When You Wish Upon A Duke by Charis Michaels is the second in the historical romance Awakened By A Kiss series. Frankly, you don't really need to have read the first book in the series to be able to read this one. This story follows Isobel Tinker who works in a travel shop as a clerk. She speaks like 9 different languages and spent her childhood traveling all over Europe. Jason "North" Beckett is the new duke of Northumberland and he has a job for Isobel. He means to hire her as a translator on his mission -- which will take him to Iceland. But Isobel is reluctant to go there for reasons. Still, she takes the job and well, love is in the air.

I was actually surprised by When You Wish Upon A Duke. I forgot about the summary and just listened because I've been on this kick of listening to historical romance books from my TBR. So, there are pirates in this book and it is quite adventurous. The plot is different and I quite enjoyed that. Isobel has an interesting background - given she's not exactly a member of the ton. I also really liked her with North. The audiobook is narrated by Morag Sims who captures the adventure and pacing perfectly. It is 11 hours and 43 minutes unabridged -- also on Hoopla if your library has it -- highly recommend giving this one a listen!

4.5

In this adaptation of Pete Pan we meet Jason “North” and Isobel. They have both lived life of adventure and heartache. Isobel is not one to trust easily but has learned to lower her guard in order to help North. She learns to love and open her heart again. North does not want to face the responsibility that comes with his title but he knows his duty. They both come together in an effort to find each other and themselves.

This is the second book in the Awakened by a Kiss series. It features Isabel Tinker, who works at a travel agency in London, She dreams of owning her own travel agency in the future and has no desire to continue traveling. Her hopes of never traveling are dashed when Jason Beckett, the Duke of Northumberland, offers to fund her own travel agency if she becomes his guide on a mission to retrieve his cousin from Nordic pirates. It has everything you want humorous hijinks, thrilling intrigue and some pretty steamy chemistry between the characters.

I highly recommend this book. The author did a wonderful job developing characters and provided entertaining dialogue.

I was provided an ARC of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion.

I love this book, I love this series, I love these characters, I love Charis Michaels! Her charming take on the fairy-tale retelling is a breath of fresh air. Don't get me wrong I love a good old Beauty and the Beast retelling, but this book and series is so different from everything else out there it's just fantastic!

Jason is forced to leave his position as an agent for the Foreign Office since inheriting a Dukedom he doesn't want. When his cousin is kidnapped by Nordic pirates he entices Isobel to travel to Iceland as his translator in exchange for her own travel agency building. This is a take on Peter Pan with many references throughout. "Bel" Tinker etc. What started out as promising dragged once they got on the ship. There was a very quick anticlimactic hostage rescue, but, the story went on... and on... and on...with the couple not even together once returning to England. Really, there isn't much romance at all. Isobel must deal with her insecurities not feeling she's good enough to be his Duchess, as the bastard daughter of an Earl or a Duke? And a famous actress for a mother. She had a very bohemian upbringing, traveling the world alone with the other teenage children of actors. Really, I was just bored.

I really love Charis writing but this book was too slow. I will continue reading the rest of the series but this one was not for me.

Thank for you this book! I enjoyed the fairytale spin on the story!

All it takes….

After a childhood spent cavorting around Europe with a dangerous crowd, Miss Isobel Tinker has parlayed her experience and language skills into a safe, reliable life. Working as a clerk in Mayfair’s Everland Travel Shop, she dreams of someday owning her own travel agency and has vowed never to leave the familiar shores of England ever again. When a handsome duke arrives at her doorstep, she realizes her staid existence is about to take flight.

…is faith and hope

Jason “North” Beckett, the Duke of Northumberland, desperately needs a travel guide. He’s inherited a dukedom but has a final mission for the Foreign Office—rescuing his wayward cousin from Nordic pirates. Isobel Tinker is the ideal translator, discreet and unknown, but she’s also uncooperative, stubborn, and disarmingly beautiful.

And a little bit of trust

In exchange for her help, North promises Miss Tinker her own travel agency upon return and strict professionalism at sea. Isobel cautiously agrees but soon realizes “strict” and “professional” are not how she would describe her feelings for the irresistible duke. As their adventure sweeps them to the shores of Iceland and beyond, can temptation and growing trust give way to the magic of wild, passionate love?

