Thank you Entangled Publishing, LLC and Netgalley for my copy of The Duke's Accidental Bride.
I loved Jack and James romance and their dynamic with each other. With both being romantics on their own right. James channeling his passion for romance by giving free matchmaking services to anyone who needs it. Jack who finds herself desperatly needing to find a husband finds herself needing her childhood friend James matchmaking services. Also loved how their insecurities and brought up and explained.
Although, I am not big on the friends to lovers and brother's best friend trope. I really did love this read.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was looking for a good historical fiction book to enjoy. This one was just okay. I was not a huge fan of the Duke he was just rude most of the time and hard to enjoy.

I picked up the novel because I wanted a period romance and something uncomplicated in between some of my heavier reads. I was unprepared for some of the depth of emotions I felt reading Jack.

Summary:
Jacqueline (Jack) is put in the untenable position of needing to marry for money in order to save her family from financial ruin. The one person she blames is a childhood friend, now matchmaker extraordinaire, the Duke of Stone.

Thus in the middle of the night, out of a sense of frustration over not being able to get to him in public settings to vent her emotions, Jack climbs into his bedroom balcony.

What ensues is James agreeing to help matchmaker her, yet struggling with his own feelings for her. As of course, he has sworn to never marry for love.

Thoughts:
While the general storyline is not surprising in any huge mysterious reveals, it is insanely pleasurable to read.

Switching between James’s and Jack’s perspectives was brilliant for this storyline…and as always reading a male POV is quite the heightened pleasurable experience.

Overall, it’s a great historical romance read that provides more than smut and engaging dialogue, which in my opinion is the wonderful thing about modern romance writers.

James and Jacqueline. Two souls with histories that weigh heavy on their shoulders, and yet two hearts that belong together more than most others. He was a matchmaker, of sorts, that could make a good pairing for most of the ton...just not for himself. She belonged to a family that fell into ruins, and while her sister married for companionship, she would have to marry for money to save them all. Problem is she is not like the rest of the girls...a phrase she grows to thoroughly despise as it seems the only thing that can be uttered by those who should/could have an interest...and yet, one doesn't see it as a problem, but a plus. Grant it, it's the one that doesn't want to see ANYTHING in her or any other female for that matter, thanks to a treacherous past where love wasn't an easy path to tread, but nevertheless...the heart wants what the heart wants...and this duo is in for a few surprises...as are readers!

It's not just a story of these two hearts, but of giving up the ghost of guilt that doesn't belong to you, living in the moment not the worry of things that may never pass, and opening yourself to the happiness that could be yours if only you'd give it a chance. It was witty, wonderful, wild at times, and fun...all things I've come to know and love about this author's work.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, it had all the emotions and elements I look for in a historical romance, and just the perfect amount of sizzle!

Eva Devon definitely knows how to keep the reader engaged in the story, perfect every time!
I highly recommend Eva Devon’s books!

I really enjoy this author! I love that this romance has friends to lovers, family, a strong heroine, and a slow burn! Jack(Jaquline) and Stone are a perfectly matched! After Jack’s father passed away, her family needs money. So she’s on a husband hunt! Jack is looking for a husband that will offer her not only money for the family but freedom to play the pianoforte and be who she wants to be! Jack will do anything for her family. So when she goes to James, Duke of Stone, who is a known matchmaker in the ton, she wants to be matched. Stone agrees to help her. He isn’t looking for love. So when Stone starts to look for a match for Jack, he picks old men. I loved that these two actually talked and worked together. They are family friends. I loved the build up and steaminess between them! I can’t wait to read what’s next from this author!

This was a fun romance and I enjoyed reading it. The story itself was cute and easy to read. I liked both characters and thought they made a good couple.

The Duke's Accidental Bride had a lot of promise! A charming but flawed duke, a plucky heroine, both of whom I liked... but it pains me to say I was left with wanting more. I thought there was a lot of emotion, a lot of fear or stubbornness, but not enough story to move it forward. There was a lot of secondary characters I also liked (and a useful villain), but it just didn't feel like a real story. The plot points used to connect everything just felt too convenient, too useful to connect everything so it didn't feel very believable-- not that I care about believability in a HR, it just felt too contrived to fit in with the story. The chemistry felt off, and I was confused where they actually fell in love with each other because there was just too much negativity and no communication!
I didn't not like this book, I just felt like it wasn't as complete or went as far as I'd like. I liked the last couple of chapters and the epilogue (I could just read about Jack & Stone's life after connecting with each other and probably enjoy more than their "love" story.

