"Do not be frightened of what love will cost you, be frightened of what you might lose if you deny your love."

They could not be more inappropriate or unsuitable for one another-- but the heart wants what it wants.

His first appearance before the Dowager Duchess is delayed by a shirtless dowse under an outdoor spigot the laundry women cannot stop swooning over. And as much as she disapproves of him, Philippa Kirkpatrick wishes she'd gotten a glimpse of William Montclair's bare chest as well.

The new steward is not the stodgy stick in the mud everyone expected. He is a brash, strikingly handsome American who whispers sweet nothings with the aplomb of a French courtier. He is brimming with both ideas and competency, despite his lack of experience managing an estate.

Philippa has managed her adopted grandmother's affairs with a deft hand since she turned eighteen. She has tracked the correspondence and the accounts and resents the intrusion of someone who appears to be a cavalier interloper.

William and Philippa are thrown together so that he has a guide to the tenants, the estate's concerns and the reparations to be made. The more time they spend with one another, the greater their feelings become.

But William has secrets he cannot share, and Pippa needs the safety and security of marriage to a landed gentleman. Any future seems doomed before it begins.

I loved this story of the loss and obstinacy that has shaped the lives of this couple. They cling to the expectations of others until they realize nothing matters if you do not have love.

*3.75 stars*

I really liked All the Duke I Need, the third book in the fabulous Desperately Seeking Duke series, but this is a flawed one, guys. If I'm being completely honest with myself, the plot holes and problems are everywhere, but when push comes to shove, I couldn't get enough of it.

I'll start off with the good. For those of you who have read the previous two books in the series, you'll be familiar with the strict yet relatable Duchess and the set up to this story. I have a big soft spot for this series, and though this book can be read as a stand-alone, I like the previous two stories as background for this one. The Duchess needs to find an heir for her ill son, and in the meantime, she help to care for her massive estate. That's where the male MC for this book comes in.

I looooved the fact that we had a non-white female MC. Super rare in historical romance, across the board. Very unusual, and extremely welcome. Philippa is half Indian and the Duchess's step-granddaughter, and she is dearly beloved. I really liked her as a character, and I enjoyed her chemistry with Will.

Will was also a great character. Assertive, strong-willed, kind, and interesting, I loved reading about him and his growing disinterest in his family's shipping business and increased interest in all things Carlyle Castle and Philippa.

Here is where the issues come in: the plot makes almost no sense, and things are wrapped up WAY too quickly in the end. For the whole book, readers are kept in the dark as to what BOTH MCs are truly thinking, which is odd because we are in their heads. When the big twist comes, WAY too close to the end of the story, it seems insane because we get very few clues beforehand, from both MCS or from any other details. I think if the author allowed more time to wrap things up or let readers in on more clues earlier, it would have been better. The ending made me feel so cheated! I needed at least two more chapters to get the resolution I needed (maybe a book 3.5??).

Despite my multitude of issues, when it comes down to it, I love Caroline Linden's writing style and just simply really enjoyed this book. Yes, it had issues and could have been greatly improved upon, but I still really liked it. I'm hoping for more in this series, even though I think it finished it's natural course of events.

This was a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful series. I loved the couple. I found the story engaging and easy to read. I would have liked to have spent more time with William's family and found out more about their story.I would recommend this story and author to others.

I really liked this book.
A son who is not contented with shipping. A granddaughter who isn't really related. An estate thats frozen in time.
Once she mentioned the problem I instantly knew where the problem was headed. Just because it was predictable doesn't mean that the book was boring on the contrary it was invigorating. It was well written. There is one small love scene but as usual I skipped over these pages and kept going.

I loved this trilogy. I couldn’t wait to see who would end up the duke. This was my 2nd favorite. I really loved the hero in this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the couple of twists that happened. The only thing I didn’t love was the ending. It would have been nice to have had a more conclusive outcome.

All The Duke I Need by Caroline Linden is the third book in Linden’s Desperately Seeking Duke series. While it isn’t necessary to have read the previous books to understand this book, I would have personally been somewhat confused if I didn’t already know the series’ backstory from the previous books.

