My Inconvenient Duke is the 3rd book in Loretta Chase's Difficult Dukes series. Ms. Chase is an auto-buy for me and I was thrilled when I discovered that another book in the series was forthcoming. Lady Alice Ancaster, sister to the Duke of Ripley has known Giles, Duke of Blackwood since she was 12 years old. Blackwood, along with Ripley and the Duke of Ashton are bosom buddies whose antics have placed them on the fringes of polite society. When Alice was 17, she and Blackwood had a moment. A moment he stopped as he made a choice whether to pursue Alice or stay friends with her brother. At 19, he chose the brother.
Now the heir between Ripley and the loathsome cousin Worbury has died and the "Worm" is next in line for the dukedom. With Ripley living a life of dissipation, Alice becomes fearful of being under Worbury's control should something happen to Ripley, therefore she enters the marriage mart with the idea of marrying someone with enough power to counter a duke. Blackwood takes it upon himself to watch over her in London because her aunt has declared London off limits to Ripley lest he ruin her chances of making a good match. Feelings come to the surface and Blackwood begins to understand the choice he made all those years ago might not have been the correct one. With kidnappers to contend with and Worbury to deal with, Alice and Blackwood are reconnected long enough to allow their real feelings to surface.
I love Loretta Chase. She is at the top of my list of historical romance authors. This book is not at the top of her list, but neither is it at the bottom. I would put this one firmly in the middle. The book has a bit of a slow start as Chase sets the stage for Alice and Blackwood's relationship and this book is more of a slow burn romance than many of her other books. Once the main characters are in the same city, the romance starts to take off. It is then that Chase's witty banter starts to show up in this story. She is an absolute master at dialogue and that is where her characters are above most others. She individualizes them through believable dialogue that makes you think you would love to meet this character in person. After a four year hiatus, I am thrilled that Loretta Chase has another story to enthrall us.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited that Loretta Chase had a new book coming out! I loved the first two books in the Difficult Dukes series. This book was a mixed bag for me.

What I liked:
*best friend's sister and friends to lovers tropes are usually a slam dunk
*the dialog and banter between Alice and Giles is perfection
*having a MC who wants to help disadvantaged people and animals is my kind of person, as I love notable children and pets in stories
*the first chapter was one of the best openers I ever read. I was so excited and had very high hopes for the rest of the book

What could've been better:
*as much as I love a do-gooder, there was just too much time spent in the book going on rescue missions and not enough on the actual romance between Alice and Giles. This made the book feel really, really long.
*Unfortunately, I don't like epistolary novels. I can't even explain it adequately. When I see a letter, especially a long letter, my eyes glaze over and I skip it.
All in all, I feel terrible for leaving a 3 star review.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I didn't read the other difficult dukes series but I got to read about alice and blackwood and their glimpse of when they were married.
I loved their banter and I loved the story, the beginning was a bit slow to get into but I loved the middle and end. This was really great page turner I was really excited to get to read Loretta Chase's new book since I collected her older books in the past and loved them as much.

It’s been awhile since I read the other two books in this series. Therefore I was a little lost on the timeline as this began before the last two books began. Also the book alluded to characters I thought I should know but didn’t remember. Once all the background came back to my memory I enjoyed this story of two people just trying to find their way within themselves and with each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Yes I did drop everything to read this book in one sitting and yes I'm so happy about it!!

MY INCONVENIENT DUKE is the third in the Difficult Dukes series and it's been a book I've been looking forward to for a long time because 1) Loretta Chase and 2) we get glimpses of Alice and Blackwood in the first two books and they were married! So I was so intrigued as to how this romance would go.

If you're unfamiliar with the Difficult Dukes series, it's focused on 3 friends who are all dukes and only have two brain cells among them. Ripley and Ashmont tend to pass one brain cell back and forth and Blackwood has a proprietary hold on the other one most of the time. Alice is Ripley's sister, so this book was "brother's best friend" as a trope. Alice and Blackwood have had a connection for years, ever since they were kids, but of course he is fighting it because, one brain cell, but when one of their drunken escapades goes too far, Alice decides she has to take her destiny into her own hands. In fear and worry that her brother might one day go too far and fall into a scrape he can't get out of, thereby dooming the dukedom and her to the dubious mercies of her brother's heir, Alice puts herself on the marriage mart. Blackwood, as a man who has a brain cell 90% of the time, figures this out and goes to London to help and warn the odious heir away. But he is pulled further and further into Alice's orbit as her do-gooder impulses and fearless determination require his help, and if he is honest with himself, he doesn't want to get away. True Wifeguy vibes. And Alice is a classic Loretta Chase heroine, determined and passionate about justice and very clear on what she wants, refusing to be left behind for any reason.

The truth is Alice and Blackwood's story takes place both before and after the other two books, the first 60% or so before and the last 40% a year later. I was a little worried that something catastrophic was going to happen to make me both very sad and this a second chance romance, as one expects when the two main characters appear on page married, but instead what we got was the story of two characters fighting daily to make their happily ever after a reality. They have to figure out how to be married. They have to compromise. They have to apologize to each other. They have to balance their marriage with their loyalty to their friendships. We get a real picture of what it means to be married and to push through the every day trials and come out the other side stronger.

I had an absolutely marvelous time, and we even got some madcap adventures like ones from the previous books. I had forgotten a lot of details and now I am so eager to go reread the first two books in the series. Then I bet I'll love this book even more! Five entirely wonderful stars.

Heat level: 2.5

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.

I really wanted to get into this one, but for some reason I just couldn't. And honestly even looking back as I make this review, I don't even remember what I read of this one, so it's probably the best that it was a DNF.

As one of America's most beloved romance authors, and one of this reader's favorites, this final book of the Difficult Dukes series does not disappoint. Lady Alice Ancaster is in dire need of a husband before her brother, the Duke of Ripley, gets himself killed with his reckless ways, and Lady Alice is left to the wiles of her wastrel and vicious cousin, Lord Worbury. Chase has created in-depth characters with witty dialogue that is often hilarious. A delightful and enjoyable read, and a suitable end to the last difficult duke. Recommended for all romance collections.
I received this pre-published work digitally from NetGallery, but the opinions expressed here are my own.

Loretta Chase has outdone herself with this irresistible historical romance! The tension between Lady Alice and the Duke of Blackwood is palpable throughout the entire book. The stakes are high, and Alice’s struggle to reconcile her past feelings with her current predicament makes for a compelling and emotional read. I was completely swept up in their story, and every page left me eager for more. This book is a delightful, heartfelt gem that I adored from start to finish.