Loved it!! I don’t do a lot of holiday themed reading but this is so much more than that. Thoroughly enjoyable romance about an soon to be divorced English professor and a modern day rake with a heart of gold. Smart, witty and bold.

I thought this was a really fun read. While this romance may come across as the book version of a TV holiday movie (Which I very much enjoy!), it also has a strong core of realism running through it. I really liked Dani and Max. I found their thoughts, struggles and baggage quite easy to relate to. I felt the chemistry was easy to feel and I enjoyed seeing it simmer along as their relationship evolved and deeper emotions took root. Of course, there is a bit of an overall over-the-top feel that a time or two wanders into the cheesy territory but I honestly feel it is pretty much expected and let's be honest here, cheesy or not it brings on the intense feels swoon for most of us.

What an absolute delight to re-enter a story universe that I am familiar with for the holidays again. Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday is a companion to her A Princess For Christmas. This story was just what the doctor ordered and a great read for the week before I begin vacation. I cannot recommend highly enough both Christmas stories by Jenny Holiday. I do think that Duke, Actually is going to hold a special place in my heart though.

Duke, Actually follows Marie and Leo’s best friends – Daniela Martinez and Maximilian von Hansburg, baron of Luden. Dani is a professor and on tenure track. She is struggling because she just wants to get her divorce from Vince. However, he’s dragging his feet and also flaunting the new girlfriend. When Max is in town, he ends up attending the department Christmas party with Dani. The two have a really great time. They end up becoming best friends. Each has feelings that are developing into something more. However, there’s a few things standing in the way.

I am still in such a good mood from reading Duke, Actually. Holiday has such a talent for writing characters that I think feel real — even if they are blue blooded — and that I actually really like. This book is a fast read and kept my attention from beginning to end with no issues. I never lost my focus. Nor did I feel a lull where I was bored. Also — Dani’s dog, also named Max, is an added bonus. There’s some spice in this book, but nothing that detracts from the plot or makes me feel squicked out after reading.

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO BUDDY THE ELF, HOW MUCH CHRISTMAS SPIRIT DOES DUKE, ACTUALLY BY JENNY HOLIDAY HAVE?
If you’re thinking that the title of this book gives you Love, Actually vibes, you’re on track. It is definitely a reference to Love, Actually which the movie does play a role in this book. We start the book during the holidays and with Dani not really feeling in the spirit. It progresses through the year and then ends on a holiday note. I felt so enthused about the season after reading this book. Actually I wanted to out and see a performance of The Nutcracker with good seats. In all — this is a wonderful escape with phenomenal romance and characters. Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday is a must read for the yuletide.

So cute and funny and a take on one of my favorite holiday movies! I can't wait to pick up a hard copy and read it by the fire and a Christmas tree!

Definitely a cute book and perfect for the holiday season but I can't help but feel like I didn't really care for Dani as a character. I found her to be a little unlikable.

“Because at Christmas you tell the truth, and the truth is that I’m in love with you.”

Dani has sworn off love and men after divorcing her cheating ex husband. She created a list of things that she wouldn’t do for a man so she won’t make the same mistake again. But when a handsome duke (baron) ends up on her doorsteps, she didn’t expect to fall for him.

After meeting through their best friends, Dani and Max are now the best woman and man of honor for their wedding. Max has made it clear that he’s interested in Dani, but his reputation of being a “man-whore” has sent him to the friend zone and also the fact that his parents are pressuring him into a marriage that he wants no part of.

After Max agreed to help Dani out by attending her work party, they both start to get close to the point that they’re constantly talking to each other and Max would fly out to see her. Even her dog likes Max. Of course the feelings start to develop, but they both don’t want to risk losing their friendship. Can they keep their relationship platonic?

The banter between Dani and Max had me smiling and laughing! This was definitely a slooooow burn that would make you scream “just kiss already!” so many times! I love the fact that they were so supportive of each other’s passions and Dani would talk to Max as if he was just a regular person.

❄️READ IF YOU LIKE❄️:
- dual POV
- friends to lover
- grumpy heroine x sunshine hero
- fake dating (ish)
- lots of witty banters
- best woman x man of honor
- slow burn
- unrequited crushes
- Love, Actually & Dirty Dancing
- reformed playboy
- LGBTQ+ rep

cw: alcoholism, divorce, infidelity, parental neglect/abuse, death of parent, double standards

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the advanced copy! Duke, Actually is not available!

Another cute Hallmark-esque Christmas book from Jenny Holiday.

I liked that this one brought us back to the characters of A Princess for Christmas.

Duke, Actually felt more emotional and heartwarming compared to the first one.

Human Max is charming and sweet and it gave me butterflies about how much he liked Dani.

There were some parts of the book I didn’t like, like the big fight, but that’s typical. This book followed a very specific plot line that many similar books follow, so it was pretty predictable. It actually took me quite awhile to read and I think I might’ve enjoyed it more had I gotten through it quicker.

