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All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden
All the Duke I Need (Desperately Seeking Duke, #3)
by Caroline Linden (Goodreads Author)
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Raised in the splendor of Carlyle Castle by her doting guardian, the Duchess of Carlyle, Philippa Kirkpatrick is one of the greatest heiresses in England. The duchess is eager to see her wed, but Philippa hesitates to leave the only home she knows.

William Montclair is in London to expand his family’s trading firm, with little progress. Impulsively he takes a job managing the Carlyle estate—for the money, he tells his incredulous brother, and only for a year.

Philippa is shocked by the handsome, scandalously bold new steward. It’s all she can do to prevent the horrified duchess from sacking him on sight. She determines to teach him how to love Carlyle as she does, only to find herself reluctantly charmed by the rogue.

It’s true; Will is falling for everything about Carlyle. Will came to Caryle Castle as the new steward. His past may destroy everything he comes to love.

Will came to London to start find shipping and trade open to his family business in Boston. He swore to his father to keep their past a secret.

Will he be able to keep his secret while falling in love Philippa?

Philippa knows Will will be the best steward for the estate. Not wanting to leave the only home she ever knows, falling in love with Will and ran the estate for Duchess is her dream.

Will's past comes back to reality his family connections to Carlyle dukedom may be to much for the Duchess to handle.

Coming to terms with the past. Will's father comes back to Carlyle for the first since he was a young man to shake up the foundation of the dukedom.

All the Duke I need is the third, and presumably final, book in Caroline Linden's Desperately Seeking Duke series. I have the first two books but, as is my wont, I've yet to read them. I was pleased to discover that this volume stands perfectly well all by its lonesome. I really enjoyed this one, and I'm glad I still have the others to look forward to later.

Philippa "Pippa" Kirkpatrick lives at Carlyle Castle with her guardian, the Duchess of Carlyle. The Duchess wants Pippa to go to London to meet eligible men and marry, but Pippa is perfectly happy right where she is. Since the Duchess is preoccupied with the health of her son, the current duke, she takes on much of the running of the estate herself. But then the new steward arrives... William "Will" Montclair is in London with his brother to build up the family's shipping business. He takes a job as the steward of the Carlyle Estate without sharing with Jack the motive behind his decision to work there. Pippa's taken aback by the very handsome and brash new employee. The Duchess is even more shocked by Will's manner and Pippa's reasonably sure that her guardian's about to sack Will. Drawn to him, Pippa decides she's going to help Will love the estate as much as he does and will help him deal with the Duchess. Will turns out to be an excellent steward and does start to fall in love with Carlyle, including the beautiful ward. But will Will's secret keep them apart?

This was a fun story with an interesting premise, but it's the characters here that make the book so charming. I loved both Pippa and Will and found them to be a perfect couple. Pippa's Indian mother died and her father eventually remarried the daughter of the Duchess. The Duchess immediately fell in love with the little girl at their wedding. Pippa became the ward of the Duchess after her beloved Papa and stepmother died. Pippa did her best to help Will cope when dealing with the Duchess, but she became aggravated when he wouldn't follow her advice. He teased her relentlessly and she became totally aggravated with him. When she discovered Will was throwing apple cores out the window, drawing pests to the beautiful garden she tended, she totally lost it and started pelting him with the apple cores. After being pelted with one too many of the projectiles, he threw a handful of walnuts at Pippa. That was a hysterical moment and my favorite part of the book! That broke the ice between them and they became friends, though they both wanted more. Will was the older brother who was sent with Jack to work in London. Will had no desire to work on the books of their father's shipping business; that was more Jack's strength anyway. Jack was shocked when Will told him he was going to be the steward of a large estate; Will promised him it would just be for a year. I won't share Will's reason for wanting to work there; I don't want to spoil the story for you. I guessed part of it, but was also totally surprised by another aspect of the secret. Will found out he had a knack for estate work and really enjoyed it. He was bold when speaking with the Duchess and was always in danger of her firing him. He couldn't stay away from Pippa, though he tried to control his feelings out of respect for her. When they got together it was steamy and quite lovely; you could really feel the love and attraction between them. There were some great supporting characters; in addition to the Duchess and Jack, there was Edwards the attorney, the Black man who was the companion to the current duke, and puppies. My favorite, however, was the duke. He was severely injured as a young man and was now rather frail and appeared to have brain damage. He spent most of his time in his rooms; however, when he met Will there was a big change for the better in the Duke. He would sit outside, go on carriage rides with his mother and loved to listen to Will's stories and the books Will read to him. Will was very comfortable in the Duke's company and never talked down to him. It was a rather sweet friendship that I loved watching be built. I truly enjoyed my visit to Carlyle Castle and its wonderful inhabitants. Caroline Linden never disappoints.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
William Montclair the hero of our story came to London to branch out on their shipping business but he finds it boring so he asks his brother Jack to allow him to take another position as a steward instead since the need the money. He starts his position at the Carlyle estate and that's where he meets Phillipa Kirkpatrick our heroine. As he's working at the estate he slowly starts making improvements and winning over the current Duke whose health is declining. Phillipa and William start to fall in love but William has a secret and his time as working as a steward is coming to a close. This was the first book I picked up in this series and it can be read as a stand alone but it makes a little more sense if you were to read the others in this series. So that's why I picked up the first two books just because there were certain things in the storyline that I was confused on. What I didn't like was the ending of the story it was very abrupt and open ended.

