title: Love, The Duke

author: Amelia Grey

publisher: St. Martin's Paperback

publication date: April 1, 2025

pages: 320

peppers: 32 (on this scale)

warnings: horrible father (described later), dead brother, theft

summary: Ophelia's brother's vicarage's priceless chalice was stolen, and now that Ophelia's brother has died, she wants to find the chalice to save his reputation. She goes to London and enlists the help of her brother's childhood friend, The Duke of Hurstbourne's help. Though she is stubbornly trying searching methods that he doesn't approve of, the two keep falling deeper and deeper into love.

tropes:

childhood friends
dying wish
protective thoughts
cross dressing

what I liked: the main characters were likeable

what I didn’t like: repetitive in sharing their thoughts over and over without changing what they're thinking.

overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)

I liked the other two books in the series and I do like this author, but his book just didn’t do it for me

I really didn’t care for the two MCs. I became bored with Ophelia’s church chalice quest and how it would save her brother’s reputation. And one summer being childhood friends really didn’t seem to be enough to make Hurst beholden to her and her brother. Her reasons and rationale were repeated too often. Hurst’s concerns for her safely are repeated over and over again as well. The back and forth between her quest and his worry seemed endless.

I love banter that is witty, funny, and flirty but this was more bickering than banter.

Ended up skimming a lot of it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A duke that only needs to marry for the succession is visited by a sister of a deceased boyhood friend who had become a vicar. She needs to find a missing church relic before the new vicar arrives. There is little evidence who might have stolen it other than a glimpse of a carriage door with a crest on it. The duke is reluctant to try to find who might have stolen it, but the sister is not. The duke rescues her once, but she is determined and leads him a merry chase. Their relationship is passionate, but I felt the romance was missing.

The duke believes he will know when he sees his true love. How is that for a twist in the stories of a duke needing a wife. When his friend asks him to marry his sister he doesn't answer. So when she shows up at his home he is surprised yet finds her attractive. Thus starts the story of romance. This is the third book in the series. Each one has a good storyline that keeps me reading. This book did not disappoint.

Love, The Duke by Amelia Grey was such an enjoyable read for me. The charming romance and well-crafted characters truly drew me in. Grey's ability to create a vivid historical setting made the story come alive, and I felt as though I was right there with the characters.
The chemistry between the protagonists was palpable, and I found myself rooting for their love story to succeed. Watching the Duke evolve from a guarded, enigmatic figure to a deeply caring and loving partner was incredibly satisfying. I loved how Grey touched on themes of trust, vulnerability, and the courage to open one's heart. The plot was engaging and kept me hooked with its mix of intrigue and heartfelt moments. Grey's elegant and evocative writing style made the romance even more enchanting. Overall, this is a wonderful read for anyone who loves historical romance. It left me feeling warm and content, and I'm eager to read more of Amelia Grey's works. If you're in the mood for a story that reaffirms the power of love, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Hurst receives a letter from a dying boyhood friend who is now a vicar. He asks Hurst if he would marry his sister and look after her once he is gone. Hurst, having never met the woman, declines. When a woman dressed as a man shows up at his home in London several weeks later, he is intrigued. Ophelia is the vicar's sister and she has come London to search for a precious chalice that is missing from their church since her brother died. They must work together to find the missing artifact. I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my honest review.

Main character who who is a Duke named Wes is out hunting with his friends, and he gets an urgent letter from one of the servants to tell him that he needs to reply right away and his reply out loud and read the letter out loud, come to find out it is his childhood friend who seems like he is dying or maybe as a fever, and his friend tells him that he has a favor to ask of him if he can marry his sister, Ophelia, he replies with no love the duke as a term of endearment, and wants to go help his aunt for looking for ladies at a party.

I read all the way to the end and I just loved it I also loved how they were searching for the missing chalice and how strong willed and caring she was for her brother she didn’t want his name to be tarnished since he is working in the church and they would think he did it and is a thief. I like how she wouldn’t give up finding it and how she cared for her brother, I also love how the Duke slowly fell in love with her there was a slow burn type of trope here and it was a fun historical romance mystery read. Thank you netgalley for the book!

This is 100% my opinion.

I liked Ophelia. I wasn't all that happy with Drake, the hero. He doesn't bother to make time to visit an old sick friend, Ophelia's brother who saved his life when they were ten. He assumes the friend will recover which considering the times is not a safe one.

The artifact seemed more of a MacGuffin than anything else.

Miss Ophelia Stowe is a vicar’s sister. When a religious artifact is stolen from her late brother’s vicarage, she intends to recover it. Ophelia’s search brings her to London and to the Duke of Hurstbourne’s door. The infuriating man refuses to help her search the tone for the missing relic. He instead offers a marriage of convenience to rein in Ophelia’s reckless pursuit. Can Ophelia find the chalice before the new vicar takes over?

Drake Kingsley, Duke of Hurstbourne, receives a letter from a friend, asking him to marry his sister. He declines, only to have the woman show up at his home in disguise asking for help. Hurst cannot ignore his growing attraction to the headstrong beauty. He also knows he needs to rein in her reckless search for the stolen artifact. Can Hurst convince Ophelia to follow his strategy on locating the chalice? Or will her recklessness rub off on him?

