"My Inconvenient Duke" is a standout in historical romance, delivering everything I love in a novel—witty dialogue, irresistible characters, and a plot that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. Loretta Chase's mastery of the genre is evident in the enchanting chemistry between the leads and the vivid, well-researched historical setting. This book is by far one of my favorites and a definite highlight for my 2025 reading list. If you're looking for a romance that will sweep you off your feet, "My Inconvenient Duke" should be at the top of your TBR!

Another fun one from Loretta Chase!! Any readers of other books in this series will be glad to finally get this story--and it is clever of her to show that all was not what it seemed in other books! I love a pining hero who represses his long love for the heroine, so this was right up my alley. The characters feel developed and real, especially because of the context of the other books. Seeing things from this perspective and timeline may throw some readers, but overall it provides a fun, fresh view of characters we've known, loved, or wondered about in previous books.

Loretta Chase’s historical romances are always diverting, featuring complex lovable characters and strong chemistry. The first two books in Chase’s Difficult Dukes series are favorites of mine, so I was thrilled to receive a galley of My Inconvenient Duke. Each of the Difficult Dukes books can standalone; however, I do recommend reading the full series because My Inconvenient Duke weaves together the characters from the prior books and serves as a really satisfying conclusion to the entire series.

I loved the premise of My Inconvenient Duke. After one too many dangerous stunts pulled by her brother, Alice Ancaster has decided to protect herself financially by finally putting herself on the marriage market. If her foolhardy brother Hugh manages to kill himself in another ill-conceived dare, all of their family’s property will go to their vile cousin Lord Worbury, leaving Alice in the lurch. Giles, one of Hugh’s longtime friends and partner in mischief, finds himself strangely bothered by the idea of Alice marrying, but once he realizes Alice’s motivations, Giles offers to help Alice find a husband. Talk about a conflict of interest!

My Inconvenient Duke is definitely a slow burn romance, but once Alice and Giles are thrown together in London, their witty banter and romantic connection is top-notch. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work as well for me as the first two in the series, but that has a lot to do with my personal preferences. My Inconvenient Duke includes numerous “action” scenes as Alice and Giles deal with the villainous cousin’s antics. It also focuses on Alice’s charitable cause to help the orphans of London, and spends some time following characters from the prior two books. I personally would have preferred that more time be devoted to Alice and Giles’ relationship, which felt like it proceeded almost too smoothly.

Even so, Chase’s prose is brilliant and I of course binged My Inconvenient Duke in a single weekend. Sincere thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC! My Inconvenient Duke comes out January 21st.

Like others I know who have already read this, I need to sit with My Inconvenient Duke for a little while before I write a full review. (Also no real review thoughts should be formulated while jet lagged.) It's not quite the book I was expecting - which is something I rarely say, but do here because we've known about Alice and Blackwood's marital struggles from the other two books, so I had an idea of what I thought would be a marriage in crisis. This.... isn't really that.

Without going into spoilers here, Alice and Blackwood have a long lasting friendship, setting up both childhood friends to lovers, brother's best friend (Alice is Ripley's sister and at age 19, Ripley said to Blackwood, it's us or her), and some animosity between a woman who is intelligent and cultured and is tired of the crap her brother and his best friends (the Dis-Graces) pull.

This is a book that I urge you to set aside any preconceived expectations going into. Because it's excellent. Loretta Chase is a magnificent writer, and her best character pairings are her brilliant women and himbo men. Blackwood may be the least himbo-y Dis-Grace, but is also perhaps the most likely to urge his buddies on. This book is fun, and familiar for Chase fans. Even though it's book 3, much of the timeline takes place before books 1 and 2. There are plenty of references to the other two in the series, and you'll see some of the events intertwine.

It's not perfect. At least not on this first read. But it's a brand new Chase and I still loved it.

The Vibes: brother's best friend, romcom, known each other since childhood

Heat Index: 6/10

The Basics:

Giles, the Duke of Blackwood, has long been in the orbit of his best friend's little sister, Alice Ancaster. And while neither of them really want to admit it, they've long had a thing for each other, too. Now Alice needs a husband ASAP, and deep down, Giles is who she wants. But he's reckless and unserious—he'll never step up. Will he?