Now I’m wondering if there will be a third book focused on Seb!

Thanks to Avon for an advanced copy of Duke, Actually!

This was a fun slow burn, steamy Hallmark-esque romance! I read A Princess for Christmas right before and definitely recommend reading it first. I loved the pop culture references and nod to Love Actually in this book!

Dani's best friend Leo is getting married to Marie, a Princess of a small European country Eldovia and in the wedding fun she's thrown together with Max von Hansburg Baron of Laudon (he's a Baron and not a Duke!), who is a little bit of a manwhore. When Max is in NYC he reaches out to Dani and against her better judgement they meet up and start a friendship over text. She's recently divorced and has sworn off love and all they are both looking for is friendship...

The witty banter, pop culture references, funny writing and wonderful characters has this as such a wonderful book! If you haven't read either of these yet you should!

LOVED THE DOG!! Max Minimus. The other characters I could do without. It's not that I hated it, it was just okay. I love a good slow burn romance, but this just took long for the two main love interests to get together. Didn't get to enjoy them as a couple because before I knew it I was done.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Max and Dani's story! One is jaded by love, and the other is jaded by life, and they are just so stinking perfect together! For whatever reason, Dani's quirky "Christmas season" schedule was a high point, I loved the uniqueness. Such a great continuation from last year!

I knew absolutely nothing about this book before picking it up as part of the Bonkers Romance podcast's Temple of Deviant Joy Book Club, except that it was a contemporary romance with a Duke?

As it turns out, it's contemporary romance with a Duke with a lot of Christmas references and it was actually a lot of fun. A touch dramatic at times (but that's kind of par for the course with a lot of romances) but I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Max, the heir to a small European Dukedom, ends up befriending Dani who's single and after her husband for a divorce since he left her for a former (college) student of theirs. Max and Dani met after their friends, a Crown Princess and a cab driver from New York, met, fell in love and decided to get married. This leaves Max in a tough spot - he was previously going to marry Prince Marie in a mutually convenient arrangement - and together he and Dani decide to support each other in moving on in their lives. 

Their friendship is heartwarming, and often cheesy, but a whole lot of fun. It's clear that they don't initially know what to make of each other, but Max is incredibly loyal to the people he cares about and worms his way into Dani's good graces by being a nice guy. Meanwhile, Dani's friendship helps Max to begin to confront his own insecurities about his future and the path he might have to take.

There were some great supporting characters - Princess Marie and Leo (the couple from the first book in the series - as well as Max's younger brother, Seb, Dani's colleague and and friend, as well as Dani's dog (also called Max, or Maximus Minimus, so we don't get confused). While we don't spend a lot of time with them, their presence moves the story along and helps us understand the protagonists.

Something to be aware of is the relationship between Max and his parents. Max's father, the Duke of Aquilla, is an alcoholic and there are discussions around the physical abuse he inflicted on his children while they are young, as well as the mental abuse they endure as adults. Their father is not above scheming to get what he wants, while Max and Seb are hoping to move their family firmly into the twenty-first century.

There's a lot of travel between New York and Eldovia, and lots of fun adventures in between. It's a fairly light read, and with all it's Christmas references, perfect for reading in December.

Happy Saturday y'all! I read my first Christmas book of the year (Duke, Actually), and y'all it was so cute! Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of it! This book came out on November 16, so make sure you go grab it as soon as you've read my review!
Duke, Actually 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday follows A Princess for Christmas with another delightful contemporary Christmas romance between a playboy baron and a woman who has said goodbye to love.
Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla, is trapped. Under pressure from his domineering father, he must marry a suitable bride before he inherits a title that feels like a prison sentence. In New York to meet a prospective wife, he ditches his responsibilities and appears on Dani Martinez’s doorstep. He’s been intrigued by the no-nonsense professor since he met her at the Eldovian royal wedding and is determined to befriend her.
Newly single Dani is done with love—she even has a list entitled “Things I Will Never Again Do for a Man”—which is why she hits it off with notorious rake Max. He’s trying to escape relationships, and she’s resolved to avoid them at all costs. All they want from each other is friendship and a distraction from their messy lives.
As their bond begins to deepen, so does their attraction, until they end up in bed together. Falling in love was never part of the plan—Max’s family doesn’t see Dani as a perfect match, even as his heart tells him she’s the one, and Dani isn’t sure she can make it in Max’s world. Can they find the courage to live they life they desire, even if it means risking everything?
I love the vibe of Christmas romances and this one had it in spades. Was it 100% set during Christmas? No, but Max and Dani's journey started and ended during Christmas, so I think it totally counts. I loved both Dani and Max as main characters (and I especially loved Max the dog). Dani's ex was the worst- I hated Vince- and I felt so bad for poor Berkeley. I loved how even though so much of the book was focused on Dani and Max working towards making their lives what they wanted and becoming friends, their romance didn't seem out of place or forced or anything. Nor did it feel like it was moving too fast- which I loved. This book also touched on deeper issues such as abuse by a parent and alcohol addiction, so just a heads up if those are triggers for you. I thought they were handled really well, but I also have not been impacted by either of them, so I'm not the best judge of that. Pacing wise, I really liked the speed at which the book moved. I just wanted to keep reading more of Max and Dani's story. Plus, part of it is set in New York, and New York is magical to me (especially at Christmas time), so I loved those aspects of the book as well. All in all, I definitely enjoyed Duke, Actually and I think y'all should for sure read it!

