I always appreciate authors' notes, and it was a pleasant surprise to see some background info on research and terms at the end of this historical romance.

I really wanted more of this couple and their romance slowly building, but it didn’t seem much of this book was dedicated to the couple being together. They married and almost separated immediately and were off on their own separate errands/missions that didn’t seem that important to me.

3.5 rounded up

I've read and enjoyed a few books by Loretta Chase in the past, so I was thrilled NetGalley approved me for an ARC of My Inconvenient Duke! I hadn't read any of the others in this series, and actually didn't know it was partially a prequel showing how a couple that is estranged in those books got together originally (and how they eventually reunite).

Alice is terrified that her brother's wild antics will wind up with him in a coffin and her penniless with nowhere to go. She's desperate for a husband, while trying to steer clear of her cruel cousin's machinations and also save some orphans. Blackwood, her brother's equally-dissolute best friend, follows her to London to keep an eye on her. He ends up coming to Alice's rescue more than a few times.

The couple has good chemistry, and I loved their banter. Each is pining for the other against their own best interests! The scenes between Alice and Blackwood are by far this book's strength. Chase can certainly write a fantastic pairing!!

Unfortunately, I thought the plot felt really disjointed. The external conflict felt almost episodic, like once one crazy situation was dealt with another one would pop up. Events just didn't seem to flow. And not having read the previous books, I didn't understand the "marriage in trouble" part towards the end. I wish we had less of the pre-marriage capers and more of the post-marriage emotional drama.

Overall, would recommend, but probably read the others in the series first!

Sometimes a historical romance just hits. And this one starts out so strong but kind of crumbles towards the end. It starts out as a really fun brother's best friend romance with a growly, protective hero, but then it tries to be a marriage in trouble when really it just seems to re-litigate the relationships that happen in the first two books in this series. I really liked all of the characters and I am motivated to go back and read books 1-2 but I do feel like the first 2/3 of this book outshines the ending. Drink this book: Enjoy with a really lean, crispy chardonnay like Chablis.

DNF at 10%

Loretta Chase can clearly write - that is not my issue with the book. Unfortunately, this book is handling the love story using some of my least favorite plot structures and is majorly taking for granted that I remember the first two books in the series. In looking at reviews of this book to see if things get better, I found that the story I'm looking for ends up being only about 25% of the book at the end. I will satisfy my Loretta Chase craving on some of her other works, thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Had anyone told me even a month ago that I'd be skimming a Loretta Chase book, I'd have told them to shut their lying mouth. Alas it's 2025 and everything sucks and I guess we can't have nice things.

I'm not saying the book is bad because Chase is a talented author who is a master at her craft. The dialogue is as always immaculate, the story was engaging enough I guess but the romance bored me and I found the whole thing pretty confusing.

My main problem was with the set up. This is the third book in the series but chronologically it's book one since most of it takes place before the events in the first two books. Events in those books are referenced with little explanation which left me and my goldfish memory scratching my head. Do I recall anything about the first book which I read years ago? Listen, I can barely recall what I read last week. The second book I read last year so I recalled bits and pieces but not enough. So a lot of the external plots in this one was as clear as mud. And yes I said external plots as there are so many things going on here and the MCs spend the entire book doing everything but falling in love. First, they go looking for a missing street urchin. Then, they go after Alice's lost brother (hero from book one) and after that the hero from book 2 has to be rescued from something (himself maybe?) and then street urchin disappears AGAIN! And off they are to find him. It was a LOT.

In between all of these kerfuffles the reader is told a lot about their past relationship when they met as teens in flashbacks. I wish the second chance aspect had been explored more because those flashbacks were the only truly romantic parts of the book. Even though Giles could not act on his attraction because of the Bro Code, he pines for Alice. Too bad we don't really get to see any of it ::sobs:::

So because this book takes place before the other two, Alice and Giles appear as troubled married couple in the other books. I'm not a fan of marriage in trouble tropes but I would have loved that here because it had so much potential for angst but nope they just argue and get mad for a little bit.Giles leaves his wife for his numbskull friends and she's super cool with it and welcomes him back with open arms 😐 We get one love scene and a few kisses but because the chemistry was never built up, it all falls flat. By the time the street urchin disappeared a second time, I had checked out. I'd recommend it if you've read the first two books and are curious about the fate of Alice and Giles. If not please do not start here, you'll be confused AF. I think reading all the books at once would probably improve this one but ain't nobody got time for that lol. The Author's note at the end was better reading than the whole book TBH. Still love Loretta. She's a queen but this book goes down as my least favorite.

⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥/5

Tropes:.
MOC
Marriage in trouble (kind of)
Best Friends Sister

I received an ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Giles, Duke of Blackwood, carries a rogue reputation with his friends, the Duke of Ashmont and the Duke of Ripley, known as Their Dis-Graces. Lady Alice Ancaster is Lord Ripley's sister and has grown up around the three dukes. Of course, they are too busy in their carousing to think about marriage. That's way off, or not. Blackwood seems to finds himself in the right places to rescue Alice. It's on a search for her missing brother, that they realize traveling together is not good for her reputation. He surprises himself by asking her to choose between marrying him, continue to search for her brother, or returning right away to London to save her reputation. Of course she says yes to his proposal, after all she still remembers that explosive kiss from years ago.
Alice has a mind of her own and spends a lot of time on her projects. Saving as many children as possible living on the streets. This leads to a contention her Duke doesn't fully comprehend. Some humor, angst and frustration, as a duke and his duchess work their way through to a happy ending. This story goes off the pace, towards the end of the book, skipping around to tie-up loose ends. Mild descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I unfortunately DNF'd this book. While I love the style of Loretta Chase's writing, I just didn't find the plot and dynamic between our two main characters compelling enough to keep going. I'm sure people that are into more plot-centered dual POV historical romance would love this.

Loretta Chase's MY INCONVENIENT DUKE was a much-needed historical romance read to get me out of my recent book slump. I was a little worried at first as this book is part of a series, and I hadn't read the previous books, but Ms. Chase does a wonderful job of getting the reader situated and invested in her characters. Fans of historical romance will enjoy this one!

It breaks my heart to give any Loretta Chase three stars but this book is middling. It's part of a series but takes place before the series starts and then zooms forward to being present in the series timeline. I just felt the couple placed side characters in their own book.

I was waiting for Lorainne Heath’s book for a long time, and it’s but these newer books don’t hit the same as the old ones. Classic trope, MMC is secretly in love with his best friend’s sister which he doesn’t realize until she’s on the marriage mart. However after the FMC and MMC get together in the middle of the book, all the angst and drama disappears and the rest of the book is not as interesting and a little difficult to follow. The FMC and MMC complement each other and make a good team, but as the book progressed you realize that the FMC is actually more of a mess in all her righteous intentions compared to the MMC who actually has things together. This is ironic given that the books starts off with the FMC unloading on the MMC and his friends for being irresponsible, which gives in to the dramatic female stereotype — no bueno. Love this author but overall this book was average. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book pulled me out of my reading slump! I enjoyed the characters and the action and especially the romance. Blackwood and Alice were perfect for each other, they just needed the right circumstances for it to happen. Now I need to reread the first two books in the series.

DNF - 80%

Loretta Chase has been writing historical romance for decades, and she crafts an intricate plot and full world. I would recommend this series to readers who want a lot of plot, and who like to know what’s going on in the whole world of the story.

I read the first book in this series a few years ago, but hadn’t read the second yet. I think there were parts that I would have enjoyed more if I knew the other couples a little better.

I am a chatty person and my taste in books tends to lean chatty as well. The way Chase jumped between POVs was popular in older historicals, but isn’t something that I’m used to. I felt like there wasn’t enough time spent on the emotions of the characters, so the whole book felt like it was written at a distance. Again, readers who enjoy lots of action and plot might enjoy this style, but it was not for me.

While I was intrigued in the beginning by the couple’s set-up, the slow burn was missing the “burn” for me. And when it finally did burn, I didn’t feel the emotion, it felt like just another plot point that happened.

I would recommend you start with the first book, A Duke in Shining Armor, and see if the high plot style is for you!

I really enjoyed Alice and Giles story. It was so much fun to watch these two find their way to their HEA.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #MyInconvenientDuke by Loretta Chase in exchange for an honest review.

I found it a very interesting choice to end this series with the 1st couple to get married but within the book it makes complete sense and really it needed to be the last book. I still need to read Ridley's book (book 2) to complete the series and then I'd like to re-read Ashmont's story. Ms. Chase has a way to crafting a story that just sucks me in and has me rooting for the MCs, hoping that the villains get what they deserve, and swooning at the romance. Definitely worth the read.

I loved this story!

My Inconvenient Duke is the third installment in The Difficult Dukes series. I will admit to not reading the previous two books but I got along well enough that I don’t believe you HAVE to read the previous two books to enjoy this one.

I really enjoyed a few things about this book. This book has that “brother’s best friend” trope. I’ve read this trope in other books and you don’t really get a view of the guy friendship throughout the book. Not a good one anyway. And seeing as I picked this up without reading the previous two books I really appreciated the insight into the friendship, and even backstory. Alice was refreshing in this book. I loved her ‘no nonsense’ attitude. She was looking for security because she realized her brother wouldn’t always be around since he is so reckless and careless. Also, I enjoyed that Alice didn’t just fall into Blackwood’s arms after he chose her brother over her. She was realistic about her situation as a woman and decided to marry to secure her future.

I didn’t like the time jump. I prefer my stories to be a continuous time frame. And this book seems to take place both before and after the other two books. I did like how the author created this sphere in which you could lose yourself in the story though. Loretta Chad NEVER disappoints.

All in all I enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading many more from this author!

In this book Chase ties the loose ends of the previous two books of the series. I must confess that this was not so easy to follow without having read the other books, but I managed, and of course now I want to go back and read the whole series. I loved that it wasn’t a real second chance romance (which I don’t particularly love), but just two very stubborn and passionate people who had to understand each another better to be able to have a fulfilling relationship. All that happened in the book worked in this direction and I appreciated all their little adventures. Very satisfying read.

