A pretentious pampered princess reunites with a skirt-chasing Scottish Lord. This series is a spin-off in the same world of A Royal Wedding series. Instead of featuring the princes of Alucia, the princesses of the frenemy nation Wesloria are front and center. The first to find a prince consort is Justine. I have to confess, this book starts out shaky for me and I could not stand Justine. She is all kinds of prickly and at times snotty. After enjoying the first series, this new one was almost a DNF for me. I pressed on and realized why I had such difficulty with this story. Warning: This is an enemies-to-lovers theme that I tend to avoid.

The last time Justine interacted with Douglas, she lost to a game and felt humiliated. Douglas, a bit inebriated remembers the game but only remembers how out of touch with reality Justine comes across. Ms. London does not show the best sides of Justine for the first half of this book. Justine seems ill-prepared for Queendom. Her stubbornness in trivial things and doormat attitude when something matters showcase her in the worst of lights. I am not quite sure why Douglas even wants her. Douglas is not a gracious gentleman however, he is an honest and loyal one. I'll take an honest and loyal one over a charming smooth-talking "gentleman" any day.

For at least 70% of the book, I want to smack a little sense into Justine. I want to shake Douglas. I also want to commiserate with Lila the matchmaker. Justine's sister Amelia needs a good spanking: that little attention whore. Justine is all sorts of contradictory and I couldn't quite seem to cheer her on until about 70% into the book. She suddenly grows on me. Her interactions with Douglas become less petty adversarial and more friendly competition. Then it turns into a supportive friendship and I really started to see the real Justine shine through. Douglas brings out the best in Justine and I love it. Douglas possesses all the qualities Justine's numerous advisers want her to find in a husband. He is more than what they want because for him, Justine comes first and he sees all of her, not just to control her. This coming-of-age story is beautifully woven with all the flaws and immaturity one finds in the youth.

This historical romance is recommended for readers who love a little scandal and an enemies-to-lovers theme..

3.5 stars
The story started off slow, filled with details that aren’t conducive to snag the reader. Details that can follow a good beginning, one that snags the reader and makes them want to continue.
Justine is the h; she is the princess and soon to be Queen of her country. She is a bit of a snob and very naïve for most of the book. William, lord Douglas, is sent by his father to help her on her path to finding a husband who the royal secretary of her country hopes will help her be a pawn to his will. William is not impressed by the spoiled way she behaves in the least. He tries to help her, to guide her away from the rogues she seems to be attracted to, and he really should have let her learn her lesson a little earlier on.
The princess, and her sister, are staying with a couple who is helping the secretary and her mother try to orchestrate the outcome they want. To make her chose to marry who they want. Thankfully, a matchmaker is hired, one they didn’t know was going to step in a help the girl. Lady Aleksander is a savvy lady, and she sees how the princess is being played so she steps in and tries to help Justine to grow and make her own way. I’m unclear if Lady Aleksander is from a previous book, but it seems as if we were supposed to already know who she is. The sister, Amelia is a party girl type. The dynamics between the two give off a strong Queen Elizabeth and her sister Margaret vibe.
One thing I dearly hope is fixed before the book is released is the Gaelic because the author uses words that are not at all correct and it’s very off putting.

3.5 STARS - You can’t help but love a romance with a Princess in it! Especially when said Princess is so misunderstood and continually surrounded by those that discount everything she is or does.

You feel her pain and realize how thankful you are to not be in the same situation. Manipulation is the name of the game in Justine’s life. Sad and quite awful really.

London certainly developed some interesting characters to fill out this story. They are ones you have definite feelings for… good and bad! I know I sure did! Her sister is quite the brat! There are a few other ones I really hated!

But Will, he is a sweetheart and I loved their subtle flirting, their lively banter, and their slow-to-grow love. They were a beautiful balance for each other. London nailed the ending that brought the story together in the most delightful way. It truly made the book for me.

A few tough spots with the way Will spoke made the flow of the book stumble a bit for me. Overall, Last Duke Standing is a Princess of a story that leaves you celebrating the sweet outcome!

