This book is a delightful historical romance that swept me off my feet! The story of Simon and Elizabeth is both charming and passionate, and I couldn't help but root for their happily ever after. Christi Caldwell's attention to historical detail and her ability to create complex characters make this novel a standout in the genre. Fans of historical romance will not be disappointed by this enchanting read!

I absolutely adored this book. Christi Caldwell has been a favorite of mine in historical romance for a long time and she never disappoints. This was a great story about a chance meeting and the love that blossoms between two people who feel trapped in their circumstances. I love the plot, main characters, side characters and the emphasis on family that was a major point in the book. The only thing I would change is that I wish there was more. I felt the ending was a little rushed and it would have been great to see some of their life together and a resolution for the duke's financial problems and how even after paying off his father's debts he was going to support them.

Enjoyable romance, and always love a loving brother in a hero. Throw in heiress and fortune hunter, and fun ensues!

A Duke in need of money and the one woman who actually interests him wants nothing to do with him. Cailin wants nothing to do with the aristocracy or the Duke of St James.....right....

Really great read!

BOOK REVIEW: Desperately Seeking a Duchess by Christi Caldwell
Series: All The Duke's Sins | Book 2
2022 Publication Date: May 24

⭐️⭐️⭐️️

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2022

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Get your facts straight... Before you draw your conclusions...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW: I listened to this book via audiobook. And, unfortunately, I believe that choice may have compromised my experience of this story. So that's on me!

Let me explain... When I choose to "read" a book via audiobook, my reading experience often merges into multi-tasking. Either I am also driving, or designing, or doing tasks that I normally love to do while listening to a wonderful story... And usually without compromising my full engagement with the book.

However, when a book has a "mistaken identity" element as a central feature of the story, there is an inherent strategy within the story to set up the characters in the story to be a bit confused as to who they are talking to.

You have probably guessed where I am going with this... The mistaken identity strategy worked like a charm on the characters... but also on me too! Unfortunately, I too was a bit confused "who was who" until about two thirds into the book.

But once I cleared the clouds in my mind, the story began to sing in true Christi Caldwell fashion!

I absolutely loved Book 1 (Along Came A Lady) of this series (which I did read in print format!) and remain a big fan of Christi Caldwell books. Her future releases will always make my T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books list for any year!

Just as our heroine learns to get the facts straight before she draws her conclusions, my audiobook selections in the future will steer clear of mistaken identity storylines and opt for print versions the next time up to bat!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 336
Genre: Historical Romance
Sub-Genre: Mistaken Identity Romance | Steamy Romance
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy)
Time Period: 1806 (Regency Era)
Location: Staffordshire (England)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: Along Came A Lady by Christi Caldwell (All The Duke's Sins | Book 1)
• T.I.M.E. TIP: You can read this book series as standalone books… ✨😎✨
TV: Bridgerton Series

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Cailin Audley, an heiress, makes a misstep in Polite Society, she is whisked away to the English countryside. There, she meets the Duke of St. James, who is frustratingly charming. As they get to know each other better, Cailin starts to see past his title and into the man he really is. But when her family intervenes, Cailin has to decide what she wants for her future.

Christi Caldwell's Desperately Seeking a Duchess is the second book in her All The Duke's Sins series and a charming romance novel that will leave you wanting more. If you're a fan of Christi Caldwell's other books, then you'll love this one too.

♡ T.I.M.E. TIP ➾ I would recommend reading it in print form (rather than audiobook) so that you don't get confused with the mistaken identity storyline. Either way, you're sure to enjoy Christi Caldwell's Desperately Seeking a Duchess.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• Even when people make mistakes, they can still be good people worthy of love and forgiveness.
• It's important to get the facts straight before making any decisions or judgments.
• Everyone has a past that shapes who they are, and it's important to understand and accept that before moving forward in any relationship.

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Christi Caldwell has written some of my favorite five star historical romance books. She was one of my go-to authors in the genre a few years back, but I haven't picked up one of her stories in quite some time. I was very interested to see if I could recapture some of the old magic. I'm happy to report that Desperately Seeking a Duchess was a resounding success; in fact, I will be catching myself up to date on this series by reading book one in the near future. Rafe and Edwina, the couple from the previous book, play a strong supporting role here, as do the other siblings of the main couple. All of the secondary characters were brought to life so well that I can envision myself one-clicking any of their books in the future. That's not really that much of a surprise to me, knowing this author's talent for characterization in her previous titles.

