A thoroughly wonderful romance that is perfect for any adult collection. I was completely invested in it from start to finish, and can see it circulating well!

I got interested in this book because of the cover and because I want more diverse historical romance books. I was glad that in this book people of color were integrated into the world and are in the aristocracy without being helps or slaves. For a debut historical romance novel, J.J McAvoy did a good job keeping me interested in the world with the characters and relationships in the book.
Evander and Aphrodite's story is a second chance slow burn without a lot of angst which I liked for this book. I do wish that we had more romance and spice in their relationship especially after they got together but it was still believable and sweet.
The aspect I enjoyed the most in this book was the family banter and relationship, there was just something about the Du Bell family that drew me into the world. The love, banter, and humor in the family was beautiful and made me want more books about the other family members and I'm hopeful we will get more of this world.
If you like historical romance with a lot of focus on family relationships with good banter and funny moments you will definitely enjoy this book.

This is a wonderful historical romance! With the feel of pride and prejudice and Bridgerton and a splash of magic only JJ McAvoy can provide!

TW: death of family members, and domestic abuse.

3.5 stars. The Black characters were a nice change, and it was nice to see it wasn’t the focal point of the story. And I love that the diamond of the first water was BLACK..

That being said, the first part started off very slow for me. A lot of time was spent establishing the dynamics of the characters. While that was cute, especially seeing Aphrodite with her family, it didn’t add much to the story. I guess learning about the other family members will matter in the future, if this becomes a series, but even then, why can’t we learn about them in their own books. I wish more time was spent seeing Evander and Aphrodite’s relationship in the past. I wish I was able to better understand how they first fell in love, and why they were so devastated that they couldn’t be together.

The second part of the book is where the story shines though. I believe this is the meat potatoes, and dessert of the book. It is where the true action takes place. The love story doesn’t just end with marriage. They still have to learn more about each other, and how to work as a new unit. And that didn’t go well all the time.

And the book really highlights the fickle nature of high society. Some dude was able get two women pregnant, and mess up the trajectory of so many lives all because he could. And that’s because he was lucky enough to be born a duke. The same institution destroyed the possibility of a relationship between brothers just because of the difference in the timing of their births. It is actually really sad, the more I think about it.
And I did not appreciate the way everyone treated the stepmom. I’m not saying she’s a great person, or even a good person, but I just did what she thought she had to do to make something of her life. The way everyone was quick to turn their noses up at her was a bit heartbreaking. I imagine her life being very lonely. And now, she has to mourn her eldest.

And the idea of women in that society being relegated to the role of a sheep was very insightful. Marcella was a perfect example of that. Her relationship with Fitzwilliam was tragic, and she was just a baby! Even when Evander was helping her escape, I thought he was being very high handed with his help.

It was a very entertaining read, and I was pleasantly surprised about the latter half.

This book offers nothing incredibly special or not, but it’s very readable. I found myself very initially, but my interest waned as the story pushed on, as it feels a bit paint by numbers. Our heroine, Aphrodite and her family are quite likable. The setting feels lived in. Would recommend for anyone looking to get into histrom — particularly readers with an interest in the regency period.

Honestly I was bored.. I know fans of Bridgerton will probably enjoy this but it just didn’t wow me. It was pretty slow going in the beginning and I just lost interest. The cover is stunning though!

Aphrodite and Evander expected to marry. In fact he often spoke to her of ‘when I am your husband’. Then at her coming out, he totally ignored her and several days later he ended up married to another woman. With no explanation to Aphrodite. Feeling betrayed she left society for four years but is now back, looking for a husband. And he, now a widower, wishes to be that husband. Although it is at first too much for Aphrodite’s heart, she really is in love with him. Her father objects at first, knowing some of the evils Evander is facing in his family. But Aphrodite is able to talk him around and they marry. That’s the HEA, right? Well… there is still wickedness in their world. Will they and their love survive the battle?

This book can be sweet as well as tempestuous; the hero is sensuous and just delightful. I loved the dual POVs that let us inside his mind. He has a pure love for Aphrodite. And Aphrodite is a fascinating mix of the ingenuous and wise. Both are human; not everyone does everything the right way but this makes it more real, more engaging.

The world building is refreshing. Like the streaming version of The Bridgerton’s, this Regency world is multi-racial.

I thought the passages where Aphrodite is trying to understand sex were charming. But I also appreciated how other ways women’s live were circumscribed in the 1800’s was dealt with- from amusing to hard-hitting. For instance, the irony of being presented with a dictionary only to find relevant words inked out because they might be inappropriate for a lady; mention of how it was impossible for a woman to be alone even on the grounds of her own home; how a woman being abused still has no choice but to belong to her abuser. I don’t want to imply this a difficult book. These last examples are just the kind of perspective I love to find in a historical romance even if it only represented by a sentence or two.

I look forward toward to recommending this book to my patrons. Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Aphrodite and the Duke was a great job Done by McAvoy. I believe this is her first run at historical/regency, and I was impressed! I loved having MCs that were people of color and that it was utterly normal.