The king of Wesloria's health is failing. His oldest daughter, Justine, is sent to London to find a husband. Although she will become queen upon her father's death, society believes she needs a husband at her side. The prime minister, Dante Robuchard, hires a matchmaker to help find the future prince consort. William Douglas, the Marquess of Douglas, was ordered by his father, to be Justine's chaperone. His father is debt with the prime minister. Dante wants to ensure that the Princess's future husband will be someone that he can control William is to be sure that Justine isn't matched with a rake. He is a rake, himself. The matchmaker notices how William and Justine are attracted to each other. Neither will admit it. So she introduces Justine to men that William will find fault with. There are both endearing and humorous moments as the story progresses until they finally acknowledge their feelings for each other.
I enjoyed William and Justine's story. I look forward to reading future books in this series. I received an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Justine is the crown princess of Westoria. She is sent to England to work with a matchmaker to find a husband. William is a marquess who is supposed be reporting back to the prime minister of Westoria. Justine is introduced to many suitors. The only one who holds her interest is William. They fall in love. He has a scandal in his past. It has to be cleaned up in order for them to marry. The story was well written. I can’t wait for Julia London’s next book.

Disclaimer: I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet, funny and full of banter between our hero and heroine.

The author did an amazing job showing the complex relationship between the characters as well.

You had the relationship between our two sisters who were princesses. The oldest has the responsibility of the crown and never doing anything right. The youngest is the prize of the family.

You had the farther son relationship between our hero William and his father who was less than business-minded.

You had the overbearing chaperones who would do anything to keep the king and queen's favors.

plus many other complex relationships.

all this led to a very fun story. I was most taken in by our Princess and hero because their relationship started as enemies, then went to friends and finally love. It was fun to watch their relationship grow,

I would definitely add this book to my read again listen as it was thoroughly entertaining.

Julia London returns to historical romance with Last Duke Standing, the first in a new series. With the help of a professional matchmaker, Crown Princess Justine of the fictional country of Wesloria must find a suitable husband before her ailing father succumbs to his illness. As with any of the author's HEA's, the outcome was predictable, although getting to the ending is such an enjoyable ride. Sweet, funny, touching, and characters that are perfect, Julia London has delivered a good start for this new series. I'm looking forward for more!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Crown Princess Justine of Westoria comes to England in search of a husband and future king. Enter William, the Scottish Lord Douglas.

This is a well-written romantic, sweet romance. I loved the characters/storyline.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

England: 19th Century

Crown Princess Justine of Wesloria[,] must marry, and soon. Her father, the king, is dying, and the people of Wesloria expect their queen to have a husband. Shy to the point of trembling when in crowds, Justine is sent to England to be guided by Queen Victoria, and to hopefully find a suitable husband. Her brush with scandal has given her mother the impression that Justine's judgement in men cannot be trusted. Hopefully, the English queen will set an example, and give some much needed advice. Traveling with her sister, Princess Amelia, who is considered the beauty in the family, Justine glumly begins what she deems an ordeal in England. Meanwhile, Justine's mother is convinced by the Prime Minister to hire famed matchmaker, Lady Lila Aleksander of Denmark, who will see to it that the proper man is found.

In England, William Douglas, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale, and the future Duke of Hamilton, is ordered by his father in Scotland to be the official escort of Princess Justine. The duke feels that William, who knows everyone due to his reputation as a rake, will make sure that the young woman is not matched up to a scoundrel. And William knows all of the scoundrels. It seems that the duke owes a favor to the Weslorian prime minister who wants to be assured that the hired matchmaker doesn't pick someone who will not be easily led by the PM. Reluctantly, William takes on the task, although it's clear from the beginning that the princess is not pleased with his presence.

Despite not being happy with the entire situation, Justine slowly begins to trust, and actually like her handsome escort. After all, he's not a candidate to be her husband, so having a friend by her side who knows the lay of the land, and who also seems to understand her extreme shyness, is making her stay in England a bit easier. Potential suitors line up, and Justine and William team up to try and make the right decision.

