Truly a delightful read! This was such a fun book! As a dog lover, this book checked all my boxes - spunky heroine, smart leading man, cute dogs, and a slow burn romance while on the trail of dog thieves. The writing was wonderful and the story kept me enthralled. Read this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was intrigued when I saw Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch described as Bringing Up Baby, in the style of Jane Austen. I love Bringing Up Baby, which is a 1938 movie starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and a Leopard. I grew up watching it, incorporated the song from the movie(I Can’t Give You Anything But Love) into my wedding ceremony, and had a framed Bringing Up Baby poster in my living room. I also like Jane Austen books.

In Every Duke Has His Day, an eccentric, scientifically minded Duke is watching his aunt’s pet poodle. He’s taking the poodle for a walk when a young woman’s near-identical poodle runs at them, knocking the duke and his poodle into a stream. They accidentally switch dogs, dogs are stolen, and adventure and romance proceed from there. The story takes place during the summer in London during the “Season”.

It was a bit slow to get into, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. The dialogue and banter were funny and engaging. It had multiple points of view, giving the reader a full picture of what was going on. There was also a Gaston-level villain, and a bonus commoner romance for a bit of upstairs/downstairs action. Good “swooniness”.  Happily Ever After for everyone except the villain, even the pets. It had a 101 Dalmatians vibe too. It didn’t really have a Bringing Up Baby plot, though it had screwball comedy elements.

I couldn’t put it down and had to finish it before I could go to bed.

This is a “sweet” or “clean” romance with no “spicy” scenes.

Despite having read lots of classics throughout my youth, this may actually be the first contemporarily written “regency romance” that I’ve read. I actually had to look up British nobility rankings, because I wasn’t sure about the difference between, say, a marquis and a viscount. I’m glad I looked it up instead of just wondering if I had it right the whole time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

This was such a cute and fun read. It's lighthearted and somewhat of a mix of Bridgerton meets the Parent Trap but with black poodles. Bitsy and Michael are forced together when their poodles get in a tussle at the lake. A couple dognappings and marriage proposals later their world is turned upside down. But together they solve the dognappings, get the poodles back, and fall in love along the way.

I highly recommend this read for a fun time.

I really enjoyed this fun, adventurous, and clean romance. I especially liked having the multiple storylines: Elizabeth and Michael and Jimmie and Sally. This was a fun change from the typical historical romance that only focuses on the upper classes. Michael was very much neurodivergent-coded, but in a way that I, also neurodivergent, recognized his characteristics and it wasn't presented in a heavy-handed, stereotypical way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars
🔥 - kissing only

[ Thank you @smpromance & @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

PUB DATE: September 19, 2023

THOUGHTS:

This was such a fun rom-com! 💗

Read if you like:
•regency romance
•age gap (9 years)
•dogs
•grumpy / sunshine

I will say right away for anyone curious, the dogs are dognapped but no harm was done!! They are safe and there is no animal abuse.

I loved Michael and Elizabeth. Totally opposites from each other. Michael is very into his work, doesn’t love social interactions. But then you have Elizabeth aka Bitsy. She is talkative, likes going to the dances, smiles at everyone. She’s a social butterfly. So you would think they wouldn’t gravitate towards each other, but they did!

I loved their banter, I loved them teaming up to get both their poodles back. I love how their perceptions of one another changed over time. It was just so cute watching them fall in love.

Overall, super charming romance novel. I’ll definitely be recommending this one to friends and family. ❤️

I knew that the meet cute for this romance novel had something to do with dogs, but I had no idea that the entire plot centered around a dog-napping! A lot of dog content in this book.

This is my first Enoch, so I don't know how this compares to her other work. This one is lighthearted, sweet, and had more POVs than just our main characters. At first I was annoyed at this, but by the end I actually appreciated how Enoch gives backstory and depth to side characters instead of leaving them as just archetypes to further the plot.

The hero Michael is coded as neurodivergent and I don't have the expertise or experience to comment on his representation. But I liked him a lot!

Bitsy is also unique for a historical romance heroine because she notable does not have a "hot girl hobby." This is actually a point of minor contention in the story. Bitsy likes parties and hanging out with her friends. At first, Michael sees this as frivolous and a waste of time, but he grows to appreciate how personable Bitsy is. She's just an extrovert who loves her dog and her friends! (She's just like other girls!)

This is a very low steam and medium angst historical romance, and I'd love to read more from this author.

Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch is an exquisitely crafted historical romance that artfully weaves together the lives of dogs and their devoted owners.

This arc was provided to me through Netgalley and St Martins press. I think they sent it to me because I don't remember requesting it and I was a bit wary of starting it because I'd never read a regency romance. My only experience with the genre was Bridgerton (the show not the books) which I wasn't a huge fan of.

Turns out I really enjoyed it! This was a really sweet romance, more than one couples romance was featured and I liked both of them a lot. The whole plot about the missing poodles was fun and entertaining and so were the details about science. I usually don't like a bunch of different povs in my books but in this book I actually enjoyed it. Ill definitely be looking into other books by this author at some point!

