This is the third book in the A Love on Holiday series. It stands alone and is only connected to the others by theme. Just like the previous stories, this book was low angst with warm-fuzzy feels. These characters met by chance once before, so there is already an attraction between them. The previous Duke's will states that Alex must marry in a certain time period, otherwise his mother's unentailed family property will pass to his uncle. His pushy (but not mean-spirited) aunt is not happy to receive Evie instead of her employer, but Alex's siblings join in the family mix and can see Evie and Alex's connection. I've found this entire series to be so enjoyable...perfect for beach reading or curling up on a lazy day.

Evie is a secretary to Lady Waverley. She meets the duke of Rennick in the garden at a ball. She has no idea who he is, but there is an attraction. Months Lady Waverley sends Evie to Ireland on her behalf to do an event for the duke,
The duke needs to marry for money in order to keep the castle, but his attraction to Evie is undeniable. I loved the interaction between Evie and the duke. There were some steamy scenes.
This was a wonderful and fun read.

This final book in the Love on Holiday series was a delightfully entertaining read from the ‘meet cute’ to the final sweet words of the epilogue. With endearing characters, low angst, and excellent writing, you just can’t go wrong. Just my kind of book!

Miss Evelyn (Evie) Graves comes from a noble, but estranged, family because her father chose to marry for love rather than status and title. Evie is employed as secretary to the Countess of Waverly and she is very proud of the work she does. While she longs to be a published author, she’ll continue to be the well-organized and efficient secretary she is paid to be. Maybe she’d like to attend one of those events she plans – sometime. Probably not. However, that was an exciting encounter she had with a handsome man in the garden at the event she’d planned for Lady Waverly. Ah well, she’ll never see him again – and doesn’t even know who he is.

Alexander Pierpont wasn’t meant to be the Duke. That job belonged to his older brother who died, and, now Alex is the Duke of Rennick. Everybody wants to be a duke – right? Not at all! Alex is now saddled with a crumbling estate that his father nearly bankrupted – and to add insult to injury – his father included a clause in his will that forces him to marry within six months or lose the only thing in the duchy that he cares about. Should he not marry on time, his beloved, unentailed, Irish castle, Ballymore, will go to his odious uncle instead.

Imagine Alex’s surprise when the woman he met in a garden months ago alights from a carriage that should have been carrying someone else. Alex hadn’t ever been able to forget that unknown lady – and now – here she was – at his castle. Evie had traveled to Ireland in place of her employer, but evidently, Alex hadn’t received the countess’s letter explaining her absence.

I loved Alex and Evie together. Their open, upfront caring for each other was endearing. They had things to overcome, but I loved that they were going to figure them out together.

I’ve read some reviews that mentioned the aunt and the uncle as being very ineffectual antagonists. I didn’t view them as the antagonists – I viewed Alex’s father as the antagonist – and – goodness, he was a foul piece of work even in death. Aunt Oona was selfish in that she wanted Alex to marry to save ‘her’ home, but I didn’t think of her as a real antagonist. Now, Uncle George could have been a pretty viable antagonist, but the author chose to take him in another direction. I liked that direction but felt sorry for him and wished the author had chosen to show more positive interactions between him and the family.

I recommend this book if you love a straightforward romance with little angst. I thoroughly enjoyed it because the characters were lovely, the writing was excellent, and I thought it was well-paced.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alexander Pierpont, Marquess of Kirkham, Duke of Rennick, is a quiet, logical, studious man. He thinks about what needs to be done, goes over the options, and then decides. He is horse mad, wanting to carry on with his mother's legacy to care and breed horses. He was thinking of being a doctor until his brother died.

Marcus Pierpont, dead father, was a strict hard man. He frivolous at times, driven by his urges, but would find that one venerable point and crush that dream any way he could.

Ballymore Castle in Ireland, bought for his mother by a doting father who wanted a nobleman in the family, sacrificed his daughter who was in live with the brother, a second son, so that she married a title.

Uncle George, was in live with Alexander's mother but never told anyone. Now he is bitter and lashes out to family when he can.

Oona McQuillan, A bitter old lady who likes to think she is worldwise, however has never gone anywhere, tries to control the family but doesn't.

Alex’s sister, Belinda, eloped to Greta Green with her newspaper writer husband for love.

Rupert Pierpont, brother to the duke, wastrel, charming, care-free, likes to have others believe this of him. He is actually quite sweet.

