another. What’s better than a gruff Duke, feisty lady, and a love that’s meant to be? Fun read!

My first Lisa Berne was unexpected.

Our hero, Anthony Farr is the Duke of Radcliffe, a second son forced to dukedom because of the death of his brother, forced in a marriage by his father, and altogether a man who prefers a quiet country life. His sister is eager to remarry him. While his young son enjoys the carefree at home life Anthony tries to provide.

Enter our heroine, Jane Kent, a young woman chasing after her family history since she has no one left in the world. She arrives on the doorstep of her great-grandmother at Penhallow house and as luck has it is welcomed into the fold. Of course, she meets the Anthony as the households are neighbors in the country.

This book is a slow burn, upon slow burn with Anthony and Jane getting to know each other via Jane’s friendship with Anthony’s son. There’s awkward talks, this stand-offish shyness expressed by both characters and a touch of that stunted communication. This is a low heat, lots of steam kind of story.

I found myself loving the character’s their different natures. From Anthony’s deep-seated hatred of being told what to do as well as how everyone dumps on him. I could empathize with Anthony doing the best in regard to his responsibilities and everyone else seeing him as not doing enough. Jane is this mix of street smarts and curiosity that enchanted me. Her learning how to function within society and having this rag to riches type story also made my heart happy.

Why only 3 stars?

The characters don’t talk. Most of the meaningful thoughts that could have been voiced are kept internal. The banter is very banal, which fits the characters but drove me nuts when compared to the pages and pages of info dumping throughout the book. A lot of things are told not showed. In ways the story read as if the author struggled with what to include, and how to make these characters come together in a cohesive way while also building and circling back to a lot of side storylines with secondary characters.

Overall, I was this odd mix of happy and disappointed at the end. I enjoyed the characters and the rich world that Berne created in this country setting. It’s rough because I wanted to love this story so much, and there were elements that hit all the right beats for me. Ultimately the good and the bad kind of cancelled each other out.

For readers who want a low angst, slow burn historical romance away from the glittery drama of The Season and London.

~ Landra

A bit of fluff.

Anthony is a duke, who spends his time with the pigman and his prize pig.
He has a son and he has vowed not to marry again.
Jane is just the one to stir things up with his vow...

At times a bit odd, a little off center and a bit of fluff.

Jane Kent is a penniless waif who shows up on the doorstep of the esteemed Penhallow manse. She claims to have a connection to the family, and the letter she produces, as well as the strong family resemblance, is all the Penhallows need to take her in as one of their own.

Although Jane is twenty years old, she has never received a formal education, and arrangements are made for her receive tutelage from the local vicar, whose only other pupil is eight-year-old Wakefield Farr, the only son of the Duke of Radcliffe, the titular worst duke in the world.

Anthony has gained this appellation from his refusal to conform to his sister’s idea of what a duke should be. Anthony would much rather wear old clothes and take care of his prize pig than look for a wife. He is not in mourning for his first wife, and furthermore, since he did not enjoy the experience of being married, he has no desire to repeat the experience. His sister Margaret ignores his wishes, and constantly invites families with eligible daughters to stay, hoping to persuade Anthony to remarry.

I realize, as I am writing this, that I’m making him sound unappealing, but I promise that Anthony is one of the sweetest and most tenderhearted heroes I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. His disposition is much more introverted than the typical romance novel hero, and that’s what makes him so likeable. He is fiercely devoted to his son, and quite kind to those who treat him with respect. Even when he realizes that he’s attracted to Jane, he’s very respectful, and makes sure that he has her consent.

I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was simply delightful from start to finish. There’s very little in the way of melodrama, and most of the angst comes in the form of pining. Wakefield stole the show at every possible opportunity with his mispronunciations of multisyllabic words. I loved especially that Jane was nice to Wake because she genuinely appreciated his company, and not because she hoped it would impress the duke. She is perhaps the most surprised of anyone to have captured the duke’s attention.

I would absolutely recommend The Worst Duke in the World. After a difficult year, I needed a lighthearted funny book, and this was the perfect remedy. I found myself smiling throughout. This is not my first experience reading one of Berne’s Penhallow books, and I have plans to read the rest of the series as soon as possible.



I received an ARC of this book from Avon/Netgalley.