The Review:

Hmm.... HMMMMM....

I was really looking forward to this book after reading the first two in this trilogy (about Giles's BFFs, including Alice's brother, the hero of my favorite installment A Duke in Shining Armor). You get this setup of Giles and Alice as a married couple who clearly have damage. So I went into this expecting one of my favorite tropes, marriage in trouble.

It is not, in fact, marriage in trouble.

Or it is—but these two really don't get married until two-thirds of the way into the novel, and then we have some friction. Which does put their marriage in trouble, yes. But it's not HUGELY in trouble. It's very "these are young people and they are having silly early marriage issues that they kind of blow out of proportion because perhaps they weren't quite ready for marriage even if they love each other".

That's not a bad thing at all. Sometimes, it can be refreshingly realistic. But! I really wouldn't call this a marriage in trouble book, ultimately. There just isn't much time spent on the marriage; it's a brother's best friend book. And that also isn't bad. If you go into this raw (which you can, though the other heroes are fairly heavily involved and this goes back in the series timeline, essentially) you may actually enjoy it more than people who were looking forward to a marriage in trouble novel.

And this has a lot of the hallmarks you expect from a Loretta Chase book—it's breezy, it's QUITE funny, it never takes itself too seriously. The prose is great. But I will say, I feel that some of the other books I've read by her (and I haven't read a TON) tend to be a little more romantic. They're often romcoms, yes, but they're heavier on the rom than they are on the com (lmao).

Here... I don't know. I enjoyed it. I read along briskly, I had fun with it. I enjoyed seeing the other characters from the trilogy. But I kind of felt like the friendship between The Boyz (The Disgraces) was more well-built than the romance?

And that can be a challenge when you jump into a romance where the characters have known each other for years. I personally love that shit. But in some cases, it can feel like the author sort of expects you to Get It, and maybe you don't, because you've never met these people before.

Here, I just felt like we didn't quite dig into the romance enough. And a lot of stuff happens before these two really dig into it themselves. A lot of subplots.

Honestly, if you're a Loretta die-hard, you're going to be into this. The writing remains great. But the romance factor? Could've been fleshed out more. At the same time, I'm not sure I would've felt that way if she'd stuck with the marriage in trouble plot I expected. And not everyone is going to expect that. The average reader won't expect it.

The Sex:

Pretty normal Loretta Chase sex scenes! Cute, sweet, explicit but not overly so, vanilla, tender. Don't really occur until later in the book, like I mentioned. I could've done with a bit more, personally, but that's me.

This was cute! I just kind of think it could've been on another level, y'know? Still worth reading if you love Chase. She's just set a high standard for herself. A double-edged sword indeed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars for Alice and Giles
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed getting to see the romantic side of Alice and Giles' relationship and getting to see then come together. Loretta Chase is an OG historical romance author and it shows. The way she crafts a story and makes a reader want to keep turning the page to see what happens next is *chefs kiss*. I have not read the previous 2 books in the Difficult Dukes series but I will definitely be going back to read Hugh & Olympia and Ashmont and Cassandra's stories! All in all, I will be coming back to read Alice and Giles' story once published!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon, and Loretta Chase for my ARC of My Inconvinient Duke!

While not my favorite Loretta Chase, it has all of her hallmarks to spare and fans of her previous work will love this. After all, after four years of waiting, what's not to love about a new LC book?

This book started off slow, and while I have read Loretta Chase books in the past, it probably would have been more helpful to read the 1st 2 books in this series before this one. I ended up liking it a bit more as I continued reading - at first I really wasn't sure how I was supposed to like the MMC when he seemed so pathetic, but he grew on me. Still weird that he basically had to stay with his one friend at all time to babysit him, but anyways!

Overall, it seemed like an average, not super exciting historical romance. I'll read more by this author in the future.