LAST DUKE STANDING is the first book in the Royal Match series. Two seemingly opposite personalities collide, and then grudgingly work through their differences in order to ease the transition from princess to queen. With the outgoing Princess Amelia testing the patience of her sister, and the matchmaker in the background, Justine must rely on not only her own judgement, but that of William to get through this entire affair.

With an engaging premise, and great characters, LAST DUKE STANDING is an enjoyable read.

A winning start for Julia London new series A Royal Match. Princess Justine of Wesloria is sent to London with spies all around her that are either her Prime Minister or her mother’s. Then there is the matchmaker thrown into the mixed. She must marry and soon, her father the King is gravely ill and hasn’t long to live. William the Marquess of Hamilton also has showed up at the Princess door step, a man she met several years ago and thought fondly of till they had a scene at a house party over a game of musical chairs. Both are very competitive, William claimed he won and Justine claimed he cheated. Having a long memory Justine is not thrilled to see William again, wondering if he is also another spy.
William is blackmailed by his father, who owes the Prime Minister of Wesloria a favor to help guide the Princess in finding a husband. Believing the matchmaker is incompetent he freely gives his opinion whether Justine wants it or not. The interaction between the two is great! A real page turner, with a little scandal, mystery and finding true love.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #LastDukeStanding #JuliaLondon

Love this new series by Julia London! This is a spin-off of her Royal Wedding series, only this time we are taken to Wesloria. Series can be read on it's own, but for those that are familiar with the Royal Wedding series, we see a bit of Beck and his family in this story.

Justine, future queen of Wesloria, must find a proper husband and soon. Her father's health is failing and wants to turn over the crown to her. A matchmaker is engaged to find a suitable husband for Justine. Lord Douglas provides escort for Justine around town, and in the process realizes was an amazing woman she is.

This story had me laughing out loud. Very entertaining. I loved it and look forward to reading the next story in this series.

Soon to be queen Princess Justine is in need of a husband. William is sent to help Justine in any way possible. Their friendship deepens as Justine’s trust in William grows. Soon they find out that William is the best man Standing! Wonderful story.

I absolutely love princess stories. Princess Justine is being sent to England to learn how to be royal. Lord William is tasked with being a escort. He is tasked with helping find Justine a husband. This story plot was good. I really enjoyed the characters. I finished reading in one day.

Last Duke Standing (A Royal Match, #1) by Julia London
This is the first book in a new Julia London series. Crown Princess Justine of Wesloria needs to find a husband before she becomes queen. William, Lord Douglas heir to the Duke of Hamilton seat in Scotland is tasked with keeping an eye on Justine. He is a rake and not husband material. There is also a little scandal in both their pasts. There are lots of interesting people - Justine's sister Princess Ameila, there is also the matchmaker, and lots of interesting people. It was fun watching them go through all the bachelors to finally realize they are perfect for each other.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Romantic Entertaining Funny Wonderful characters Great word building Happily Ever After

Last Duke Standing is the first in a new series by Julia London. A few names from her Royal Wedding series are a pleasant surprise. Nice to find out what became of certain favorites from the fictional country of Westloria. Princess Justine of that country is soon to become Queen with her father, the king, so ill. She needs a bit of refining so is shipped off to England along with her sister Princess Amelia to learn from Queen Victoria herself. Justine also needs to find a Prince consort to stand by her side. A matchmaker named Lila is sent to help find just the right partner. Marquess William Douglas is charged with escorting Justine about London as a favor to Westloria’s prime minister. William and Justine have a past when 8 years ago they met in London and had a disagreement over a game of musical chairs. Justine was only 17 at the time but still holds a grudge. William was not happy to be playing nursemaid. Not a good start between them. I absolutely love the banter between the two and the situations they got into were hilarious at times such as when they went to view the Duke of Sutherland’s picture gallery and crowds of people were there to view the princess (crowds being a particular problem for the princess) and several geese started chasing people in the crowd “taking particular liking to the ladies bottoms.” As Justine and William spend more and more time in each other’s company they find that they both like so many of the same things such as books, opera, art and laughing together. They find they both have a love of dogs with William talking of spending time with the shepherds learning how to train sheepdogs and Justine missing her pet dog Bear and becoming fully attached to Dodi, a new little dog given to her by a suitor in London. Justine even uses a test of liking dogs or not to find out if one of her suitors is acceptable. The affection between the two continues to grow as the matchmaker keeps sending unsuitable prospects to Justine and arranging circumstances for William and Justine to find time together. She seems to know what would make a perfect match. There are a few impediments to overcome and they keep us on edge. There is so much fun to this book. I’m sure it will be enjoyed by many. I so look forward to Princess Amelia’s story. Hope that is in the works soon.
Thank you to the author and publisher as well as NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are strictly my own.

