A sweet and charming enemies to lovers story ; although there were a few gaps in the plot it was a fun read . I haven’t read the first two books in the series but i will def look for them .

“The Duke’s Christmas Bride” is the charming third book in Anna Bradley’s series called the “Drop Dead Dukes.” While set in the country during Christmastime, the story is a passionate and enjoyable read that can be enjoyed all year round. We meet Max, the Duke of Grantham who is as cold as ice and out for blood. Things seem to be working in his favor until an enchanting Rose from the wrong class thwarts his plans and thaws his heart. The bond between Max and Rose is passionate and pure, but can it survive broken trust and old vendettas? “The Duke’s Christmas Bride” will keep you engaged and wondering as you find out! I enjoyed the book and hope you will too. I also will be checking out the other two books in the series and other books by the author, Anna Bradley.

This was a fun sort of Beauty and the Beast romance. The hero, Max, Duke of Grantham, carries a burning resentment of the heroine’s adopted father. He is fixated on buying up the dilapidated mansion that the adopted father won from the Duke’s father and where, Rose, now lives alone with her loyal maid as the mansion falls down literally on her pretty head.

Of course, he falls for Rose and ends up realizing that she is exactly what he needs in his life as her kind and charming personality wins over everyone whom she encounters.

It’s all a bit predictable and also unbelievable. We never learn why the mansion has fallen into such disrepair. The adopted father is supposed to be the kindest gentleman, yet he couldn’t figure out a way to ensure her future and to keep up his mansion. There are several mentions of their tenant farmers, but we never see how they’re doing if the owner has no money. And when Max decides to fix up the mansion, he just tells his steward to do that and miraculously, over the course of about 10 days, the entire mansion is repaired and redecorated. And this is all done out in the country when we’re told there aren’t many stores in the village. And it’s Christmastime. I couldn’t suspend my disbelief for that.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This is the third book in the series but definitely can be read as a stand alone book.
Maxwell Burke, the Duke of Grantham, has finally gotten what he has coveted since he was child, Hammond Court. And he's going to tear it down so no one else can take it away from him ever again.
There's only one problem. The house is already occupied by a sprite of a young lady named Rose. And she claims the house is hers
Rose loves her home, Hammond Court, even if it is falling down around her, literally. Since they both seem to own the house, they will have to work together to bring it back to it's original glory.
That's what Rose intends to do but not what The Duke has planned. The back and forth between them and Rose reintroduceing the Christmas season to the Duke made for a very warm and cozy story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Scrooge meets Pollyanna and they find love, laughter, the Christmas spirit, and their HEA. This was a most delightful, uplifting, feel-good story – even if there was a tad of angst. I loved both main characters immediately even with Max being obsessed with revenge – even against a man who is now deceased. Ah! Poor Max – he has met his match. For every sour note Max plays, Rose plays three happy ones.

At the age of twelve, the bottom finally fell out of Max’s world. His mother had passed away and his father wagered away the only home Max had ever known. The man who won the home was a man Max admired greatly and looked up to almost as a father. Max was never back in his home again and his father never met a bottle he didn’t like. Before he died, his father had lost every farthing and every unentailed property belonging to the Dukedom. Max had grown to hate the vile Ambrose St. Claire to the point he could think of nothing but vengeance. Max, now the tenth Duke of Grantham, has spent the last several years acquiring all of the properties his father lost. He is now one of the richest, most powerful, and reviled peers in the realm – and there is only one property left to acquire. His childhood home, Hammond Court, the crown jewel of the dukedom will be his at last.

Rose St. Claire, is a wonderfully happy and joyful young woman who always chooses to see the happy side of everything and everyone loves her. Even with the only home she has ever known falling down around her ears, she is still joyful. She still sees the best in everything and everyone even though her father, Ambrose St. Claire, the kindest, most loving, best man she’s ever known has just died and left her destitute.

Sparks fly between Rose and Max from the moment he breaks into her house and she almost shoots him, through the surprises at the reading of Ambrose’s will, and right through to the end. Max is brilliant and has schemes within schemes to get his way and Rose is – well – just Rose who blithely goes on about her business. Max never celebrates Christmas and has no clue how to do so, while Rose adores everything about Christmas and wants ALL of the traditions. No cause for clashes there. 😊

If you are looking for a book to make you smile and feel good, this is it. I love the way Rose always foils Max’s schemes without even knowing she is doing so. This is most definitely an entertaining read. Although it is part of a series, you can read it as a standalone.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a wonderfully, entertaining story.
The interaction between grumpy Max who is just trying to get his property back that he believes was stolen from his father when he was a child, and Rose who has lived in the house for years makes for a fun, interesting story.
Watching Max go from an empty grumpy shell of a man to a caring, loving person was heartwarming.
There are interesting secondary characters and a house party for entertainment.
The book is well written with just the right amount of steam.