Will Montclair and his brother are from America. Hoping to drum up business in London for their shipping company, Wiil is not satisfied working in London in an office. He takes a job as a steward for an estate called Carlyle. Will immediately takes steps to start making repairs even after the Duchess gives him a hard time. Her granddaughter, Philippa is widely attracted to Will. Anything between them is doomed with the difference in class. Philippa is determined that they are meant to be together. Will is carrying a secret, a secret that could give him hope to marry Philippa and to heal old hurts. Not necessarily a surprise ending.
Heat Level 3 ❤️
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden is book Three in the Desperately Seeking Duke series. This is the story of Philippa Kirkpatrick and William Montclair. Will and his brother have come to London to open a new branch of their Shipping business. But they need more money to get this up and running so Will ends up taking a job as a Stewart a the Carlyle estate. There he meets the Duchess of Carlyle and her ward/step daughter Philippa. Philippa loves the estate and wants to work with Will to help with assessing what repairs needs to be done. This of course puts them in a close working relationship where feelings start to grow. Enjoyed

William Montclair, along with his younger brother, Jack, are in London to further the interests of their American shipping company at the request of their father. Though William is the elder, he is content to let Jack take the lead, as his heart is truly not in the business. When a chance encounter with a stranger leads to a position of land steward for a ducal estate in the country, William jumps at the chance, even though Jack is much opposed. William knows that this job can’t be permanent, and he assures Jack that he will come back. Though William gets off to a very rocky start with the duchess at the estate, he finds that he has taken to the job like a duck to water. He comes to care for the land and its people. He discovers that he has a natural ability, and begins to bring about much needed improvements for the estate, whose management has been sub par for several years. William is content with his situation, if only he didn’t have this overwhelming attraction for the duchess’s lovely step-granddaughter.

Philippa “Pippa” Kirkpatrick has been handling much of the estate management of Carlyle Castle, with her beloved step-grandmother’s blessing. In truth, the duchess, along with the entire staff and family, attempt to hide the fact that the duke is truly not up to handling his responsibilities. Pippa was the duchess’s (now deceased) daughter’s stepchild, and is half Indian by birth. The duchess grew to love Pippa, and kept her as part of the family when she was orphaned. As William discovers more and more things which need to be repaired or improved, Pippa is at first insulted, feeling that she is being slighted. She soon comes to see that William is right, and she needs to help him achieve his goals by teaching him how to get along with the crusty duchess. Things get a little complicated when Pippa starts to feel a similar attraction for Will, and for the first time, finds the fun of flirtation, and the joy to be had in shared kisses and embraces.

As their friendship and attraction grows, Will realizes that he is getting in too deep. He is starting to fall in love, and there is no possible future with Pippa. His status is that of a high level servant, which is far beneath that of a beautiful heiress with ducal connections. When he directly puts the question to Pippa, she is forced to admit that he is correct. Will escalates his plans to leave the estate – his brother has been impatiently urging his return anyway. But there is another reason, a secret that Will is keeping, which makes a future with Pippa impossible.

