ARC Review: Duke Seeks Bride (Love on Holiday #3) by Christy Carlyle
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Author: Christy Carlyle
Published August 22nd 2023 by Avon
Goodreads Synopsis
In the swoon-worthy finale of her Love on Holiday series, Christy Carlyle takes readers to the breathtaking coast of Ireland where a pretty, young countess’s secretary agrees to impersonate her mistress to help a duke appease his fortune-hunting family...until he falls for her instead.
Miss Evelyn Graves has never had a holiday. She is much too busy as the personal secretary to the Countess of Waverly. But the Duke of Ballymore Castle in Connemara, Ireland, has invited the countess to visit—and as the countess cannot travel, she has insisted Evelyn go in her stead. Except when Evie arrives, everyone mistakes her for the countess—and it’s clear the family who owns crumbling Ballymore were hoping to match the widowed countess with Alexander Pierpont, Duke of Rennick. Though Alex knows the truth of Evie’s identity, he has an unusual request. He’ll happily show her hospitality if she’ll agree to let others think she’s the countess during her visit.
There’s just one problem: as time runs out on their arrangement and Alex increasingly fears he must in fact marry an heiress to save his family’s fortunes, he finds that his heart now belongs to Miss Evie Graves…and he can’t bring himself to let her go.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
In Duke Seeks Bride, personal secretary Miss Evelyn Graves finds her working holiday in Connemara, Ireland, may have more surprises than she could ever imagine. She may be the granddaughter of an Earl, but her parents marriage led to a break in the family, and she took on the position as the Countess of Waverly's secretary to support her younger sister's medical career. When the Countess is invited to help host a charity event with the Duke of Rennick, she is double booked, and instead sends Evie in her stride. But the Duke needs more than just a hostess, he needs a duchess. Alexander Pierpont has inherited the rundown family estate, but his father's will leaves a caveat that his beloved Ballymore Castle will be lost if he doesn't marry within six months of inheriting. Alex needs a wife, and he had set his hopes on Lady Waverly. So when her beautiful secretary arrives instead, someone he has met before, and sets his heart alight like no other, it's a complication he really doesn't need.
I've really enjoyed the books in this series, but this was hands down my favourite. Alex and Evie's romance was epic, and their chemistry was simply palpable. Neither expected to ever find love, and Alex, though he needed to marry, was actively looking for a loveless marriage. So when they met for the first time in Lady Waverly's garden, in the moonlight, the sparks flew, but neither thought they'd see each other again. Evie's arrival at Ballymore was dramatic, and it was clear that Alex's Aunt Oona was against any sort of friendship, let alone romance between the pair, but true love prevailed. Evie's ideas for the charity event, and to help Ballymore in the long run were great, and it was fantastic to see how receptive Alex was to her work. He respected her thoughts and opinions, and was the perfect partner for Evie. I'm sad this was the end of the series, but am so glad with how it concluded!
Dates Read:
October 15-16, 2023
Rating
4 Stars
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