Member Reviews
He's a Duke who's only real passion is chemistry and she's the Diamond of the season, they're exact opposites but find themselves thrown together when they accidentally swap dogs and now they're facing a dognapping, unexpected feelings, and relentless suitors. Michael Bromley is the Duke of Woriton and is only interested in chemistry, he doesn't really care for ladies or gambling, but when his aunt asks him to take care of her poodle, Lancelot, while she's on vacation he agrees. Elizabeth "Bitsy" Dockering is the beautiful daughter of a viscount, she's extremely popular and in her second Season in London, and has tons of suitors who would do anything for her. Elizabeth's true love is her poodle Galahad, but Galahad really really is troublesome and hard to handle, and to everyone else he's a demon. Michael and Bitsy run into each other when Galahad runs into Lancelot, and they both end up swapping their dogs by accident. One of Bitsy's suitors is tired of how much trouble Galahad is and hires a thief to steal the dog so he can pursue Bitsy, the only problem is that he didn't realize the dogs had been swapped and he accidentally stole Lancelot instead. Bitsy and Michael must now work together to find their dogs, figure out who would do this, and work out the growing feelings between them despite their rocky first meeting. This book really was not for me, I had hoped it would be a fun and cute historical rom com but it had really missed the mark and I found myself struggling to read it through til the end. Bitsy is an annoying, spoiled, and unlikable protagonist, she does grow by the end but honestly, I did not like her at all. I didn't feel the chemistry between Michael and Bitsy at all and honestly, would have preferred if they just ended up as friends. Michael had more chemistry with chemistry then he had with Bitsy. I wasn't that invested in the story or the characters and didn't care much for this book at all. While this one didn't work for me if you enjoy historical rom coms with dognapping and multiple POVS, and a opposites attracts couple, give this a go, maybe it'll work out better for you then it did for me.
*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
How adorable!!!
This was a very enjoyable historical romance, with two really great characters.
I have read Suzanne Enoch in the past and knew I would enjoy her writing, but this story was still much more than what I expected.
It had everything I enjoy about a historical romance, a Duke who was interested in science more than anything and a heroine who was the diamond of the season but also more. Their story was based an opposites attract, a flirtatious and charming heroine, and a grumpy grump.
But when they met, the sparks flew.
She found someone that actually challenged her in wit and intellect, and he found in her someone who enjoyed his company, was interested in what he had to say and saw him differently than the rest of society.
I also found her attitude towards herself being considered the diamond of the season refreshingly honest, candid and modern in a way. And he was the best kind of grump, and surprisingly wasn't too wrapped around her finger. There was certainly a give and take.
In the end they came together because of missing poodles, but every moment they spend together it became more and more palpable how much they liked each other.
I really loved the overall feel of the novel. Light, fun, adorable. And it's a must read for anyone who loves historical romance. You won't be disappointed in the story or characters.
Michael Bromley, the Duke of Woriton, scientist and logic blind index person, he has no desire to be around friverlious people. The one person he does dote on, his aunt Lady Mary Harris. She is his remaining family and would do a lot for her. He even got her a wonderful companion, Lancelot a large black poodle.
He is to take care of Lancelot while Mary is visiting her friend, Violet, Lady Penderghast, whose husband Gerald is allergic to dogs, supposedly.
Elizabeth Dockering, this years diamond, daughter to Lord and Lady Mardensea, Viscount Mardensea. Her parents gifted her with a rescued big black poodle, Galahad.
Her friends include Anne Caufield, her sister Alice, Tom Hillstead his brother Geoffrey, and Lord Peter Cordray.the Marquis of Plasser’s younger brother.
Our story is a Romcon that will have you in stitches as only Suzanne Enoch can produce. Her lively mix of characters, class, and the antics involved are always a treat to read. Mixing serious with frivolous fun for laugh out loud comedy.
Here we go! A mix up of dogs, a kidnapping of said dogs, and what is done to get them back! Yes this is the only tease I will give. So come join the search as two total opposites face Concerned beau, friends, family and run through the rookeries chasing down clues as to who took the dogs, why, and how to get them back.
