I was blown away by book 2 in the Isle of Synne series! I cried more than once reading this.

Tropes you will find: Fake Betrothal, From Spare to Heir, Older Heroine/Younger Hero, (not by much,) Friends to Lovers, Spinster Bride

Trigger Warnings: Loss of a parent, loss of a child, loss of a sibling, verbal abuse from a parent.

This book was BEAUTIFULLY crafted, and I am so glad it is the first official book I finished in 2021.

Quincy is the kind of hero that I love. He ran away from home as a teenager when his mother wanted to ship him off to the Navy right after the passing of his father. By taking matters into his own hands, he becomes a made man in America, and meets his best friend who is more like a brother than any of his 3 blood brothers. When his best friend (our hero in the previous book) meets the love of his life, Quincy meets the ever lovely Clara, who is 30, unmarried, and beautiful.

Lady Clara Ashford has been mother to her younger sister since she was 9. As a teen, she has a moment of rebellion with some detrimental consequences. After that point, she vows to never marry, and to be a spinster all her life. What she doesn't expect, is for Quincy to make her feel all of the things that she had been suppressing most of her life to be a mother figure.

When Quincy finds out his three elder brothers have all passed away, and he is now a duke, he comes running to his best friend. Clara was home, and he seeks her company, even though he feels he shouldn't. When Quincy's mother tries to step in and control him through a proposed marriage, Clara comes to his aide, announcing that they are already engaged.

This story swept me away, and I absolutely enjoyed the journey. Though not every bit of this story is comfortable to read, (see trigger warnings) it was such a well crafted story, that you were rooting for both of our characters from the beginning. They both deserve a beautiful life, and the unconditional love of another person. This book is a lovely representation that we all deserve that, no matter what we feel are our shortcomings.

OH MY GOODNESS!
Someday My Duke Will Come by Christina Britton was just as FANTASTIC as book 1 of The Isle Of Synne Series!
I just can't express all my feelings right now!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!
OMG! Now I'm back in the historical mood! Definitely! Where can I find someone like Quincy? DAMN!
When I read A Good Duke Is Hard To Find I fell in love with Quincy, next to Peter of course, and really wanted to know his story.
Now in Someday My Duke Will Come we got the WOOOONDERFUL love story of Clara Ashford and Quincy Nesbitt.
SWOON OVERLOAD! It's all I can say!!
Their story was just so good!
Soooooo emotional because both had not the best past! OMG my heart broke a few times while I read their story!
Well: I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK!
Christina Britton! I can't wait to read more from you! Thank you so much for this wonderful book! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

I enjoyed this book immensely. Clara is 31 years of age, she never had a season or a proposal due to a mysterious past.
She has spent her life raising her sister and brother after her mother passed.
But, now it is time for her sister to wed, and she is on top of the wedding planning!
Quincy has just come back from America to find out he is a Duke, his mother is scheming to have him marry his brothers widow. In a moment of desperation Clara states he can’t because he is to marry her.
This is a wonderfully written book, with plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy in return for an honest review.

Fake Engagements is one of my favorite tropes. I just love it. I also really love strong female characters during Regency times. Add these two things together and it gives me a solid chance of devouring it. This did not disappoint. This is a solid historical romance.

Put the Forever Pub name on it and I'm sold.

This was my first read of this author and it was love. What a fun experience it was to step back in time a bit. Britton did a great job of allowing her readers to gain a sense of wonder of the period within making the wording hard to understand.

I really enjoyed this read.

Thank you Forever Pub and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

My first book by Christina Britton and I really enjoyed it. A lovely historical that was a fake engagement, friends to lovers trope. This story had humor, witty banter, and emotionally difficult topics. It was a sweet slow burn of friends who eventually discover that they really do love each other.

Clara and Quincy find themselves in a bind and without thinking, Clara fakes an engagement to Quincy. Clara is basically a spinster (31😱) and Quincy is a newly discovered Duke that need a bride. Sounds like a perfect plan, fake an engagement and then part ways, but spending time together proves to put a kink in their plans. Clara is strong yet vulnerable. She harbors a secret that can ruin everything and everybody. Quincy is a dream that is charming, handsome and has a heart of gold. He wants to travel the world not take on the responsibility of a dukedom but Clara makes him reconsider his life. He sees her and she sees him.

I look forward to reading more books by Christina Britton. This book was fast paced and filled with quick banter. The secondary characters added an extra zest to the story. All I can say is that you can’t help but fall in love with Clara and Quincy and root for their HEA. And the epilogue was picture perfect!!