Captivating, emotional & utterly heart-wrenching at times, this story hits you with all the emotions.
The Duke of Stone in all his ‘masculine magnificence’ chooses to pair the members of society helping them find happiness. In true society form, love is not a priority in those matches but compatibility. Having watched love change into darkness with his father, he eschews the emotion. Jack (Lady Jacqueline) has always been guided by emotion but never truly seen, so she plans her life of spinsterhood with her love of music to keep her happy. Until the Duke of Stone finds a match for her sister, but it is not a wealthy match leaving her to marry for wealth to save her family, no matter her plans or desires. When Jack demands he make it right, he agrees to help her find a match that will give her all her dreams.
The emotions between these two are clear to everyone but themselves. Even in the story it is clear that their family sees what is between them even if they do not. I truly love the overall theme of support throughout this book. The way the Duke supports Jack in everything she does, the way Edward is always there for the Duke lifting him up, the way the entire family rallies together in the face of scandal to pull them out. There is so much love, of every variety within these pages. And so many moving speeches that cannot help but pull the heartstrings. The heartbreak throughout though is the clincher for me. Angst! Pure, raw & powerful enough to break you heart and bring tears to your eyes.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable and nice to see a male character interested in match making.

Jack never planned to marry, but her father made a poor decision that led to her family’s economic ruin. The event also led to his untimely death. When Jack’s little sister becomes betrothed to someone who can’t offer her family any financial gain, it’s up to Jack and her brother to secure marriages that will aid their family.

James is a duke and has been a matchmaker for quite a few couples, despite never planning to marry, or at least not for some time, and then to avoid his wife. His father was mentally ill and abusive to James’s mother, and he fears the same fate will befall him. Nonetheless, he’s helped quite a few couples secure safe and comfortable relationships, including Jack’s little sister. Jack believes James ruined her life in setting up that marriage, because now she has to marry. They are neighbors in London as well as childhood friends. James is still friends with her brother. She sneaks in through his window one night and demands that he fix the problem by finding her a suitable husband. James agrees.

Finding a husband for Jack is harder than it seems, though. Not everyone appreciates her nontraditional ways, and she doesn’t enjoy the thought of marrying someone elderly, even though doing so will most likely help her score her freedom sooner rather than later. Inevitably, James and Jack quickly fall in love. But when a situation arises that forces the two to marry, James has to come to terms with that frightening emotion.

Overall, this was a solid historical romance but just an okay read when it comes to Devon, who I’ve read better from. I rate it 3 stars. It felt like a first draft to Much Ado About Dukes, which follows a similar plotline but has more compelling characters with different motivations for marrying and fearing love.

This was a delightful and quick read. The plot was reminiscent of Julia Quinn's "The Duke and I", but without any of the problematic plot elements that Quinn's early 2000's era work glosses over. The main characters, Jaqueline (Jack for short) and James are well-developed and complex. The rationals and reasonings for their actions are understandable without being overly wrought. It's quite impressive what Devon was able to accomplish in a relatively short book. I appreciated that things were not drawn out too far. The story hit the notes it needed to and resolved accordingly.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was some odd plot inconsistency in the last handful of chapters. It felt like this may have come from a re-write or from editing. For example, one chapter is headed with "1 Week Later" but the characters in the scene refer to the events of the previous chapter happening either that same day or the day before. There were also small details about the final conflict between Jack and James that made me go back and reread because I didn't remember the details occurring that way. Again, I think this is more an issue with re-writes or editing that can be easily solved.

This book was mostly about one’s emotions, passions and ways to keep them inside or... not being able to do so. Because of that, you could quickly find yourself reading on. When you read about an emotion for 100 pages or so, you’re bound to do just that, but trust me when I say - stick around for the ending. It was perfect..

This is a cute, but not spectacular historical romance - I enjoyed it a lot while reading it, but I'm not sure it's going to stick with me for very long, as it's nothing extraordinary. There's a feisty heroine, a roguish hero with a heart of gold, a bargain between the two of them to help her find a husband, but feelings start getting in the way... you already know if this is going to tick your romantic boxes or not! It's a fun read, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, mostly light-hearted romance to pass the time with.

I started this book with so many expectations and hopes, but found that I probably would have enjoyed the book more if I went in completely blind and without the expectations I created.

The Duke’s Accidental Bride tells the story of an impoverished family putting all their hoes into the potential marriage of their second daughter after the first falls for a vicar and decides to marry for love, rather than fortune.

But, alas, the second daughter, Jaqueline has never been interested in romance and has dreams of pursuing her love of the piano… how will she find a husband that will allow her to continue her own pursuits???

By going to the vary man who created the match for her sister, her brother’s best friend, their neighbour and the Duke of Stone, A.K.A. the Matchmaking Duke!

He agrees to find her a husband since he has ruined her life plans…. but his matchmaking skills seem to be at a loss with her. That is until he lets his attraction and hers to finally collide! Duh, duh, duh! Resulting in her becoming the Duke’s accidental bride!!!