Of all the dukes in all the world, why does it have to be him?

Lady Alice Ancaster needs a husband, and fast, because her reckless brother is going to get himself killed, leaving the dukedom—and her future—in their repellent cousin’s clutches.

The Duke of Blackwood has known Alice since childhood, and they’ve always had a special connection. But years ago he broke it, when he chose a riotous life with his two best friends instead of a reasonable one with her.

The trouble is, the tall, dark, sardonic rogue keeps turning up exactly when needed, and ready—though he sometimes needs a push—to play the hero, if only for as long as it takes.

Being irresistibly drawn to the Wrong Man is not convenient, but when events come to a crisis, Alice has to make a choice. The question is, can she live with it?

We've waited a looooong time for this final instalment in Loretta Chase's Difficult Dukes series, and Caz and Dabney are here to share their thoughts.

Caz: My Inconvenient Duke is the third book in Loretta Chase’s Difficult Dukes series, although it’s first chronologically, as it takes place a few months before the events of book one, A Duke in Shining Armor. We know Giles, Duke of Blackwood, as the only married one of their Dis-Graces, the three dukes known throughout society for being irresponsible, totally outrageous, and not giving a damn; his wife, Alice, is Ripley’s sister. The bulk of My Inconvenient Duke is the story of how Giles and Alice came to be married, with the final quarter delving into the reasons for the estrangement we’ve witnessed between them in the other books.

I know – as does every historical romance fan on the planet, probably – that the wait for this final instalment in Loretta Chase’s Difficult Dukes series has been a long one, so before I started writing this (as a quick refresher), I looked back at my review for book two, Ten Things I Hate About the Duke – AND IT WAS RELEASED IN DECEMBER 2020!! (we’re writing this review in August 2024). Which makes the gap much longer than I thought! So I suppose the question potential readers want answered is – was the wait worth it? Was it worth it for you, Dabney?

Dabney: Well… sort of. Honestly, given that, for the past seven years (A Duke In Shining Armor was published in 2017), we’ve been told that Alice and Giles are estranged, I think it’s reasonable to have expected this to be about a marriage in trouble. Which it is not in any way shape or form. Additionally, we already know lots about all the characters in this book but here, because this is Alice and Gile’s backstory, we have to forget what we know about them from the first two books. Both of the things frustrated me, especially in the first half of the book.

Caz: I absolutely agree with you about the book not quite being what was expected. In the other books, it’s clear the Blackwoods are estranged, so like you, I thought this was going to be a marriage-in-trouble story. (And I can’t help wondering if perhaps the fact that LC couldn’t get that to work is the reason for the long delay). But I really liked their origin story once I’d adjusted my expectations - Giles and Alice are well-matched and are very obviously pretty far gone for each other right from the start. So on balance, I think it was worth it, especially as NOBODY does historical romance like Loretta Chase. All her hallmarks are here – likeable, intelligent characters with oodles of chemistry, and quick-fire banter to die for.

Dabney: I liked but didn’t love their origin story. For starters, there’s so much about the other two dukes that I kept getting dragged away from our leads. And the whole approach–given that we already know they’re married–took far too long. They spend so much time remembering the one kiss they shared as teens–I found it repetitive.

Here’s the thing: Having the third book in a series be, for the first three quarters of the book, what is essentially a prequel is a bold choice. And, yes, Chase is one of the strongest historical romance writers of all time. But, here, it means the first twenty-three chapters are retelling times we already know the outcomes of. It’s well done, for sure, but it’s not gripping.

I’m also over several plotlines that are woven into other Chase books. I am done with the street urchin Jonesy - he’s appeared in so many books now - as well Uncle Frederick’s possible love affair with Aunt Julia, AND the constant rehashed bad behaviour of the Dis-Graces. I wanted to read about Giles and Alice and all the others as we’ve seen them as they are, not who they were back in the day.

