Lady Myrtle McQuoid has always felt a little forgotten, and this season is no exception. When her boisterous family vacates their London townhouse for the country, Myrtle finds she’s been left behind. But she just needs to stay warm, keep her belly full, and distract herself until her relatives realize their mistake and turn back to collect her. Surely that won’t take long. Brooding widower Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, has shut himself off from the world. He craves blessed solitude—a loyal dog, a silent house, and his own company are all he requires. But with a potential threat lurking in the winter shadows, Myrtle may need to pluck up the nerve to approach the reclusive duke. And Val is not one to turn his back on a vulnerable lady.
A Regency Home Alone story, which was well written with strong characters & a well paced story. I usually devour the author’s books & she’s one of my must read authors but this book, whilst good, didn't make me want to put everything else on hold until I finished it. I really liked both Val & Myrtle but I didn't feel a strong attraction & chemistry between them. I enjoyed the setting & the take on the Christmas film but I wasn’t riveted
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The Duke Alone is another emotion packed story from Christi Caldwell. Although a cleaner story, it is packed with all the emotions readers have come to expect from a Caldwell book. The Duke, Val, is immersed in grief from the death of his wife fours years earlier. Lady Myrtle McQuoid has just returned home after spending four years away at a finishing school. Lady Myrtle feels like an outsider in her own family, especially since they barely acknowledge her return after being sent away to school. After hearing her sister's lurid tale about the dark deeds of the Duke of Aragon, Lady Myrtle is determined to find out the truth for herself about their neighbor. Her lively and talkative nature is at odds with his terse disposition. When her family departs without her Myrtle turns to Val for help. Add in one enormous dog, Horace, and some bad guys and this story takes off on an entertaining and emotional adventure.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book and have given my voluntary and honest review.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Myrtle has returned home after 4 years at a finishing school. However, her family has decided to spend Christmas in Scotland due to the fact that their London townhouse is in desperate need of repairs. Only myrtle has been left home alone and their are men who want to steal her father's valuable collection.
Val, the duke next door, is determined to be alone after the death of his wife. Except this incessantly perky neighbor won't allow it.
I actually liked the broody, recluse widower. However the age gap bothered me immensely. He is almost thirty and she celebrates her 18th birthday in the book. As she says more than once he is the only man she knows other than her father and brothers. Definitely feels more like a case of proximity and lack of options leading to infatuation not love.
3.5 stars.

Val Bancroft/Duke of Aragon- a heartbroken,reclusive and brooding widower with a loyal dog and butler.
Lady Myrtle McQuoid- The forgotten one, at least that's the way she feels and it does look that way,but she has a pleasant attitude through it all.
I enjoyed reading this story of a broken reclusive duke and an independent miss who enjoys the company of others even though she has always been the "forgotten one". This has a Home alone movie vibe but better because she was intelligent to figure out what may happen able to defend her self with a little help and did not drag on to become ridiculous like the movie. I do think they went from interest building to being in love without building chemistry in the middle. Their story has a heartwarming and loving hea!
ARC provided by Net-galley in exchange for an honest review

Five sparkling stars worth of joy

A truly wonderful tale of a reclusive Duke mourning his lost love and a young woman who’s always felt out of place and forgotten. Lady Myrtle McQuoid awoke the morning of her family’s departure for their Scottish home to find they’d all gone—left without her. Confirming her belief that she was overlooked and never missed. After all no one returned for her—no one.
Well she’d just have to shift for herself. Although maybe she could approach the “mad” duke next door, Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon.
Val was relentless in his sadness about his dead wife. They’d been childhood sweethearts. Now this young hoyden from next door who sang Christmas carols loudly and slightly off key, who had unruly hair and a smile to light up the night, was all set to annoy him. So ok he showed her how to light the fire and keep it banked, but that was it!
Except it wasn’t! A Christmas story full of pain, awakening love and a young woman who just made me smile.