Miss Evelyn Graves, Secretary to Lady Waverly, ( Countess of Waverly )is a closet romance writer, but has a back for organizing and Planning social events. She is detailed oriented, care for her sister who is wanting to be a doctor. since their father's death Evelyn has worked to support herself and her sister Sybil.

Duchess of Vyne, friend and faithful writing companion to Aunt Oona, is a comically relief with her straight forward speaking and expressions.

So come join the planning for a benefit of Ireland's horses. Find out who is matchmaking for whom, if the succeed is not? If the event gets planned, executed, and is a success. Who falls in love and what exciting things happen to come about!
Can a granddaughter of a duke who disowned them get her hearts desire?

Such a wonderful read that I was excited but sad to finish. These characters are so realistic that you just want to keep getting more. I wish it was more vividly descriptive on the scenery, but you get enough to imagine it. The story is creative, fun, and has just enough drama for entertainment. Aunt Oona, is that one that will just have you saying "really?" to yourself. Oh, I forgot Mr Chester or Chessie, the dog that is loyal and lives walks

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Miss Aurelia Graves is a secretary for a countess, and when she is tasked with going to Ireland for a vacation but also to assist planning a charity luncheon, she knows she can't say no. She doesn't know that the man she is going to assist is the same man she had an encounter with in the garden at one of the countess's balls. Sparks fly when he discovers her in the carriage, and while their future together might not be easy true love is the one thing in the world worth fighting for.

Christy Carlyle writes very low angst romance, and sometimes I am in the mood for that but when I read this, I guess maybe I wasn't. I have been reading very angsty contemporary so I thought this would be a good read to break that up, but I kept feeling like these two had no real reason not to be together especially by the end they believed their relationship was worth the struggles. They could have done that in the middle of the book and saved me the time. I was expecting more internal conflict over his money struggles and her being poor and that he would fight his desire for her. It all felt too easy for the outward struggles he did have. Then his inheritance plot to me would have been better served if the uncle was an actual bad guy, but he wasn't. That could have been resolved in the first chapter if you had an actual conversation with the man, but book characters rarely do what they should because then the book would be over too quick. Overall, this book felt so much slower and less romantic than book one, and that's what I really wanted from it.

This was a good solid story. I liked the two main characters. They both had been thru much adversity in their personal lives. Both are trying to take their responsibilities to their siblings seriously.
But with all that they've been thru in the past, once they meet again, it's smooth sailing between the two of them. Too smooth. It was almost a little boring
3⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Evie works as a secretary to a countess to support herself and her younger sister. When she is sent out into the country to help a duke organize an event she never expected to see Alex again. While Alex is intent on marrying an heiress, after spending time with Evie he reconsiders. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for my honest review.

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Love on Holiday series. Our guy Alex is a new duke with a marriage stipulation in his father’s will, stating that he needs to marry in six months in order to keep his castle in Ireland. His annoyingly meddlesome aunt has tried to matchmake him with a wealthy widowed countess and invited her to the castle for a supposed equestrian charity event. The countess sends her secretary instead, mostly to avoid the matching making. Evie is the ultra-organized secretary who has been working with the countess for the past three years but also secretly pens romance novels in her spare time. When she shows up at the castle, she’s shocked to find that they were expecting the countess, even though a letter should have explained the switch. Alex and Evie have actually met briefly once before in the garden of a ball, but Evie is very much aware of her social status and that a romance between her and a duke is impossible. It’s not actually impossible, since this is a romance novel after all, but it takes some time for each person to realize that they really do want and need each other. This book is a relatively low-angst straightforward romance with a quick resolution to external conflict.

I frequently get emotionally engaged with the characters in the novels that I read. That did not happen in this case. The story was solid, but something was missing. The characters were interesting, the scenery was well-described and there was plenty of steam. There were a few potentially angst causing issues in Alex's past but none of them were fully developed. Evie's past is developed even less. All we know is that she's an orphan with a younger sister to support. We don't know anything about her romantic history. The book seems to be set in the Victorian era, so I was very surprised that her virtue (or lack thereof) was never addressed.
On the positive side, Alex and Evie both knew what they wanted. There wasn't a silly misunderstanding or a lack of communication to tear them apart. No one attempted to break off the relationship in a misguided attempt to be noble. The love between the characters was believable and I was glad to see that they were able to reach their happy ending in a relatively uncomplicated manner.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This one just felt really unmemorable to me. I had a hard time focusing on what was happening, and also I was not super invested in the story.

Duke Seeks Bride is an absolutely wonderful book!!! It is the third in Christy Carlyle's Love on Holiday series, and I have loved each book in this series.
Duke Seeks Bride starts off in London, where Evelyn aka Evie resides as a secretary/event planner to Lady Waverly (Madeline's friend in the first book of the series!), a widowed countess. She meets Alex, the Duke of Rennick in the garden of one of her employer's soirees, and sparks fly. Evie needs her job and scurries off, but neither Evie or Alex forget the evening. They're both surprised when Evie is sent in Lady Waverly's place to Alex's castle in Ireland-- Alex's aunt is trying to match Lady Waverly up with Alex, who is in need of a cash influx to the estate-- and Evie is there to defecto let the duke down, have a holiday, and also plan an equestrian event. Lots of sparks and chemistry ensue!
I love, love, love Alex and Evie together! I love both of them separate to each other! I love the instant attraction, how immediate it is and how they talk it out and leave little un-communicated. The chemistry between Alex and Evie is fantastic. The dialogue between everyone is great, and the scenery is so descriptive that you'll wish you were in Ireland with them! This is a great story and such a fun read.
Although this is a series, Duke Seeks Bride can absolutely be read as a standalone. The things that the books have in common are dukes, independent women, and chemistry! I'm sad to see this series end!
I received Duke Seeks Bride as an ARC for my honest review. I love this book, and highly recommend! You will enjoy each minute.

Due to a clause in his father's will, Alex needs a wife to keep his family's estate. and his aunt keeps trying to matchmake him with wealthy heiresses. One of those is a widow from London, where Alex attended a ball and (literally) stumbled upon a woman reading in the garden. When that same woman appears at his home in place of the widow, Alex wonders if she'll be the answer to all of his problems.

Evie and Alex had an adorable meet-cute in the garden, which felt very on-brand for both of their characters. I enjoyed watching Alex's family and staff fall in love with Evie at the same time as him, and the Ireland setting was beautiful. I wished we could have seen more of Alex's family, especially his brother Rupert, who had some great quips, and his uncle George, whose story was quite sad. Evie and her sister Sybil were quite modern women, which can sometimes feel out of place in a historical romance, but I thought the author did a great job of letting them speak their minds, but still belong to the correct time period.

Duke Seeks Bride is the perfect beach read.
It's low stakes with a sweet romance between two likeable characters.
The story doesn't have too much going on plot wise, but I did enjoy the characters. I thought they were lovely and romantic. I liked watching Alex and Evie fall for each other (their meet cute was adorable!).
I also loved that this was set in Ireland! It's so refreshing to get a historical romance not set in England and Ireland is a beautiful place.
Overall, this is an enjoyable read if you want something that is cozy with little drama.

Duke Seeks Bride by Christy Carlyle

What I love is Christy Carlyle doesn't do fairy tale romance. The author dives down with problems that no matter who you are with or without a title, you must be obliged by money. The romance between Alex and Evie is developed based on mutual friendship and kinship. Though there are many steamy and heated moments, it's a love that defies the odds and really bottles down to whom is Alex.

Absolutely love this book and I can not wait for the next one. 10/10

Alex and Evie have a chance encounter in the garden that leads to an infatuation that slowly grows in love. Alex needs a bride and while he know what he should look for in a bride, his heart leads him in a different direction. Evie and Alex learn to except their love and fight for it while others try to keep them from reaching their HEA.

This is a fairly straightforward courtship tale about Alexander Pierpont, Duke of Rennick, and Evie Graves, secretary to Lady Waverly. For a change, the MMC is an introvert, uncomfortable in large groups. Typically based in Ireland, Alex has come to London to find a bride. Under the terms of his father’s will, if he doesn’t marry within six months of his father’s death, Alex will lose Ballymore, the Irish estate that was part of his mother’s dowry, and where Alex lives with his aunt Oona, and his brother, Rupert.