This is just a delightful book, with plenty of wonderful characters and interaction far from ballrooms or London salons — which is what you might expect in a duke who is more interested in raising pigs than being a shining light in society. Jane Kent is the heroine, a long-lost granddaughter of the Penhallow dynasty, born after her father died and was killed in a racing accident. She grew up in in poverty and seeks out her father's family in desperation -- and lucky for her, she's a dead ringer for her father, Titus, and is brought into the fold. She meets the Duke, not the regal creature one might expect, but a man who wants to care for his son and raise prize-winning pigs. He is not the worst, but perhaps the least likely duke, in the world. This is an amusing, fun story, with plenty of joy along the way. Jane's interactions with the duke's adorable but not overly precious son, are some of the best parts of the book, showing the path to becoming not just a couple but a family. Highly recommended. (I received an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

England - 1817

Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe, 31, has a pig named Duchess which he prizes highly and ventures to her pen daily to check on her. Anthony has been a widower for 5 years when his wife, Selina, passed away. Although theirs was not a loving marriage, he has a son and heir, Wakefield, age 8. Anthony’s sister, Meg, is a widow and lives with Anthony. She is bossy and always trying to introduce him to women for him to marry. She says he needs not only an heir but also a spare. She invites eligible young ladies and their families to tea. She does not like his involvement with his pig which embarrasses her.

Jane Kent, 20, has arrived at Surmont Hall asking to see the elder Mrs. Henrietta Penhallow. When the woman sees Jane, she is shocked in that she looks like her deceased son, Titus. Titus had been in love with Charity and they planned to marry as soon as he finished a race. However, he died in an accident in that race. Charity was pregnant and went to live elsewhere. Jane is the granddaughter of Charity and having grown up in near poverty, found a letter that Titus had written Charity. This she shows to Henrietta which cements that Jane is her great-granddaughter. Jane is welcomed into the family consisting of Henrietta’s grandson, Gabriel, his wife Livia, and their children.

Jane begins to settle in and is enjoying being able to eat good food as she had been malnourished. Henrietta arranges for her to attend classes with the local vicar whose only other student is Wakefield.

When Jane meets Anthony, she is under the impression that he must be a grand person, but she finds he is not as sophisticated as she thought he would be. His dress is not very neat and his interest in his pig is questionable.

Meg invites another family she assumes to be wealthy to visit for a few days. This turns out to be a bad ides. However, it’s during this time that Jane and Anthony become closer - but just how much closer? Will Jane be the one Anthony falls in love with for the first time ever? If so, will she or the pig be the Duchess?

This is a totally delightful romance novel with lots of things going on. Jane is a sweet and strong young woman and I love Wakefield with his mispronunciation of words. Anthony seems a bit scatterbrained probably because he does not want to marry again as his first marriage was so miserable. Enough with the spoilers. Readers don’t want to miss this book. I have never read this author’s books before but I am now on a hunt for more.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a surprisingly fun read. I liked all the characters, they had great dialogue. The story felt pretty typical for a romance...a duke, a woman with a sordid past, a mix up and love wins in the end. But the characters made it fun!

I enjoyed this book! It was a super sweet and wholesome historical romance! I loved the concept of Jane having a relationship with Wakefield, the son before The Duke. He was probably my favorite character. I also liked that Anthony, The Duke was a normal everyday character. Most of the historical's I read the Dukes are either rakes or reformed rakes. Where as Anthony's priorities were just to spend time with his kid and pig. The book was a little slow at points but the wholesome relationship between Jane and Anthony made up for it. I also like how Anthonys sister Margret got her happy ending as well!
Review also posted on my instagram @readswithshan

Miss Fiona Figg was a divorced and widowed woman. Her x-husband died in her arms. She started as a file clerk for Room 40 which eventually becomes MI5. It is 1917 the first world war, so many men have gone to the front only women are left. She was to follow Fredrick Fredricks in Paris. He was believed to be a spy. She loved using disguises although her boss told her no. She was witty, funny but she also felt for people. Frederick was tall, dark and handsome, have you heard that before? He was a friend of Clifford Douglas who was British and worked for the War Office. Fiona once compared him to her pet Beagle with big eyes and talked constantly. It kept my attention very easily. It was engaging, and humorous but it had tear sections, too. She seemed to always be in hot water. The characters were wonderful. I highly recommend this mystery and spy Novel.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I really wanted to like this book. On the surface it seemed great - a duke trying to find his place and a young woman who discovers she's a part of an illustrious family. Neither of them fit perfectly with society - maybe they fit with each other? The book is light and fluffy, which I found appealing at first. However, the tone never really changed and it stayed borderline silly the entire time. I wanted... more from it. The plot didn't really have much going on, which allowed the other problems to take over the reading experience. I think the dialogue was supposed to be funny rather than witty, but it got so repetitive that it was frustrating to continue to read. It also meant that it was hard to find the chemistry between the leads - instead of seeing it, I had to be told that they felt chemistry. I'm bummed that this wasn't very good because it had the potential to be a perfect read for right now.

