Philippa manages the Duke of Carlyle's household on behalf of the duchess, her step-grandmother. When Will, the new steward, is hired, he discovers that the previous steward let the property fall into disrepair. The duchess is appalled by the changes Will wants to make. He and Phillipa work together to convince the duchess to approve his plans. Spending so much time together, Will and Phillipa are irresistibly attracted to each other. But the gulf in their social stations is wide, and Will's secrets threaten to tear them apart.

This is a complex and enjoyable story. Caroline Linden always manages to surprise me, taking the plot in directions I don't see coming. I loved Will and Phillipa, both separately and together. They're charming and kind, with a ton of sensual tension between them.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Caroline Linden really shines with writing competent characters, enemies to lovers and conflict that result from fear of change. This book really uses her strengths and runs with them. Will and Philippa are delightful, stubborn, playful. I loved their love. I love getting to see the duchess more after she played a minor role in the rest of the series. I loved family resolution (I cried!). I didn't love the second book in this series, but I loved the first one and I'm SO glad the third one was such a return to everything I loved.

This book had my attention from the very beginning and by the end I was in tears for all the right reasons. Linden has a great writing style and interesting plots as well as compelling characters. This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone (this is the first in the series that I read). Reading this book solidified my desire to read more of Linden's books. I really enjoyed this story and I hope this isn't the end of the series because I want to know what happens to the rest of the family.

Thanks #NetGalley for giving me a chance to read #AlltheDukeINeed before it's released for an honest review!

All the Duke I Need
Book 3 in the Desperately Seeking Duke
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to the author/publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

All the Duke I Need is where William Montclair is hired to work as a steward at Carlyle Castle. It's his first time working in this position, since he left his brother behind in London to work in their shipping business. Phillippa Kirkpatrick is under the guardianship of the duchess who is "running" Carlyle Castle for her son the duke. Philippa wants to help William not get fired, so she assists him on how to properly bring up the needs of the castle and estate to the duchess.
There is a mystery that surrounds William's real reason of why he would leave his family business behind to work as a steward at this estate. Though he had established a time limit for working at the estate, he didn't count with each day that passed he was growing attached to the estate, the people and most of all Philippa.
Why the 3 stars?
I really wanted to give it a higher rating because I am a big fan of Ms Linden, but sadly this is the highest I could go. The romance was slow paced. It was to see William and Pippa become butting heads, then becoming friends but it took a long time to get there. They were very attracted to each other from the start. Also, the mystery of William's true reason for being there felt very anti-climatic at the end. I thought it would create the conflict between Pippa and him, but no, she easily accepted his true role in the estate and actually helped him uncover the truth.
I've read the previous two books in the series, but there were times that I hard time keeping track of the duke lineage.

(Sigh) The last page happily ever after. What an unusual book. It is extremely original. I had not one inkling of the ending until about three quarters of the way through. Absolutely delightful animated characters. Witty, funny and entertaining. I loved reading this book. I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read
Entertaining
Funny
Happily Ever After
Original
Page-turner
Romantic
Realistic
Steamy
Unpredictable
Witty
Wonderful characters

Caroline Linden has long been one of my go-to authors in Historical Romance. This is the final in her latest series, and my very favorite. I’ll go as far as to say that this is the best book that I’ve read in Historical Romance in quite a while. It checks all my boxes.

Pippa has grown up with lots of loss in her life. As the daughter of an English colonel and an Indian mother she lost as a small child, she is raised at her beloved Carlyle Castle as the step granddaughter of the Duchess of Carlyle, surrounded by the people and countryside she loves. She also helps to hide a tragic secret regarding her uncle, the duke and assists her “daadee” (the duchess) with the management of the estate. Will and his brother Jack have been sent from Boston to London by their father to establish another branch of the family’s shipping business. When Will accepts a post as the new estate manager at Carlyle to escape the tedium of the family business, he finds himself at loggerheads with the formidable duchess as he works to restore neglected tasks on the estate. There are secrets to protect, and promises made on the way to true love here.

Linden is a master at character development, and with Will and Pippa she has surpassed herself. They are both such relatable, honorable, and earnest characters that I fell instantly in love. The storyline is both heartwarming and heart wrenching with pacing that is spot-on and kept me riveted to the page. There’s abundant humor, a few teary moments, and a searing chemistry between our leads. I was refreshingly surprised that there wasn’t a lot of angst/conflict between Will and Pippa and, what little there was, was deftly handled by a strong and determined heroine.

I simply and completely fell in love with every aspect of this book. So well done.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the free early arc of All the Duke I Need for review. The opinion are strictly my own.

It’s a rare occurrence where I am entirely satisfied with the romance and main characters but not satisfied with the story/conclusion. I guess that happens when a book is overly ambitious, which I think this book was. It's not really a criticism to say that you wanted more story, which I did, but I don't really mean it as a compliment either.