Caz: See, I didn’t mind the ‘prequel’ nature of the first part of the book. Yes, we already know Alice and Giles are married, but, as with any romance novel, what matters is the getting there rather than the final outcome, so once I’d adjusted my expectations as to what the book was going to be, I liked it - from the sound of it, a bit more than you did. I didn’t think the appearances by Ashmont and Ripley were too much - they’re a necessary reminder of what Blackwood has been and show his move towards change, but like you, I wasn’t wild about the Jonesy storyline. I get why he’s there - he’s symbolic of the street kids Alice wants to help, and I suppose it’s natural to want to save who you can save. But the storyline goes through the whole book (I think they end up having to rescue him 3 times?), and then too much of the final 25% is taken up by Jonesy, and Alice’s charitable work, and foiling the evil cousin - when I wanted more of her and Blackwood working out how to, for want of a better expression, find a better work/life balance.

Dabney: Yes! And while I respect Alice for wanting to make the world a better place, I wanted her - because this is a romance - to be as committed to her marriage as she was to Jonesy and the other street children. (I also side-eyed Alice’s backstory about her horrific experience in childhood. It seemed unlikely.) I came into this book wanting a luscious Loretta Chase love story. Instead, for too much of the story, I got Alice working to reform London’s education system for the poor and Jonesy needing a rescue. It almost felt that if Jonesy hadn’t needed a rescue and Alice hadn’t needed an exceedingly intimidating, badly-behaved Duke, she wouldn’t have ever fallen for Giles.

Caz: I think it’s pretty clear that Alice is already in love with Giles - or at least, is on the way to being so - and I can think of lots of historical romances that use a similar premise; that of the handsomely brooding hero who arrives just in the nick of time to save or help the heroine in some way, so I didn’t have a problem with that aspect of the story - although I agree I could have done with less of it. I’m glad you mentioned the horrific backstory (at the age of nine, Alice was sent away to a terrible school where she was badly mistreated, and remained there for three months) because it struck a false note for me, too. Amid the current fad for Heroines Who Must Do Something About X (the poor, orphans, ‘fallen women’ etc.) Alice is a more tempered example - she’s not meek and biddable, but recognises the need to operate within the constraints of society - but somehow, her involvement with Good Works (as Blackwood would no doubt think of it!) seemed to take more page time than was given to Cassandra’s crusading outspoken-ness in Ten Things I Hate About the Duke. (Which was, incidentally, a longer book.)

Dabney:Yeah. It’s obviously the zeitgeist to have leads who want to change the world. But, in a weird way, I’m over it. I feel as if this book, as in many I’ve read in the past year, believe that the way you make someone desirable is primarily by what they do outside of their romance. I find myself longing for romances where the way the hero/heroine (and we the readers) fall for their true loves is because of the chemistry the leads share. In this book, Giles and Alice are admirable people outside their love affair - OK, fine - but not so compelling in it.

Caz: I’ll have to bow to your wider experience on that, because I’ve only really come across it in m/f historicals - and it’s one of the reasons I’ve pretty much stopped reading them.

Before we wrap up, I’d like to talk about the estrangement.

Dabney: Without getting into spoiler territory, I’d just say “What estrangement?” Again, I came into this book with a set of expectations that were inaccurate.

Caz: Maybe “estrangement” is the wrong word, still, I agree that the... not-togetherness of Alice and Giles is much more of a secondary thing than I’d expected. But I liked that the reason behind it was something so… ordinary? because it had more impact than if it had been some melodramatic blow-up.

Dabney: To be fair to Ms. Chase, I think my take on this issue would be different had it not been built up in the way it was in the first two books in the series. So, yes, I agree that it was refreshing just to see two people trying to work out what to prioritise in their marriage.

I liked this book, I did. But I didn’t love it in the way I do Ten Things I Hate About the Duke or Dukes Prefer Blondes. I’d give it a B as a part of a series and a B+ as a novel standing on its own.

Caz: I’m giving it at B+ and for similar reasons. I’m trying hard not to make a judgement based on the fact that My Inconvenient Duke wasn’t the story I’d expected, and after adjusting those expectations, the first part verged on DIK territory, but that last quarter - too much everyone else and not enough Alice & Giles - means it doesn’t get there. It’s worth reading and any Loretta Chase historical romance is up there with the best of them, but it’s definitely the weakest of the Difficult Dukes series.

