Duke Gone Rogue (Love on Holiday, #1)
Christy Carlyle
Will Hart, the Duke of Ashmore, is everything his father was not: scrupulously honest, forbidding, and apparently joyless. As a duke, he’s a catch, but as a grumpy stick-in-the mud, no lady knows quite how to catch his eye. When his sisters concoct a plan for him to visit a run-down family property in Cornwall, he reluctantly agrees, hoping it will be a chance for him to rediscover the carefree man he once was. Madeline Ravenwood believes she can do anything she puts her mind to, including running the gardening business she inherited from her father and being a founding member of the Royal Visit Committee. Hard at work preparing for Princess Beatrice’s visit to judge their annual flower show, the appearance of a stern, handsome duke is a distraction Maddie doesn’t need. Tasked by the committee to convince the duke to repair his ramshackle manor house in time for the royal visit, he agrees, if she will join him as he explores Cornwall. Spending their days, and nights, together, Will’s love for Maddie becomes too strong to ignore. But Maddie knows how different their worlds are and when the burdens of his title reappear, can Will convince her that she’s the woman he’s been waiting for?
Publication Year: 2021
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3/5.
If you're looking for something cozy, which will genuinely transport you to a different place, then Duke Gone Wrong is for you. Our story centers on a duke who is attempting to sell a family property, and the woman attempting to convince him to repair said property before the royals come visiting. Why are the royals visiting? A flower show, of course!
Madeline and the Duke of Ashmore's romance is centered on their proximity. They're working together on a real project, and she's slowly attempting to convince him that there's more to her community than meets the eye (hence the "on holiday" premise). It's actually quite contemporary in that sense; I could easily see them renovating a coffee shop together. If you're looking for something light and wanting to try a historical romance for the first time, this could be a great opportunity.
You also get a lighter version of grumpy/sunshine. Our hero really isn't a total asshole (I could have done with him being more of one) but he definitely needs to shape up, and Madeline is there to help him. I do think that Carlyle could have taken it a bit further on that level--make him a bit more despicable so that we're truly rooting for his turnaround. But it was a sweet story, and one that I could see plenty of people escaping into.
I was provided with this ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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