THIS IS A SLLLLOOOOWWWW BURN!!

Maxwell Burke, Duke of Grantham, returns home with full intention of finally getting revenge against Ambrose St.Clair's estate. Max discovered that Rose St.Clair, the daughter of Ambrose, is standing in his way, and he is not about to let her stop him from getting his revenge.
In his plan for revenge, he has the idea of 'befriending' Rose and getting her married off to a suiter who owes a debt to Max, and therefore, getting his revenge.
Only along the way, things starts changing and Max's ideas aren't the same. His feelings are no longer for revenge, but for love.
Does Rose return those feelings like he does? You have to read to find out.

Thank you Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for sending this book for my review. All typos and opinions are mine.

What a wonderful way to end the series! The Duke’s Christmas Bride is the last instalment in Anna Bradley’s drop Dead Dukes series and it is a heartwarming tale of finding lost joy and the value of forgiveness.
Maxwell Burke, Duke of Grantham has never been able to forget the treachery of the man he saw as a second father figure when he won Max’s beloved childhood home from his father in a gambling wager. He has spent the last twenty years regaining the many properties his father lost but Hammond Court has always been out of his grasp. With a cryptic message asking him to ‘return and claim his treasure’ and the death of Ambrose St Clair, Max is finally near to obtaining the one property he must own again – if only to destroy it and give himself some closure. But in a cruel twist it seems that Ambrose has bequeathed the property to Max to be shared with his adopted daughter Rose St Clair – who is adamant she will not sell her share to Max. Now Max has to employ devious strategies to oust her – even going so far as to arrange a house party and coercing the handsome young Viscount Dunwitty to woo and wed her so he can get her out of Hammond Court. But the more he spends time with Rose, Max realises that the true treasure might not be the house at all.
I absolutely adored this book. Ms Bradley takes the trope of grumpy sunshine and executes it so well. Max truly was grumpy – his losses early in life made him so determined to regain his standing in society that he became blinded to any joy and kindness. He wasn’t completely dark and ruthless – he had close friendships and was a good employer. He had just lost sight of the tiny pleasures of life. I loved how bewildered he was by the small kindnesses that Rose did naturally and how when he recognised what he was missing, he acknowledged it and acted.
Rose was such a genuinely beautiful person in and out. She was kind and courageous and recognised Max for the lost soul that he was. She determines to help him find joy in his life again before returning the ownership of Hammond Court even though it is the only home and security she has ever known. I loved the scene where she tells Max that to feel joy is a choice. She teaches him that true happiness lies in forgiveness and love.
Max and Rose are such a sweet couple and I loved watching them fall in love gradually. There is little angst and no unnecessary tensions with OM/OW dramas. Even when Rose discovers Max’s initial deception her reaction is believable. The misunderstanding is not drawn out and I love how Max’s friends and their wives helped him in his quest to win her back.
The ensemble characters were lovely – no villains in this (!) – not even Dunwittyy/Oxenden whom I hope gets a story of his own someday. The only slight niggle I might have had is that I wish their reconciliation scene was a little longer and would have loved to be a ‘witness’ at their wedding. And it was a bit sad that Max never got a chance to reconcile with Ambrose. I received an advanced review copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I read this book in one sitting and finished with a big smile on my face. I loved Max and Rose and definitely recommend the whole series.

I loved the first two but this one felt very different. The dukes in the previous books were very much rakes/rouges and our Duke in this story is not that at all. Max is grumpy, he has been down on his luck in life and clawed his way back to the top of his game by means that are not always honorable. He goes to exact his final act of revenge but is met with a ray of sunshine named Rose. I don’t love grumpy sunshine cause usually the sunshine character is so childish in her sunshine ways. Rose definitely wants to see the good in people and do what is best to bring people joy but she isn’t naïve per say and I appreciate that. I was laughing and giggle between their banter and watching them fall in love. Both in denial of their growing feelings. I do wish he had told her of his revenge plot but other than that, I loved this book. Oh I do think this book was a little less sexy than the previous books in the series but that really fit the plot of this story. I love kissing scenes the most and there were a few in this book that were fantastic.

Fun holiday regency romance! Will be perfect for readers looking to get their post-Bridgerton fix.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Hero who wants revenge ✔️
Grumpy dude ✔️
Trying to get heroine married ✔️
Falls in love deeply and desperately ✔️

Heroine with a backbone made of steel ✔️
Trying to cohabit with grumpy duke ✔️
Is all sunshine and joy ✔️
Falls in love deeply and desperately ✔️

Rose and Max bring so much animation and energy to this book. Lots of banter and characters from book 1 and 2 standing in the sideline observing & cheering the protagonists on. Love how Max's view changed over time

The Duke's Christmas Bride by Anna Bradley is a historical fiction book where Maxwell Burke, the Duke of Grantham or Duke of Ice, as he was known for his cold heart, is finally going to get his revenge after Ambrose St. Claire, his father's friend, took Hammond Court, his mother's inheritance, away from his father, right after his mother's demise. This left his father desperate to such an extent that he turned into a drunk and later lost his life out of that despair. Now Ambrose St. Claire is dead but before that, he invites the duke to get his treasure. So the Duke immediately goes to Hammond Court to release a past that has been tormenting him since the incident happened, only to find out that it has a new occupant, no other than Rosamund Elizabeth, who is more than ready to defend it even from a Duke. Rose is an adopted daughter to Ambrose St. Claire and he had warned her that the Duke might give him trouble. She decides to fight for what she has learned to call home, but there is one problem, that home is in dire need of repair. Still, she doesn't have a dime to do it so the roof collapses due to a snowstorm, and she is given shelter by none other than the Duke of Grantham, who has a skim to destroy Hammond Court, but before that, he has to marry off Rose. So he makes quick plans to get her a bridegroom, but unfortunately, things are not going as planned, as she is proving to be an extraordinary lady and things are taking a different turn.