So much fun and comeuppance are given with snappy rejoiners, a butlers sarcasm, and an aunt's match making that is oh so subtle that you will just laugh.
This is a new-to-me author and I’m sure I’ll be reading more from her. This story was delightful. I’m not a person who is too keen on dogs, yet I understand the depth of love dog owners have for their pets. While there is no animal cruelty in this story, per se, there are discussions of causing harm to animals so be forewarned if that is hard for you to read.
Elizabeth and Michael have a total meet-cute, with her dog and his aunt’s dog getting tangled together at the park. Truth be told, Galahad is not a well-behaved dog and would have driven me crazy if I was friends with Elizabeth. But Galahad is fiercely protective of his owner so you can’t fault him in some of his actions, especially toward Elizabeth’s current suitor. After their disastrous meeting, Elizabeth and Michael don’t expect to ever see each other again. She is a social butterfly who is the belle of every ball she attends. Michael is an introvert who loves science and books, learning, and teaching. They feel the attraction from the first but shove it aside knowing they wouldn’t be well suited to one another.
Instead of never seeing each other again, Michael and Elizabeth are thrown together after one of the dogs is kidnapped. Michael’s structured, brilliant mind is perfect for coming up with a plan of action while Elizabeth’s kindness and natural way with people help those plans along. The heat level of this story is a departure from much of what I read more regularly, but this book is proof positive that warm-fuzzies can and do exist in low-heat books in the hands of a good writer. They don’t even kiss until more than halfway through, yet I could feel their connection every time they shared the page.
Their adventures are a lot of fun and help them both to understand the other side, so to speak. There are wonderful side characters who ended up endearing themselves to me when I thought they wouldn’t. The villain is terrifically terrible. Michael’s servants and aunt made me smile as well. The dialogue is witty and smart. This was a very enjoyable read.
A historical romance featuring captured poodles and a scientist?! Yes, please.
The Duke of Worlton has a love of science, especially hydrogen. Society may call that odd but that's what makes him happy. He's got brains, can handle any society dance party dancing with ladies and has poodle watching skills.
Elizabeth "Bitsy" is loving her second turn out in society. Everyone loves her but she loves her dog, Galahad, even more. Loving her dog won't do for a man who adores her fully, so the man plots and succeeds in taking the poodle.
But, he didn't take the right poodle! The Duke and Bitsy must set out to find the dog and work together, even if society doesn't think that's a good match.
I enjoyed listening and reading Every Duke Has His Day. Narrator Mark Meadows brought this story to life and allowed me to envision myself in society chasing after poodles. The pacing felt right and I found myself listening to the latest from Enoch in just a few settings. Historical romance lovers who want to laugh will enjoy Every Duke Has His Day.
I struggled with this one - I enjoyed the humor but I felt that it was missing a spark. I did enjoy the writing and I think there was a fun foundation here, it just didn’t fully work for me.
I adore the historical romance regency era and found this read so refreshing and fun. The MMC is a Duke yet he is obsessed with science/chemistry experiments with little desire to socialize with the ton. The FMC is the season’s diamond who adores balls, social events, and her very unruly poodle. After a wild meet-disaster and dog mix-up, someone kidnaps the FMC’s dog in order to get closer to a potential engagement. New flash to the villain, kidnapping a lady’s dog will not make her fall in love with you! 😂. There was just enough mystery/suspense, humor, witty banter, and genuine opposites attract romance to make this read a fun and enjoyable read from start to finish. It is a clean romance (with a fun secondary romance subplot as well) that regency romance (and dog-lovers) will adore. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced arc in exchange for my review!
Elizabeth is a diamond of the season, men fall over themselves trying to gain a dance from her at the balls, the young ladies envy her looks, fashion sense and charm. She is always surrounded by a group of friends and loves nothing more than going to the many parties, balls and soirees of the season.