A Montlake ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Lady Myrtle, recently returned from finishing school and often forgotten in the hubbub of her very large (and loud) family, finds herself accidentally left behind when her family leaves London before the Christmas holiday. Confident her family will soon realize their error, Myrtle finds herself preoccupied with her recluse neighbor, the Duke of Aragon, a man rumored to murder his servants (don't worry, he doesn't) and also very alone for the holiday. Determined to find out the truth of his reputation, Myrtle and her sunny nature push into Val's cold and lonely world, making friends with him despite his best efforts to keep his solitude intact. Soon, Val can't manage to keep his distance, and when danger threatens, he discovers just how far under his armor Myrtle has managed to get.

Though there are errors and discrepancies in the text - hopefully to be resolved by publishing time - the overall story is sweet and funny. Myrtle is determinedly cheerful, which draws out the taciturn Val and creates an excellent sunshine-and-gloom relationship. The banter between them - often one-sided as Myrtle cannot stop chattering and Val is accustomed to living alone - and the relationships between the two humans and Val's dog Horace are entertaining, as are Myrtle's off-key carol-singing. The moments of danger that draw them together are plausible and resolutions gratifying. I'd like to read more of Caldwell's work now that I am aware of it!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Duke Alone early in exchange for an honest review!

Reading a Christi Caldwell novel is, for me, always a joy and guaranteed need for tissues. This did not disappoint. A lovely "Home Alone," strangers to lovers, with a very brooding hero HEA.

Lady Myrtle is a fresh, enthusiastic, smart, sharp and insightful young woman who feels misunderstood by her family. She has always felt like she is on the outside looking in on her large family. She quickly learns that while loud and unruly, they are her treasured family.

Valentine “Val” Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, is a brooding, scary, cantankerous man. Society has formed erroneous opinions about him because he has chosen NOT to participate in any capacity with anyone. His self-imposed societal exile fits what he believes he deserves for his failure to protect his dead wife. At time in the beginning of this story he reminded me of Scrooge, not wanting to have any dealings with mankind.

Thankfully for Val, Myrtle is Myrtle and her open nature is infectious and breaks down walls her neighbor has erected around himself and especially his heart. As we get to know them better we see the ice surrounding his heart melting and her starting to feel valued for herself. Together they thwart disaster for her family's home.

Like all of Ms. Caldwell's stories the characters are wonderfully written with care and attention to the tiniest of details. She invites you into her worlds and you leave feeling happily satisfied. I thought I would avoid a tissue moment, but I was wrong, and I couldn't have been happier. The epilogue was perfection and a revelation for Myrtle and me. Thank you, Ms. Caldwell for another glimpse into you worlds.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Montlake, and Ms. Caldwell for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

This book read like a mashup of Home Alone, Sixteen Candles, and a Christmastime Hallmark movie. Unfortunately, the heroine came across as very young and immature for her 17/18 years and the hero felt like every single one of his thirty-something. I’m not hugely bothered by an age gap if both characters are mature but Myrtle seemed VERY young which was… off-putting. I really did not understand how Val, who had been mourning the love of his life for years, could fall in love in mere days (it was basically a weekend’s worth of time) with Myrtle. They just seemed like they were at very different life stages.

The part I was looking forward to the most – the Home Alone inspired bits – were relatively brief. Mention was made of Myrtle’s penchant for pranks but I didn’t really see any in action. Spice, if you’re into that, is pretty much nonexistent here. I was also unclear on why exactly Myrtle – and ONLY Myrtle – was sent away to finishing school. Her mother’s explanation didn’t make sense. Myrtle sings – a lot – and all the lyrics to each Christmas carol (including, sometimes, their German translations) are included, which comes across somewhat as filler material.

Overall I think this might have been charming as a novella but as a full-length book, I think it needed more.