I like this particular author's casual writing style, which is the major positive aspect of this book. One thing that stuck with me was how the plot is well narrated with enough twists and turns, the consistency is perfect and the story is captivating. The book gave me a wonderful experience. I like the way the conversations are made hilarious by the sarcasm more so where the main characters are concerned especially Max, his sarcasm, and arrogance added some form of humor to this book, an example is p. 165 "You, Miss St. Claire, have managed to hit upon the one activity I detest above all others. I commend you on your fertile imagination. Now, run along, and find something useful with which to occupy yourself.” Additionally, I have read Damned if I Duke by the same author, and I would not like to miss any of her other books as I have found her to display a rare talent.

But, towards the end, the story was kind of abrupt as the author did not write about how the series of events happened and so there seems to be a gap that readers would have appreciated if it had been included.

I rate this book, The Duke's Christmas Bride by Anna Bradley, 5 out of 5 stars. That author remains one of my favorites; her writing style is extraordinary.

I recommend this book to those who love engaging historical fiction books. I also recommend it to those readers who love books that give valuable lessons. This particular one will teach them that a heart can turn cold due to bad experiences that life throws our way but love can turn that heart around and make it the warmest for the world to see.

Maxwell, Duke of Grantham, always wanted revenge. Rose comes into his life and disrupts it. Rose is the daughter of his sworn enemy, along the way they fall in love with each other. It is a wonderful story full of love and redemption.

This was a lovely Christmas story that highlights forgiveness, love and perspective. Rose St Claire is not intimidated by Maxwell Burke, the Duke of Grantham aka Duke Of Ice in the slightest. He returns to his crumbling home and she holds a gun on him. From their first meeting sparks fly and the banter ensues .Arrogance versus spirit, grumpy versus sunshine. They are both in denial about what's happening and it's a fun read to see how they navigate fresh waters.

Max throws a last minute Christmas house party to solve his problem and it includes the couples from Books 1 and 2. They see the sparks fly between Rose and Max and they do their best to meddle. Makes for some great interactions between them all. Overall this is a good book, I expected a bit more drama from the "soon to be betrothed" but nothing came of it. My favorite part was Rose's description that love is a choice. A pendulum between love and hate. Not a coin, but a pendulum and what lies between is forgiveness. Balance.

This book has all the feels and sets up a great beginning to celebrate the Christmas season.

"The Duke's Christmas Bride" by Anna Bradley is a delightful and heartwarming holiday romance. When Rose St. Claire inherits Hammond Court, she is shocked to find that she must share it with the formidable Maxwell Burke, Duke of Grantham. As they navigate their forced cohabitation, Max's scheme to regain the property through an arranged marriage for Rose takes an unexpected turn.

The festive setting, combined with Rose's spirited joy and Max's gradual softening, creates a captivating atmosphere. The chemistry between Rose and Max is electric, and their journey from adversaries to lovers is beautifully woven with humor and warmth. I fell in love with this story for its charm, romance, and the perfect dose of Christmas magic. It's a must-read for anyone looking for a festive and enchanting love story.

I really love Anna Bradley’s writing. She is a must buy author for me. And this book didn’t disappoint.

This is the third book in her Drop Dead Dukes series featuring her posse of best friend dukes. I love that they are so independent, yet supportive of each other.

Max and Rose are a lovely couple and I enjoyed watching them fall in love with each other. They are also surrounded by characters who cheer them on from the sidelines.

Anna Bradley has a lovely turn of phrase and this book had lots of laugh out loud moments.

Thank you Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute historical romance. Grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers, who could ask for more.

Maxwell, the Duke of Grantham, has waited 20 years to get Hammond court back after it was stolen from him. When he shows up to claim his home, he is surprised to find that it has been left to him and Miss St. Clair. When she refuses his offer to buy her out, he comes up with a different scheme, marry her off.

Rose St. Clair loves Hammond court and is determined to keep it out of the hands of the Duke of Grantham. She is determined to make him love it just as much as she does.

I enjoyed both of the main characters, and it was great to see some of the prior Dukes and their Duchesses from this series. This is one of my favorite tropes. I love a story with a reluctant hero who makes every effort to marry off the heroine while falling in love with her.

This was a great addition to the series. If you love a grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers this is the book for you.

Thank you, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for this book, for my honest review.

Rose and the Duke of Grantham fight over the ownership of the house. Grantham hopes that Rose will meet someone at the christmas party and get marries and returns her shares to him. Except that Grantham is falling with love with Rose...

Love both characters. The banter is terrific. I love the chemistry between both characters. It's fun and romantic. A great plot too. Really enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.