An English Professor and a Yorkie? Sold. Truly, this book lived up to the expectations set by the adorable cover and the hype. I really enjoyed seeing the way the relationship between the main characters developed. It felt organic because it was given time and space to develop. There wasn’t just one moment that magically transformed Dani and Max - or their relationship. Instead, it was clear to see how a million moments and interactions shifted their view of the world and each other.

It was also interesting to see how different people in the book handled the weight of expectations (their own or those imposed by others) and the desire to not let people down. This book conveyed lot of relatable feelings even if the experiences themselves were different.

Overall, I was impressed with another 5 star read. It is a sweet holiday romcom, perfect for this time of year.

Duke, Actually is the perfect follow-up to A Princess for Christmas. I was expecting this book to be another holiday-season romance, but it takes place over a longer timeline and is much more of a friends-to-lovers, slow burn romance.

Duke, Actually has all the same snarky, witty dialogue as the first book (maybe more!), along with plenty of swoony and steamy moments. I loved that both main characters had self-discovery arcs.

This is a funny, moving, sweet romance that will make a perfect gift for your romance book-loving friends.

I want to give more than three stars but there were some things that bothered me in this book one being the frequent use of "slutting around" and "man-whore". Like I get it, but it doesn’t need to be brought up every 5 pages. Max and Dani were cute but I also struggled with their romance. I almost would have liked it better if they stayed friends. Still a fun, quick read.

I really enjoyed this fun rom com set primarily in "another country." I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series, which was not an issue to have not read first. I felt that the main points were definitely recapped well enough that there was no confusion, and it's not incredibly spoilery to the first story, assuming you don't mind knowing certain relationship outcomes before reading.

4-4.5 very enthusiastic stars for this fantastic friends to lovers, adorable story!

Don’t let the Christmas marketing fool you, this is not, strictly, a Christmas book. It takes place over the course of a year - from one holiday season to the next. The timeline gives our leads, Daniela and Max, plenty of time to get to know each other and slowly fall in love. The friends to lovers trope is so well done here, where their foundation of friendship shines throughout the story. I loved their witty banter and hilarious text exchanges, and the steamy scenes were excellent (though this is very *very* slow burn so you’ve got to wait for them).

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Maximilliam von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla, has again disappointed his parents in failing to find an appropriate bride while in New York to meet another of their choices for him. Instead, he calls Dani Martinez, a teacher het met through his best friend, Princess Marie of Eldovia. Dani wasn’t that impressed when she met Max, considering he is known for his playboy ways. However, since both have sworn off love, they develop of strong friendship bond over the next few months, texting and talking on the phone, along with enjoying each other’s company during Max’s frequent visits to New York City. Max’s parent in no way think Dani is the perfect match for him and try to stop their relationship as it begins to deepen. Dani realizes she can’t see herself in Max’s world, but can he convince her otherwise?

It’s that time of year that we all want a charming, spicy holiday romance. Duke Actually is a fabulous friends-to-lovers read that satisfies the want perfectly! It gave me all the feels, including smiles, laughs and tears. I didn’t want to end and since it’s the second in the series, maybe I’ll get my wish for more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked Dani and Max and their relationship and how it grew. I will say, instead of third act "breakup and makeups", I wish we had more heartfelt communication. This relationship was built on communicating with each other and I wish that had played out more when things got serious between the two. Everything works out and it's great, but it's a trope I'm kind of over. I'd rather see healthy communication and facing issues head on, instead of running away and ignoring the problem. But that's really my only issue with the book. Otherwise, I really enjoyed reading it.

With A Princess for Christmas being one of my favorite holiday reads from last year, I couldn't wait to get into Duke, Actually. And after finishing, A Princess for Christmas still reigns as one of my favorites, but there's plenty to love in this rather heartwarming holiday read!

I think Duke, Actually will absolutely tick a lot of boxes for many during this festive season. And one of my favorite parts of their story was the instant friendship/bond between these two. They're absolutely hysterical and quickly became each other's person. And naturally, when it starts to get deeper into the feels department, neither know how to deal with it..

I didn't quite get onboard with the romance part of the story and it definitely comes a lot later in story than I anticipated, but I know many will be okay with this.

Still an enjoyable and fun read!

3.5/5