Michael, Duke of Loriton is considered eccentric and sometimes he has even been called "mad" by the members of the ton. But Michael cares not a whit of other's opinions, saying what he feels, not wasting time or words on meaningless prattle he believes in calling a spade a spade, sparing no ones feelings along the way. The last thing he wants is his time wasted on a flighty female who thinks dances and parties are of the utmost importance. But when their poodles get accidently swapped after an incident at the park( one involving the Serpentine and a very wet Duke) only to have the poodles dog-napped before they can exchange them back. Michael finds himself spending more and more time with Elizabeth as they investigate the ever growing dog-napping case.
I loved reading this book. The characters are great, I love Michael's way of telling it like it is, sparing no one with his brisk, abrupt attitude and manner of speaking. And Elizabeth is not the empty headed twit we think she is in the beginning. Both characters grow during their dog-napping investigation and it is a pleasure to watch them develop.
I would give this 4 stars, it is the perfect entertaining escape read . Guaranteed to hold the reader's interest from beginning to end.
Thank you to St. Martins Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
Michael is a duke and an absent-minded professor who spends most of his day in his lab doing chemical experiments. He might be mostly a shut-in, but he loves his aunt, so when she asks him to watch her black poodle for her, he agrees. After all, Lancelot is a well-behaved pup who's never caused anyone much trouble. What could go wrong? Since this is a screwball comedy, everything.
On Michael's first outing with Lancelot to the park, popular debutante Elizabeth loses control of her own black poodle, Galahad, and the two get mixed up and taken home to the wrong house. Michael, who might be absent-minded but is definitely observant, immediately notices that something is wrong and goes out - to a ball! - to meet Elizabeth and get her to switch the dogs back. (Of course he asks her during a waltz in front of the entire ton.) Unbeknownst to both of them, one of Elizabeth's most ardent suitors has chosen that night to kidnap Galahad - and Lancelot gets taken instead.
The rest of the book is a comedy of errors as Elizabeth and Michael join forces to find the missing canine. Their rapprochement is a delight to read. The villain is perfectly calibrated for the reader to hate: he's not exactly evil, but he's self-centeredly cruel. With a secondary romance, matchmaking servants, and slow but authentic character evolution from both Michael and Elizabeth, this is really a pitch-perfect screwball comedy/traditional Regency romance.
Note: it is a closed door romance, following the conventions of the classic Hollywood screwball comedy and the traditional Regency romance, but it was so much fun to read that we didn't miss it (!!). It helped that we knew that going in so here's our warning to you ;)
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Another winner from Suzanne Enoch!
She had me at a story based on the antics of two crazy dogs. Just ridiculous enough to be loads of fun, but still a good read.
Suzanne Enoch has knocked it out of the park once again with her new Regency Duke tale. The Duke of Woriton is a private person. He prefers his science experiments over dancing and frilly dresses any day. He is left in charge of his aunt's poodle while she travels, and on day one, he manages to lose him. However, the loss was actually a switch with Elizabeth Dockering's own poodle. The poodle thought to belong to "Bitsy" is stolen, and then her actual poodle is taken. The Duke and Elizabeth are thrown together to not only to uncover the whereabouts of the poodles but to discover who stole them and why.
I adore Enoch's writing and her take on the Regency era. The characters are charming and definitely eccentric, but not to the point you cannot believe they are real people. You find yourself getting behind their causes and cheering them on to victory and to love! Every Duke Has His Day is a bit of a different take on what goes on in the lives of the ton. You have a Duke who is a scientist/inventor. She really nailed her research into the voltaic piles and chlorine. It was fascinating to read, and did not bog down the story. This revealed why the Duke preferred his study over ballrooms, and this endeared him to the reader even more.
This tale is full of chemistry, comedy, and canine antics! Don't pass up on this romp. It was a delightful read.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
Dogs! This book had me with the descriptions of Galahad and Lancelot, the two black poodles who serve as main characters just as much as their people do.
Michael, the Duke of Woriton, agrees to care for his aunt's dog Lancelot while she travels for a month. When Elizabeth's ill-behaved dog Galahad runs toward Lancelot at the park, it creates a meet-disaster for the two humans.