I typically love Loretta Chase, but this one was kind of a miss for me overall. I kind of got lost in the subplots - rescuing a street kid, evil scheming heir, chasing after drunk brother/best friend, shutting down a school, it felt very scattered and disjointed for me, especially since the school subplot appeared mostly out of nowhere way past the halfway mark. I would have preferred a story that focused on just a couple of subplots, and really fleshing those out, instead of jumping around so much.

The timeline of the story was also kind of confusing. I’ve read the previous books in the series, but I didn’t realize that 2/3 of this book’s events take place before the preceding two books, while the rest of the story takes place after, so I was confused at first by what I thought I remembered. I don’t even recall if the previous books mentioned that these two characters were married. Maybe it’s less confusing if you’ve recently read the previous two books, but for me it’s been like two years, so I was struggling to piece it together. And it was a little strange to have the couple essentially get together and have a mini-happy-ever-after in the middle of the story before the rest of the plot gets resolved ten months later. I’m not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, it was a refreshing difference from the usual storyline, and I can see this being more realistic in some ways. On the other hand, I’m not necessarily looking for that level of realism from historical romance, and it was a bit jarring to basically stop the story and restart it ten months later.

However, I will say I like the main couple a lot. The way they banter is classic Loretta Chase. They actually reminded me a lot of the main characters from Scandal Wears Satin, which is one of my favorite books, so that’s saying a lot. Overall, not the worst thing I’ve read, but I’m mildly disappointed, because my expectations for Loretta Chase are pretty high.

Blackwood and Alice have been childhood friends who unknowingly fell in love, became enemies, and then truly fell in love. Their love story was one of understanding and seeing the person you love for the person that they are. Blackwood and Alice were able to work together to reach their happiness.
This book is part of a series. One thing that I did struggle with was how often the other books in the series seem to take up so much in this book. So although it’s a standalone at times it did not seem like it.

Amazon and B&N reviews submitted, pending those systems approvals
Blog link goes live March 11th
Imgur link is to the Instagram graphic that goes up Feb 18th


**TL;DR**: Unfortunately rather forgettable, but a unique execution on the idea.
**Source**: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher!

**Plot**: A second chance romance with a brother’s best friend. It was very cute and at times very funny.
**Characters**: They were lovely. I actually quite liked our primary characters. Her brother made me very mad however.
**Setting**: This one moved all over the place! This might be my favorite thing about it as we travelled a bit and ended up in odd places over the course of this romance.
**Romance:** I love a good ‘damnit I love them’ moment, and this was full of those.

**Thoughts**:

My Inconvenient Duke has left me stumped. On one hand I barely remember this book and I finished it just a few days ago. On the other hand I do remember actually loving parts of this and enjoying it in the moment. In the book’s defense my personal life has been wacky so that could be part of the problem, but there was something here that didn’t elevate me out of that mess enough for it to be a true escapism moment.

The core of this is a brother’s best friend with a dash of second chance romance. Lady Alice is in a possibly dicey situation with inheritance laws and the fact that her brother is a real lazy disgrace of a duke and she’s worried he’ll tomfoolery himself to death. That would leave her in the grasp of a truly terrible cousin. So she decides to hit the marriage market, which means of course her brother’s best friend suddenly pays more attention to her and gets caught up in her own brand of tomfoolery.

Like I said, I found parts of this very funny and I enjoyed bits of it. I can even still see scenes in my head. Yet it didn’t quite click. I’m interested to read this again in the future, as this could have been a me issue. The writing was funny, it was clever, and there were a lot of PoVs to help really flesh out the world. I just didn’t hook in completely.

If you like Loretta Chase I know you’ll enjoy this and if you’re a fan of historical romances I’d highly recommend it. I will definitely revisit it myself to try for a better experience.

Loretta Chase’s writing is so amazing frankly I am lucky to live in her timeline.

This book was fun and slightly second chance for the majority, despite being a marriage in crisis. It largely took place before the first two books in the series, aka before the two were married. I remembered the marriage was ~in trouble from reading those two books, but this book didn’t really care about that honestly.

I don’t quite know if Chase pitched this as book one but it was push to three or if it was always three, but it felt a bit odd? The whole first half was centered around the Duke of Ripley being missing and a street urchin who was targeted by Alice’s sticky cousin. Blackwood and Alice basically teamed up (albeit begrudgingly) to find the duke and protect the young boy.

These were technically plots but felt random when you were waiting to see why their marriage was in trouble. They almost felt like side characters in their own book I spent a lot of the book waiting for the other show to drop, and I just don’t know if it even really did? Like there was a bit of fighting and marital drama, but it felt rather dramatic to center a whole book around getting to that point when it was all rather mild.

However, it’s a book written by Loretta Chase and I still had a grand time reading the story, even when the romance was waylaid by several other plots. My favorite moment was when she agreed to marry him. That was peak Loretta Chase characterization on his part. It felt like I was HOME.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 🌶️🌶️*/5

There was truly like one main scene I remember and pieces of some others. I definitely think we could’ve used a bit higher heat when all was said and done because she made us WAIT for a lot of things.