The Duke's Got Mail

England's Sweethearts #2

by Samara Parish

Anonymous love letters are all well and good… until you discover you’ve been flirting with the enemy.

Eleanor Wright is the best compositor in London and in high demand with every printing press in town. But when whispers spread of a new machine that could put her out of a job, writing to a mysterious pen pal quickly becomes her only relief from a life that’s coming apart like a badly bound book.

Peter Montgomery, Duke of Strafford, has spent years trying to get his estate out of debt. Now he finally has the solution in a machine set to revolutionize the publishing industry. If only finding a wife was as straightforward. Peter wants a lady who cares about him, not his title. Someone like his charming, witty pen pal—the only person in London who knows his most intimate secrets but not his real name. But when Peter’s invention makes them bitter rivals in person, can the bond they’ve created on paper survive the test?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 28, 2026

About the author

Samara Parish is an award-winning author of historical romance. Her debut novel, How To Survive A Scandal, won the Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year (RuBY) award in 2022.

How To Deceive A Duke and How To Win A Wallflower both released in 2022. You can download the series epilogue - https://samaraparish.com/rebels-serie...

Her short story, The General's Daughter, is available for free when you sign up to her newsletter - https://samaraparish.com/newsletter

She is always looking for an excuse to procrastinate, so she'd love it if you asked her a question!

As an Australian army brat in the ‘80s, Samara grew up moving from city to city—always with plenty of book boxes (to the movers’ annoyance). She reads anything that lets her escape - in particular romance, YA fantasy, and epic fantasy, although she has been known to read the occasional blockbuster suspense novel, even though she is a total sook who has a tendency to shriek at anything slightly scary.

When she's not writing or reading, she's walking her dogs or trying to tame her out of control harder. She lives in Canberra with her husband (a true romance hero) and her menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Savvy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5⭐️ 🫑
I typically adore a historical romance meets 90’s/early 2000’s romcom. I love You’ve Got Mail in particular. In theory, this should have really worked for me. Peter just wasn’t it for me🤷🏻‍♀️ I couldn’t fathom Eleanor actually forgiving him. Also, the references to how horny he was for her but no on page spice irritated me. Either commit to it or don’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Anticipated Publication Date: April 28, 2026

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful adaptation of You’ve Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner. It was charming and fun and funny. I did not read the first book in the series (While the Duke Was Sleeping) but it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this book. Thanks to Forever for the ARC.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Duke's Got Mail" is "You've Got Mail" meets "North and South"!

Eleanor is a compositor, someone who sets type for newspapers and publishing houses. She has worked tirelessly to establish a career in a male-dominated world and is proud to be the best in the business. She loves the life she has built for herself, and her hard work has allowed her to hire her two best friends as assistants and provide a living for herself and her cat Baskerville. With her busy days and financial independence, she doesn't have time or interest in looking for a husband, besides where could she ever find a man who could understand her like her penpal, Captain?

Gabriel is a Duke who assumed the mantle of responsibility as a young boy, caring for his younger siblings and providing a living for the tenants of his estate. When he invests in the distribution of linotype machines, which will automate and revolutionize the publishing industry, he sees a way both to ensure his financial future to enable his sisters to find good matches and to help make the printed word more accessible and affordable for all. While his commercial prospects seem set, his search for the future Duchess is not going so well, and it seems all the young ladies of the ton (and their mothers!) only see him for his title. If only he could meet an intelligent, strong-willed woman like his penpal, Booklover...

As the title suggests, this is a "You've Got Mail" retelling set in Victorian-era London in the throws of the Industrial Revolution. Laughing, crying, kicking my feet and giggling, this book was such a FUN read and everything I look for in a historical romance! The banter, the simultaneous penpals-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers arcs. a mature female heroine, epistolary romance, bookish main characters with little classic literature nods, strong family and found family dynamics, interesting historical details... sheer perfection.

It's always refreshing to have a older (ie not a teenager!), independent, working heroine in a historical romance. To me, it also felt like Eleanor was on the spectrum (her fondness for spouting facts was very relatable!), and I appreciated the subtle neurodivergent representation. I also enjoyed the nuanced perspectives on the tensions of the industrial revolution versus the human cost of progress and on the responsibility we have for the impact of our decisions on others (there was a touch of Pride and Prejudice/Mr Darcy in Gabriel's actions towards the end). The lessons and debates of the industrial revolution still feel so current to our modern times.

This is one of the best historical romances I have read in a while and will likely end up on my favourite books of 2026 (a rare feat for a romance novel)... I'm even considering buying a physical copy when it releases because I know I will want to reread it at some point. Highly recommend!

Content note: This is a closed-door/kisses-only romance, although there are a few instances of r-rated strong language (both swearing and indicating sexual desire). While only used a handful of times, it may not be for readers who are specifically looking for a clean/proper romance.

*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when the best compositor in London and an ambitious duke clash over the future of the printing industry? They anonymously exchange letters to tattle on each other, of course. LOL!

I love, love Eleanor. She’s smart, independent, and hard-working. She’s in possession of a multitude of facts, which she blurts out randomly. She enjoys reading and learning, loves flowers and vibrant colors, and visits museums and zoos. Eleanor has no need to marry because her life is perfect. Well, that is, until Peter, the Duke of Strafford, introduces a new technology that would revolutionize the publishing industry, and essentially, destroy Eleanor’s career. Despite Peter’s role in Eleanor’s downfall, I really liked Peter; and he redeemed himself in my eyes. His intentions were good. The linotype would not only make books and newspapers affordable, but it would bring a steady income for his estate, in addition to making his sisters financially independent!