*ARC provided from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for my honest review*

How wonderful to find a book with a hero that you absolutely adore from the first page to the last. He was just perfect. I loved him in the last book, A Good Duke Is Hard to Find, and that just increased with this book. He is the loveliest, most honorable, steadfast, gentleman you could want to meet. We should all have the opportunity to know a Quincy at least once in our lifetime. I loved Clara as well, but she did get on my nerves after a while because she just needed to let go long before she did. Anyway, the book is wonderfully delivered, the story is compelling, all of the characters are delightful, and the epilogue is to-die-for. Definitely an excellent read and even though it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

We met and loved Lady Clara Ashford in the first book, and we learned much of her backstory. We also learn that backstory in this book, but in more detail than before. Because of her past, Clara has decided to never marry – and she is very, very, very adamant about that. No matter how much she might be attracted to Quincy, she’ll never let her heart belong to him and even if it did, she’d never marry him. Clara’s life is a bit of a conundrum at the moment because she doesn’t know where she belongs anymore nor does she know where her future lies. She’s spent her entire life – since the age of nine, taking care of her family – being a mother to her younger siblings and acting as hostess and then caregiver for her father. Now that her father and her brother have died and her sister is marrying in a few weeks, she wonders where that will leave her. She’s trying desperately to find a place for herself – to be helpful – to be of use. She needs to be useful. Her plan is to stay with her cousin, who inherited her father’s title, but over the weeks leading up to her sister’s wedding, she finds she isn’t really needed by any of them. She cannot marry because of her past – so what is left for her?

When we last saw Quincy Nesbitt, he was getting ready to board a ship to head back to America where he intended to sell off his remaining business and begin the travels that he and his father had dreamed of. On a whim, his first stop is back in England where he intends to visit with his friend and former partner, Peter Ashford, the new Duke of Dane. Little does he know what he’ll be walking into with his ‘real’ family. Oh! My! Goodness! Quincy is actually the fourth son of the Duke of Reigate – and he ran away from home at the age of fourteen when his father died. His mother despised him and his older brothers didn’t care for him either – so, when he overheard his mother planning to send him into the Navy, he gathered his courage and ran away. Now, when he goes to his old home to say a forever goodbye to his mother and brothers, he gets shocking news. News that can/will change his entire future.

Clara and Quincy have been attracted to each other from the moment they met, but neither would ever act upon it because they each had their futures planned. Now, a year later, Quincy has returned and they are thrown together more and more. Clara is wonderful at assuaging Quincy’s anger and agitation at the changes thrust upon him – and he treats her with such care and gentleness. It is delightful to see these two wounded souls help each other through upsetting and troubling times. Clara always leapt to Quincy’s defense and Quincy did all he could to bring Clara out of her shell where she could find joy in life again. They are absolutely perfect for each other and I enjoyed watching them grow into their HEA.

As I mentioned earlier, the Epilogue was absolutely perfect. Set several years into the future, it showed perfectly how their love had grown and flourished. I was left with a question though – whatever happened to the nasty duchess? No mention of her after her last departure from James’ home. I REALLY wanted to know that Quincy had exacted revenge of some sort – even if it was just moving her to a tiny dower house on some remote property.

I can definitely recommend this book and I’ll tell you this author is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

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

Christina Britton has once again charmed me with a book full of mystery, romantic tension, and drama! The first book had even more angst than this one, and I especially loved the best friend, Quincy, throughout the story. When I found out the next book would be his HEA, I was over the moon. While I expected more humor, given his character in the first book, it was apparent that he would undertake a more serious demeanor in his own story, given the dark undertones in his own story as well as that of his heroine. There is quite a serious element in this story that might be triggering for some of you, so proceed with caution. You'll get enough hints that you can draw back if you need to, before it gets too difficult to read, but I highly encourage reading until the end. I felt so much better seeing things resolve and seeing how life after trauma can improve and grow into something even better than before.

Quincy Nesbitt left home at the age of 14, feeling unwanted and unloved by his own family, and he made a new one starting with his best friend. When he returns years later as a man, the last people he wants to see are those who wanted to throw him away. However, as a courtesy, he visits his childhood home and learns devastating news - not only are his brothers all dead but their deaths have made him a duke. He had plans to travel, finally do what his father longed to do with him, and now he is tied down to save a dying estate. Oh yes, and his mother wants him to marry his late brother's fiance. Luckily, his good friend Lady Clara Ashford is there to save the day...and announce that he can't marry the other woman because he is engaged to Clara. A bit unexpected but a welcome relief from his vindictive mother. Clara never had any intention of marrying after a tragedy in her past led to the swearing off of romance and children, but if anyone were to tempt her, it would be Quincy. Now that he is a duke, it's even more imperative that they end their fake engagement soon, before her past comes to light.