*Title: Every Duke Has His Day- a standalone

*Release date: 9/19/23, read: 8/22/23

*Author: Suzanne Enoch, 1st time author for me

*Book cover: cute Bitsy and Michael and the doggies

*Format: kindle, e-ARC

*Page Count: 320

*POV: 3rd person

*Setting: London

*Genre: Regency, Rom-Com

*Tropes:

✅opposites attract
✅ grumpy/sunshine
✅ slow burn
✅ mistaken identity
✅ animal lover


Look out for:
⚠️ classism, sexism, threat of animal cruelty

*Synopsis:
Michael Bromley, Duke of Woriton, is an eccentric scientist. He's a bit reclusive but can handle society life if required. He’s currently dog sitting his aunt’s well-trained poodle-Lancelot- while she’s on holiday.

Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering, third daughter of a viscount, is caught up in society life as a Diamond of the Season with admirers near and far w/her beloved black poodle, Galahad. He barks and bites at the wrong "beau to be." and he hires someone to steal him.

Hijinks ensue in the park w/ an accidental dog swap. Michael and Bitsy join together in search of the pooches but they can't deny the chemistry of this opposites attract rom-com.

Characters:
Michael-MMC
Elizabeth/Bitsy-FMC
Lancelot-Michael's Aunt Mary's poodle
Galahad-Bitsy's poodle
Jimmy &Sally- side characters


*Review: I enjoyed it as a light, clean romance. Definitely has mystery what the "whodunit" and all the seedy places H/h go in search of their dogs. Animal lovers unite!
FYI- I just read A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting which is animal fiction like this but with cats and a steamier adult romance.

*Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐


*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.*

Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch begins with a stuffy Duke on concerned for his experiments. Michael Bromley, the Duke of Woriton, wishes to discover a medical disinfectant that will help prevent infection in surgical patients. He has no time for the niceties of life, there is work to be done. His aunt, however, is going out of town and is making Woriton watch her beloved poodle Lancelot. One day while walked the dog, they are accosted in the park by another black poodle called Galahad belonging to Lady Elizabeth Dockering. After untangling the dogs and exchanging not so nice words, both parties return home.

Woriton soon realizes he has the wrong dog. Instead of well trained Lancelot he had the best Galahad! A comedy of errors reminiscent of Shakespeare with a dash of Parent Trap and a bungling suitor and his henchman thrown in for spice, makes this an enjoyable read from start to finish. The pages fly by.

Content Warnings: Classism, toxic friendships, dog kidnapping, threats of animal cruelty, sexism, and ableism.

This was such a cute read! So far, I love how both books I've read, from Suzanne give us so many more perspectives to view the story from.

In this story, we get to see a villain thwarted at every turn, two seemingly opposites forced together by a common goal, and honestly [bit spoilery]

<spoiler> The sweetest dog napper you'll ever read </spoiler>

I can't wait for more people to read this sweet investigative love story 💜

If you're looking for a cozy romance where you know who the villain is the entire time and everyone, aside from the villain, has an HEA...then this is a book for you 🥰

Every Duke Has His Day is a charmingly mannered slice of Regency era romantic comedy. It’s light and fluffy, touched with mystery and longing. Not my absolute favorite Enoch, yet it’s still a really fine little romance.

Michael Blumley, Duke of Loriton, is much more interested in scientific matters than those of the heart or the ballroom. Yet he does love his family, and therefore he finds himself taking care of his aunt Mary’s poodle, Lancelot, while she’s away. All is going smoothly – until someone kidnaps the beast right from under his nose.

Elizabeth - Bitsy - Dockering is a popular belle of the ton, enjoying all of the magic her second Season has to offer her. She goes everywhere with her poodle, Galahad – who is so protective of his mistress that he’s apt to bite her suitors. It turns out that one of Bitsy’s flirts is so determined to get her poodle out of the way that he hires a man to kidnap the dog. Unfortunately, the thief gets confused and kidnaps both Lancelot and Galahad in succession. Michael and Bitsy team up to search up their lost pooches, but can true love bloom fiercely between such unlikely parties?

Every Duke Has Its Day is a very charming romance with a fun mystery, but sometimes the mystery subsumes the romance in a way that feels frustrating and leaves the audience wanting more of it. You have to love a scientific hero and a flibbertigibbet, even if some of the beats feel easily predestined.

I liked Michael more than Bitsy, but Bitsy still manages to escape being a simple-minded Regency ditz. They’re both fun people, total opposites. You get bumbling crooks and a low-stakes, low-tension mystery that’s fun for reader and protagonists alike to encounter. You get a nice tour of Regency London to boot as they go looking for their dogs.

The romance is fine, but the novel does have one big flaw; it pushes the mystery a little harder than the romantic aspect, so it feels as if the pacing of their developing connection is slightly off.

If this doesn’t matter to you, Every Duke Has His Day will enchant and amuse, making it a perfectly cracking early fall read.