Lord Courtland, the Duke of St. James shows up on Cailin Audley's doorstep in the hopes of convincing the Audley siblings to come to London at their father, the Duke of Bentley's request. Bentley fathered them but only recently learned of their existence. He wishes for them to be a part of his life and join his social life in the upper class. However, Cailin and her three brothers live a quiet life in a country mining town and a quite content with their humble working class station. They want nothing more than to be left alone, especially when it comes to their absent father. I enjoyed the fact that these siblings were not moved by his wealth and status. These brothers and sisters are a strong, loyal, family unit that would lay down their lives for each other. The love they have for their mother and her memory makes them very antagonistic towards the idea of ever allowing their father into their lives (With the exception of Rafe. Rafe met and married a woman named Edwina in the first book and they are now happily married.)

When Courtland arrives at Cailin's home, it is in the guise of his identical twin brother Keir. Keir works for Cailin's father, but is socially awkward so they agree to switching places for the day so that Courtland can wield his smolder and charm to their advantage. His charm was no match for the woman who greets him with a shotgun. Cailin is a no-nonsense, petite spitfire who turns the tables on him and immediately charms the man without even trying. There was shooting, flirting, and a bit of smooching. Followed by a little bit of bloodshed. This was no common meet cute-it was a meet shoot and so much more funny and entertaining. Although Courtland's visit was a flat out fail by anyone's standards, he did manage to plant a seed in her mind about the wonders of London. Her thirst for scientific knowledge and experiencing new things finally convinces her to give her father's world a chance. It doesn't take her long to figure out that "Polite Society" was incredibly hard to navigate and very unwelcoming towards an illegitimate child of an aristocrat.

Courtland is such a cheeky, fun hero. He's described as a bit of a rogue, but he's 1000% committed to the safety and well-being of his family. He isn't one of those self-absorbed jerks who only cares for his own pleasure at the expense of everyone around him. Not only was his father that way, but he was also emotionally abusive to him and all of his siblings. The last thing he would ever do would be to follow in his father's footsteps. He is however, forced to step into his father's shoes, and that means taking on the massive debt the late duke acquired. If he doesn't come up with a plan to remedy their dire financial straits soon, he will most likely be sent to debtor's prison and his brothers and sisters will be left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, due to his disaster of a day switching identities with his brother, they are even worse off than before.

Keir was fired when Courtland's actions were discovered and he may be backed into a matrimonial corner to save them all. Courtland is emphatically against fortune hunting, but he's not sure if there's any other course of action open to him that will save them all from ruin. And how could he possibly imagine a loveless marriage when he can't get the fascinating Cailin out of his head? I loved how drawn he was to her-not despite her unique qualities but because of them. She didn't fit into his world at all, but then again, neither do his sisters. He loves each one just as they are.

Cailin and Courtland's personalities were so different but they fit so wonderfully together. She saw his fiercely protective and loving side and appreciated his fast wit. He saw her for the strong, independent female that she was and encouraged her to pursue her unconventional interests in science. She gave him the courage to seek happiness for himself while still working to provide the best life for his family. They don't have to be mutually exclusive if you allow your family to share some of the burden with you. This was a hard lesson for him to learn because of his strong protectiveness, but his siblings adore him and his sisters in particular have him wrapped around their little fingers. I just loved seeing the tight family dynamic on both sides. His sisters really cracked me up and I'm really excited to read about their HEAs in the future.

I enjoyed this one very much! There were lots of funny moments, the conflicts felt organic and well-paced, and the romance was highly engaging and full of chemistry. I can't wait to read more about these families in the future. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a fresh, fairly new historical series to get hooked on.

I really love this series! Since I was gifted the arc, I decided to read book one first. I am SO happy I did because that book was seriously such a treat. I loved it so much. I was super excited to pick up book two and I wasn’t disappointed!

The beginning was the perfect level of dramatic, with her mistaking his identity and then that mistaken identity causing a bunch of problems in the future. It’s the kind of drama I love: low angst (no one is getting kidnapped or killed or anything) but just so fun to witness.

The ending got a bit crazy but overall I had a wonderful time and can’t wait for book three!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (4 Stars)
Steam: 🌶🌶/5 (some description in steamy scenes)

No spoiler review 👇🏻

This is the second book in the All The Duke’s Sins series. I think these historical romance novels are best read in order of a series as the first book really lays the groundwork for this story! I enjoyed this book and the first one as well. Because this is a second in a series I’ll keep my description brief.