⭐⭐

A huge fan of historical romance, I found this book was surprisingly fun to read! I didn't expect to enjoy it as much based on the cover and the description of the book but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I will even be re-reading it as I sincerely appreciated the slow burn and the character development throughout; I love it when a male main character becomes 'healed' by the female main character and how it becomes a mutual partnership towards health, success, fun, love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance similar to Tessa Dare except with a more true to time vocabulary. :)

The Duke Alone to me, began like a scene from Home Alone. A big family running around getting ready to leave their London home and make the journey to Scotland for Christmastide and to allow for renovations to happen in the meantime. But, just like Kevin in Home Alone, Myrtle awakes to discover her family has left for their trip already- leaving her behind.
What makes this tale different though is the brooding Duke next door. Val, a widower who lives alone with his dog Horace, who I absolutely adored throughout. I think it's same to say that Val is depresses following the traumatic death of his pregnant wife Dinah. When Myrtle enters his life somewhat uninvited, the sad fog consuming his life slowly and stubbornly lifts.
The two first meet when Myrtle goes snooping in his home after terrifying tales from her sisters make it seem that Val murders his servants but Myrtle gets caught by the Duke and his apparently terrifying wolf who turns out to be a big softie, especially for Myrtle.
It is obvious Myrtle is the black sheep of the family and her confidence has been knocked further when she acknowledges her family's abandonment of her.
Convinced two men are trying to rob her home, Myrtle weasels her way into Val's life and slowly their chemistry comes to light.
If you picture a grumpy and sunshine romance book then this is its epitome. I'm fairly inexperienced in reading regency era novels but this set the standards really high.
Thank you so much for the eARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this

Miss Myrtle McQuoid is the third of six children. She has just returned from four years of finishing school. There is chaos throughout the house. Their family and aunts and uncles, along with cousins are packing the house to go to Scotland. She has always felt like an outsider. They will be gone for about two months. Their house needs renovations. The roof leaks among other things. Her family accidentally leaves her and heads out.

Valentine Bancroft, Duke of Aragon lost his wife four years ago. She was his life. The gossip was he might have murdered her. He takes a log and kills his servants daily, so it is said. There are a lot of rumors and none of them are good. He feels guilty, melancholy, and wants to be left totally alone. Just his dog and him.

There is so much more to this tale. How her sunny disposition wins over his rudeness and grumpiness. She talks to herself and anyone else who would listen to her. Horace, the dog, they have full blown conversations. She absolutely confuses him, the duke. I thought this was a sweet and engaging story. There are still a few surprises left and they are a revelation. This is entertaining and at times humorous. She sees him and he sees her even if he does not want to. It is well worth the time to read and hopefully enjoy.

I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Christi Caldwell - The Duke Alone

Genre: historical romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5/5
Spice: 0,5🌶/5 (it’s kissing and 1 fade to black scene)
CW: death of unborn child and wife

Thank you for netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this lovely Christmas novel.

This was such an adorable read for Christmas time! It’s a classic home alone type setup and mix that in with a brooding reclusive widow duke and you’ve got yourselves a lovely and sweet story for this time of year.

I loved Val and seeing him slowly opening up to Myrtle with a little help from the star of the book, Horace the dog.
I didn’t really like how quickly Myrtle was to forgive her family, since her resentment has been building up for pretty much her entire life.
The big age gap is something that did bother me from time to time. Especially when her birthday is mentioned and that she turned 18. To then be with a man that is over 30 and a widow.. not really my cup of tea.
Myrtle’s behavior though wasn’t that of an 18 year old and I thought it was more like early twenties. So while reading when her age or the fact she hadn’t even had a season yet were mentioned it threw me off a little each time.

I normally don’t read books that are fade to black and I am happy that I was prepared for it to happen. I had one experience when I did not know about it and it was really hard to pick the book back up again.

This was my first ever read of a Christi Caldwell book and I liked it very much! I am definitely going to read more of her books.

A lovely romance, two lonely people connect and fall in love. Quite simple really, and beautifully crafted. I enjoyed Val, the brooding and lonely Duke and Myrtle who brings him out of his self-imposed shell to love again. The story had a 'home alone' concept that worked for our couple and brought about a wonderful happy ending.

Historical fiction and regency romance are two of my favourite genres so when I saw this book available I just had to request it.

It’s my first introduction to this author and I’m going to look up all her previous works.

The Duke Alone has everything you find comforting and loyal from this kind of book if you want to swoon and be bowled over by angsty love story then this is for you.

I enjoyed it.

This story was inspired by the movie Home Alone in that 18-year-old Myrtle gets forgotten in London when the rest of the family travels to Scotland for Christmas. I enjoyed it overall but there was some wasted potential.