Chase delivers a historical romance filled with fun, great characters and a grand romance.

Alice and Giles have known each other for almost two decades which provides a deep affection for their romance to blossom. This is a slow burn romance that is filled with longing, angst and palpable chemistry. I was screaming for these two to just admit their feelings already. These two were well matched which made their romance super swoon worthy.

The plot has a lot of drama which makes this a quick read. I didn't want to put this down since I had to know what wild thing was going to happen next. This is also really funny! I was laughing out loud at certain parts.

Would recommend if you enjoy slow burn, angst and brother's best friend romances.

My Inconvenient Duke wraps up the Difficult Dukes series with a captivating story that centers on Lady Alice Ancaster and Giles, the Duke of Blackwood. Having known each other for 15 years, their relationship is filled with a mixture of deep-seated affection and tension, creating a slow-burn romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Alice, determined to protect herself from her brother Hugh's reckless behavior and his friends' notorious antics, sets out to find a suitable husband. Blackwood, who secretly harbors feelings for Alice, decides to intervene, leading to a series of adventures that redefine their relationship. Their chemistry is palpable, and the way they navigate their past regrets while forging a future together is well written.
Chase's writing style shines through, with witty dialogue and well-rounded characters that kept me engaged from start to finish. The tension between Alice and Blackwood simmers as they confront their feelings amidst the chaos of their lives. The exploration of their relationship, not just leading up to marriage but beyond, is frustrating - but fun and engaging because the author added a lot of drama. Their journey toward understanding and supporting each other makes for a satisfying read. What sets this story apart is Chase's decision to use multiple points of view. This technique adds depth and complexity, allowing readers to connect with not just Alice and Blackwood, but also the motivations of the antagonist. The insights we gain from other characters enhance our understanding of the protagonists' struggles and desires, making their eventual union all the more meaningful.

My Inconvenient Duke is a tale of love, adventure, and personal growth that defies societal expectations. With this book, Chase proves once again that she knows how to weave a story that is both heartwarming and thrilling. I highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for an ARC of this book. The publication date is set for January 21, 2025.

Lady Alice Ancaster is the sister of one of the three Dis-Graces. She wants to safeguard her future by finding a respectable husband. Alice has a perfect candidate in mind. When trouble arises, the wrong one keeps appearing when she needs him most. Giles is all wrong for Alice, but she cannot ignore how scintillating he is to be with. Which duke will Alice choose? The upstanding one? Or the scandalous one? Will she regret her choice?

Giles Lyon, the eighth Duke of Blackwood, is known as one of the three Dis-Graces. He dislikes the many rules and regulations his social class must abide by. Blackwood offers to discreetly look after Alice during the Marriage Mart. Giles knows he is the wrong sort for her, but he cannot resist playing the hero for Alice. Can Blackwood give up his wild and reckless ways for Alice? Or will he give her up a second time?
The main reason I picked up this book is because of the heroine’s name. Alice was my late grandmother’s name. She has always been my hero and staunch supporter. It is why I like reading stories with heroines that share her namesake. This Alice did not disappoint. She annoyed me near the end by choosing her causes over Giles. It is good to have something you are passionate about, but I feel she could have devised a better balance.

Giles made the story entertaining. I understand his reasons for shucking Polite Society’s strict rules and regulations. However, Giles never really forgot them. He knew the right time and place to employ them. I only have one nitpick about Giles. I disliked how he felt that he needed to be his friend’s caretaker in the end. It is good to worry about your friends but not at the expense of your marriage.

MY INCONVENIENT DUKE is the third and final book in Loretta Chase’s historical romance series, DIFFICULT DUKES. This is my first foray into this author’s works, so I have not had the pleasure of reading the previous two. Something I plan to remedy. Even though I started late, it did not hinder my ability to follow the characters and storyline.

