The Duke Experiment

Dukes vs. Doctors #2

by Eve Pendle

A precise duke, a chaotic widow, an experiment in love. . .

Emma Hanover is so close to achieving her academic dreams when an accident forces her to accept help from her nemesis, the Duke of Eastfield.

Matthew fell utterly in love with Emma the moment they met. Now he has one chance to make her see that they’re perfect for each other. So he proposes an experiment…

A spicy and steamy opposites attract Victorian romance with a BIG Duke and a bluestocking heroine, The Duke Experiment was first published in the I Like Big Dukes and I Cannot Lie anthology.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Novella, Historical Fiction, Forced Proximity

100 pages, ebook

About the author

Eve lives in England and writes angsty, snarky and passionate Victorian era romance. She has National Trust membership, a prince-charming husband, and a crazy dog. She loves wearing dresses and eating chocolate.

You can get a free sexy historical romance story from Eve when you sign up for her new-releases email list at evependle.com

Reviews

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5ish.

The hero falls in love at first sight, but they become adversaries.

They see each other almost every day in a laboratory for a year. She’s working on her thesis for a doctorate in botany, I believe. He works in a similar field. I think he already has his doctorate. He’s a Duke, too. (FYI, all the “duke” words in this ebook are spelled with a capital D. Auto correct, maybe? Just like what my phone did. lol)

He decides to kiss her after she informed him that she has a job lined up and he won’t be seeing her anymore. She enjoyed his kiss very much. They decide to conduct multiple experiments to see if she can orgasm. It got spicy, and explicit language and praise (good girl) were used.

A short novella, so not a lot of character development, and the love confession/marriage proposal was all on one page.

This is a Victorian romance, so there are 3 words that I thought were too modern but a quick Google search showed that they actually are. 🤯

-tummy
-belly
-cubby holes
All from Chapter 1, too.

I don't read a lot of Victorian romances, so I could be wrong.

[Alexandra G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me two nerdy bickering lab rats calling each other silly and excessive nicknames as ritual of seduction any day!
He’s a forty-year-old socially challenged duke, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old widow happy to be relieved of her marital duties. He’s a neat and tidy disciplined grump and she’s a chaotic bright force of nature. They couldn’t be farther apart in character, yet the forced proximity of sharing the same lab binds them together.
After a year of frustration (her) and pining (him) the clumsy aftermath of a romantic experiment in a closet, sends them on a trip to his estate. And what else can you do on a long train ride but experiment some more?
Funny, fast and deliciously steamy - this is an excellent novella!
And the extended epilogue is the cherry on top!
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read

This was a surprisingly quick and good read. I needed this little break been some very long books I've been reading.

[Melinda Greathouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was a fun, lighthearted love story. I had never read a meet cute quite like that before. If you like enemies to lovers, road trip romance, or bluestocking heroines, don’t miss this novella.

I received an ARC from Booksprout. This is my honest review.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSprout for a copy of this novella and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a short story from Eve Pendle, from the new I like Big Dukes anthology that just released, and I think part of her Dukes vs. Doctors series. This is a quite steamy short story set in Victorian times, with a bit of an age gap theme, a bit of grumpy-sunshine, and love at first sight - or in this case, the first time the MMC hears the FMC laugh. I found that particularly charming.

Matthew, the Duke of Eastfield is a reclusive doctor of botany who would rather focus on his slides and plants than people. However he is charmed and intrigued one day when he hears Emma Hanover's laugh for the first time. His heart is truly captured when he is introduced to her and they find themselves sharing a laugh. Unfortunately, being a grumpy, reclusive, taciturn bear of a man, he is incapable of expressing himself in a way that does not put the widow's hackles up and offending her. So despite sharing a lab while Emma works on her doctorate, and the Duke hiding his unrequited love in his heart, they become enemies. They spend the next year slinging names and insults together despite working in such close proximity and sharing a love of botany.

After a year, Matthew finds out that Emma has found a position elsewhere and almost in reach of her doctorate. He is still desperately in love with her but unable to express it in light of her contempt of him. But when her thesis is threatened by the loss of her specimens, he offers her a chance to save it. This sets them up to spend more intimate time together which Matthew uses to his advantage, when he finds out her views of marriage and intimacy, after Emma's failed first marriage. He appeals to her scientific mind, offering an experiment on sensuality and passion, with himself as another test subject.

Science, and steamy sensuality in a short story. I loved this and am so glad I bought the anthology if this is an example of what is in it.

I absolutely loved that inside this stoic, stone wall, reclusive, socially awkward grumpy man who appears to favour slides and plants over people is hiding a deeply romantic heart who fell in love with Emma's laugh, and loved her from first sight and sound.

4.5 stars - my chief complaint is that I felt that there could be more... but then, at the end of this, we do find that Ms. Pendle has released an extended epilogue.

[Aoife · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was my second Eve Pendle read. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as the previous (The Duke Bargain) but it was still lighthearted and fun.

Lets start with the positives:
- Overall, I liked the premise. Two academics sharing a laboratory - one is a bluestocking widow and one is a slightly grumpy Duke. Faced with the prospect of losing her company once she graduates in a few months time, Matthew is sprung into action. Sort of. The real "hero" moment comes when he whisks Emma off to his country estate so she can get samples of a rare flower he has in his greenhouse. Obviously, Matthew doesn't want her to leave. But Emma's devastation about potentially not graduating due to the slides being destroyed is worse so he does everything he can to help her.even if it means losing her.
- I liked that they didn't really get along, it added some nice banter. The Duke of (x) and Duchess of (x) was a bit of fun.
- I loved that Dr. Reagan was there!
- Emma staying late to work because at home she was lonely and work had Matthew to keep her company. Despite their arguments and rivalry or sorts, they were friends. That was sweet
- I enjoyed the first kiss scene.
- The second experiment was 🔥

The negatives:
- I think this story was a victim of its length. The experiment that wasn't the kiss came a bit out of the blue. The conversation leading up to it felt slightly out of character but a longer novel that had more time to develop the characters probably would have fixed that issue.
- I'm not sure the writing style was for me? It felt too modern at times. That's not to say I don't enjoy modern takes on HR (I do!) but there were phrases and words used that made me pause and think "this feels out of place, it would be better suited to a contemporary novel"
- The dress scene? Yes I understand the dress was poisonous, yes she faints, yes he's trying to save her life but did Matthew really have to cut it up like that? In isolation is wasn't too bad. I think his reaction would have been more believable if this scene had happened a few chapters later.
- The actual road trip part was short. They depart about half way through the novella but there is very little time spent traveling. They're on a train and then at the inn, where the remain of the novella takes place.

[Marion Löw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read with a nice plot including enemies to lovers and opposites attract themes, very likable characters, witty banters and steamy love scenes. I enjoyed the transition from antagonists to friends to lovers.

There are many characteristics that apply to Matthew: He is rational, pedantic, taciturn, grumpy, awkward with people and reserved in nature. Although he is a duke, he prefers the solitude of his work as a scientist in his laboratory at Banton's Women University.

However, this changes when he has to share his lab with Emma, a widow who is the exact opposite of him. She is chaotic and temperamental, and Matthew falls head over heels in love with her at first sight. After an incident at their first meeting, he realises that she despises him and that he won't stand a chance with her.

Emma was unhappy in her marriage and in her marital bed. She is working hard to get her PhD and become successful. She can't stand Matthew and his behaviour. But secretly, she enjoys the time she spends with him, and their hostile, sarcastic banters and jokes.

After a year, Emma is very close to her goal and is about to leave for her new job. Matthew feels that time is running out and Emma realises that she will miss his friendship and that she was determined to see the worst in him. When her plans threaten to fall through, it's Matthew who kindly offers to help her and also suggests an indecent experiment...

If you like sweet and spicy enemies to lovers stories with grumpy heroes and temperamental heroines, you will enjoy this book.

Beware, the book has been published before in the „I Like Big Dukes and I Cannot Lie“ anthology.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Deborah Durand · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction of 40 y/o Dr. Matthew Calder, the Duke of Eastfield, to 28 y/o Mrs. Emma Hanover is perhaps the funniest exchange that I’ve ever read. Trying desperately hard not to notice her, the duke could not help but notice the beautiful green dress that she proudly wore. Trying to acquire a PhD in botany at this university’s laboratory, Emma was feeling exceptionally proud of her expensive attire until the duke said that her poisonous dress was killing everyone especially her. As he went into elaborate detail about the green dye containing arsenic, Emma began to feel faint…and did just that. I purchased the book by page 11. It was too hilarious to pass up. Since this is a brief story, I don’t want to give away any spoilers. During the year the duke and Emma spend together, they spend it in sarcastic banter. And although they exchanged barbs, the realization that her thesis was almost complete changed things between the pair. The duke became desperate, and Emma began to acknowledge their relationship was more than amicable hostility. The socially awkward duke suggested an experiment with the lonely widow. It was so successful, they agreed that it bared repeating. I lack enough adjectives to describe how thoroughly enchanting this novella is, but if it’s worth of a purchase, then it’s definitely worthy of 5 stars 🌟.
I have received an ARC via Booksprout and I am leaving an unbiased review voluntarily.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew, the male lead, is a duke by birth but a scientist by interest. He’s never managed to acquire the social graces and hides away in his laboratory. He vaguely remembers agreeing to share his lab with a female but he’s shocked and enthralled when Emma, the female lead, arrives. Emma, a widow, is striving to finish her thesis so she can find a job before her widow’s money runs out.

When Matthew offends Emma at their first meeting, he despairs of ever having a relationship with her and settles for a proximal enemies relationship. But then she announces she’s nearly done and will be leaving for a new job shortly, prompting Matthew to make a first desperate move…

This novella is dual POV, well written, and a steamy sweet, enemies-to-lovers, historical romance. I enjoyed that both characters were scientists. I enjoyed Emma’s goal setting and her work towards meaning in her life. I enjoyed Matthew’s engagement in Emma’s life and appreciated that he was willing to merely be present without pressing his interest for a significant amount of time. I enjoyed their relationship development and the steamy intimate scenes. I chuckled at their banter and enjoyed their amiable and loving final position.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.

[Dolly Dagger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes
Victorian – 1874
Forced proximity
Road trip
Insta love
Age gap
Kinks- praise (sort of )

MMC at 39 is ten years older than the FMC. He’s a research doctor and a Duke.

The FMC is a 29-year-old widow who is running out of funds from a meager widow's portion and is hoping to complete her studies quickly to get her doctorate.

The MMC is instantly smitten with the FMC, while the FMC is intrigued but annoyed/intimidated by the MMC.


They are each lonely in their own way; they each immerse themselves in their work.

After about a year of strained coexistence, sharing the same lab, they are thrust together on a train, traveling from London to Yorkshire, where the MMC proposes an experiment to prove a specific point regarding intimacy to the FMC

I found this to be a sweet, sexy story. It’s the second in a series, Dukes vs Doctors, and like other books by this author, the MMC falls for the FMC way before the FMC even realizes what’s happening.

Steam level is probably between a 3-4.

It was a fun and quick read.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rose Seals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written. This author writes this story that weaves a spellbinding web that holds you till the end. Matthew is a Doctor and a Duke that works in a lab. Emma is to work in the lab so she can get her Doctorate degree. On her first day, the dress she wearing makes her feel dizzy and sick- has arsenic green dye. She faints and Matthew cut the dress off her and burns it. Once she wakes up , she is furious with him for destroying her best dress. Being on edge with each other for some time, she finally has everything she needs for her degree. Accidents happen and she loses everything for her slides that she need to prove herself and her theory. He tells her that she can have a sample from the plant he has at his greenhouse. The estate is a ways from the lab. He offers for her to see and get the plant samples she would need to replace her slides. This book is full of steam, drama, love, adventure, intrigue and romance. Such a fabulous read, absolutely love it. Can't wait for the next book. Would strongly recommend to everyone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet story! Doctor Matthew Calder, the Duke of Eastfield, and Emma Hanover, a twenty-eight year old widow, were sharing a workspace as she worked on her thesis in order to receive her doctorate. For Matthew, it was love at first sound, then sight. However, an incident involving the destruction of an arsenic green dress infuriated Emma, setting the tone for their ongoing relationship. Don’t let the caustic comments and sarcasm fool you, Emma spent a lot of time in Matthew’s presence in the lab, and it wasn’t all because she had nowhere else to go. Fast forward a year and things get quite steamy. This author uses their inner and outer dialogue to paint a wonderful picture of these two characters. The Duke is a cross between a grumpy old man and a puppy, and once her eyes are open to the pleasure he can bring her, Emma realizes that she has misread his actions all along. I love that the Duke appeals to her scientific nature by posing lovemaking and their relationship as an experiment. It is quite clever, and so is this story. Loved it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sven · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impoverished by brainy widow and a giant of a scientist, Duke creates steam and love together.

Heroine: Emma, working towards her doctorate in botany. Widowed and orphaned. Laughter likes bells tingling and has had very poor sexual experience in her marriage.

Hero: Matthew, Duke of Eastfield. Very tall, not someone who follows social niceties and is a bit awkward.

Storyline: He falls hard for her but is so flustered that compliments come out as insults. They work together for a year, and Emma is ready to defend her thesis, when disaster strikes and Matthew offers to help repair the damage. While on a trip to his estate to get a rare plant, they come up with a deal where he teaches her the joy of sexual congress.

Sexual and emotional tension that has been building up over the year just explodes into a hea.

It's a lovely read for a short story. Good character development and the writing style is unique.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cherie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Story That Has It All
The duke who is also a doctor of Botany at the college has just fallen in love with the tinkling sound of laughter from someone he has never met. After being introduced to "Mrs" Hanover his heart crashes. There go any thoughts of romance if she is married.
We follow the two characters with their sarcastic banter for quite some time before the idea of an experiment might just change everything so hang on to that thought for the romance story shifts into high gear with plenty of steam and smoking pages that gave my heart many palpitations.
I truly enjoyed this short story, along with the intriguing characters that bring us a fun and sizzling romance with a very rewarding end.
✔Special Mention: To the Bramble bush and Blackberries for making the end even more memorable
✔Mature Advisory. 🌶🌶🌶🌶
✔I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy for my honest thoughts and opinion.
👀My first time reading this author and I will certainly look forward to more of her stories.

[Gabz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing is, this isn't necessarily badly written. It's verbose where it doesn't need to be, and goes for that "I must describe every single thing else you will never picture it right" that you sometimes get from writers in their early days, but it reads OK. 

The problem lies with the fact that the author chose a historical setting, and a Duke for a hero, then went on to use absolutely none of the mores of the time to make that status difference feel authentic. And while the principle of a dress coloured with arsenic and therefore killing its wearer a little at a time is interesting, it wasn't enough to carry the story. 

I think for a novella this could have been much shorter and just leaned into that lust at first sight angle that it attempted. Trying to drag this out to justify a relationship and love is painful, insufficiently fleshed out and just highlights how poorly the author understands how classism in the UK worked (and still works, I guess). Author would have been better served by a contemporary setting. 

[Sarah Ess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dukes vs Doctors – what a concept! And I freaking LOVE it! It’s giving early feminism and female PhD greatness. Such a cute story of two botanists forced to share a lab space – they get off to a bad start with eachother and spend a year arguing. But what Emma doesn’t know is that her lab mate, Matthew (the Duke in question) pretty much fell in love with her at first sight. He’s just a socially awkward and grumpy guy who sees his chance to change the dynamic when an accident destroys Emma’s lab samples. A road trip with a sexy experiment ensues!

This is a sweet and steamy story that I just really enjoyed. Several times my husband was watching my face and asking ‘what are you reading?!’ LOL. I also work in research at a post-secondary institution and I was very much vibing with this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are two stubborn people! We have Dr Matthew Calder, Duke of Eastfield who is a loner and considered grump and uncommunicative! He spends literally 12-15 hours a day when he is introduced to his lab partner Mrs Emma Hanover!
Matthew is smitten and even more grumpier because he doesn’t know what to do!
This two dance around their feelings for a whole year working 7 days a week until close to Emma’s graduation! In desperation Matthew proposes an experiment that actually rocks Emma’s world and destroys all of her hard work!
When Matthew offers to take her to his estate to research her rare plant well a different research begins! This steam that results definitely will fog your kindle!
But Emma doesn’t want to marry and did not enjoy marital relations! It is up to Matthew to change her mind with one experiment at a time! Love the extended epilogue into the future! Bravo

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma and Matthew’s Story . . .

Widow Emma Hanover and Matthew, Duke of Eastfield, are complete opposites set in their ways and an unlikely pair to fall in love, especially when it appears they may not even like each other! But when she is about to reach her goal, success is snatched away from her through an untimely accident causing her to drop her samples, and her only choice is to accept Matthew’s offer to save the day. Will they find a way to realize how they feel about each other? Will their trip together on a train provide a way of highlighting their compatibility? Or will they go their separate ways and miss this chance for love?

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Calder is a duke and a Doctor of Botany. He likes being the botanist better than being the duke. Emma Hanover is a widow working toward her doctorate in botany. When she arrives at the college, they are to share lab space. The moment Matthew heard her laugh, he was smitten. When he saw her, it was instant love. It was not mutual, at first. Matthew made some well-meaning mistakes. A year later, he causes an accident that might cost Emma her doctorate and a new job. He has an idea about fixing it. On the way, he proposes an experiment in pleasure. Will it work? Can he win Emma’s heart? This is a lovely fun story about two intelligent, and lonely, people who find the perfect partner, in and out of the lab. The story and the characters are quite entertaining.
I received an ARC of this book via BookSprout and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers is one of my fave tropes and Eve Pendle did it justice with this couple. Emma and Matthew start off on the wrong foot. They spend the next year hurling barbs at one another while working side-by-side. Then he corners her in a closet and tries and experiment. From then on their relationship flourishes and it's one experiment after another all involving their hearts. Add to that the steaminess of their experiments and it's a foregone conclusion that this experiment works. But you could always repeat to ensure it's not a fluke.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JudyAnnLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have come to enjoy Eve Pendle’s special kind of historical romances. Her novellas are the perfect length to start and finish in one sitting and are not your typical stories. In 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 we meet Emma and Matthew. Both are scientists and both have very particular personalities. How I loved their name calling and witty banter. It kept me on my toes and was beyond amusing. Their verbal exchanges were the best kind of foreplay and made me a laugh out loud a time or two. I was thoroughly charmed by them. This is a must read romance for fans of enemies to lovers, workplace, historical romances. TBR and Enjoy!

[Lyrica Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke Experiment is a fun, light-hearted novella. It has funny banter between a stuck-up, socially awkward duke and a widow. The widow is pursuing studies in botany, in which the duke also has an interest. They become enemies as they work side by side with one another, hurling insults at one another and such things. However, when her doctorate is on the verge of failure, the duke steps in with an experiment to save her education and her love life. If you like witty, fun, Victorian-era romances, then you will enjoy this fun novella.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Experimenting With Love!

Matthew the Duke of Eastfield fell in love with Emma the day he first met her but first impressions count and he didn’t make a good impression.

Emma is training to be a Doctor and working besides the grumpy but sexy Duke makes her lonely life a bit more bearable but they do rub each other up the wrong way!

An enemies to lovers fun witty romance with some steamy moments that will make you smile throughout the storyline.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella. Emma and Matthew, the two main characters, are out of the ordinary. They’re endearing, and we can only love them. And what about their relationship, which is unique and develops over several months? Throughout the book, we feel the attraction and reserve between the two. We are continually guessing how this delicious resistance between the two will end so that they may find their HEA. This story has a lovely and passionate ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Polli.p · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Duke Experiment is an absolute treat of a novella. When Matthew, Duke of Newton has to share his laboratory with Emma, events take a strange turn when he has to save her life and live with the consequences of that action. Perceived as a grumpy older man it takes Matthew a while to persuade Emma otherwise. This historical grump/sunshine story is fun, spicey, interesting, well paced and just long enough to hold your interest. Thoroughly enjoyed it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow awkward burn....

As I started reading I found myself going off into a rabbit hole about her dress, but came back to finish reading because I was intrigued. The fact that Emma is working for her PhD, was interesting, since that first woman to earn one in England was in 1921, (another rabbit hole) but author privilege I guess. This story had me doing a lot of head scratching. We have a Duke that doesn't do Duke things, estate management, parliament, White's, he just does laboratory work all day, seven days a week. He pulls out his privilege when it works best for him?

This felt more like a contemporary story with historical hints thrown in. The constant antagonism between them was frustrating. While it seemed like it was supposed to be their form of flirting, it made the ending hard for me to countenance. Throughout the story not even an offer of a lunch or tea break from the duke, again, not duke-like.

I am giving this 2.5 stars because I was more fascinated by my side journeys down rabbit holes than the story itself. I am not always a fan of contemporary stories and this definitely felt like one to me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly short and quick read that is sweet, fun and steamy. The story is about Matthew and Emma. She is about to make her dreams come true. Matthew, Duke of Newton, is a doctor who lives in the lab. He is there when he hears laughter and is intrigued. When he see the beauty in the green gown and is entranced. Emma has come to share the lab with him as she works on her doctorate. The two are combustible in so many ways. I enjoyed this story so much. I love the characters and the fun and banter.

[Tzippy Sheffi Elgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duke Experiment is a witty and enjoyable read. The enemies-to-lovers novella is well written and entertaining. Duke Matthew Calder and Emma Hanover are wonderful characters. I was smitten with Matthew the moment he fell in love with Emma's laughter. There were some hilarious scenes and the build up of romantic tension between Emma and Matthew was excellent. Matthew applying a scientific experiment in order not to lose Emma was very original. It is a great page turner and I couldn't put it down!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bookish Lotus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely so cute! Definitely very insta-love, insta-lust. He falls first and falls hard. I mean, he fell in love with the sound of her laughter! What else can you ask for? Both our MCs are very smart and educated. They spend a year working adjacent to each other and being every bit of snippy and a pain in each other’s side. Matthew is hiding his love and Emma thinks she’s unlovable until the Duke takes it on himself to show her just how worthy she is. I’m a huge sucker for HR and this was certainly a fun read.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Love me an Eve Pendle book.

This is a historical romance set in 1874. We meet Emma, who is a widow and Matthew who is a duke. They start working in the same space which leads to tensions being high.

This is an enemies to lover, short read of less than 100 pages. It’s part of the anthology ‘I like big dukes and I cannot lie’

The story and writing are exceptional as always. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it