The first book in this series followed Rafe, an illegitimate son of a Duke. The Duke wants to now take care of his illegitimate children and hires various people to convince Rafe and his siblings to come to London…

It was a good read, and I loved his sister Cailin, so I was excited that this book follows her.

This book follows Cailin, new to London society, and Courtland, a new Duke who has inherited the debt of his father. Courtland must secure a match that will help his family from debtors' prison. However Cailin and Courtland have a past and increasingly spend time together….

This book was so cute. A perfect swoony mutual pining historical romance. Cailin is a strong female lead and I enjoy her so much as a character….plus her interactions with Courtland are just so fun to read!!

This book also features twins, lots of books, book loving characters, hilarious side characters and a bit of steam.
4 stars as the middle dragged a bit but
overall a great historical romance read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: past emotional abuse from a parent

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

CW: death of a parent (past), grief, financial difficulties

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f historical romance
-frenemies to lovers
-meddling siblings
-insta love


This book starts out with a bang (literally) and was a lot of fun to read. I appreciated how similar Cailin and Courtland really were, how important family was to both of them, and their appreciation for knowledge and books. The twist of Courtlnand's twin and the emphasis on individuality. This was an adorable read.

Steam: 3

Miss Cailin Audley only wanted to enjoy the cultural side of London, but being the illegitimate daughter of a Duke means that she is forced to deal with Polite Society as well. And part of that society is a man who misled her, Courtland Balfour. She’s grown up in a mining town and struggles with the expectations placed upon her, he is the Duke of St. James and is struggling to hide from his family just how close he is to debtors prison. And after everything goes awry at a fateful house party, will he be able to convince Cailin that his interest is not merely that of a fortune hunter?

Second in the All the Duke’s Sins series, Desperately Seeking a Duchess by Christi Caldwell is a delightful surprise. This is a lively Regency, with various characters (not least of which are the leads) defying stereotypes of the times in delightful ways while giving the reader a story of two people from different backgrounds coming together despite the heartaches and difficulties of their pasts. This is a charming romp of an open door romance that will leave the reader ready to discover the romantic fates of the two remaining Audley bachelors. Personally, I’m hoping a few years pass and that there is more in store for the youngest Balfour sibling as well.

This review refers to a temporary digital galley that I voluntarily read and reviewed through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own. Desperately Seeking a Duchess is best read after book 1, Along Came a Lady, to fully appreciate the appearances of the Audley brothers.

3.5 Oh, the Brothers and The Romance Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-A Very Quick Review
Christi Caldwell takes all of the troupes that are popular today in modern romance and puts them front and center in this book. It is the consistent tale of brothers looking out for their sisters, switching twins, and the need to save the family from poverty.

All done with the Caldwell flair.

I enjoyed book one, ALONG CAME A LADY, so much book two was something of a let down. It started off with a bang literally when Courtland appears outside her home with her three brothers, Cailin accidently shoots at him. Their father, the Duke, discovered he has a family of illegitimate adult children and wants them to come to his home in London. He sends emissary after emissary with no luck. This time, Courtland poses as the Duke's man of affairs (his twin brother) because he is known for charm his brother lacks, to convince them. When older brother Rafe sees them almost kiss, Courtland takes a beating and is thrown out. This is just a short beginning chapter. The story picks up at the Duke's home in London. The intervening time would be the plot of book one, Rafe and Edwina's story. Now the story starts to slow. Courtland's deceased father has left the family destitute, Cailin's family wants her to marry. A lot of introspection follows on both their parts about family and society expectations. Courtland, a debauched Rake, suddenly isn't any more. He's really a loving and caring big brother to his twin and three younger sisters which is great but not very exciting.

If you love bantering (my fav), a fun romance and hilarious family (and siblings), check out this book. It’s refreshing to have a book that is not just about the upper classes of the ton.

I live for this type of historical romances. Having read and loved the first book in Christi Caldwell’s All The Dukes’s Sins series I was happy to read Desperately Seeking a Duchess. I loved Caitlin’s feistiness and the immediate attraction between her and Courtland Balfour. This time around the Duke is looking for a rich woman and I loved every bit of this story.

Reading romance is mostly about a feeling. The heroine can work, or the hero can work, but for the book to actually do so, there needs to be a spark. A moment on the page where all of the sudden, it’s clear. These people — even if they just met, even if it doesn’t make one iota of sense — must end up together. Christi Caldwell‘s Desperately Seeking a Duchess hits you with that moment very early on, in a way that makes the rest of the book a delight.