The relationship between Will and Pippa was delightful. I loved watching them initially fight their attraction, hiding it behind teasing and barbs, then progressing to friendship, then to becoming truly in love with each other. They are a true match in all ways. My favorite part is how they both separately came to the same conclusion, that they belong together, regardless of the consequences, and were both coming back to each other. I also really, really loved how Pippa figured out the mystery, and chose not to hold Will’s keeping his secret against him. This is the final book of DESPERATELY SEEKING DUKE series, and while it did wrap up the matter of the lost heir in a satisfactory way, I was left wanting so much more detail. This family was such an integral part of the series, that I found I had to have more questions answered. Just today I learned that Caroline Linden is writing an extended epilogue, which is intended to fill in all the blanks, and I can’t wait to read it, and only wish it could have been included with this book. The romance between Will and Pippa in ALL THE DUKE I NEED is fun, warm, and touching, and one that I can heartily recommend.

3.5 Stars

This one was good, but not quite as engaging.

Linden is typically a must read for me. She writes solid stories and I’ve read almost all in her latest series, Desperately Seeking Duke. But this latest, while a good wrap up to the series itself fell a little flat for me. Maybe it was the slow burn part of the tale or the unreliable narrator bit from the hero that tied into a nice little bow at the end?

Let’s dig into the meat though. As far as characters go, readers finally get to have the lovely Phillipa as a heroine. She’s been a staple secondary character throughout the series and it was fabulous seeing her lead her own tale. I love her spunk, her natural caring for the place and people she’s grown up around, and her fierce determination. She sees what she wants and goes after it. She’s also caring and kindhearted. Her nature causes immediate sparks with the new estate manager, Will.

Will is our would-be hero. He’s in charge of managing the estate, but also hails from America. He’s too forthright, a champion of change and innovation, everything Phillipa’s grandmother is against. But he’s got his own secrets too. Including the plan to only stay at the estate in the position for six months and then leave. He won’t commit to anything long-term.

Eventually Phillipa and Will unite together and find common ground, leading only to the acknowledging the very real attraction between them. I loved this part, but despised Will’s lack of communication. That’s mainly what kept his book from a higher rating.

Ultimately, the story wraps with a somewhat surprising ending though I believe fans of this series will be satisfied with the result. Overall, it’s not a bad conclusion though I wanted bit more on the conflict between our two main characters. For readers who enjoy Lisa Berne.

~ Landra

I received an advanced reader’s copy of All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden from the publisher.

I enjoyed this book. There were interesting characters and great interactions. I loved how William developed distinct relationships with the various members of the Carlyle household. Philippa and William’s relationship develops over the course of the book. There are poignant moments where they are revealing parts of their past to show their deepening connection to each other. I loved the revelation at the end with regards to William and his family.

I was left wanting to read more at the end and am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Caroline Linden's third installment in the Desperately Seeking Duke series is an absolute delight! I so throughly enjoyed this novel, I was charmed by its characters and swept up into its plot. Linden does a wonderful job quickly engaging the reader and keeping them along for the ride in this well paced novel of love that spans class differences. Linden's writing style is fun lively making this novel easily readable and a page turner.

Philippa Kirkpatrick was raised in splendor and known as one of the great heiresses in England, but she is hesitant to leave the home and comfort that she knows and loves. William Montclair is in London with the dreams of expanding this family's trading firm and in order to receive some capital to help with this endeavor he takes a job to manage the Carlyle estate for a year. These two and instantly drawn to the other and Philippa's desire is now to show and share her love for Carlyle with William.

I absolutely love when we get the chances to step out of the London scene in favor of a country estate. When a novel is based more out in the country I feel like we are provided with different insights and character developments between our hero and heroine, there is also a different type of laxness and comfort when the hero and heroine can get to know each other with out the eyes of London judgements. I think the country setting for Philippa and William's love story is perfect, they can become more relaxed around each other and actually spend some time together. I think also because Philippa is in a place she loves she can truly be more herself. I just really enjoyed watching these two together, I loved watching them share things with the other, I love that class difference was never an issue as their relationship was developing, and I love that Philippa is not just a normal plain white heroine-that she is of Indian and English decent. I definitely feel like this novel is a relationship driven one, I read it for the relationship and did not worry too much about what plot wholes there might be in the story surrounding William's family secrets. The chemistry between Philippa and William was well done and there is some nice soft sensuality. The conflicts in this story to get swiftly wrapped up and though some may not love this, it did not bother me at all.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this novel and this series, I have really enjoyed each installment and I can not wait to see where Caroline Linden takes us next!

Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of the book. This review is based on my personal opinion and enjoyment of the book.

