Say Yes to the Duke
Series: The Wildes of Lindow Castle #5
Author: Eloisa James
Published May 19th 2020 by Avon/Piatkus

Goodreads Synopsis
A shy wallflower meets her dream man--or does she?--in the next book in New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James' Wildes of Lindow series.

Miss Viola Astley is so painfully shy that she’s horrified by the mere idea of dancing with a stranger; her upcoming London debut feels like a nightmare.

So she’s overjoyed to meet handsome, quiet vicar with no interest in polite society — but just when she catches his attention, her reputation is compromised by a duke.

Devin Lucas Augustus Elstan, Duke of Wynter, will stop at nothing to marry Viola, including marrying a woman whom he believes to be in love with another man.

A vicar, no less.

Devin knows he’s no saint, but he’s used to conquest, and he’s determined to win Viola’s heart.

Viola has already said Yes to his proposal, but now he wants her unruly heart…and he won’t accept No for an answer.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.

Another Regency Era romance that I've devoured while the country is on lockdown. Say Yes To The Duke follows Viola Astley, step daughter to the Duke of Lindlow, and member of the notorious Wilde family. She's always felt like an outlier in the family, believing herself not to be a proper Wilde, and has struggled to be in company of those not in her family. The first ball she went to, she was sick in public, and since then, she's always felt queasy in the company of others. When the new vicar arrives at Lindow, and Viola finds herself comfortable with him, and able to talk without feeling ill, she thinks he could be perfect for her - the only problem, he's already engaged to Miss Pettigrew, the daughter of a bishop. While in London for her debut with stepsister Joan, she asks Mr Marlowe to accompany them in the hopes of getting closer to him, and proving she would be his perfect wife. At the same time, Devin Lucas Augustus Elstan, Duke of Wynter, is in town to find a wife, and his main aim is that his wife must be the daughter of a Duke. Initially setting his eyes on Joan, he starts to look at Viola when she stands up to him, and he'll stop at nothing to woo her into agreeing to be his Duchess. Will Viola realise that Devin is perfect for her, and even though she'll be a Duchess, Wynter has never been like most Dukes, and that she is a true Wilde at heart, if not in name.

Viola and Devin were the best couple! I adored how they met - with Viola overhearing him talk about herself and her family, and confronting him, and the vibe between them was swoony and definitely full of chemistry. Devin knew that Viola was feeling like an outsider, and worked as hard as he could to convince her that she is a Wilde, and shouldn't be hiding in the corner, thinking about a vicar, when her place is at his side, taking charge just like she did when she put him to task on their first meeting. And once they got together, the romancing didn't stop. Devin keep proving to her, again and again, that she was loved, and wasn't a wallflower, but instead was a force to be reckoned with. The subplot of Marlowe's relationship with his horrid fiancee, Miss Pettigrew, and the shy but kind Lady Caitlin was a nice reprieve from Devin and Viola's story at times, and I'm glad this was added to the story. I haven't read any of James' books before, but my library has the other Wildes of Lindow Castle books to reserve, so whenever it's open again, I'll be reading them! James is definitely an author I'll be looking out for.

April 17, 2020

Rating
4 Stars