Inventive story telling
When a path not taken could have ended our story in a mere three chapters, I am delighted that author Amelia Grey was more creative than that in “Love, the Duke,” the final book in her Say I Do series. Instead, Grey gives her readers a delightful romp where long-held beliefs may need to be set aside.
Unlike many noble gentlemen of his time, the Duke of Hurstbourne does believe in love hitting like a lightning bolt. He is convinced that when he meets his future duchess, he will recognize her at once. And only he will recognize here (such arrogance). Thus, when an old friend reaches out for a favor, Hurst eschews that path and continues on his merry way.
When soul mates are fated, however, life will find a way to bring them together. When Ophelia Stowe appears in his home, Hurst does not recognize his future duchess.
Trailing after this pair, learning about their pasts that have led them to their current crossed paths was a delightful journey. I adored Ophelia’s logic and take-charge attitude, especially when it left Hurst a bit bewildered. When Hurst finally shared the deep-rooted reason he resisted playing detective with Ophelia, we were on the road to a satisfying HEA.

You know when you read a series that it will come to an end. This book was such a joy to read. I couldn't put it down , but at the same time didn't want it to end. It was fun and kept you engaged to the end. If you haven't read the series I would definitely recommend it. They were each good alone but so much better as a whole.

This was a cute, thrilling romance. I loved the mystery. Also, I loved the dialogue between the main characters.

The Duke of Hurstbourne is everything you believe a duke should be from the very beginning of Love, The Duke. No one tells him what to do. He is aristocratic and autocratic until he meets his friend’s sister. Then, sparks fly between him and the male dressed Ophelia. His world is turned upside down as Ophelia is determined to protect her deceased brother’s name. Ophelia is a strong willed and brave woman who challenges Hurst at every turn. It’s almost as if she has been sent just to vex him.

You will enjoy Amelia Grey’s final in the Say I Do series. Each of the dukes were taken unaware by love matches with adorable, challenging women and Ophelia is no exception. There is just the right amount of learning to trust as she and Hurst fall in love. Ophelia does not give up on her personal quest and stands her ground on what is right and important.

3.5 Stars
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No one likes a wallflower, especially in a story, otherwise you wouldn’t have the engagement you need to entice the reader.

So many historical romances include strong, independent women which may or may not be typical of the time. We need that push and pull between the love interest.

Love, The Duke is a perfect example because we have a very headstrong female character it was somewhat difficult for me to really enjoy her character. She never listened to suggestions and would take risks that would be long-lasting should something happen.

To balance her out, we have another stubborn character who seems like he wants to marry her just to control her actions. Although he was much more aware of the fact that he was intrigued by her and truly did try to protect her as he was falling first. A bit overbearing, but at least he learned from his actions and became rather sweet as the story progressed.

The story itself is a clean Romance, but much of the conversation surrounds the missing artifact and not engaging a lot, in getting to know each other or exploring their feelings. I really wanted more in terms of their actual romance.

Overall, Grey delivers a good story with a bit of mystery and intrigue. It was a bit light on the connections for me..

Little did he know how true signing his letter with Love, The duke would become. The struggle to protect and to support is a struggle when the recipient is strong willed and independent. Yet it only takes love, understanding and acceptance to get to their HEA. Excellent read.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

I loved a romance story when the hero falls hard for the heroine, and Hurst, despite his initial rejection, keeps on pursuing and protecting stubborn Ophelia. To clear her brother’s name, Ophelia is determined to find a stolen artefact when his brother was still alive. She asks Hurst for help while disguising herself as a man but he firmly refuses on the first day he meets Ophelia. Yet, Hurst has no idea that the woman who happens to have stirred his heart the moment his laid eye on her is Ophelia.

Despite the prolonged of search for the stolen artefact, I thoroughly enjoyed Ophelia and Hurst’s disagreements and banter. Their chemistry is undeniable, and they are a perfect match. This is massively entertaining love-at-first-sight historical romance.

This is an excellent read! If you are a fan of historical romance, don't hesitate to read Ophelia and Hurst's story. When a childhood friend reaches out for the first time in years, Hurst is not sure what to think and ends up putting the whole situation to the side. Shortly thereafter with limited options and a pressing deadline, Ephesians arrives on the doorstep of his London home looking for help in uncovering a stolen artifact and preserving her family's good name. Hurst has always believed that fate will send the right woman to him someday, is it possible it is Ophelia? With mystery, intrigue, and love, this is an excellent read for fans of historical romance.

This book was fine but not great, I like the two main characters but honestly, a week after I read it, I can honestly tell you nothing about it except that it was pleasant.

IS ANYTHING BETTER THAN A HISTORICAL ROMANCE MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE? I was absolutely devouring this book. ophelia was full of surprises and i was happy to see a man be the one who believes in love at first sight instead of the woman. such a nice change!

This series is so sweet! It is mostly closed door regency romance that still keeps the tension! I didn't love the underlying plot of this story that brings the characters together, but the characters were charming and had great chemistry! It isn't my favorite of this series but I still enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The cover and premise were quite intriguing and immediately drew me in. While the chemistry between Hurst and Ophelia is entertaining, especially when he helps her despite his disapproval, the story pacing could've been tighter. Ophelia's determination to protect her family's reputation, though sometimes questionable in execution, adds charm to this light-hearted historical romance. A fun read despite its slower moments – perfect for readers who enjoy their historical romance with a dash of adventure, even if a man believing love-at-first-sight theme feels a bit modern for the era.
Thank you St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Paperbacks and NetGalley for ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love historical romance but this one wasn't really my cup of tea. I love the cover and the premise, but the story felt drawn out and long, and very little seemed to actually happen throughout. I felt like so many of the same sentiments were constantly reiterated, and I wish we had gotten a chance to see more of a slow burn and their relationship beyond the same main issues. I appreciate the opportunity to read ahead though, and look forward to more from this author!

I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC of Love, The Duke by the wonderful Amelia Grey. This is the third book in the Say I Do series and can be read as a stand alone. The Duke of Hurstbourne, Drake Cheston Kingsley, was asked by his ill vicar friend to take care of his sister if anything were to happen to him. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Drake was unable to visit his dying friend and fulfill his wish. As luck would have it, the Vicar's sister, Ophelia Stowe, shows up on the Duke's doorstep dressed as a man, hoping to convince him to help her look for a stolen chalice taken after the death of her vicar brother. Drake recognizes her to be a female dressed as a male, and resists and is reluctant to help her due to the sheer ethical and moral dilemma of sneaking into the book rooms of his fellow noble lords to find the stolen relic. Yet he cannot resist the temptation of being close to Ophelia, keeping an eye on her and protecting her. One of the most beautiful thoughts Drake had was that he wanted a wife, not one who he could live with, but rather someone he could not live without. A beautiful series, with another great story!

I really wanted to like this book. I’ve loved everything else I’ve read by this author but I struggled with this one. It could have been where I am in life right now and all the crazy things happening in the world so I’m going to chalk this one up to a one off and keep reading her works.
The chemistry felt forced between the two main characters and I wasn’t a huge fan of the dialogue. The story itself was an interesting one and I really liked the idea of the hunt for a stolen church relic. Ophelia seemed very child-like and unwilling to listen to reason and Hurst came across as overbearing and controlling. The flow just wasn’t there for me this time.

A man who believes in love and finding “the one”, Drake Cheston Kingsley, Duke of Hurstbourne declines the request of his childhood friend to marry his sister, a lady Hurst only met when she was a baby and he wasn’t even expected to inherit the title. But now Ophelia Stowe has come to London and seeks his help in finding a priceless antiquity that was stolen while in her beloved brother’s custody.
Though all the books in this series have been fun to read and rather enchanting, the element the stolen artifact and Ophelia’s shenanigans added to story and gave another layer to the headstrong lady making her even a more perfect match for even tempered Hurst.
As with the other books, the main characters are strong and have great banter and chemistry, but I felt Ophelia’s eagerness to go to any extent to keep her brother’s good name is a great addition to her personality. She really can take poor Hurst out of his comfort zone and make him explode which is nice to see as he’s been the constant voice of reason through the series.
In a nutshell, I really liked the characters, both main and secondary, enjoyed the storyline very much and, though it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the whole series.

The mystery plot of this historical was more interesting than the romance. The relationship didn't build, it just seemed to appear.

It's the final book in the Say I Do series and I didn't think it was as good as the first two. I thought it had great promise by starting off well, but I didn't quite feel the connection between Hurst and Ophelia. She had to have everything her way or the highway and Hurst was a little too overbearing. I did like their arguing and the general story. I would have liked a little more inclusion of Hurst's friends wives.
I still love Amelia Grey and will continue reading all of her books.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This was my introduction to Amelia Grey and I was not disappointed! Hurst initially rejected his friend’s request to marry Ophelia, but he quickly regretted this after his friend passed and he met Ophelia in real life. I very much enjoyed reading about their relationship and I was pulled in from the very first page. I also loved the added suspense of Ophelia trying to find the missing artefact to ensure her family name will not be ruined and Hurst assisting her even when he doesn’t necessarily agree with her methods.

This was a lovely read!

This was my favorite story of the three duke stories. I like that Ophelia and Hurst like each other from the beginning and that they get a kick out of each others unique view of things. I like how Hurst helps Ophelia with her task even when he disapproves of it. I like how Ophelia makes sure that her families name is not tarnished, and how much fun both Ophelia and Hurst have in each others company. I like how they fall in love with each other and aren't afraid to say it. And finally, I like how the author brought in the characters from the previous stories to help Ophelia with her task. I do with there was more of them and I wish the ending had Ophelia and Hurst with their own children.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Paperbacks and NetGalley with an Advance copy of the conclusion to Say I do series: Love, the Duke. I is my favorite.