This was the first book I've read by this author. I was wondering if I'd be lost during the story not reading the first book in the "Awakened by a Kiss" series. I was not and thoroughly enjoyed When You Wish Upon a Duke, and now would love to read more by Charis Michaels. This was also my first reading of a historical romance involving pirates and I loved it.

What a hoot this book is!!

It's everything you could ever want from a historical romance; laughter and great banter, wit and humour sexiness and sensuality, Great character's an original plot, as I said everything!!

This is what I would call a proper bodice ripper, with a proper bodice-ripping duke and a woman who is more than able to hold on to her bodice.,

There is so much to love about this book, from the eye-catching beautiful cover to the hilarious hi-jinks within the pages, it's such a fabulously, feel-good and romantic story

I love, love, love the setting, putting our gorgeous couple in Iceland and having them watch the northern lights is pure romance. it's so charming and atmospheric I love every detail in those scenes it gives you all the romantic feel and makes you wish you were sitting overlooking the north-lights lit up the sky with a loved one too. It's so pure and free-spirited and utterly whimsical.

I loved this book, it's cosy and yet incredibly sexy, it sizzles and ignites the imagination.

Isobel Tinker is happy living a nice calm life in London and running a travel agency that books trips for the women of the ton. Enter Jason “North” Beckett, the new Duke of Northumberland. Jason does not want to be a Duke. He just wants to keep working for the government as a spy. His final mission is going to Iceland to save his hapless cousin from pirates and the only person who can help him is Isobel.

Filled with humor, romance, and daring escapes, this book was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it.

Charis Michaels' Awakened by a Kiss series is a delightful historical romance series that immediately hooks readers. Michaels uses beloved fairy tales to craft a new historical romance story and she translates the tropes and storylines so well.

When You Wish Upon a Duke is a must-read for any retelling fans. This spin on the Tinkerbell story is just adorable and fun. I also loved that this romance features travel and unusual jobs. Michaels highlights such a fascinating industry during this historical time period and I just loved all the behind the scenes information about being essentially being a travel agent during regency times.

Fans of Lenora Bell and Eloisa James will love this book!

To say I adore Charis Michaels is like saying "I kinda read romance sometimes." Her writing is magnificent and this book is no different. When You Wish Upon a Duke is funny, adventurous, a sparkling, slow burn and sensual but not super steamy. I didn't care that it wasn't as high steam as I prefer.

We meet our characters in England outside a travel agency (what a novel setting in a historical romance! I love to travel so this immediately grabbed me and kept me enthralled). Isobel presents herself as a smart, capable, resourceful heroine who is also harbors a secret past. Jason, aka "North," falls for her quite quickly as he has been spying on her for a bit as he seeks her assistance and knowledge of Iceland, which may or may not be part of Isobel's secret. Both North and Isobel are such lovely characters you just want to hug until they are no longer so sad about life. Isobel' has grieved and feared her past even though she tries to create a new life for herself. Jason yearns for the freedom he once had as well as for Isobel, knowing that she is not the person a Duke should marry, even if he was never supposed to inherit the title. Both have losses from the past that they must face, some fresher than others.

Ms. Michaels sets the stage in England but transports us to Iceland. As I was reading, I kept hoping that we would see our couple travel TO Iceland because that is not a place we see often in historical romance. And Ms. Michaels delivers. She writes of this country in such a vivid, descriptive way that you feel as if you are there with the two of them. You want to see the sights that North sees for the first time.

The writing is so good, full of wit and charm. The chemistry between Isobel and Jason is sharp, strong, and cannot be ignored. This book is a fun, romantic read.

I tried really hard to get into this book and it's completely possible it was just my mindset at the time. I can see myself enjoying When You Wish Upon a Duke at a later date but right now, it just wasn't for me. The story and the possibility of a Regency travel to Iceland really did interest me though.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Miss Isobel Tinker has put her unconventional, transient youth to good use as an adult, employing her language skills and savvy as a clerk in a respectable travel shop. She hopes to save enough to open her own travel shop eventually, but she has no plans to ever again leave England, up until her careful plans are upended by a handsome duke snooping around her shop.