I could not really connect with Ophelia like I did with Fredericka and Edwina. There were times when she simply irritated me. I understand Ophelia’s reasons for searching for the stolen artifact. She did not want her late brother’s good name tarnished. I respect and admire that sentiment. However, it felt like Ophelia refused to listen to reason. It was either her way or no way at all.

There were moments when Hurst’s high-handedness made me want to throttle him. He could have been more sympathetic and understanding towards Ophelia’s need to preserve her brother’s reputation. I get that his tumultuous past with his father colored his views on how things should be done. I wish that he and Ophelia could have compromised on the search for the stolen chalice. It would have made for a more enjoyable read than the two butting heads at every angle.

LOVE, THE DUKE is the third and final book in Amelia Grey’s historical romance series, SAY I DO. The story can standalone. The heroes from the previous two books (Wyatt and Rick) make occasional appearances throughout the story. I wish their ladies (Fredericka and Edwina) had a more prominent role. I feel they would have easily championed Ophelia’s endeavor and forced Hurst’s hand into helping her. It would have made the story more fun and entertaining.

Ophelia is on a mission to save her brother’s reputation and she asks Hurst the Duke to help her.
Hurst already refused to marry her at her dying brother’s request and he is refusing to help her with her madcap schemes.
However Hurst is entranced with her and feels protective so they have multiple encounters.
Lots of banter with character development.
Enjoyable read as they come to terms with each other and the mission.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

When the Duke of Hurstbourne receives a letter from a childhood friend asking him to marry his sister, Ophelia, he declines and goes about his business. Imagine his shock when the young woman in question appears at his home dressed as man. She’s come to request his help in finding a chalice that has been stolen from the vicarage in order to ensure her brother’s name is not tarnished. The Duke isn’t too keen on her plans and proposes a different one instead: a marriage of convenience. When she accepts his offer she doesn’t expect the passion and love that begins to grow. Will they find the chalice before the new vicar takes his place?

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would. This was a case of a lot of telling and no showing. There was a lot of talk of having to find the chalice and argument over the method in which to go about it, but there weren’t many scenes in which the two were actually in search of it. In fact, Hurst fought Ophelia at every turn. Rather than work with her, he worked against her. Even when they agree to marry, it’s all on his terms. I didn’t like his antiquated ideals of a wife having to obey her husband. I understand that it was truthful to the time period, but I felt that it would’ve been much more effective to have included some modern ideals. It would’ve have been more fun as a reader to see them working together rather than at odds. His controlling behavior made it really hard to root for him and the relationship.

I liked Ophelia as a character. She was bold and strong willed. She has to be in order to save her brother’s reputation and care for her mother. I think her motivation was clear and easy to jump on board with. I wished her and Hurst would’ve worked together to come up with a solid plan rather than be at odds. That would’ve been much more engaging. Hurst’s controlling behavior and Ophelia’s unwillingness to listening to another point of view was really grating.

The marriage of convenience bothered me because it was clear that Hurst was proposing it as a way to control Ophelia. There was a power imbalance that I felt uncomfortable with. I don’t mind the marriage of convenience trope, but usually find that both parties come into the agreement with equal footing.

It wasn’t a bad a book, but it’s probably something I wouldn’t reread.

This was an entertaining book with two very stubborn individuals learning to compromise. Ophelia is dead set on finding a missing chalice to maintain her dead brothers innocence and legacy. Drake a childhood friend is dead set against her methods or even the fact that she needs to find the chalice. There's a lot of back and forth, arguments, stand offs, a even a slap. But beneath is all is a simmering passion and devotion that Drake and Ophelia feel towards each other. An arranged marriage gives way to solving the mystery and realizing a hea.

#netgalley #LovetheDuke

Such a fun historical romance! There’s a marriage of convenience, mystery and great steamy moments.

I enjoyed the characters and plot. I thought the characters’ arcs were well done and believable. The romance was well paced and developed nicely. I loved how romantic this was! Plus the steamy scenes were great too.

I had a lot of fun with the mystery (who doesn’t like a good mystery?). The plot was well executed.

I read this as a standalone and was fine.

Would recommend.

This book is exactly what I needed, a historical romance brimming with charm, passion, and a heroine who refuses to be boxed in. Their chemistry simmers beautifully, building into a romance that feels both authentic and electrifying. The blend of slow burn tension, witty banter, and heart-stopping emotional moments had me glued to the story. What I loved most was how the author balances the stakes of their marriage of convenience with tender, intimate moments that make the romance feel earned. As a finale to the trilogy, it is a standout.

If you love a historical romance with more yearning & pining than spicy content, this might be the book for you. The main characters spend a lot of time talking about how attractive they find each other and how many feelings they each stir in each other and a lot less time engaging in romantic moments. There's a lot of arguing between the main characters in this book, specifically around the FMC's plan to find a missing artifact that was stolen shortly before her brother died. That and the discussions around a wife's obedience to her husband took away from the enjoyment of the overall romance for me. Not poorly written, but not my favorite, either.