I felt like crying so many times in this book, as my heart literally hurt for both Clara and Quincy. Poor Quincy - he was a joy in the first Isle of Synne book, and it was so horrible to hear his backstory and how life continued to thwart him even in adulthood. All he wanted was to be as close as possible to the one person who ever loved him, his father, and he couldn't due to duty to a family who never wanted him. It was heartwarming, therefore, to see how much Clara loved him. It started out with warm affection, but as their fake engagement persisted, they grew closer and closer. She had a deep longing to be loved and so did he, but neither were willing to voice it until they met each other. It was distressing to know Clara had a tragic past without know what it was for most of the book, and then when I found out, it made me want her to have a happy ending even more. They were a well suited pair and one I greatly wanted to find love in each other's arms.

As usual, I enjoyed this book by Christina Britton, and I look forward to many more to come!

Quincy was the hero I knew he would be! Clara was a great match for him, and as odd as it sounds, I was relieved that her backstory and reason for being so set on spinsterhood wasn't just that she had been ruined.
That being said, I hope this book comes with the CW of a dead child, and on page verbal abuse towards a child. Those elements are integral to the plot and they were handled well, but my heart still broke for young Quincy and young Clara.
All in all, Britton's lovely prose and the setting of the Isle continues to entertain.

Fake engagement? Yes Please!

Ugh this was so freaking adorable. I loved the first book and was thrilled with the blurb for the second. It did not disappoint.

I just finished it last night and all I can think about is that epilogue. I still have all the warm fuzzies and happiness from it.

Is it too early to already be wanting another book by Britton? 😃

The fake relationship trope involving Quincy and Clara is an absolutely sweet story. It was refreshing to see an older heroine (just in comparison with other heroines in the regency romance genre) and that she has gone through some major challenges in life. Though it is part of a series, it can be completely read as a stand-alone book with no issues at all.

The major part of the plot was the pretend relationship that grows into real friendship and more with each day. It definitely has unraveling of long buried secrets and scandals at the end. I like that the plot gave prominence to acceptance irrespective of circumstances. The attraction between Quincy and Clara starts right from the first chapter and continued to keep me interested. My interest in the other characters is definitely piqued and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Quincy and Clara's story is a poignant one filled with mystery and love.
A fake engagement becomes the real thing in this awesome story.
Christina Britton has penned a remarkable tale of mystery. It is a most beautiful story.
I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley.

A very sweet story. Nothing earth-shattering, but I enjoyed it very much. I appreciated that the leads were more mature, but I expected the hero to be more of a rake, based upon comments he made in the first book of the series. But it’s not necessary to read that book to completely enjoy this one.

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

I enjoyed Clara and Quincy's story SO MUCH. The atmosphere of the Isle of Synne was so well created in the first book of this series that I was excited to return, but didn't expect to enjoy the characters and story so very much. Clara is so relatable in how she handles life and using busy to distract her from her struggles and Quincy is just a fun and good man. They are both so warm and right for each other that their fake relationship fell into place so perfectly. I loved their growth together and apart and how they worked to meet each other in the middle on life and communication. For a fake relationship, family story with lots of steam and heart, pick this book up.

Someday My Duke Will Come is the second book in the series but I dont feel like I missed a thing by not reading the first one. There was an appropriate, but not overwhelming, amount of back story provided to keep the story flowing nicely. This is a fake relationship trope between Clara and Quincy. I liked both the heroine and hero of the story. Quincy was beloved by his father and they shared a book of maps that they one day would use to travel the world. However when his father passes away when he is a teenager, circumstances change and he ends up running away only to return years later. This is mainly where the story starts. The majority of the book focuses on the wedding of Claras sister Phoebe. Quincy is a friend of the family so he is around during the events leading up to the wedding. I just felt the wedding took up entirely too much of the storyline. Things started getting good for me when the map book came back into the picture. I was like, ok, this is interesting, but.....then it didn't include enough of what I felt was starting to make the book really really good. Its kinda spoilers so I won't go into any detail. Overall, I did enjoy this one and I will read more by the author. Just not quite enough romance, steam, for me. Something lacked to rate it any higher.

I just couldn't get into this book. I found I was skimming my way through this book. I just didn't feel a connection to the main characters nor them to each other. Maybe it was just me, but I was bored by this book. *I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.

This was a fun Regency romance involving a fake engagement and a reluctant duke.

I really liked the characters in this romance. Lady Clara is selfless and and kindhearted to the people around her. Quincy has never known love from his mother or brothers, yet is such a kind and caring person to Clara.

When Clara and Quincy decide to pretend they are engaged to avoid his evil mother’s matchmaking, they are thrown into close proximity. Their budding relationship is complicated by the fact that Clara won’t forgive herself for an incident in her past.