From there, much hilarity ensues with a comedy of errors and a case of mistaken identity. The plot is somewhat outlandish, but in a fun way. It's so neat to see a historical rom-com.
I loved both main characters. Michael is a scientist with a reputation for being blunt (rude), and Elizabeth is an incredibly popular diamond of the ton. The books has a good mix of tension and romance and villainy. It kept me rooting for the pups and their people. This one is a stand alone with very low steam.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.
It was definitely not love at first sight when Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering, the youngest daughter of Viscount Mardensea, and Michael Bromley, the Duke of Woriton met. As the undisputed “diamond” of the season, Elizabeth is much sought after and admired, she has several men vying for her hand and is enjoying her reign. While on a walk in the park with her friends and her dog, a poorly behaved black poodle named Galahad, one of her suitors, and her dog tangle which leads to Galahad getting loose and running after another black poodle. The dogs end up in the Serpentine, along with the other dog’s owner. Elizabeth is shocked to learn that the man is none other than the reclusive and possibly mad Duke of Woriton. After exchanging words, the two take their dogs and part ways, thinking they will never see each other again.
Michael Bromley, the Duke of Woriton is brilliant, and he would rather be home working on his experiments than mingling with his peers, but when his beloved aunt leaves her black poodle, Lancelot with him while she is visiting a friend, he ventures out to the park, never expecting to have his life turned upside down by two poodles and a lovely woman! It isn’t until he returns home that he realizes they switched dogs, and for some unexplainable reason, he decides that he must let Elizabeth know immediately. This results in an unexpected waltz and the start of an adventure that will forever change him, when Lancelot and then Galahad are dognapped.
I loved this book, it was such a fun read filled with wonderful characters and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. The story uses a Grumpy meets Sunshine trope, and it is a no-steam, slow-burn romance with lots of emotion, chemistry experiments, lots of dogs, a nasty villain, and a not-so-bad “bad guy”, a sweet secondary romance, laughs, tears, wonderful secondary characters, kisses and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. Overall, I do wish that the ending had been a bit longer and maybe that they didn’t need a third party to ensure their HEA, but those things aside, I loved this book and have given it a place on my very small keeper shelf. This is a standalone title, so if you are looking for a fun, sweet read, this book is for you!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
This book was a fun regency mystery/ romance. A super cute, quick read! The dog swap/ missing dogs plot was super cute, and I very much enjoyed Elizabeth and Michael’s characters. A grumpy MMC and a cute FMC with matching dogs definitely gave a strong 101 Dalmatians vibe! Great for dog lovers! If you’re looking for a steamy romance, this book isn’t it. But if you want to have a smile on your face throughout a good majority of it, this book is for you! A good clean romance with absolutely no need for spice because the story is jam packed full of greatness as it is. I highly recommend!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.
Spark fly between Michael the Duke of Wariton and Bitsy aka Elizabeth during their first meeting when their dogs meet in Hyde Park, When they go their separate ways Michael realizes he has the wrong dog... and when he goes to retrieve poor Lancelot he finds the dog has been kidnapped from Bitsy's house.
This kicks off an investigation into who would want to take her dog, and why?
I loved how the Duke and Elizabeth interacted with each other. there are plenty of insults and banter between them, and as they spend their time tracking down the missing pooch they start to realize they might actually like each other, and it might even be more than that.
This is a pretty chaste romance, you can feel the chemistry growing between them, and they only exchange a few kisses before realizing they love each other.
This story is super adorable, I love the characters, Lancelot and Galahad stole the show, and I even found myself unexpectedly rooting for a certain side character and was really happy when they got their happy ending along with Michael and Elizabeth.
Suzanne Enoch is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to see what she will write next!!
Michael, an eccentric duke and scientist, has a run in with Bitsy, a debutante, in Hyde Park when their dogs tangle. When a suitor of Bitsy’s arranges to steal a dog from her house, she realizes that the duke’s dog was stolen by mistake. When both dogs are stolen they combine together to solve the mystery. Though attracted to each other, they feel they are too opposite in nature to suit. I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.