Readers who enjoy historical rom-coms, especially those that lean more com than rom, will enjoy Suzanne Enoch’s Every Duke Has His Day, where a young woman’s poodle leads a dastardly suitor to drive her into the orbit of an unexpected and unintended suitor that may have far more to offer her than he does. Meanwhile, a pickpocket turned dog thief is questioning his choices and a chance of his own for love, but will ponying up poodles cost him more than just his freedom? Society sweetheart Bitsy and straightforward scientist Michael do not see eye to eye when their dogs force their paths to cross, but when the dogs are kidnapped and the pair team up to find them, Bitsy begins to appreciate being respected for more than her beauty, manners and money, and Michael begins to realize that all human beings aren’t as obnoxious as he originally thought. This is very low on the spice level and a little goofy and madcap at times, but was the perfect lighthearted read for me after finishing up a long and thought provoking book recently. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this story! A very blunt, antisocial duke joins forces with a sweet, friendly, sociable young miss to recover their kidnapped poodles. Michael believes in straight talk, science, and logic while Bitsy believes in charm and manners. Together they're a great investigative team. They also consider their relationship oil and water and don't see how they could possibly have a future together even if they admitted the desire. There are humor and laughs, great secondary characters, and all kinds of lovely plot twists.

Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch.

Once you get past the cover, the book is actually quite interesting.
Michael Blumley, Duke of Loriton, is considered odd by his peers. The idea of scientific pursuits is not embraced. He had no wish to deal with the Ton. His well-ordered life is about to become interrupted when he takes in the care of his Aunt Marys beloved black poodle, Lancelot.

Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering, is in her second season, and enjoying the frivolity as a Diamond of the Season. Which honestly, never really got that feel with her as she only had one major suitor, and it's her second season, but whatevs. She is fairly independent for the times and can usually be found with her precious black poodle, Galahad. Let's just say he's not a well-behaved dog. Her dog is a sticking point to her most ardent suitor, Peter Cordray, who decides to have him dog napped by petty theif Jimmy Bly. What could possibly go wrong?

Two people with almost identical dogs, other than their temperaments, both the people and their dogs, yet forced together to try to locate their missing pets. With trips to unsavory places and little tidbits of science along the way, we find that Elizabeth and Michael have more in common than we first think. And maybe they bring balance to each other.

What a sweet read – definitely opposites attracting! The absent-minded professor type meets the social butterfly and sparks fly, as well as dogs disappear. This light-hearted and clean read keeps you wondering just what will happen next because love is in the air all around. Ms. Enoch has written a romance that reminds us how we can encourage each other to be a better person while bringing out the best in yourself, too.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press @smpromance and NetGalley for my advance electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

Michael, the Duke of Woriton, is an incredibly handsome, eligible bachelor in regency London. But the pursuit of chemistry and chemical discovery is all that consumes his thoughts and his time, earning him the reputation of being decidedly eccentric. But despite all that he is a capable man, and when his aunt has to go away and leave her beloved, well-behaved poodle, Lancelot, in his care, is is more than equal to the task. What he's not equal to a collision--literally--with Elizabeth Dockering and her beloved, poorly-behaved poodle Galahad in the park, resulting in an accidental poodle swap when each of them takes the wrong poodle home. But when they finally sort out the mess, it may be too late, as several dognappings and more cases of mistaken identity ensue. Can these opposite humans attract? Or are they forever fated to clash with disastrous results.

What a comedy of errors! It was quite the rom-com, with a likeable heroine and hero. Even the hired ne'er-do-well and his lady are loveable! It is easy to become absorbed by the story and feel for the poor dogs as the hijinks ensue. It was definitely a cute romp and well executed.

If you are looking for a clean historical romance with great characters, and lots of dogs, this book is for you. It was sweet, cute, and charming--all the things I needed from a book this week. It's a well-written, easy, fun read. Highly recommend.

Every Duke Has His Day is a fun and enchanting historical romance novel. Elizabeth, a popular and charming young woman, and Michael, a Duke who is also a scientist, are an unlikely but endearing couple! They have a very entertaining meet-cute, when their poodles become entangled at the park, and the frivolity and a mystery continue on from there. It was delightful to watch their feelings grow, as her warmth and intelligence mingle with his seriousness and steadfastness. There is a secondary romance which was also fun to read!

“I have come to know some things about electricity,” he said, hearing his voice shake a little. “Sparks, positive and negative charges, how it can force elements together or break them apart. And I feel electricity when I’m around you, Elizabeth. It’s as if you are the positive half of energy, and I’m the negative. We work best when we’re together. Or I work best when I’m about you.”

-brain meets beauty, romantic comedy, historical romance, opposites attract
-a poodle mix up gets the unlikely pair together 🐩
-Michael and Elizabeth had a nice connection and I enjoyed their conversations 😊 Sally and Jimmy’s side story was really cute and I liked them as a couple ❤️
-I did feel the plot was a bit longer than needed but an overall fun read!
-thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC

4.0⭐️