This was the third novel in Linden's Desperately Seeking Duke series, concerning the laws of inheritance for a Carlyle Dukedom. Since all close kin to the Duke have perished, the search has been on to find the next-in-line throughout this series. Incidentally, Linden has written a series that surrounds a ducal lineage before with a different scenario so it seems to be a topic of interest to her, and the research and historical context shows. I have always appreciated how she can include interesting historical context in a story that moves and appeals emotionally. Anyways, this series has been uneven for me. I loved the first book, but the second and third book have not been total winners for me. Each book has had a different setting, with a different cast of characters, besides the connection to the dukedom, and I think that is why it's not worked as well. Each book has had to build the world, and the success has varied.

Pippa and Will were great leads. I really enjoyed all their interactions. I liked how they worked together, and their care for the Carlyle lands was a shared interest that put them on common ground. Pippa is the step-grandchild of the Duchess, and she is half-Indian. She is very dear to duchess, who also relies on Pippa a great deal as she ages. Will is American, and has a hard-working, can't stop 'til the job is done type of spirit. He has a side of deviltry to him as well. Linden wrote some lovely heart-warming moments for these two leads (there is a scene with puppies ;-).

However, once the story comes to a close, I felt like I had a number of questions. I was happy with the conclusion, and a bit surprised as it wasn't quite what I expected. There were just too many characters to wrap up things in a tidy way. <spoiler>I think we really needed time with Will's familly, particularly his father to understand what the motivations were there. What did he do that made him disappear? What did the rest of the family think? What about the Duchess? And I have questions for the series as well. Like, I am fairly certain there was a promise that the villain from book 2 would finally get his just desserts. </spoiler>

Ultimately, I do think that the romance was a worthy one in this story. I just felt that as a concluding series book it was trying/needing to accomplish too much.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.

I was in shock because I did not see it coming. As the story unwraps my mouth was wide open. To say I loved reading, All the Duke I Need, is not strong enough. Will is so nonchalant, if he's going to be fired then let it be. Philippa is a great buffer between Will and the Duchess. This book is a must read.

The beginning is very slow, and the big reveal comes so late it seems very contrived. I generally enjoy Caroline Linden’s writing, so I will continue with the series anyway.

Will is a charming and appealing hero. For his own reasons he’s taken a job as the steward for a ducal estate. Without any prior experience, he turns out to be a dedicated and thorough steward with good ideas about improving the estate and helping the tenants.

The love interest is the step-grandaughter of the duchess who has been running the estate ever since the actual duke was in an accident. For fans of Bridgerton Season 2, the heroine is the daughter of an Indian lady and an English gentleman so there is a bit of the diverse plotting on that show.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I am so excited to get to finish this terrific series. I thought I knew how it would end, but I only got part of it right. I enjoyed the plot twists and the ride to get to them.
Will is pretty much exactly like the man on the cover. Philippa compares him to a pirate several times, and he definitely has a roguish sense of humor. He also has a strong sense of duty, and he finds himself committed to the improvement of Carlyle and the wellbeing of the people who live there. The problem is that he has a duty to more than one person, and someone is going to get hurt.
Philippa is a character that has been hinted at in the previous books, but now we get to know her. She loves the duchess and the duke very much, and she loves her life at Carlyle. She knows that changes are coming, and she is not sure how to handle them. Instead she focuses on taking care of everyone else. When things begin to go wrong, she finds her bravery and sets things on the correct path. I really loved her.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
All the Duke I Need is the third book in Caroline Linden’s Desperately Seeking Duke series. It could possibly work as a stand-alone, but a lot of the premise for what’s going on is built in the prior books, and even with that background, there were some overarching plot elements that confused me.
As a romance, this one was much more interesting than the last, and that is in large part due to the character dynamics being more of interest to me. I love a hero who engages in a profession, for one reason or another, Will is charming and roguish in a delightful way, and while some secrets about him both infuriate and confuse me, I really like him overall.
And Philippa is wonderful, and I love her relationship with the duchess. I also really appreciate the work Linden has done in capturing the experience of a biracial Anglo-Indian heiress in Georgian England. While I can’t speak to the intricacies of the rep in detail, I like how Linden incorporates an exploration of the prejudice she faces while not making that the sole thing that defines her.
And the romance is just super sweet, banter-filled, and fun. Philippa is initially reticent because of the duchess’ expectations for her, and Will’s secrets (which may or may not have to do with a tie to the St. James family) complicate matters on his end. It’s a lovely push-and-pull that is compelling to read.
As for how things stand with the heir situation, the ending not only pulled the rug out from under me but confused the heck out me. The revelations that came to light were not unexpected, I knew there had to be a more important purpose to the story than just marrying off the duchess’ stepgranddaughter, but I didn’t expect that.
I really enjoyed this one, even if I went in with somewhat tempered expectations after the previous installment. If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, you’ll enjoy this one as well. And I would also recommend it to fans of historical romance.

I love when a romance is low angst and really focuses on the relationship between the MCs.