And for those who are unsure by what I mean, normal as in without any trauma which always seems to be evident whenever we have any form of inclusion in a book.

The story of Aphrodite and Evander is a second-chance love story, but there is more to the story than that. I liked them separately as characters, and together McAvoy wrote their chemistry well. I also felt that the story was broken up well into the different storylines and progressed at just the right speed; not rushed but a touch before slow. Plainly, it was hard to put this book down; however, you did have downtime and did not feel as though you were racing through the events taking place. Which is on par with the J.J. McAvoy books I have already read. If you are into regency or first loves getting their happy ending, I recommend this to you!


I already have hope for a secondary story for two of the side characters. My fingers are crossed.

I will spruce this up with some quotes once the book is released, but for now, Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion!

I loved this book! I was hooked almost instantly and it tugged at all my romantic heartstrings. I hope there will be more!

🎭 tropes: second chance, regency
🎭 historical romance isn't normally my genre but this one had me smiling. the MC's were both lively, romantic, and so well suited for each other it was cute
🎭 a bit low in angst for my taste but overall a very well written second chance romance
🎭 arc review, opinions are my own

I was so excited to see this book cover and description show up on netgalley and I immediately requested it. When Bridgerton on Netflix debuted I was really hoping that it would open the door to more historical romance novels being published where people of color can and do hold all places of society even though that might not be historically accurate romance novels have never been truly historically accurate anyway. Romance novels even historically set romance novels have always had elements of truth obscured or altered or shifted to make the story appeal to modern readers and so the fact that authors have for decades changed little things about the stories and yet kept every character white and often straight & cis gendered has always seemed strange to me. So I was so excited when Netflix’s Bridgerton gave us a fantastical historically inspired but more inclusive story and I have been hoping that more authors would have the opportunity to publish similar types of stories such as this one. I love that this is set in a version of regency England where people of varying races are present in all spheres of society and where racism doesn’t seem to be present. While we need books that take place in realistic setting & which explore the real trauma of oppression & discrimination, we also need stories that offer inclusive escapism, which this does.

I would say this is a story that will appeal to Fanta of Bridgerton on Netflix, there is much inspiration from it evident in these pages (including a mysterious & mercurial Queen). Readers looking for a fast paced, light, dialogue driven rom-com in a regency-ish setting featuring the second chance lovers trope will enjoy this! Low on angst, a large loving family, various hiijinks & escapades, no alpha-holes.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this. I was pleased with this. I remember being so excited about The Prince’s Bride trilogy and I devoured those books in the matter of two days. They were so good, especially the chemistry between Odette and Gale. I was thankful to get a chance to read Aphrodite and the Duke because I’ve always desired to see more Black women and other women of color in these settings. It fills me with joy. One of my favorite things about this book was the banter/dialogue between characters but especially the family members. I think McAvoy really wrote the Du Bell family so beautifully that I wished I was also apart of that family as well.

One thing that I felt was lacking was the build up of Aphrodite and Evander’s relationship. I felt that it was a bit slow in the first part and some of the second part of the book made but for it but I truly desired to see more of that magnetic chemistry between them. For me, it needed to be just a little more convincing then what we were given. Other than that, I did find this book to be enjoyable.

I am always really amazed when authors can write such witty back and forth. McAvoy is really talented when it comes to that.

In exchange for my honest review I was given an Advance Readers Copy of Aphrodite and the Duke...

I am no stranger to J.J. McAvoy writhing for she is one of my favorite authors so whenever I see anything new and upcoming of hers I am there for it, and was even more than happy to have received an early copy for Aphrodite and the Duke. With that being said...

Lovers of the Bridgerton series and the like will be more than trilled with the tale of this
Historical Romance with a bold plot twist where people of color have a high standard of respect and living that we know not to be a historical fact.

In this tale we were introduce to Aphrodite Du Bell, named after the goddess of beauty (A name she finds cruel to live up to) returning for her second season along with her sister four years after her first debut into the tons society after having her hart broken by her childhood friend an love, Evander Eagleman, the Duke of Everely.

The fist half of the book was a slow burn as Odite and Evander was reintroduce to each other and as what happen to make the duke marry another come to light. I saw Odite interact more with her family than with the duke himself and there was no new development with Odite and Evander besides understanding they were already in love with each-other from growing up together and after the truth coming to light, and they moving forward with what should have been.

In honesty the first half of the book I had trouble holding interest and I felt board with the plot. Thankfully the second half of the book picked up and we got to see Odite and Evander relationship develop.

Apart from the romance between the MCs and there was people of color holding high positions in society it was much like any other Historical Romance where women have different ways to show what strength they have.

All in all I will give this book 3 1/2 stars and may give it a second read coming closer to the release date to see if my rating change, but for now I await your taught on this tale. Be sure to check out Aphrodite and the Duke that will be released on August 23, 2022 and feel free to pre order it.