The Duke's Bride: A Regency Holiday Romance

Erica Ridley

Nov 2019 · 12 Dukes of Christmas Book 6 · WebMotion

About this ebook

An emotional, rags to riches, temporary governess romance from a New York Times bestselling author:

Single father and confirmed bachelor Jack Skeffington is the mastermind behind an international smuggling ring, yet unable to control his rambunctious ten-year-old twins. What he needs is a stern, experienced, no-nonsense governess. What he gets is his business partner’s untouchable sister, whose delectable body Jack yearns to pull close.

Mademoiselle Désirée le Duc cannot wait to return to France and regain her lost vineyard. But to do so, she must repay crippling debt. Determined to buy freedom, she accepts temporary employment from an Englishman with a wicked smile and a big… wine cellar. His kisses taste like heaven and his arms feel like home. How can she choose between two families separated by the sea?

The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. Twelve delightful romances… and plenty of delicious dukes!

Ratings and reviews

A beautiful love story about hearts that need healing. Jack realizes that his ten-year-old twins need a little more than he can offer, so he asks his friend, Desiree, to recommend a young woman who could be their governess. Desiree offers herself, at least until he finds someone more permanent, and thus begins the thawing of Jack's heart. Desiree isn't interested in any long-term arrangement, either, since she's just wanting to earn enough money for her family to shed their English obligations so they can return to their native France. This was a beautiful, tender story of what makes a family, of country loyalty, of loss and risk and starting over again. I loved Jack's heart, how much he loves his kids and the sacrifices he's willing to make for them. Desiree is a terrific book heroine; strong in her own right, not at all looking to be defined by the man she chooses. Her relationship with her brothers was superbly written. All this, and we get another visit to the wondrous Cressmouth, a lively debate about who exactly make up the twelve dukes, and a delightful exchange about who has the honor of being the Duke's Bride. The entire book is fun, romantic, and heartwarming. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I loved this book. What a great addition to the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. It was absolutely charming. Jack Skeffington is a single father with two prone to mischief ten-year-old twins. He has no desire to marry again but realizes he needs to hire a governess to tutor the twins and provide daily care. Mademoiselle Désirée le Duc agrees to be a temporarily hired governess. She wants to earn enough money to go back to France and retrieve the lost family estate and vineyard. This was such a heartwarming and feelgood tale with a sweetly spicy romance. I loved the humor sprinkled throughout the work and it was nice to be reacquainted with characters from previous works in the series. Jack and Désirée and the twins carved a place in my heart. I hope they carve a place in yours. Rating: 4.5 stars. I was provided an ARC of this work and offer this voluntary and unbiased review. All opinions stated are my own.

The Duke’s Bride is book six in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series by Erica Ridley. I enjoyed this book. Ridley is one of my “go to” authors. She writes with a depth that is rare in romance. Her characters have layers that have to be peeled back to view the entire person. Desiree le Duc is a great heroine. She is strong without coming across cold. She is intelligent without being arrogant. I liked the hero - Jack Skeffington and I even liked his two twin children. I don’t normally like kids in romance books. I like to escape from kids and reading about them isn’t an escape. But Ridley puts the right amount of humor and steamy scenes in her story to make this a glorious escape. “Their lips crushed together like the tide crashing ashore: beautiful, unstoppable, inevitable. Her hands gripped his shoulders to keep from drowning. Her heart pounded as she pressed closer, heedless of the current threatening to drag them ever deeper.” Can’t wait for the next book in this series. I was given a copy of this book.