Genre: historical romance
London, Regency era
Michael Bromley, Duke of Woriton, prefers his pursuit of stabilizing chlorine for medical purposes rather than socializing with the ton, not minding the eccentric label he’s been given. When his aunt goes out of town, she leaves her black poodle Lancelot in his care. But on their first walk together, Michael and Lancelot have a run-in with Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering and her black poodle Galahad. Galahad and Lancelot look so similar they end up being switched, and while it should be an easy swap back, Lancelot-assumed-to-be-Galahad is stolen from Bitsy’s room. It’s all a plot by Bitsy’s suitor, Lord Peter, to get Bitsy to pay more attention to him rather than her pet, but instead, it drives Bitsy towards Michael as they develop a friendship and attraction while searching for their matching poodles.
Every Duke Has His Day is screwball funny and bonkers fun to read.. The book delivers such lines as “Hmm. At least he’d remembered his pants.” Because Michael is as absent-minded a genius as any; except when he’s with Elizabeth! With her, he’s suddenly sharp and attentive to something other than science. And our diamond Bitsy finds that in Michael’s presence she enjoys being seen as witty instead of frivolous, and that she longs to be Elizabeth with him rather than Bitsy. There’s sentimental symmetry beneath the screwball humor of swapping dogs and interviewing strangers for information on the poodles’ whereabouts.
Our villain, Lord Peter Cordray, brother of a marquis, is the perfect villain of this story. He’s entitled, as most aristos are, so he’s not evil, just stubbornly insistent that he should have Bitsy for his wife without giving her actual personality much care. As the daughter of a viscount, she’s got a large dowry, and she’s beautiful so she’ll be the perfect accoutrement for his household. He doggedly (pun intended) courts and pursues her, but when he thinks she’s out of reach, he puts this hairbrained scheme into motion to steal her dog. The whole time you’re reading, you’re thinking “how on earth does he think this will work?!” and cheering for every one of his missteps.
Every Duke is closed door, and yet it loses absolutely none of its charm, because at no point would it have made sense to insert a steamy scene. The book stays firmly in delightful and whimsical territory, and never once did I regret that.
Michael is a Duke and a scientist who is known as an eccentric, strange man. He is babysitting his aunt's poodle when he is attacked at the park by another poodle who takes them all into the pond.
Elizabeth is all the rage in the ton this season. The last thing she expects is for her dog to go after another dog at the park. When she meets Michael, she is not impressed, but strangely attracted to him. The fact that they accidentally end up with switched dogs, and his is kidnapped by someone who believes it's her dog is pure happenstance, and the start of a wonderful relationship.
This story is utterly charming, and unputdownable! I hated for it to end!
Ms. Enoch just keeps outdoing herself!
.
The duke is taking care of his aunt's poodle while she is gone. Miss Elizabeth has a poodle almost like it. He is into science and Miss Elizabeth is into parties and balls. The two dogs get mixed up and she goes home with the wrong dog. The man who is courting her is not liked by her dog so he hires a man to kidnap the dog but he gets the wrong dog. Miss Elizabeth and the duke decide to work together to find his dog and then they kidnap the other dog. Without giving the story away they realize they love each other and who is behind the kidnapping. It is an interesting story.
A Duke who’s singularly focused on his scientific research is yanked out of his controlled life when a mixup occurs. Tasked with watching his aunt’s poodle Lancelot while she’s out of town, the Duke of Woriton finds himself in a tangle when Lady Elizabeth “Bitsy” and her poodle Galahad accidentally knock him into the Serpentine. Elizabeth’s would be suitor, the rather detestable Peter Cordray, concocts a scheme to have Elizabeth’s dog kidnapped only to have the thief accidentally take Lancelot instead. What follows is the Duke discovering there’s more to life outside his experiments and Lady Elizabeth finding she enjoys the company of the serious minded Duke. Dogs are stollen, ne’er-do-well suitors are exposed and love triumphs.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.