The plot moved quickly until about halfway through where it dragged in spots. There were some funny exchanges between the characters in the beginning. For me, the book had too many internal monologues and not enough actual dialogue between the characters, especially in the second half of the book.

I enjoyed the book and really cared about what happened to these characters. I would recommend it to fans of Regency romance. 3.5/5

I really enjoyed this ARC from Christina Britton. I read the first book in this series earlier this year, and as much as I liked it, I really wanted to see the story develop between Clara and Quincy. We get that here and it is fantastic - I really love these two as a couple.

Clara is a 30 year old spinster, having dedicated her life to raising her younger siblings after her mother died. Now, her younger sister is about to be married and Clara finds herself at a loss of what to do with her life. She always was doing for others and has some painful secrets that keep her from seeking her own happiness.

Quincy is the best friend of the Duke of Ashford, Clara's cousin. Clara and Quincy have an immediate attraction when they first meet in the last book. This book starts with Quincy unexpectedly inheriting a dukedom, and his past has secrets yet to be revealed to him.

Quincy's mother is terrible. She is absolutely the villian of the story, and the reason Quincy ran away to America when he was 14. Quincy and Clara accidentally fall into a fake engagement to thwart his mother's matrimonial machinations. And as expected, they begin to fall in love in ernest.

I really enjoyed this story! I don't think you necessarily need to read the first book though it was also very good, but it was more of a vengeance plot. I loved that this story was much more centered on redemption, acceptance and forgiveness.

This book was given to me from netgalley as a arc in return for my honest review.

Quincy left home at the young age of 14 to get away from his horrible family. After his father's passing his mother tries to ship him away in the navy but he left before that could happen. When he finally returns home he learns he's the new Duke. He never expected to inherit since he was the youngest son.

Clara was determined to never marry, because her innocence was taken away from her. Keeping it a secret, she dedicated her life and time to being a mother to her siblings and taking care of her entire family.

Clara's great aunt lady Tesh is always trying to set her up with eligible bachelors and she absolutely hates it. Clara has no intention to ever marry and tries to fade away from society. She also has to figure out where she'll be in life from here on out. Now that her younger sister is getting married, she will no longer be needed at home.

Quincy's Evil mother has plans of her own. She tries her damn hardest to get him to marry a meek lady of her choosing because of a hefty downdry. Quincy doesn't want any part of it, nor does he want anything to do with his mother.

Clara suddenly steps up and claims Quincy as her fiance. This scheme works and benefits both of them. It gets her aunt off her back for the unmarried status, and gets his mom off his back with all those threats. Because of their fake engagement they spend more time together. The more time they spend together the more they enjoy eachothers company. Soon they realize they can't live without eachother. Their fake engagement turns into a real one. Though it takes awhile for her to open up to him with all the walls she's built around her heart for protection, this story was well worth reading.

This was my first book by this author and I intend to continue reading her books.

A romantic regency romance with unexpected depth that doesn't gloss over difficult topics.  I love a fake engagement romance so much, and this book was a terrific example of the genre. 

Lady Clara was manipulated by an unscrupulous man when she was very young and because of this has decided she is unworthy of marriage.  She is terrified her secrets will be found out, and she pours all her energy into serving her family.  Quincy is a friend of the family who has found out he is a Duke, and must deal with this stress of this, and the upset it causes to his life while attempting to protect himself from his abusive mother.  Clara and Quincy start their relationship as friends and it evolves to a deep and complex love.

Lord Quincy Nesbitt ran away from home at fourteen. When he returns to London more than a decade later, he's shocked that his older brothers have all passed away and he is the new Duke of Reigate. Lady Clara Ashford had no intention of ever getting married; she's dedicated her life to her family and to keeping parts of her past hidden. But when her brother's best friend is cornered by the conniving dowager duchess, she jumps to save him and pronounces herself as Quincy's fiancée.

This is the second book in the Isle of Synne series. This book can stand alone but, after reading it, I am eager to go back and read the first book where Quincy and Clara are introduced. Coming into this book, the two are already attracted to one another.

This author is new to me and I found the writing to be incredibly warm and witty. I was drawn in from the beginning. I loved the friendship between Quincy and Clara's brother, Peter. I wanted Quincy's evil mother to get punched in the face (spoiler: doesn't happen, but I wish it had). I was anxious to find out more about all the characters and I liked the way the story unfolded. This is definitely an author I will keep an eye on!

Tropes: Fake Relationship, Best Friend's Sister, Forced Proximity, Ruined, Older Heroine/Younger Hero (not a big plot point, but she is older than him by two years)

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #SomedayMyDukeWillCome #NetGalley