I enjoyed the first two books in the Desperately Seeking Duke series but was blown away with this, the third book in the series. Continuing with the theme of semi-working class historical romances, this book is the story of Philippa, the half Indian daughter of the Duchess of Carlyle’s former son-in-law, and Will the new steward on the estate freshly arrived from the Americas. The pair initially clash over how the estate should be run but grow close as they care for the tenants and Philippa’s family. Both have complicated pasts that bar them from society but they find comfort in each other.

I was engaged in this book from the jump. I instantly connected with both Philippa and Will and my affection for them only grew throughout the book. I also really liked the side characters and found the main couple’s interactions with the Duke to be very sweet. The only slight disappointment for me is the cover. While I do think the man on the cover is gorgeous and true to the description of Will in the book, I think not having an Indian cover model representing Philippa was a missed opportunity to convey the diversity found in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate in being able to read the previous books in the series as they gave me the background I needed for this well-written and intensely romantic novel. The Duchess of Carlyle is a stickler for all things proper on a number of fronts, and she and Will Montclair clash upon their first meeting. It is an absolute wonder that he isn't fired before he served even one day as the steward at Carlyle Castle. His one saving grace is Miss Phillipa Kirkpatrick, the Duchess's companion, and granddaughter through marriage. Will, a shipowner's son, sent to London to establish links for his father's business, cannot pass up an opportunity when it presents itself to work at Carlyle Castle as the estate manager. He has his reasons for accepting the post but knows that if the truth ever gets out, he is going to be in dreadful trouble with his father, who had made him swear to avoid the Carlyles at all costs. Will did not take into account the feelings he would develop for the lovely Phillipa, even though he realizes that any relationship between them would be completely unacceptable. Phillipa lives by her own rules and when it looks as if she will lose Will, she turns to her own heritage to find strength. I loved the main characters in this novel, as well as the supporting cast, and even the Duchess despite the fact that vinegar ran through her veins. This is a beautiful romance and it really did jerk on my heartstrings, to the extent that I found myself wiping away the tears in the closing paragraphs. I received a copy of this amazing book through NetGalley as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

William and Pippa. These two gave me all the feels - I just adored their romance in Caroline Linden’s All the Duke I Need. I loved all the bickering and teasing between our two main characters. If you are familiar with the two previous books in the desperately seeking Duke series then you’ll know the set up and of course the Duchess. They both have secrets that they keep even from us readers for majority of the book and wraps up way too quickly and easily in the end but the writing style was fantastic for me. An enjoyable read and I will be picking up even more books By Caroline Linden.

I think this book although well written was not balanced as there was a lot of set up along with the slow burn romance and then so much was revealed at the very end. I'm not sure if this was because i hadn't read the other two books in the series but I found some parts confusing and I would have liked for Will's character and history to come out more as the book progresses. I still had a lot of questions and felt the end was rushed without answering these.

I adored Philippa and William's story. These two together were just magical! The ending, OMG!! 🥰😭🥰 You need to read this book now!!

He doesn’t look like an estate manager; William Montclair looks like a pirate. He didn’t have experience, but Mr. Edwards found something he liked in Will, hired him, and taught him about Carlyle. Phillipa, the granddaughter of the duchess, isn’t sure of Will. The Duchess of Carlyle, very protective of the Duke and the estate, even less so. Pippa and Will bumped heads, actually she threw apple core at him, for a while, but as they got to know each other, that changed. Will worked hard. The staff and tenants liked him, and he even made a friend in the old Duke.

The is the third story in the series. Mr. Edwards is still searching for a possible heir. The romance between Eva and Will starts a little bumpy, but it is fun to watch it grow. The story keeps you guessing about what we will find out next. So… the conclusion? You might suspect, but you will be surprised. The story is a little different, but entertaining. The characters are great!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I won a copy in a GoodReads Giveaway. My review is voluntary.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden is the third book in her engaging Desperately Seeking a Duke Series. I think you would enjoy this book more if you have read the first two books in the series (both are excellent). William Montclair has travelled from the United States to England with his brother to set up an English branch of their family's shipping company. Bored and seeking adventure, he takes on the job of steward for the duchy of Carlyle. The Duchess has done her best to maintain the estate, but the previous steward was elderly, and many tasks were left undone, so William has his work cut out for him, as long as he doesn't offend the duchess again and get booted from the position. Philippa Kirkpatrick is the ward of the Duchess of Carlyle. Her love for the estate means that she and William frequently butt heads but as they spend time together, the mistrust she feels turns into friendship and then something more. William only has the one year as steward because of promises he made and secrets he is keeping, as well the Duchess has plans to find a husband for Phillipa so that her future is secure dooming their budding relationship. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend reading it. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: April 26, 2022. #AllTheDukeINeed #CarolineLinden #HarperCollinsCanada #AvonRomance #HarperVoyager #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalRomanceSeries #HistoricalRomanceReader #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #RomanceReader #BookReview