As a long-time romance reader, I despair at the thought of comparing everything to Bridgerton as if that is the only romance series to ever exist, but the mainstream popularity of the show makes the comparison necessary in this case, if only to get some people interested. You want family vibes? Desperately Seeking a Duchess has those in spades, and the dynamic between Courtland and his siblings is sometimes as interesting as the romance brewing between him and Cailin.

Which is not a knock on the romance at all, the kind of friends-to-lovers romance novels don’t actually go for as much, because …I mean, we just want the lovers part to happen ASAP, please and thank you. There’s something exhilarating, however, about seeing two people connect in the way Cailin and Courtland do, mostly because we — and they — realize it’s more than friendship, but circumstances, their own stated desires and oh yes, “the ways of Polite society,” continue to keep them apart.

Regency requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief, but there’s hardly any need for it with this book. In many ways, Cailin behaves the way I feel I would if I were stuck in this time. We all have to make the best of our circumstances, of course, and she doesn’t have the benefit of having experience the freedoms we have today — even if we still have a long way to go — but part of what works so well about her as a heroine is that she isn’t exactly what we expect out of a Regency heroine, even if in many ways, she is the typical romance heroine.

Then there’s Courtland, who is very interesting because of his family, but still wholly captivating outside of them. Not that he’s perfect, he’s anything but, and our first impression of him is more about the spark than about convincing us the character is all that great. Which is why the family aspect works as well as it does, it humanizes him, and it does so in a way that’s easy to understand. He loves his family. He’d do anything for his family. That’s pretty easy to understand.

And if his family would do anything for him too, well …that’s matter for another book, isn’t it?

Desperately Seeking a Duchess works because the main couple works, but it doesn’t work just when the two are on the page together, it still works when they’re not, when we’re going through our expected momentary angst, when the characters don’t seem to get what everyone else understands. And if you couple that with the fact that the book is a pretty fun, easy read, then you have the perfect romance novel to curl up with and just relax.

Desperately Seeking a Duchess by Christi Caldwell is available today wherever books are sold.

In Christi Caldwell’s latest release, rouge Courtland the Duke of St. James is a cinnamon roll and is “Desperately Seeking a Duchess” … well, sort of!!

In book two of the All the Duke’s Sins series, it starts with the Cailin’s meet cute with Lord Courtland the Duke of St. James. However, Courtland posed as his twin to fulfill Lord Keir’s assignment given by her father, the Duke of Bentley, by charming the duke’s illegitimate children. After a gun shot, a kiss and a half, and a punch, Courtland leaves the country side unsuccessful. But, he was successful in filling Cailin with dreams of entering bookstores and museums.

Cailin struggles with the rules of polite society and the lack of freedom. Her unhappiness subsides when she sees awkward Lord Keir again in her father’s home and not just in her dreams. She is baffled when he does not remember her when she talks to him in private, which only gets Keir sacked. But, she cleverly pieces everything together when the man she met months ago attends her father’s ball.

I love that Cailin rights wrongs even if her actions challenge polite society conduct. Also, I love the flashbacks and scenes that she has with her brothers. They are protective yet super sweet!

I love Courtland and his family. If you love meddling siblings, then you’ll love this book. There is also a great best friend who keeps secrets for him and wants everything for him. His youngest sibling made me laugh multiple times, and she really knows how to cause good-intentioned trouble. The way he protects his family throughout his life just made me melt!!

I love the chemistry between Cailin and Courtland!! Caldwell portrays freedom as a privilege no matter which social class you grew up in, and I love that the main characters connect in that way. Also, they each have an internal conflict that shies them from getting married, so I loved their inner monologues questioning the other’s feelings.

I read this book so fast, and there are too many moments to mention!

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The illegitimate daughter of a duke raised among coal miners, Cailin Audley is skeptical of most people. But then she meets her match in a rogue who is searching for a fortune. In this slow burn, the romance is built on embers that are slowly fanned until, finally, we get fire. *resists urge to make a Bridgerton burning reference*

I had trouble with the slowness of this one, but I ultimately enjoyed it because I liked Cailin and Courtland's chemistry. In slow-burn romance, the chemistry has to be strong otherwise I can't buy into the story.

I recommend this one to historical romance readers who enjoy less steam, the slowness of Bridgerton season 2, and strong character development.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’m continuing with historical romance. I just finished Christi Caldwell’s Desperately Seeking a Duchess, book two in the series All the Duke’s Sins. (The first book, Along Came a Lady, was a lot of fun. You should read it first, but don’t have to.)