Myrtle makes the acquaintance of the grumpy neighbour. It is rumored that the Duke murdered his servants but in truth he is just mourning for his late wife and prefers to be alone. Myrtle is a chatterbox and somehow manages to ignore his dismissals and angry retorts and when he realizes she is home alone he helps her out with some household tasks and they establish a strange sort of friendship. Just like Kevin, Myrtle finds her house targeted by burglars but the book wastes the opportunity to set up a crazy romp to catch the burglars with booby traps. Shame, as Myrtle was introduced as a past master of wicked pranks and I was looking forward to seeing Myrtle vanquish the criminals using her skill.

Things that stood out:

Myrtle lends him the book Pride and Prejudice, he reads it, and then he somehow ends up quoting passages from the 2005 movie that are not in the book.

The age gap. I don't know how old the hero is exactly but I would prefer if the heroine wasn't quite so young. .

Steam level: We can tell premarital sex took place but further details on how the older man debauched/ruined/deflowered/made love to the teenager are left to the reader's imagination.

Will what he lost always hold him back from living again …

I always love when we reach this time of the year, when Christmas stories take over and cheer our soul while days shorten and the weather turns cooler or colder depending of your area.
This one is the first holidays tale I have read this season, and I do not know if it is like with the first Cherry or strawberry you eat every year, but I wish they are all like this one.
Witty, funny and swoon worthy.

This is not the darker story I usually read by the author, I know she writes lighthearted tales too but they are scattered along her more sober books.
Oh of course it is not an all rosy romance but the humor, inner dialogues, characters’ musing distilled along the pages lighten the past traumas of her heroes, with the perfect amount of sparks, wits and quips, sadness and jolly moments to let you by the last page feel happy and satiated for a while (well until the next book).
This is the kind of story you sit with and by the end you wonder why you still have not yet taken out your Christmas tree nor dressed it.

Myrtle feels a bit an outsider among her kin, she is as noisy, chatty and obvious as any member of her raucous family, still in some ways, she stands out. She feels overlooked, and still ressent them for having sent her for years to a finishing school. She felt like she has been punished for being herself, thus she tried to erase the essence of herself, her vibrant persona.
She is not anticipating her first season, knowing only dullness might await her. She knows her flaws, a babbling mouth, no great beauty, a mind more in tune with scholarly pursuit than fashion, yet she still hopes for more than an amiable union, she wants passion and reciprocation.
Val never overcame his loss nor guilt after his late wife passing, why he since lives the existence of a hermit among his peers, closeted between his townhouse’s walls, having shunted everyone out of his life. Letting rumors take over and estrange him even more from society’s life.
Until a slip of a girl, a young woman who cannot take no for an answer intrudes his peace and shatters the silence he so professed to love. She does not cover from his tempestuous glare, she even, impudent morsel that she is, questions his choices but at the same time, seems to understand his pain and while not fully agreeing with him, she empathizes with his lot.

As they spend together time away from prying eyes, Myrtle slowly, brick after brick, crumbles the walls around his heart. Yet will he be willing to risk it all again or was one love all he might allow himself…
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 kisses with faded to black love scene

I have been granted an advance copy by the author and publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

The heroine reads way too young, it reads almost as if it’s an old man and a child. Makes the impending romance seem…creepy. The hero is so utterly focused on his late wife that it’s hard to see him falling in love over the course of this book. The first 25% of the book is lamenting over her death and comparing her to the heroine. No, thank you. It also is almost identical to the original Home Alone, and I like more originality in retellings. Put your own spin on it.

This doesn’t feel like Christi Caldwell’s usual caliber of writing. Not something I wanted to continue reading, which is rare for me. I usually love her books.

I love me a good regency romance but this one just didn’t work for me. About 5 chapters in , I was totally bored and decided to DNF, 😞

I love Christi Caldwell books , This one was exceptional had me from page one . Gruff Duke lonely forgotten girl make a page turner. This one is not to missed

A cute funny story which seems to be based on the home alone movie with villain's and everything. A light heart warm easy christmas read perfect for this time of year. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.