I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters, Philippa and William, and there was a sense of realism in their interactions that I find missing in many romance novels. I appreciated that Philippa was biracial, which is rare in historical romances even today, and that her race wasn’t an afterthought but rather intrinsic to her character. Moreover, the manner in which Philippa’s Indian heritage clashed with the hyper-white British aristocracy despite her wealth and privilege felt very true to life, at least from my own perspective of being Indian-American in hyper-white Ivy League circles.

I also really appreciated the side characters in this novel, especially the Duchess herself who simultaneously frustrated and saddened me. I found myself rolling my eyes at her antics at the beginning of the novel but by the end, I completely understood why she inspired such devotion in Philippa, and her relationship with the Duke broke my heart.

As far as issues I had with the novel, I wished there was more insight into Will’s father and further explanation on why his relationship with Will was fraught. In that vein, the ending also felt somewhat rushed while the first third of the book felt a tad too meandering and I think that the pacing could have been more streamlined.

That being said, the main characters’ chemistry and the sweepingly earnest descriptions of Carlyle made the book both memorable and rewarding, and I’m looking forward to reading what Caroline Linden writes next!

**Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

The Duchess of Carlyle is still on a desperate search for an heir to the Dukedom. Her son, the current Duke's, health is failing. He will die without a son to inherit and both his brothers predeceased him. Philippa was raised at the castle. Her step-mother (also deceased) was the Duke's sister. The Duchess considers her a granddaughter, and in reality, she is running the estate. Will and his brother have been sent to England from America by their father to expand the family shipping business. He dislikes the business, and abruptly accepts a job as the estate's steward. He tells his brother it's for a year but doesn't tell anyone else. When he meets the family, he is cocksure, mocking, and insolent, with the looks of a pirate. We learn he acts this way so Philippa won't like him and get too close and the Duchess wouldn't want to see much of him. Who knew? Philippa likes these qualities! Since the story has to take place over a year it drags a little. Will's training in London takes seven months so we're down to five months when they meet. I liked Philippa's character. Her mother was from India, her father an English soldier. She's worried what will become of her when the elderly Duchess and current Duke die. She will have to leave the castle without any family. She's also concerned her darker skin and ethnicity will make her unwelcome in society. The thing that drove me bonkers though, is the non-ending. It's the big moment. Time for the big reveal. Why this person did what he did........and nothing! THE END

All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden is the third book in the Desperately Seeking Duke series. I haven't read the first two in the series but this book was easily read as a stand alone. William Montclair has agreed to be the land steward at Carlyle Castle for one year. Phillipa, the unconventional heiress, who lives in the castle tasks herself with getting Will to love the castle as much as she does. She must also keep him from getting fired for his bold attitude and "modern" ideas by the Duchess. Will has secrets to keep and he doesn't want to get too involved with Phillipa since he will be leaving after one year.

Phillipa was an interesting character. She loved being the one running the estate and took pride in her birth mother's Indian heritage. I love that she remembered her birth mother and her stepmother fondly and would speak warmly of them both. There is a scene where she looks at mementos from her mother and father and it was such a sweet moment. Will was an okay hero. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two until about halfway through the book. He was described as "looking like a pirate" so often I was surprised that his secret didn't include him being one. The first half was a little slow (a lot of talk of bridge building) but at the midway point the story picked up a bit. The twist at the end was kind of convoluted and not my favorite.

Reading the prologue quickly endeared me to the Duchess and her history with Phillipa. I thought it was so sweet seeing them meet for the first time. Unfortunately, after the prologue I found the Duchess to be a grating character for the entirety of the book. She was unnecessarily harsh to everyone; including Phillipa.

This book has some great moments and an interesting plot with a multicultural heroine but needed more in the chemistry department. I have really enjoyed some of Linden's other books and will definitely read more from her in the future. All in all, this book merits 3.5 stars from me. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this eARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

If you love a secret identity so secret that even the hero isn't sure of who he is, then this book is for you! I loved the storyline and the resiliency of the heroine. No one in the story is superficial and the reader will find themselves wanting to learn more about everyone as the story progresses, including the mysterious duke who is initially kept hidden. This is a definite recommend!