Delightful, romantic and funny regency romance. I loved "meeting" Queen Victoria. I loved the brightness of this story. A quirky heroine and an unsuitable hero combine to create a beautiful moment in time. Well written and entertaining.

This is Another great regency read by Julia London. I never miss buying her books. This is a great easy read

Last Duke Standing is delightful historical rom-com written in Julia London’s trademark tongue-in-cheek style. Expect to laugh a lot—I did—but be prepared for tender moments as well.
William Douglas, Marquess Of Douglas and Clydesdale and future Duke of Hamilton and Brandon makes a superb hero. I found him completely swoonworthy and I just loved it when he realised just how special Justine was to him, “He liked seeing her every day. They were shocked by the same things, liked the same things. They laughed together … He couldn’t bear the thought of anyone touching her. He wanted that woman all to himself.”
Justine is a gorgeous crown princess. I warmed to her immediately. Her attention-seeking younger sister Amelia not so much. I loved that Justine suffered from anxiety in crowd situations, just the wrong thing for someone in the public eye to have to face. William helped her to deal with it superbly.
These two made for a perfect couple and their sensual and engaging story kept me entertained from start to finish.

Last Duke Standing

New York Times bestselling author Julia London opens her sparkling, witty, sexy new series, A Royal Match, with a young future queen in the market for a husband, and the charming—and opinionated—Scottish lord tasked to introduce her to the ton’s most eligible bachelors.

Charming. Cheeky. Cunning.

When Crown Princess Justine of Wesloria is sent to England to learn the ropes of royalty, she falls under the tutelage of none other than Queen Victoria herself. Justine’s also in the market for a proper husband—one fit to marry the future queen of Wesloria.

Because he knows simply everyone, William, Lord Douglas (the notoriously rakish heir to the Duke of Hamilton seat in Scotland, and decidedly not husband material), is on hand as an escort of sorts. William has been recruited to keep an eye on the royal matchmaker for the Weslorian prime minister, tasked to ensure the princess is matched with a man of quality…and one who will be sympathetic to the prime minister’s views.

As William and Justine are forced to scrutinize an endless parade of England’s best bachelors, they become friends. But when the crowd of potential grooms is steadily culled, what if William is the last bachelor standing?

A Royal Match, with a young future queen in the market for a husband, and the charming—and opinionated—Scottish lord tasked to introduce her to the ton’s most eligible bachelors.
Charming. Cheeky. Cunning.
When Crown Princess Justine of Wesloria is sent to England to learn the ropes of royalty, she falls under the tutelage of none other than Queen Victoria herself. Justine’s also in the market for a proper husband—one fit to marry the future queen of Wesloria.
Because he knows simply everyone, William, Lord Douglas (the notoriously rakish heir to the Duke of Hamilton seat in Scotland, and decidedly not husband material), is on hand as an escort of sorts. William has been recruited to keep an eye on the royal matchmaker for the Weslorian prime minister, tasked to ensure the princess is matched with a man of quality…and one who will be sympathetic to the prime minister’s views.
As William and Justine are forced to scrutinize an endless parade of England’s best bachelors, they become friends. But when the crowd of potential grooms is steadily culled, what if William is the last bachelor standing?
A future Queen, a royal Princess and a Duke who is unsuitable. This is the gist of this comical book by Julia London.
Will this Princess ever make a match? Is her sister bound to be the one to be matched?
Justine and William are just the right match.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.