Like I said at the beginning, I wish I wasn’t reading and waiting for the forced engagement. Their matchmaking and unique interactions would have been more enjoyable if I wasn’t anticipating the “accidental bride” scenario and just going with the flow of the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Entangled Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheDukesAccidentalBride #EvaDevon #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

Steamy romance about a duke with a traumatic past and his best's friend's sister who needs to marry. The attraction between the was quite immediate, however the duke does not want to marry and decides to help her find a husband. It was not for me, unfortunately - I found the description of thoughts went a bit too long - I would still recommend for fans of the genres though

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

James Haven, The Duke of Stone is a match maker in the ton and his latest couple is Lady Jaqueline's sister who he pares with a second son vicar for a love match. And now Lady Jaqueline, Jack, has to marry for money because her family is in financial trouble, thanks to her father. And Jack's dream was to remain a happy spinster.

James one evening has an uninvited guest, his childhood friend Jack. She wants to let him know she is not happy with what has transpired and the ramification for her. James hasn't seen Jack in a while and is a little taken aback at his attraction to the young woman she's become. So he agrees to assist her in finding a match and a wealthy one at that.

Now James is one who also never wanted to marry, as he has had a very unpleasant example of love in his parents marriage. It definitely left some major issue and hangups for The Duke of Stone.

In the process of finding her a match he spends more and more time with he. He is trying to help her overcome of her wallflower reputation.

Well you can see that this opens up both their eye and feeling. They navigate through James issues and Jacks. They find their HEA.

This was cute read. But I found that I was not engaged as I should be and the story was a little flatline for me. I have enjoyed other books by this author but this one took me longer to finish as I wasn't really pulled into their romance.

The Duke's Accidental Bride by Eva Devon is such a charming story. An enjoyable romance, I was taken away to a wonderful place with this story. James and Jacqueline (Jack) are wonderful characters and came alive in a well crafted story. Not an easy journey to love which makes it all the more engaging. This was my first read from this author but I look forward to many more!

I love a good historical romance, and the fun twists that Ms. Devon puts in this book made it a great read.

I have been reading books by Ms. Devon for about a year and find that her style of writing and bringing characters to life really work for me. I liked how James, Duke of Stone, is the matchmaker while "Jack" is the one who doesn't want to get married. How she climbed into his window had me pacing my house with a mix of anxiety and laughter.

✨Duke = stone. Stone = hard. Duke = hard.✨

As a whole, I think this is a fine book but not necessarily one I enjoyed at every turn. I found myself reluctant to pick it back up because I didn’t quite feel the spark. I liked both characters individually, but by the end Stone was really wearing on my last nerve. Then the whole compromise adjacent-scene happened and it wasn’t to my taste.

✨

**spoiler section** I simply didn’t believe that he fundamentally changed his beliefs that quick. She was like oh so you’d have married me without my brother forcing you?” And he was like “yup.” And I was just like… say what now? He was SO against marriage and I really can’t explain that shift using what we received on page.

I also found the way they were compromised to be tiresome. Drexel himself was simply tiresome. I know his character type is commonplace, but a man forcing a woman to get married simply because he could (and because she rejected him) left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I understand that they literally had to get married but I really wish Jack would have made Stone work harder for it. She acquiesced so quickly and then boom sex scene. He was a complete ass multiple times and I don’t think he really groveled to my standards. Blaming her for breaking the rules and presenting her with the marriage the way he did really annoyed me.

✨

People are calling this a novella and that may be true in actual page count (however Goodreads says this book is 323 Kindle pages?), but it felt pretty long. Long enough sort out the issues I had. It also felt long to read. It gave a lot of space to almost philosophical talk or paragraphs of inner back-and-forth battles. I must say I skimmed many sections when the two weren’t together and it was more internally bent. I understand the need for the inner musings but they ultimately dragged me down.

I do love Eva’s writing and the story did have its moments. The epilogue was cute and I did like his grand gesture. I’m always a sucker for brother’s best friend and that moment when the brother loses his shit and fisticuffs ensue. That moment here ~wasn’t~ as dramatic as I’d have liked (and I didn’t particularly like what happened after) but it was still juicy. I also liked his drunk scene, because he’s sir, you were an ass.

There were around one and a half sex scenes and they were fine but nothing noteworthy. I’m sorry but I want to see something besides missionary, which probably means adding an extra scene.

Overall, I’d have preferred this to be shorter and more concise. Get rid of Drexel early on and have the two together on the page more frequently. Use the brothers best friend trope more effectively to replace the angst that Drexel attempted to add. Also, if the man is going to waffle SO much on marriage, make the payoff and moment he realizes he wants to marry her and that he DOES love her even more prevalent.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶🌶.25/5