Honestly, I believe this series could be read out-of-order. The first half of the book takes place way before Ripley and Ashmont encounter and fall for their partners. It is not until close to the end that the three books mesh in the same timeline.

The story’s momentum fell off during the second half of the book. Most of it was told through letter-writing between Blackwood and Alice. It got boring quick, not enough for me to quit reading.

As this was the 3rd book in a series, I decided to read the first and second. Out of the 3 I'd say this was least favorite. I understand the concept of a flashback but more than half the book was a look back. I was expecting a read where it took off from where book 2 ended. Alice's and Blackwood's story was a good one but I felt like it went on and on.

We love Loretta Chase and we've been looking forward to reading how she handles a marriage in crisis. Turns out she manages it by ... not really writing a marriage in crisis? The majority of the book is set BEFORE the first two books in the series; the main characters don't even get married until mumble-ty % into the book (trying to be spoiler free but just take our word for it that it's a significant way into the book).

Blackwood is one of the 3 "Disreputable Dukes" we met in A Duke in Shining Armor; Alice is one of their sisters. They've been gone for each other since she was 17 and he was 19, but he chose his friends instead of her. (Honestly, at 19? we can't really blame him. We're working on historical romance timelines, though!) Now she's 25 and has realized that she needs to marry soon because her brother's heir is awful, and her brother doesn't seem destined for a long life. Blackwood is determined to help her make the match of her dreams ... even if he wishes it were him.

Chase's prose is as sparkling and funny as always, and the couple is well-matched and loving. Our only gripe is that they seemed TOO well matched for a marriage in crisis! But read as a brother's best friend romance? This is pretty pitch perfect.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

After a hiatus, master storyteller Loretta Chase returns with a rollicking romance, full of intrigue, a dashing Duke, and a heroine with a nasty right hook but a virtuous heart. The charm of “My Inconvenient Duke” lies in its beautifully crafted prose and Chase’s characteristic razor-sharp wit, proving once again why she is revered as one of Historical Romance's finest.
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Lady Alice Ancaster and the Duke of Blackwood are very mad at each other. Or, more accurate, Lady Alice and Blackwood are positively mad for each other and have been since they were far too young to do anything but mess it up horribly.

Blackwood is part of a trio of badly behaved Dukes who have been enjoying themselves way too much for the ton’s preference: Playing pranks, getting drunk, and doing sketchy things with sketchy firearms. Which is all well and good except Lady Alice happens to be the younger sister of one of the Dis-Graces. If their hijinx manages to get her brother killed she will be left to the mercy of the kind of man bad enough he earns the nickname Worm.

As are all Chase heroines, Lady Alice isn’t a fool, nor does she suffer them lightly, so she sets off for London to find herself an advantageous match that will keep her away from the Worm. Blackwood, not liking the idea that the one woman he’s secretly pining over might actually end up with someone other than him, chases after her and the adventure begins.

But with these two, there’s never a dull moment - often quite literally, as they collide with the underworld of London and the nefarious people in high society alike who would enjoy seeing Blackwood, Lady Alice, her brother, and all their friends and family meet an unhappy ending.

Chase knows how to tell a story - one that is both about the power of love and reconnection, and also an adventure with real stakes and powerful conflict. This is something so often missing in many newer published romances, where many writers seem more fearful of taking risks with the story and allowing the characters to be complex and imperfect. Alice isn’t a fragile flower and Blackwood isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves either, making them a perfect pair for an imperfect world.

What makes this love story truly special is that it doesn’t conclude with the conventional 'happily ever after' at the altar. Instead, Chase takes readers on a journey that extends beyond a wedding day, exploring how Alice and Blackwood navigate an actual marriage together. Their story is one of adventure and personal growth, as they seek to carve out a life filled with love and purpose, defying societal expectations, and readjusting the world to fit their deep commitment to each other.