This series has been a hit or miss for me. Three books in and one was amazing, the other two were meh and more meh. For me, this book was boring. Practically nothing happened for the first 50% and then, frankly, I had had enough and started skimming and read the last two chapters. It might just be me. I do love a good holiday book and was so excited to read this one. I did not feel a connection to either of the main characters and I do not feel they felt a connection. If you like a slower paced story, this might be for you.

If you want to read Anna at her best, try these series : The Sutherlands, The Somerset Sisters, The Swooning Virgins Society and even Games Earls Play. All excellent storytelling.

Maxwell Burke, the Duke of Grantham, has been buying up all the properties his father gambled away. Last on the list is Hammond Court remains.
Rose St. Claire inherited Hammond Court and she isn’t going anywhere! So Max decides to invite (AKA bribe) another duke to resolve the problem of Ms. St. Claire- an idea that backfires.
Add a Christmas party to the mix and you have pure magic…
I love a good Christmas story- thanks so much for the read!

As a connoisseur of Historical Romances, I am ashamed to say I hadn’t read any of Anna Bradley’s book prior to this, and oh how I have been missing out.
This is a cute, warm, and fluffy tale of a grumpy Duke and his sunshine (who he plans to kick out of HIS HOUSE excuse you very much). Max wants Rose out of Hammond Court, Rose wants Max in his holiday spirit, and Father Christmas works his magic and gives them both the gift of love.
I absolutely loved it!
Ps I have to go and read the rest of the series
Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and the Author for the ARC.

Tropes: enemies to lovers: forced proximity; MMC tries to play matchmaker; Big Secret
Steam level: 2-3 (no full on-page consummation, but still plenty of steam)
Book number 3 in the series, but fine as a standalone.

Admission: I have a soft spot for Christmas-themed HR's, and will read them any time of the year (even if where I live the temps are currently highs of 114 F. Ugh). Some people love Hallmark movies, I love HR's. And I've liked Anna Bradley since her "Swooning Virgins" series. If you're in the mood for romantic holiday escapism, this is a charming choice. Although the characters from the previous two entries in the series play roles here, it's fine if you jump in with this one. It's sweet but has the trademark sharp writing and dry humor of most of this author's books. Although Rose is foolishly stubborn at the beginning, I found myself warming up to her as the storyline moved on. As for Max, he's your typical "tortured soul" MMC, but Bradley adds a undercurrent of canny, wry wit to his scenes, particularly in his interactions with his staff, to humanize him. That takes talent as a writer.

What kept this from being a 4.2.5-5 star read for me (possible spoilers):
--Ambrose's motivations are rather convoluted. When Max discovered why Ambrose had basically abandoned him as a child, the answer didn't make much sense to me.
--Max becomes strangely naive and unassertive toward the end in his dealings with Rose. After he and Dunwitty had the confrontation, what did he expect the man would do? Also, I'm assuming that Dunwitty might feature in a future book, because in a handful of scenes his character moves from blandly charming to arrogant to a good guy (he actually had more of an arc than Max).
--Rose assumed that Max was nearly engaged to Emily, but she still let the physical relationship proceed with Max. That bothered me.

Overall: this book is well written and charming, even if a few details didn't quite add up.

This is a fun, entertaining holiday story. The main characters, Max and Rose, are both witty, head strong, and determined. Together they have lots of great banter and interactions that made this such an enjoyable story.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just loved this book as it perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Christmas season! Max and Rose have a grumpy / sunshine vibe which leads to some amusing banter as they get to know each other. The details of a traditional Regency era Christmas and the fun secondary characters really added to my enjoyment of the story. I was totally engrossed and couldn’t stop smiling while I read. Although I’ve not read the previous books in the series, it didn’t detract from the experience of reading this one and I’ll definitely be buying them now!

Maxwell Alastair Hammond Burke, the Tenth Duke of Grantham is 31 yrs old and ready to back his father's home. Nineteen years ago Hammond Court had once been his home but his father stupidly lost it to Ambrose St. Claire while gambling. After hearing of Ambrose's death, Max heads to Hammond Court to claim it and is surprise to discover Miss Rosamund "Rose" Elizabeth St. Claire there. He informs her that the house is his and she needs to leave. Problem is is that half of the house belongs to each of them! With the house in such disarray Max tells Rose that she needs to come to his other house where she will be safer. Reluctantly Rose agrees since it is almost Christmas.

Max comes up with an idea to get Rose to leave the house to him....have Viscount Dunwitty woo her. Of course that backfires because Max is starting to have feelings for Rose. When Max gets tricked into having a Christmas ball, the real fun starts. Just when Max thinks he is done with Rose, she goes and does something sweet....she makes ginger biscuit from his grandma's recipe that she found. The walls around Max's heart start to crumble. In a short time Rose starts to show Max all the fun memories that still remain in Hammond Court until he finally realizes the true reason that his family lost the house.

Along with his best friends the Duke of Basingstoke and the Duke of Montford, Max hatches a plan to win Rose for his very own. In the end, Rose was finally able to get Max to love Hammond Court again and they got their happy ever after.