This is most definitely a slowburn. I think they kiss at 50% ish percent in. Normally I like a little more earlier on, but the push/pull between William and Pippa was delicious. William is a selfless hero, working hard to take care of those around him and the man loved to tease Pippa. I will say that Pippa annoyed me just a bit in the beginning, but when she starts popping it back to William, their story and connection really took off. Their connection was funny, teasing, and believable. I really rooted for their happy ending!

I will say that the overarching plot involving William’s secret felt sort of anticlimactic. I guessed pretty early on what the secret was and the resolution felt a little less dramatic than I wanted it to be. All in all, I really enjoyed this one, though!

Book three in the Desperately Seeking Dukes series and maybe my favorite so far! I felt like so many things were wrapped up for his from the series. Plus the romance between Phillipa and William was so romantic and sweet! I enjoyed every minute and highly recommend!

I received an ARC for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

This is the third book in this series, but it certainly can stand alone. There is a unique plot with surprises and a slow burn romance. We cannot see how Phillipa and Will can ever get together and have the HEA we long for. The Hero and Heroine are well drawn and both are so very sympathetic. Will has forces of familial loyalty and true love battling within his soul. Phillipa also feels her loyalties being tugged in two directions. Caroline Linden has given us a delightful romance.

This was a GREAT story. At least, I thought it was. I read the whole book, then went back to the beginning and read it again, even though I had 6 books to read this week. It gave me the same happy feeling, empathetic feelings, sad feelings, funny feelings and joyful feelings both times.
The book starts out at a wedding. A sister of the Duke of Carlye is getting married to her husband, a captain who returned from India about a year ago. The captain had been married earlier to an Indian lady and they had a daughter. The Indian lady passed away and that is when the captain came back to England. The sisiter of the Duke and the captain fell in love. At the wedding, the mother, the Duchess of Carlyle, offers to watch the captain's 3 year old daughter while they dance. After a time of talking, it is like love at first sight for the Dichess and the 3 year old daughter. While not related by blood, they are related by love. The 3 year old daughter is the heroine. While she is darker skinned due to her Eastern Indian heritage, the Duchess refuses to allow her to be treated as anything other than a beloved granddaughter of a duchess. The sister of the Duke and the husband are killed shortly after the wedding without having any other children. The heroine is raised by the Duchess on the large estate. Due to her exotic coloring and features, she is able to wear bold and bright colors. And she is exceptionally beautiful. She is not wanting to marry because she wants to be there for the Duchess and the Duke, who has been sick since childhood.
The hero is an American ship builder who came to England with his younger brother to expand their business and set up a branch office in England. The hero is the oldest son and he prefers to work the docks, ships, warehouse, anything but the office work. But he will do it if needed. His younger brother is quite happy to manage everything. Since their father said he will never step foot in England again, the hero decides to look over how life in England works. He agreed to be a steward on the estate of the Duke of Carlyle. He has to do 7 months of training before he can work the land. The man of business was finally able to persuade the Duchess to pension off the old steward, who was running the estate down a little because he was old and couldn't go around like he should have. The hero comes in and starts inspecting and travelling the surrounding area to bring the roads, bridges, tennant homes and lands back to pristine condition. The hero is a brash American and doesn't have the fine manners. He is polite, but not obsequious. The hero and heroine clash a little because she is trying to protect the Duchess from what is wrong with the estate.
This book is told in a smooth and consistant writing style. The supporting characters blend into the story and they are not just mentioned and then their part not resolved. There are no cliff hangers or dangling story lines. I enjoyed this book very much. I recommend reading and give this book 5 stars.

OH MY GOD!!! WHAT A WAY TO END THE SERIES 🤯🤯🤯🤯

I have followed this series for almost a year and since the beginning I found the premise of the trilogy super interesting and engaging, therefore, I was super excited to read this third book and was super lucky to read an eArc.
All the Duke I Need absorbed me from the first page I was so intrigued by how the situation was going to wrap up without being predictable, however, Mrs. Linden did not disappoint and did a great work with a plot twist that I did not expect (I really can't say more because I do not want to spoil what made my jaw drop)

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for this eArc

<spoiler> The only thing that I have to complain is that I needed an epilogue!!! Nonetheless, I'm not thaaaat annoyed because in Caroline's latest newsletter, she wrote <i>"There will, however, be an extended series epilogue to wrap up as many open questions as I can from the whole series" </i> and for that, I'm excited!</spoiler>

There's a mystery surrounding the heir to the Dukdom. William is an American who comes to be the new steward of the castle after he decides his brother's shipping business is taking a little too long to set up. Phillippa is the stepgranddaughter and companion of the Duchess of Carlyle. Phillippa and William seem to fight about everything. I personally felt the secrets were kept a little too long. Will they ever come to terms? Pick this one up and find out for yourself. It's part of a series but can stand alone. This is a slow-burn romance, and Caroline Linden did an excellent job, as usual.

I quite enjoyed this adult historical romance! Philippa and Will were great main characters. And I loved the supporting cast, too! Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Good story. I liked the twist. I hate how it just ends. I want to know more. I enjoyed the characters even if they story felt slow moving at times.