Chase skillfully employs multiple points of view, a technique that has become less common in romance but is executed to perfection here. This approach allows us to peer into the minds of more than just the main characters, including the antagonist. Without that third person perspective, the motivation of the antagonist would lose nearly all of its power, reduced to a flat, greedy cartoonish villain - but one we don’t connect with enough to truly feel elation when he gets his in the end. We also get to see Alice and Blackwood as viewed by other people in their world, which provides a deeper understanding of their motivations, fears, and desires in a way they simply can’t tell us themselves. First person will always be inadequate in that way, as no one can be objective about themselves, and here we are the better for the perfectly executed multi-POV.

Chase's ability to blend humor with heartfelt emotion is on full display, making "My Inconvenient Duke" not just a delightful read but a deeply satisfying one. The novel is a testament to her enduring talent and a reminder of why she remains a beloved figure in historical romance. If you're a fan of sharp wit, intricate storytelling, and a love story that lingers long after the final page, "An Inconvenient Duke" is a must-read.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the Advanced Reader Copy. Expected Publication Date January 21, 2025

I’m on the fence about this novel. Alice is independent and feisty and loyal to her brother. Giles secret.y loves Alice but because he’s a desolate duke, he’s kept his distance. When her brother goes missing they are thrown together in search.

Just really long and bogged down with plot strings that didn’t assist in telling the story.

I think the ARC version is in need to pairing down.

They get their HEA. Hat redeems the story.

Lady Alice Ancaster has a soft heart and a hard left hook.

And between her brother and his friends’ penchant for bad ideas and her own efforts to help children born into poverty, this society-shunning lady-turned-Dutchess has her hands full.

Giles Bouverie Lyon, the Duke of Blackwood, prefers his exciting, if all-together reckless, life with friends to the responsibilities associated with a Dukedom.

Together, Alice and Giles find they are an unstoppable pair capable of taking on crime lords and evil cousins—and unfortunately, often each other.

I’m not sure how I’d classify this book, but I think it’s important for readers to understand that the romance in it is secondary.

The plot structure doesn’t operate like your traditional regency romance - which I found refreshing in some places, but in others, this book seems to lose the plot. Part love story, part social reform commentary, part conquering an evil villain, part dramatic rescue of a lost sibling, part second-chance/ reconciliation between newlyweds who have lost their way.

Overall, this one had quite a bit of potential—and I have enjoyed Chase’s work in the past—but there were just so many secondary storylines (and so many secondary characters and POVs) that I never had the opportunity to get invested in a couple or a conflict.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was hard to get a grasp on Blackwood as a character- he's everything and nothing all at once. Irresponsible party boy, mega responsible landowner and husband. Ne'er-do-well and do-it-all, all at the same time. Alice was annoying, honestly, and her tragic backstory was underwhelming. Not my favorite.

Thank you Avon/Harper Voyager & NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC.

I’m going to be honest, I am…. disappointed! I’m a huge LC fan, and I read the prior book in this series & loved it, but this one was just not great. It really sucks because it had such potential & the MCs were enjoyable. You have childhood friends (maybe frenemies)/brother’s best friend deliciousness - what could possibly go wrong? Evidently, a lot.

First of all, this is the literary version of those “your unemployed friend on a Tuesday morning” memes - it felt like ENDLESS side quests with virtually no romance. By halfway through the book, I wasn’t even fully sure that Alice & Giles even liked each other.

There are a few great chapters directly before & after they finally get together, and then SUDDENLY we fast forward nearly a year in the future, and things seem to almost pivot to a “marriage in trouble” sort of plot line (they still very much like each other, they’re just never together/Giles says he’s “bored” with his life). It was SUCH a bummer! It’s a shame this is the book written for such a fun, well-suited couple.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for accepting my request for the eARC of Loretta Chase’s My Inconvenient Duke. Loretta Chase is a household name in Historical Romance, I’ve great enjoyed much of her backlist, but her latest series and this installment has not been a highlight for me. The writing was quite good, but the couple barely spent any time together, there was barely any sense of the two of them being in love with each other, and far too much time was spent on the story’s villain and on the hero’s friends, who were each other heroes in the previous two books in the series.