I really enjoyed this sweet, fun, Christmas themed historical romance. Max was so guided by his hat for Ambrose that he was missing out on life. If was great how even in death, Ambrose was still looking out for Rose and Max.

Grumpy duke Max swears revenge against the man who swindled his childhood home from his father in a card game, and when the man finally passes away, Max goes to reclaim the property. Except he finds that it is already occupied by the man’s adopted daughter Rose, who is in a dire financial situation, but refuses to leave what is effectively her own childhood home. And then it turns out the man’s will has left the house to both of them. Max gets the bright idea to manipulate Rose into marrying someone else so her new husband can turn over her half of the house, but Max and Rose are growing closer to each other instead. She’s definitely the sunshine to Max’s grump, and helps to thaw his icy feelings. Fluffy, easy read.

This ARC landed on my desk during the peak of summer, so diving into a Christmas story felt a bit like sipping hot cocoa at the beach—oddly out of sync. Bradley's writing is as sharp as ever, but this book, like the rest of the series, didn’t quite capture the magic I was hoping for. I’m still yearning for the high of her Somerset Sisters trilogy. The story has all the makings of a Hallmark movie, which isn’t a bad thing, but I struggled to connect with the main characters. However, it was a pleasant surprise to catch up with some familiar faces from earlier in the series. Perhaps a re-read closer to the holidays will change my perspective, but for now, it just didn't resonate as much as I’d hoped.

This is a fun, entertaining read. Max and Rose are strong, witty, interesting, relatable, intriguing, complex, wounded, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. There exchanges are often entertaining to read. I love that we go to see so much of the couples from the previous books in the series. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was such an adorable read that I had a hard time putting it down! Sure, I enjoyed watching Max and Rose butt heads before starting to fall for each other, but I also enjoyed the way the author managed to bring the holiday spirit to life. You could smell the fresh pine scent of the cut greenery as they decorated the ballroom, and could smell the ginger and cinnamon in the cooking. I feel like the focus of this book was just as much about the traditions of the Christmas season and the memories made during that time as it was about our two main characters. And while that should have been confusing, or one of those things overwhelming the other, that wasn't the case here which is a rare skill for an author to possess.

For anyone worried about this being the third book in the series, it can be read as a complete stand alone, although his friends from the first two books (and their wives) do make an appearance at the house party, their arrivals only add to the story as the wives immediately befriend Rose while their husbands hound Max to no end about his motives.

I only have two complaints about this story. The first one being with two of the side characters.

I wish there had been more where Lady Emily was concerned. It was evident that in her mind, she had a chance of being the next Duchess of Grantham so I would have liked to have seen at least a little bit more of her jealousy at the thought of Rose usurping that position. I was also a little confused as to why Dunwitty admitted the truth to Rose and then turned around and told shown Max in a positive light anyway. Why bother telling her at all if not for his own gain? That was a little odd to me.

The second complaint comes at the very end with the epilogue, as I feel like we didn't need the bit about them in the kitchen together, just showing them on the lake would have been enough to show how blissfully happy they were.

That being said, I do think this book will appeal to not only fans of historical romances, but especially those who are also looking for a cute read either during the holidays, or to get them in the holiday spirit. I will continue to read more stories from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Having just recently discovered Anna Bradley through a previous book in this series, Give the Devil His Duke, I jumped at the chance to read this one and I wasn't disappointing. I feel like Anna Bradley captured that long lost essence of Christmas that we can find ourselves nostalgic to recapture. And how we often feel like it is a place when it so often is a person/the people we loved. There were so many beautiful moments in this book that nearly brought me to tears and I so wish that I could be more like Rose. That joy, that love and laughter, it had a purity to it that made me love her like every character around her did. And Max. Sweet vengeful Max. There was so much of his loss that I felt a kinship to. Those moments where you wish for a past time and for a memory that can only be brought about by sharing with those you love. The finding of Max's ginger nuts recipe and Rose making sure to make them solely for him made me actually cry. To have found something that he had believed lost and to have given them to him was one of the best gifts I have read in a novel.

I loved the friendships and the characters in this novel from the servants who worked for both Rose and Max to his friends and their wives who came for the impromptu house party. Some of the sly looks and attempts to hide smiles around Max as he fell hard for Rose made my cheeks hurt from smiling. And those moments where his friends were attempting to grill him and Max was doing everything to avoid them. I am not one for a third act breakup but I feel like it was written really well here. Breaking your heart for the steps Max had taken in order to take the house away from Rose and how he did try and stop what he had set in motion when he realised it was not the house that he wanted but Rose.

Cute historical Christmas read I love the grumpy versus her sunshine and the dynamics between them. Definitely a good read.

A cranky Duke, a poor Heiress that owns half of his coveted estate and a Christmas setting. I loved the dynamic between Rose and Max. His scheming but also his falling in love with Rose. A perfect historical romance Christmas read.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC.