The Duke Who Loved Me
Series: The Duke's Estates #1
Author: Jane Ashford
Published August 24th 2021 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Goodreads Synopsis
The Duke of Tereford is accustomed to getting his own way, but she's going to teach him a thing or two about love...

James Cantrell, the new Duke of Tereford, has inherited a dukedom in disarray and is overwhelmed by his unaccustomed responsibilities. Then he gets an idea. Cecelia Vainsmede served as liaison between James and her father, and she knows a great deal about business matters, his own in particular. She's also quite pretty. Ever the pragmatist, he suggests a marriage of convenience.

Cecelia has always been good at working with James, but she doesn't understand how he can be so obtuse. He clearly doesn't realize that he's the duke she's always wished for, or that his offer is an insult. But when a German prince arrives in London and immediately sets out to woo Cecelia, James will have to come to terms with what he really feels for her. Is running away worth the cost of losing her, or will the duke dare to win her once and for all?

Bestselling author Jane Ashford takes you to a dazzling Regency England you won't want to leave!
Goodreads

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

James Cantrell may now be the Duke of Tereford, but since he was 15, he was under the guardianship of his father's friend, Nigel Vainsmede. Both of them butted heads regularly, and it was only when the then nine year old, Cecelia, only daughter of Vainsmede, started to intercede in their quarrels, that anything was solved. And since then, Cecelia has always smoothed the troubles, and helped James, even when he didn't need the help. But now, as the newly inherited duke, he has a whole townhouse full of oddities, stuffed to the brim by his eccentric predecessor, and the rest of the ducal properties to boot. He needs Cecelia's help to bring the estate up to scratch, and soon gets it in his head that the perfect duchess for him, is in fact Cecelia. But when a German duke visits London, and seems to have his eye on Miss Vainsmede, James' work may be cut out for him. And for Cecelia, she's been in love with James since she was young, but now, she can't believe his proposal to be real, and it's breaking her hurt to turn him down. Will she see the real James hidden beneath his bluster and facade, or will she lose her heart completely.

This book was hands down, amazing! As soon as I had started it, I was gripped by the banter and chemistry between Cecelia and James, who had known each other for years, and had a relationship that was perfect. I loved seeing James' growth as well. He started off as a cocky rogue, who expected everyone to think the same as him, and anyone who thought different, was utter nonsense. He got it in his head that he and Cecelia should marry, and proposed in an abysmal way, so it was no real shock when she declined. I felt like he needed that, and the upset that occurred a little later with the prince, to fully grow. Seeing him in his home, digging through the rubbish, and caring for a homeless family who lived in the stables, we truly saw James as the caring person who was hidden beneath. And as for Cecelia, she had been in charge of her father's household since her mother died, mainly because her father only cared about food, or his philosophical work. She had had a few seasons, and proposals to boot, but had turned them all down, hoping for love - really, hoping for James. She gets a group of friends in the early pages of the books, and the four of them - Charlotte, Ada, Harriet, and Sarah - with Cecelia, were truly lovely to read. I've just read the synopsis for book 2, Earl on the Run, and am glad to see it will be Harriet's story. The friends, and James, all rally around Cecelia when the prince comes calling, and there's a scandal afoot. One of the only things I could say against this book would be that there was a lot of miscommunication between James and Cecelia, especially towards the end, and I felt like they should've definitely been open about their feelings for one another a lot earlier. Even so, I can't wait for Earl on the Run, and will be reading as a many of Jane's back catalogue as possible!

Dates Read:
August 7, 2021

Rating
4 Stars