I would like to thank Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A little bit twee but enjoyable.

Normally I'm a big fan of house parties. There was just too much in the story that was just way over the top, people trying to be obstacles in the path of these two mcs. Too much of the conflict annoyed me.

The idea of The Silver Dukes - older confirmed bachelors - is intriguing. Especially the one that has children that are about to run the nanny out of town. But I struggled with this first book.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Gawain Burton, the Duke of Bromleigh, is one of the Silver Dukes, and everyone in the ton knows these exceptionally handsome forty-something men with some silvering in their hair have no intention of ever marrying. However, carrying on the Bromleigh title is important, and Gawain is determined to find a proper wife for Reggie, his nephew and heir. To that end, he attends a house party at the country estate of his cousin Fiona, Lady Shoreham, who claims to have found his nephew the perfect wife. Gawain heartily agrees with her choice, for Lady Cherish Northam is intelligent, soft-spoken, has a lovely sense of humour, and is beautiful. Lady Cherish Northam’s life has taken a turn for the worse after the death of her parents. She finds herself reduced to little more than a servant in what was once her own household. So when Fiona, her friend and neighbour invites her to her house party, Cherish leaps at the chance.
The first in a new series & I loved it that older, mature characters are the focus. I loved both Gawain & Cherish who were perfect for each other & the chemistry between them sizzled, I also loved that they actually talked & on the whole were honest with each other. I also liked the secondary romance. There were a couple of villains who tried to put a spanner in the works but each was dealt with & their motives were revealed. I just about loved everything about the book & read it straight through
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Cherish is an orphan who has had her family home overrun by her cruel and greedy relatives. When she manages to go to a house party her friend and neighbor hosts, she is immediately attracted to the older duke Gawain. Burned by a betrayal in his youth, he swears to never marry but is tempted by Cherish. They both learn what love is. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

A delightful romance rich in story, dialogue and characters. It all starts at a house party and I loved it. Gawain and Cherish are perfect in that they are honest and genuine in their connection. Their journey is one of friendship but soon their hearts take a different course towards a love neither expected. I'm so looking forward to reading more in The Silver Dukes series.

I was hoping for a new series to love but honestly both cherish and the Duke for on my nerves . Reggie was much more fun and interesting

2.5 🌟

This is the first book in the series The Silver Dukes and it does not disappoint. It is a well written, entertaining story with older main characters, he is 40 and she is 25.
It takes place at a house party in the country.
The banter between Cherish and Gawain is interesting and fun as you get to know their characters.
There are many interesting secondary characters in the story, lots of action, some humor and a couple of really evil characters.
I really enjoyed the read and can't wait for the next one in the series.

Loved it and reminds us there is always hope. One door closes and another opens. True love prevails and always will.

This book was okay. I like the time era, I like that there was open honest communication between the main characters and none of the miscommunication angst in so many romance books. I liked the characters. But I was mostly bored with the story. I want there to be more to it than just falling in love.

ros: Engaging, fleshed-out characters, no miscommunication between MC's, some humor

Cons: An historical romance author who does not know primogeniture. No, a titled gentleman's sisters son can't be your heir!!!!, the 2nd half of the book felt disjointed and rushed

The lack of historical knowledge dropped this from a solid 3 to a 2.

I think this book would be great for people who like modern Julia Quinn books, as the vibes are similar in terms of character interaction, pacing, and lower angst. It is better than a JQ book, actually, as it doesn't use possibly reader-triggering events to create drama. It also has several tropes that I personally like. Namely, graying hero, a house party, and a hero with a tragic backstory. However, for some reason I can't get into it, though, probably because the couple love each other so quickly, which isn't my thing. But, like a mentioned, this book is perfect for those who enjoy Julia Quinn.