The Duke's Got Mail by Samara Parish surpasses the classic rom-com, You've Got Mail, by miles. And I say this as someone who adores the 1998 film. It has everything I love - sharp-witted banter, swoon-worthy letters, drama, humor, endearing secondary characters, and an emotionally fulfilling romance. I loved their romantic journey from anonymous pen pals to fierce rivals to soulmates. In a story where pride meets progress, it is the romance who ends up victorious. Booklover and Captain forever!!

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

[Deidre · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's time for Peter, the brother in a coma in Parish's first "England's Sweethearts" novel "While the Duke Was Sleeping." to get his HEA in this "You Got Mail"-style pen pals-to-enemies-to-lovers clean romance.

I so wish this was spicy! The chemistry between Peter and Eleanor ignited on the page with their letters to each other. I was hooked immediately by the flirty banter and loved that we got chapters from BOTH of their perspectives, so we got to doubly enjoy the yearning and tension. Instead of competing bookstore owners, Peter owns the company that invents the Linotype (which streamlines typesetting) and Eleanor is a typesetter whose job is threatened by the new technology. I feel your pain Eleanor, my Linotype demon is called AI. So many parallels between this story and current events made me think about what my next career should be.

Peter's character and personality were just delicious and complex. Eleanor was the unconventional headstrong heroine I love to cheer on. I love how they challenged each other to realize and work on their flaws as much as they enjoyed intellectual conversations. They had so many sweet moments - I was kicking my legs giggling.

Fans of the film will be charmed by this sweet historical adaptation and the family dynamic Peter has with his sisters. I love that Parish is taking these classic rom coms and re=interpreting them in a more romanticized era.

[Erin Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love You've Got Mail and I'm so pleased this nineteenth century version did it justice!

I really loved the FMC and related to her so much. She was a delight and I'm really not sure that the MMC deserved her (but do they ever?) The MMC was fine duke fare, and I appreciated his efforts not just to the FMC but to others as he grew as a person. The FMC and MMC had good banter and the development of their friendship was my favorite part to read. His sisters, like in the first book, often grated on my nerves, but they were more endearing in the end. I wish we also got more time with the FMC's friends.

The beginning was a bit slow to get going, but I was hooked by the end of the first third. I was having such a good time that I was a little startled by the ending wrapping up so fast, and I wish we got some more time in the final reveal. In particular, I wish we got to see more into the FMC's career in the end. The themes of industrialization, capitalism, and the inevitable human impact of the two felt incredibly contemporary.

You need not have read the first in the series to read this one, and I appreciated this one even more than the first. If you like epistoraly stories, enemies to lovers, and working class leading ladies in historical fiction, I think you'll really enjoy this! I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the arc!

[legallybookishserena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is millennial catnip.

If you love You’ve Got Mail like me, the scene for scene parallels alone are worth the read. The letters arriving. The advice they give each other. The meeting in the coffee shop with the book and the flower! I smiled through so many of those moments.

The beginning was slow for me. I did not fully click until around 40%, when the rivalry took off. After that, pacing improved a lot.

The romance worked. The letters carried the emotional core. The in person yearning added a different kind of tension. I felt the transition from rivals to lovers.

The labor versus progress commentary was my favorite part. The Linotype debate felt painfully relevant in the age of AI. Progress expanded access. But capitalism always ruins progress and crushes workers.

Closed door/kisses only surprised me after some explicit language. It didn’t bother me, but it felt like a strange choice given that setup.

My biggest issue was how badly this needed editing. Typos and grammar errors showed up far too often.

Even with that, I loved this book. The romcom nostalgia, the romance, the commentary. 1000% recommend for big smile on your face and heart eyes 😍


**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

[Allie Brenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 3.75 that I’m rounding to a 4. I enjoyed this book, I thought it was very cute. And the last half of the book hit me right in the feels!! Once the book got about to the halfway point, the story really took off. I was laughing, I was crying, I was rooting for Peter so hard! But the first half was tough to get through. And then suddenly the last chapter was super rushed. I wish that the first half had been condensed, and the ending elaborated more. Also, and this could be because I have not read the first book, but there were often side characters that would pop in and out of the story, seemingly with no rhyme or reason? Overall though, the book was a solid story, I enjoyed Eleanor and Peter a lot. I thought the characters stories and the time period were unique, and like I said, Peter in the last half of the book really redeemed the whole thing.

[A Reader's Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

He's a duke trying to care for his family and revolutionize reading for the lower classes by bring a revolutionary typesetting invention to market. She's the best compositor in the biz, and her career is set to be destroyed by the introduction of the linotype. They're also anonymous pen pals.

As is obvious from the title, this is a historical retelling of She's Got Mail, and it is the second in the series (it can be read easily as a standalone). I enjoyed this installment, and the two leads had good chemistry. However, I did feel it went on a bit longer than necessary; there was a point at which it felt like the same things were being rehashed repeatedly.

2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about this couple falling in love in different levels. This tale also deals with the consequences of progress and how to mitigate the negative ramifications as well as the need for adapting to new circumstances or be made irrelevant.siblings and friends play wonderful supporting roles making scenes amusing, entertaining and insightful. Highly recommended read.

I received an .ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

[Mia]

Not really what I wanted but it was fine