When Jane Kent finds an old letter in a book, she has no idea how much her life is going to change. She travels to Surmont Hall to see Harriet Penhallow – the woman she believes to be her great-grandmother. Her reception at Surmont Hall is beyond her wildest dreams, the family accepts her immediately and for the first time in her life, Jane is pampered and spoiled. Old Mrs. Penhallow is ecstatic to have Jane living with her and sets out to give her the life she should have had, complete with a room of her own, a new wardrobe, and lessons with the local vicar. She is settling in and is introduced to several neighbors, including Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe. Jane has never met a duke and honestly, she is not impressed. But later when she meets his son Wakefield and visits the duke’s home – her feelings start to change and soon she is falling for him.

Anthony was born the spare to the dukedom and never thought he would inherit not only the title but his brother’s betrothed. His five-year marriage to Selina was a nightmare and the only good thing to come out of it was his son Wakefield. And despite his nasty sister Margaret’s non-stop attempts to find him a new bride, he has no plans to remarry and is content to spend his time in the country with his son, his studies, and his pig – Duchess. But then he meets Jane and for the first time in his life, he is falling in love – but as much as he enjoys Jane and her company, he holds firm to his vow to never remarry. However, when Jane leaves for a season in London he is miserable, and when he hears that she is a success and will probably marry one of the many men vying for her hand, will he finally admit his feelings and win her heart, or will it be too little, too late?

This was a quick read; it is light and fluffy and at times a bit silly. At first, I enjoyed the lightness of the book, but as the story went on, it began to annoy me. I liked Anthony and Jane and I have to agree with other reviews – they were both portrayed as very immature and almost juvenile in their interactions. I loved Wakefield and his “That’s what I said” line – truly, he was my favorite character in the book. I felt the book was going well, even with the ridiculous/annoying dialogue, until the end – then it was like the author just gave up and the last couple of chapters had a lot of narrative, but very little dialogue. I can’t say I really enjoyed the book, but I didn’t hate it, and if you are looking for a fun/silly read with likable characters, no steam love scenes, and a happy ever after – this book is for you. This is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.

This is an extremely cute, extremely low-angst book. If you like compatible, adult couples who (eventually) talk about their feelings and hopes for the future, you will probably enjoy The Worst Duke in the World. Anthony's a single dad duke who's focused on raising his son and avoiding the matrimonial traps his sister keeps setting up for him. Jane is a worldly-wise young woman who has just discovered her connection to one of the richest and most influential families in the realm. When they meet, sparks fly. The dialogue is very fun, with our main characters constantly "blithering" at each other because they are deeply infatuated. The prose mirrors the dialogue, with lengthy sentences that somehow manage to be charmingly cute instead of confusing.

Here are the reasons why this is not a five-star book for us - judge for yourself if these points would be issues for you:

1. While we do love mature, low-angst love stories, we do look for a little bit more in the plot. The Worst Duke in the World really doesn't have much happening other than a few dances and a tooth extraction. (No seriously, a tooth extraction is probably the wildest thing that happens in this book.)

2. There is a Cute Kid who provides much of what exists of the plot (it's his tooth that gets extracted). In addition, he facilitates the courtship between Anthony and Jane by proving their compatibility (they both parent the same way!) and by bringing them together (he invites Jane to lunch!). If you love Cute Kids, you may really like this portion of the book. It's not our thing though.

3. There is not very much sex. Although Anthony and Jane engage in some heavy make-out sessions and think about kissing/fondling/etc. a lot, there's no open-door sex in the novel. Their sexual histories were catnip to us (Jane is not a virgin and Anthony has only ever been with his now-deceased wife) but a great setup can only do so much when the door gets pretty firmly closed in your face.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately for me this book was a DNF. I gave it a fair shot reading the first 30% and even reading the last couple of chapters to see if anything could get me to finish.
I just didn't like the writing style at all in the book. It was also really boring. The constant obsession with food was boring while it made sense for a character that was poor and starving it become repetitive quickly.
The conversations was inane and dull.
The duke's son constantly miss saying a word and then a chacter going did you mean... was irritating.
Overall this book was just not for me and I dont think I will try anything by the author anytime soon.

3.5 star rating

So, this book started out with a lot of things I love. A rags to riches heroine, a broody hero who is a single parent, and an interesting dynamic between the couple.

Where this book kind of fell flat to me is the plot. I was honestly kind of bored reading it. This book had a lot of potential to be amazing, and just fell flat for me.

I do think this is a case of it's me, not the book. The writing was lovely. I just didn't connect with the plot enough to keep my interest very easily.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars

Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe. suffered through a miserable marriage until the untimely death of his wife. While he should feel saddened, he just felt free. The only good thing to happen was the birth of his beloved son Wakefield. Anthony has vowed never ever to marry again. His walls begin to come down a bit when he meets Miss Jane Kent, a long-lost relative to his neighbors, the Penhallows. Jane cannot believe how her life has turned around from being dirt poor to finding out that she has a family. She is thrilled when her great grandmother welcomes her with open arms. When Jane meets their neighbor, the Duke of Radcliffe, she is taken with his unassuming ways. Little does she realize that the duke has no plans to ever marry again.