This novel continues to follow the fortunes of the Duke of Bentley’s illegitimate children, raised in a mining town by his mistress. He was unaware of them until very recently and is now trying to make amends.

For Cailin Audley, the youngest child and only daughter, this means a chance to experience London, the museums and bookshops in particular. Or so she thinks. Instead, it is an endless series of lessons on how to behave in Polite Society. She is miserable all the time, except for her encounters with Courtland Balfour, the seventh Duke of St. James.

Courtland is a reforming/reformed rake, who has inherited not only the title from his father but a ruinous mountain of debt and the care of three younger sisters. He also is responsible for his twin brother, Lord Keir, who is on the autism spectrum. Keir is employed by Bentley as a man of business, and it is that employment that is barely keeping the family afloat.

Cailin and Courtland have met once before, very briefly, when Courtland posed as his brother, sent by Bentley, to convince the family to come to London. That encounter went poorly or wonderfully, depending on the perspective.

At any rate, when the two meet again, they put that behind them and begin again. Courtland admires and understands Cailin, but he hides from her his family’s devastated fortunes. Cailin finds him charming and yet down-to-earth, unlike much of what she is seeing of Society. When she goes to his house, unchaperoned, to give him some news, her reputation is nearly ruined. Her family whisks her away to a country home for a house party, still bent on finding her a husband. She is even more miserable. Until she sees that Courtland and his siblings were also invited. There, they have more opportunity to grow their friendship and to recognize that they have fallen in love.

The characters are lovely people. Cailin is refreshingly anti-polite society. Courtland is an honorable man, devoted to his siblings, despite his reputation. Although I found the chemistry between them a bit unconvincing at first, they grow into a couple to root for.

There are siblings aplenty in Cailin’s family and in Courtland’s, so I eagerly await the next book in the series!

This second book in Caldwell's All the Duke's Sins series is another page-turner that kept me entertained from beginning to end. Caldwell is so skilled at creating complex, fully-developed characters and that ability is once again on full display here, with both primary and secondary characters leaping from the pages.

Cailin and Courtland are intriguing, multi-layered characters with whom I felt an immediate affinity. I loved that they began as adversaries who then moved into friendship that gradually deepened into unexpected love. Caldwell has gifted them with snappy banter, a fair number of chuckles and a modicum of angst, along with some steamy attraction. She's also given them complex family relationships that threaten to derail their budding relationship at several turns along with outside obstacles looming over them like a stormy cloud. I enjoyed the evolution of both main characters, especially Courtland's as he comes to realize (with help) that working together is much more beneficial than trying to carry family burdens alone and Cailin's, as she learns she can embrace her true self and still find a place within her new family.

There's a solid secondary cast in the book with the potential for future stories among them. I know Cailin's remaining brothers are on deck but I'm already hoping that Courtland's youngest sister will be a future heroine of her own story. She's only 14 now but she's a firecracker and glimmers of the adult she will grow to be are already strong.

You can read Desperately Seeking a Duchess as a standalone but I think you'll have a deeper understanding of the Audley family dynamics as well as Cailin herself if you begin with Along Came a Lady. If you're interested in the Duke of Bentley's back story as well as his romance with Lady Lydia, check out the series prequel, It Had to Be the Duke.

4.5 Stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Lord “Fancy Pants” and the reluctant debutante.

Pleasing story about an illegitimate duke’s daughter who grew up in a mining community. Cailin Audley, is a young women without artifice, a strait shooter—mostly. When Cailin meets Courtland Balfour, the seventh Duke of St. James, pretending to be his twin brother and her father’s secretary, Courtland is thrown in more ways than one. Humorous! Did I mention the Cailin has brothers! Mmm!
Bentley and his new wife want Cailin to have a London season. Courtland is but a thread away from debtor’s prison. He is trying to hold things together to give his three young sisters the opportunities that is theirs to have (if only the estate can come out from under the looming spectre of bankruptcy). Keira’s employment is important to this plan. To assist Keir, Courtland decides to engage in the way the twins have always done, swap identities.
So Courtland meeting Cailin, in guise as his brother Keir, doesn’t factor in unexpected surprises that don’t matter, except when they do. By that stage Courtland (dubbed Lord Fancy Pants by Cailin) is well down the path of subterfuge, complicated by attraction, and Cailin’s in denial. It seems others must assist them with their affinity for each other, with disastrous results. I love fourteen year old Ellie. Courtland’s relationship with his youngest and decidedly quite a character sister is heartwarming.

A Berkley Publishing Group ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)