All the Duke I Need is the final story in Caroline Linden's Desperately Seeking Duke series. The series deals with the unexpected death of the heir to a dukedom, and there is no immediately apparent spare. The duke himself is ailing, so his mother begins a search for possible candidates. While all distantly related, the search reveals a Scottish military captain, a gaming scoundrel, and a possible Frenchman as the most likely candidates. The Frenchman has been the hardest to locate, but the scoundrel and the captain are both contacted and summoned to the duchess. The duchess is less than impressed with any of her options, but she provides both men with resources and incentive to become worthy of the responsibilities they might inherit. About a Rogue is the scoundrel's story, and A Scot to the Heart is the captain's story. If you haven't read books one and two, I highly recommend them! Not only will they provide context (and a better experience) for All the Duke I Need, About a Rogue remains one of my favorite reads of all time – definitely in the top ten!

Will is an American living in London while he and his brother expand their shipping business. But he's actually bored in the role, so he impulsively takes the job as steward of the Duke of Carlyle's estate. While his brother isn't thrilled to be left alone in London, he agrees to cover for Will – with the business as well as their father who's back in America – and Will promises he'll only be gone for a year. Pippa is an heiress and the step-granddaughter/companion to the Duchess of Carlyle (mother to the previously mentioned ill duke), and she lives at Carlyle Castle. As the trusted com[anion of the duchess, Pippa practically runs the estate (with the duchess making most decisions since her son is unable to). Will is not what either the duchess or Pippa expected from a new steward; he's a bit rough around the edges and *gasp* American. His progressive ideas and improvements for the estate are not well received. But of course, while Will is a rogue, he's a charming one, and he and Pippa eventually form a partnership that has him winning over tenants, the household, and Pippa herself. Still, Will's year is almost up. Plus he hasn't shared everything about his past and all of his reasons for taking the steward position in the first place.

This was a delightful, quick read. Will is unabashedly provoking when it comes to the duchess and Pippa, but he's also smart and a hard worker with the best intentions for Carlyle. Pippa is understandably a bit spoiled since she's wealthy and the beloved companion of a duchess, and she's used to her ideas and orders being followed, but Carlyle is her home, so she's not unkind or unreasonable when it comes to doing what's best for the estate. Will and Pippa's initial animosity mixed with an undeniable attraction fuels their chemistry, which feels organic and natural. There's conflict in their story, but it's not overly angsty or drawn out. A lot of romances use lack of communication as a conflict device. And it can work if done well. But overwhelmingly, in my opinion, if a professed love is real and true, the most immediate reaction in the face of secrets or confusion shouldn't be doubt, so what I most enjoyed about Will and Pippa was the true friendship and trust they developed.

My only qualm... I don’t think I’ve ever wanted – needed, really – an epilogue so badly. Not every romance needs an epilogue. In fact, I’ve quickly skimmed over quite a few superfluous ones. But this is the conclusion to a three-part mystery, so while the reader arguably receives the ending to Will and Pippa’s story, it was a jarring ending in the context of the trilogy. Linden shared on social media that she will share an epilogue for the entire series soon, but it seems like an afterthought and an oversight that it wasn't simply included with this publication. For readers, that don't follow her on social media, they won't know to stay tuned. An immediate epilogue would have provided a smoother and more satisfying ending.

ARC provided by author for an honest review.

So this one is a mixed bag.
What I liked:
1. Linden’s writing is addictive. I couldn’t get enough.
2. The hero Will is dreamy.
3. I liked that we had a mixed raced heroine.
4. The premise is classic but I like the trope so I was here for it.
What I wasn’t crazy about:
1. Plot. There are many plot holes here.
2. Pacing. I think the story and characters didn’t get enough time to resolve and so the story felt like it ended too quickly.

Overall I liked it but not my fave in the series.

Pippa was raised at Carlyle Castle with her guardian the Duchess. The Duchess leaves the estate in Pippa’s hands to run while she is focused on the duke’s health. When the new estate steward arrives, Pippa does not like him but he soon grows on her. Can she teach will to run the estate and leave? Fast-paced historical read with plenty of drama, suspense and steam. Great characters and an entertaining historical read. I liked it.