I've not read Ms. Berne before and I doubt I will read any more books. Her style of writing does not appeal to me. Her sentences run on and on and on and while the dialogue was lighthearted, it became quite silly after a while. I wasn't a fan of either Anthony or Jane. Anthony was quite immature in my opinion while Jane was young and had more of a connection with 8 year old Wakefield than she did with the duke. Also, there was the question of Lady Margaret, Anthony's sister, and why he put up with her shrewish behavior on a constant basis. Was there not a dower house she could have lived in? Sadly, not much happens in this book until the last couple of chapters. I did enjoy the epilogue as it wrapped up quite a few of the issues.

2/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I wanted to really love this book. I really loved the cover but had never read from the author before. I had no concerns about picking up a book in the middle of a series ( which was the case here). I'm not sure if that took part in my enjoyment or not. This was sadly not a book for me. I wasn't a fan of the writing style or the characters. I didn't feel like our main characters had any chemistry at all. Everything just fell dull and boring. I felt like I was missing something here but wasn't sure what I had missed. As I stated, I haven't read all the books in this series so this may be something you enjoy, it was just wasn't for me.

** 3.5 Stars **

Well, I hardly know where to start in order to explain my rating. This was a frivolous, lighthearted read that is just the kind of thing I needed after all of the dark and grim books that this COVID pandemic seems to have generated. It was humorous and the dialogue was witty. It also had some of the most immature and silly lead characters I’ve ever read – with that applying more to the male lead than the female. I liked the characters, but I felt they were more on a maturity par with the eight-year-old than the other adults in the book. BUT – all of that said, I enjoyed the read and it was a breath of fresh air among all of the grim releases.

Miss Jane Kent shows up at the door of Surmont Hall, home of the Pehallows. Jane is shivering, shabby, emaciated, starving, and desperate. She’s there because of a letter she found – and it is her last hope. After her great-grandmother Kent passed away, Jane was all alone in the world – with no skills and no funds. She knew she couldn’t stay in their home because she had no funds, so she was cleaning out the attic to prepare for leaving when she discovered an old yellowed letter tucked inside one of her great-grandfather Kent’s pamphlets. The letter was written to Charity, her grandmother, and indicated a relationship with the Penhallow family. Jane swallowed hard, packed her very few belongings, and made her way to Surmont Hall. When Henrietta Penhallow saw Jane, she immediately recognized the family connection because Jane looked just like her grandfather, Henrietta’s son, Titus.

Anthony Farr, the Duke of Radcliffe, is definitely a different kind of duke. He wasn’t supposed to be the duke, he is different from all of the other members of his family, and his sister constantly tells him he is the worst duke in the world. He isn’t polished in his dress, he hates London, he adores his pig (Duchess) who always wins ribbons at the fete, he adores his 8-year-old son Winfield, and he absolutely, completely, and totally hates marriage. He was trapped in a loveless marriage until his wife died five years ago – it wasn’t just a loveless marriage, each of them loathed the other, but he was forced into it. Now, he is free and he never ever intends to marry again no matter what his vile-tongued sister has to say about it.

Jane becomes friends with Wakefield through the local vicar because both Jane and Wakefield are taking lessons there. Wakefield invites Jane to go home with him to meet the Duchess (the pig) and she ends up meeting Anthony as well. Anthony and Jane immediately like each other and enjoy spending time together. Jane’s feelings are steady and they grow over time – until she knows she’s in love with Anthony. Anthony, on the other hand, blows hot and cold. He smothers her with kisses one minute and treats her as a stranger the next. He continues that way until he realizes he may have lost her forever – she is in London having a season – and it turns out she is very popular and has received several proposals. Uh-Oh!

Now, for a brief comment about Margaret, Anthony’s sister. She is a gosh-awful shrew who makes everybody’s life miserable. She’s vile, hateful, and mean spirited. I just don’t understand why Anthony would continue to put up with her. He doesn’t have to. She is a widow who was kicked out of her former husband's home by the man who inherited her husband’s title. Anthony took her in and instead of being grateful, she makes life miserable for everyone. Why wouldn’t a rich, powerful duke like Anthony just provide Margaret with a small home somewhere away from him and let her live her miserable life there? I just don’t get it – and it seems a lot of authors write these kinds of characters.

Anyway, I enjoyed the read, but I just didn’t connect with the characters. Something has to be wrong when the most mature character in the book is an 8-year-old. I did love the final chapter because it did a wonderful wrap-up for all of the threads that had run through the book – as well as a lovely view of what life was like for Anthony, Jane, and Wakefield several years down the road.

If you are looking for a rather inane, fairly witty, lighthearted read, this might be just the book for you.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.