Evie and Alex first meet when Alex attends a London ball given by Lady Waverly. Evie, who plans Lady Waverly’s events as part of her duties (but does not attend them) is reading in a favorite spot in Lady Waverly’s garden when Alex comes crashing through. Embarrassed by his lack of dancing skills, he has sought some fresh air to calm himself before deciding whether to return to the ball for a second dance he has claimed. Both feel at ease with one other during their initial conversation; they meet again some months later when Evie is sent by Lady Waverly to help plan a fundraiser at Ballymore for the Irish Equestrian Society. Lady Waverly had originally planned to attend herself but had to decline after discovering she had another conflict.

Like previous books in this series, the story is well written with pleasant characters but is lacking in dramatic tension. The theoretical villain is Alex’s uncle, George Pierpont, who will inherit Ballymore if Alex doesn’t marry within six months. As it turns out, the uncle doesn’t want Ballymore and promises Alex that if he doesn’t marry in time, they will work out a way for the uncle to sell it back to him.

Another potential source of tension is the difference in station between Alex and Evie, but that is diminished by the fact that the gap between the two is not as large as it first appears. Evie’s father was the third son of an ear, although he was disowned after marrying someone his family disapproved of. In addition, although it would certainly be helpful if Alex married an heiress, he is not required to do so under the terms of the will, and he has plans to slowly build Ballymore into a more productive property.

In summary, #DukeSeeksBridel is a good story that is enjoyable but not outstanding. Thanks to #NetGalley and #AvonBooks for the ARC.

This was my first Christy Carlyle read. I would definitely read her again and will likely visit her backlist.
I'm not a huge fan of secret identity, but I loved the attraction between Evie and Alex and enjoyed the low-stakes, low-conflict pace of this book.
The setting in Ireland was also an excellent change for a historical. It's nice to step out of London once in a while.

I thought this was just ok. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing stood out either. Alex & Evie meet right away in a meet cute moment. Then three months later, circumstances bring them together again. When Evie’s employer has her go to Alex’s estate instead of herself, the two find themselves falling for each other. Even though Alex needs to marry wealthy & quickly, he can’t help but like Evie. Which they were fine together, but that’s it. I didn’t fall in love with them falling in love. It seemed quick & just kind of there. It was an ok love story, but that’s all. Good writing as always.

Miss Evelyn Graves works as personal secretary to the Countess of Waverly. She is sent in her employer's stead to Ballymore Castle in Connemara, Ireland, believing that she would be assisting with planning a fundraiser for an equestrian society. But little did Evie know that the aunt of her host - Alexander Pierpont, Duke of Rennick - was scheming to marry Alex to the countess!

This is the third book in the A Love on Holiday series. It stands alone and is only connected to the others by theme. Just like the previous stories, this book was low angst with warm-fuzzy feels. These characters met by chance once before, so there is already an attraction between them. The previous Duke's will states that Alex must marry in a certain time period, otherwise his mother's unentailed family property will pass to his uncle. His pushy (but not mean-spirited) aunt is not happy to receive Evie instead of her employer, but Alex's siblings join in the family mix and can see Evie and Alex's connection. I've found this entire series to be so enjoyable...perfect for beach reading or curling up on a lazy day.

Tropes: Road Trip, Forced Proximity, Class Difference, Working Heroine

Steam: 2

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Librarian Review: After reading, I do not believe this book would add much to our collection that would be of interest to our patrons. As for reader's advisory, I may recommend it if someone was looking for a cozy, low-stakes historical romance, or perhaps a historical Cinderella trope.

Reader Review:
Christy Carlyle has a deep backlist of historical romance titles, and I highly doubt there are many avid fans of the genre who have not read her books. I enjoy Carlyle's writing style, and her characters are often likeable, but overall I feel there is little at stake in a lot of her books.

That being said, if you are looking for a cozy, low-stakes read, this is definitely a good choice. But if you are looking for a strong plot with a decent amount of tension, this book may not be your cup of tea. When it comes to historical romances, I'm somewhere in the middle leading toward the latter. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it felt like something more was happening; overall, very little occurred. I also would have preferred a single, well-rounded antagonist. Not necessarily a villain, but it felt like the antagonists placed in the story (Aunt Oona and Uncle George, to varying degrees) were wishy-washy. Because of this it really seemed nothing was truly keeping the couple apart for nearly 400 pages except the need to have a full-length novel.

Lastly, just be aware that as of April 2023 the Goodreads description does not match the actual book. Many of the names have changed, but also several key details mentioned. It isn't too far off, but I would check the description closer to the release date, when hopefully it has been updated, before purchasing to ensure you are still interested.