Houseparty Romance
A charming story with an anti marriage forty year old Duke, an on the shelf spinster who has never had a season, several villains and meddling family members. A smooth read with the exception of the major faux pas with the plot, in that Reggie under male primogeniture could never have been Gawain’s heir as he was only related to the Duchy via his mother, Gawain’s sister. Instead if Gawain has died without issue the title would have gone to a cousin (think Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey who was a third cousin once removed to Lord Grantham).
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was absolutely delightful! I liked it from the start. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters charming, clever, smart, strong and really draw you in. I really liked the honest, open conversations Gawain and Cherish had, instead of all kinds of miscommunications and confusion you so often find in books. The romance is beautifully developed, very realistic and true to real life. They had great chemistry. I just wasn’t fond of the names of the main characters, but that’s just a matter of taste. And the fortune teller - didn’t like that. But that’s just me.
The writing was great, and the story flowed incredibly well, at just the right pace.
I loved that the book continued a bit well after the main charterers got married; this way you get to enjoy this lovely couple and their love story a bit more. It is truly a love story, very well developed and realistic. I just loved it!
I can highly recommend this book to anyone. I’m looking forward to the next books in the ‘Silver Dukes’ series!
Thank you Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing an advanced copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed it; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 🌟

Lovely age gap regency era romance. I loved the premise of an older MMC not looking for a wife but falling madly in love. The tension of the book was of the charts. I'd love to read the rest of the series when the books are being released. I also very much enjoyed the found family aspect of the story.

4 stars

On one level I liked the premise. Older male heroes that don't see the need to get married who meet their heroine nemesis and then sucumb but then there was Such a lot of will they won't they I got a bit bored :(

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

Cherish is a young Lady who after the deaths of both her parents lives with her father's heir who treates her very poorly . Now that he is away she is invited to her best friend's Lady Fiona Shoreham house party . Lady Fiona's cousin is the notorious Silver Duke , Gawain Burton, the Duke of Bromleigh who attents the party to find a wife for his nephew Jules who will be his heir . Gawain is determined to stay a bachelor for the rest of his life . When he meets Cherish he is sure she is perfect for Jules but she is negative . When she tells him that she is willing to give it a try she ask him to help her with dance lessons , lessons as to how to flirt . Gawain is realising that he is falling for her . Will he give his heart and soul to Cherish ?
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

I so love an author who ties up lose ends concerning the villains and this one doesn’t disappoint. Cherish is a cross between Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I adored the honesty that both Cherish and Gawain. Sometimes the “dance” between characters get frustrating-just tell the truth! All of the characters were so well written I felt like I could have picked them out of a crowd. Watching the “Silver Duke” melt was so satisfying and seeing Cherish stand up for herself was fun…such a feisty female!! Fiona is hilarious and Margaret was so sweet. The two villains get their due, but would have loved a scene of the others getting their punishment would have been so nice. The epilogue was adorable and I loved how we got to know the results! A great story that I adored!

I received this story for free and these are my own opinions

The Silver Dukes don’t plan to marry. In fact, Gawain is attempting to set up his nephew and heir, Reggie. Cherish has never had a London season as she was caring for her parents. Now that they are gone and her cousin has become the Earl, he has her under a tight rein- including her inheritance. Cherish is able to attend the house party since her cousin is out of tow. While there, Gawain was matching her with Reggie. However, that plan blows up as he finds himself falling for Cherish. A very sweet story.

This is the first book in The Silver Dukes series, a group of older (40-something) dukes determined not marry. The book takes place at a house party – and who doesn’t love a good house party!

The duke meets Cherish and decides she would be the perfect wife for his heir and nephew. Of course, the duke finds himself drawn to Cherish! But there are things in his past that have led to his decision never to marry, and he seems pretty set in his way. Cherish’s future is uncertain due to the untimely death of her parents and her dodgy uncle.

I liked the setup and the backstories of the characters, but for me the chemistry fell a little flat. The side characters are a fun mix – those to love and those to hate.

I love a messy regency era house party. I really do. I ate that up. Cherish herself was probably my favorite part of this book. She’s so charmingly long winded and blunt. And Bromleigh treated my girl as she deserved!

Some of the writing in the latter half felt odd. Some paragraphs had to be reread and some phrases felt off for the time period.
And, well, I did have to scoff a little when the ‘silver dukes’ were referred to as some kind of infamous gang, but I’d still read their stories!