Jason Beckett, the Duke of Northumberland needs someone to guide him on his last, albeit unsanctioned, mission for the Home Office: to rescue his accident-prone cousin from pirates in Iceland. Isabel is the perfect attaché, but she’s incredibly unwilling to cooperate and her beauty is distracting in the extreme.

Jason finally enlists Isabel’s help by promising her own travel shop after they return from their mission, along with a vow to keep their relationship strictly professional. Isobel agrees, though she’d rather not, as she struggles with her unwanted feelings for the duke. As they are forced together on an unwanted adventure, Jason whittles away at Isobel’s defenses, but it may not be enough to convince her of the sincerity of his feelings.

I adored the setup of this book as well as the exotic Icelandic setting of a good portion of the book. Isobel and Jason had explosive chemistry from the beginning, and I was so looking forward to seeing that palpable tension ignite in the face of so much forced proximity. [Possible spoilers from here]. Unfortunately, that’s not quite what happened. It took these MCs so long to finally come together that I despaired of it ever happening. Of course, Isobel had every reason to be afraid of beginning a new relationship, but Jason worked so hard to gain her trust and was never anything but open and sincere with her, so her continued doubt of him and his feelings for her lasted entirely too long for my liking. In fact, the continued resurgence of Isobel’s insecurities and tendencies to push Jason away got very old for me. After such an excellent build up of tension and trust, the third act separation killed the romance, especially since she instigated it by running away and then blamed Jason, despite the fact that he was only doing what she asked and trying to make her feel safe. I adored Jason and the romance here, but it was sadly let down by the heroine’s over the top reticence and I wanted to see these two settled together a lot sooner than we did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a 3.5 for me. I loved the story but some of the writing dragged a bit. I found in places it was hard to keep my interest in it. Isobel and Jason were good together. Both were smart and fearless. Just with how much was happening I wanted a bit faster pace.

A fun historical romance based loosely on Peter Pan. I loved this book and Isobel a whole lot. Isobel runs a travel agency on her own and is fiercely independent. One thing I admire about historical romances is that they feature strong woman like Isobel. Definitely not a book to be missed and I look forward to continuing with the series. This one was a delightful escape. With thanks to Avon Books for an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really adore this author & her magical fairytale inspired romances!! I was so happy to be given the copy to this book! I absolutely loved it! It was fun, sweet, witty, & lots of adventure! Jason Beckett aka North is our beta hero! *yes you read that right!* He is new to a dukedom & grieving the loss of his father and 2 brothers. North is a war hero that worked for the crown. He’s quite charming & swoonworthy as well! North must save his cousin Reggie and village people from Icelandic Pirates! So now he needs to find someone who knows the language and country. Enter our smart, outspoken heroine, Isobel Tinker, aka Bell. She runs a travel agency called Everland Travel. She’s had past trauma when out of the country. Bell doesn’t want to leave England again, however North propositions her with a security for a future she can’t resist. These two are seriously a perfect match. I love that they share their feelings. North and Bell have wonderful chemistry as well. North also respects Bell while embracing her as she is! So much swoon! This was such a wonderful lovely romance with a side of fairytale vibes! I can’t wait for more from this author!

I loved this book! I had been in a historical romance rut for a while, but this was a complete breath of fresh air. It is a romp, and just an overall excellent read.

I have to admit, I did not reread the back of the book before I started reading, so I did not notice that it was a reworking of Tinkerbell until very late into the novel. It is, however, completely obvious when you learn that it is. And it works so well!

While the hero is a duke, he is still adjusting to his title and behaves more like a spy character. The heroine is a commoner working at a travel agency, which is not something you see often in historical romances. He engages her on a quest that includes Iceland and pirates, but I do not want to give too much away. The book is just so fun!

I highly recommend this book as an escape and good use of free time. Now I need to go back and read the first book in the series because I simply loved Michaels' writing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

What a fun, adventure filled Regency romance. Isobel and North make a fantastic couple. They are both strong and determined to get what they want. Iceland was described beautifully. Loved the HEA ending.

I just adore this series with fairy tell retellings. They are fun and have such a cute twist with the fairy tell characters we love. Highly recommend!