A Midsummer Night's Duke

by Colleen Kelly

When Bitty Langham ran away from home at sixteen with a company of traveling players, plenty of other people predicted a future of disgrace and despair for her, but she never believed in it—until now. Jobless, loveless, she’s en route to a staid future as a teacher in a girls’ school, just the sort of proper existence she’s always dreaded. So when she meets a handsome stranger outside a coaching inn, she can’t resist the temptation to enjoy one last midsummer taste of her old wild and reckless life.

Rex—just Rex, for now—never succumbs to temptation. He plans. He practices. He tries so hard to meet the world's expectations. But the beautiful, flirtatious, remarkably sweet woman who approaches him at a village festival sparks an attraction impossible to resist. And a long, sultry night together unlocks feelings he’s never allowed himself before.

Impossible to part as strangers in the morning. And yet that’s what they both promised to do… until fate brings them together again in the most unlikely, unlucky of circumstances. Now they will have to see if a midsummer night's magic can withstand the harsh light of social convention.

Genres: Historical Romance, Novella, Romance, Regency, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction

ebook

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Colleen Kelly has been on a single track to romance writing since she read her first Jane Austen and her first Jude Devereaux within weeks of each other at the age of twelve. Along the way she spent a year at a British boarding school, earned a PhD in Victorian literature, wrote and edited for a romance reviews magazine, and taught many kids to write academic essays.

She lives not-too-far from NYC with her criminally cute husband, three kids, and dog (adjective applied to all the aforementioned).

Reviews

[Colleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my book! I had fun writing it and love these characters so much. I hope you like them, too.

[legallybookishserena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting. Loved loved loved it so much. The prose, the character development, the spice, the angst, the yearning…how was it possible to pack all that in a novella length?!

This is a book that would break a reading slump. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

[Jody Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitty left home at 16 to be an actress, and just when she was going to hit it big, fate intervened in the form of a mediocre man and she's back at age 22 to teach at her aunt's school. She knows her teacherly reputation must be impeccable, so she seizes the day to have one night with the handsome frowning stranger at the same coaching stop. Enter Rex. Oh Rex. Big Sad Boi. Carrying every burden alone and staggering under the weight of his family legacy and expectations.

Bitty is very much the driver in their evening, but "he looked at her as thought she were the only human being who existed on earth. An intensity of focus in those dark eyes that struck through her like the slice of a knife. Like a bullet's path." Your honor, what is a girl to do?? What Bitty does is take this man to her bed, and be so kind and understanding and [marital congress] him so well his world is shaken to the core. Kelly has a superlative ability of writing intimate scenes that are both emotional and off the charts hot, and that talent is displayed to its fullest in this book.

I loved the dynamic between Bitty and Rex. She's confident and looks back on her past with no regret and self-judgement; she's made her choices and living with them. She also shows a refreshing amount of bodily agency for an HR heroine, as the instigator and unapologetically using birth control. Rex, on the other hand is always tentative, feeling his way. "He didn't know how to respond: gratefully or blithely or matter-of-factly. He couldn't tell which she would prefer, and he wanted to be what she preferred. So he said nothing." He's gone for her and can never quite believe he can deserve or have what he wants, always measuring himself against the impossible yardstick of his father's imagined expectations.

We've read romance novels before, so we KNOW Rex will be connected to a student in the school and it's our girl from The Earl I Want for Christmas! It's an earthquake for these two when they see each other again, and for us right along with them. That desperate connection and longing is back, with circumstances ever more impossible. Rex sees Bitty in these new circumstances and focuses on the sight of a birds nest outside the window with "tiny birds inside, beaks open and desperate. Hungry. Always hungry." He's so mindful and careful and respectful of her, and so desperate and longing and gone for her. He is our new benchmark romantic hero.

Speaking of Kelly's writing, she's just leveled up with this second novella. The prose is so lovely and evocative. There's a passage, when the two of them see each other and "Everything stopped. Birds in the air, breeze through the leaves, tree sap congealing beneath bark, apple buds hardening into fruit - all suspended motionless." I had to just sit and stare for a second. It contrasts to well with the frantic action that immediately follows. She's making tiny story choices as an author that are always just a little more clever and interesting than we anticipate, this novella is a pleasure to read.

I read an advanced copy, it will be released on to her newsletter on 3/25/25, so subscribe there. You won't be sorry!

[Debbie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect novella!!!

I laughed out loud multiple times and definitely got teary-eyed. Rex is just so awkward I loved it so much.

The prose was so pretty! Simultaneously poetic and propulsive—I had a hard time putting this novella down.

10/10 would definitely recommend.

[Amanda books_ergo_sum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was like, six star book, all time favourite territory here. And I’m really struggling to put into words why I loved this book so much. This book squeezed my heart to bits. Teeny tiny, itty bitty bits.

The premise was angsty AF. The class difference, the midsummer night magic, their dreams for themselves… I knew there was going to be an HEA. I just didn’t know how. And I couldn’t put this down.

The characters were so well crafted. They were such opposites and they spent so much time exploring their super specific compatibility with each other. Ugh, my heart. My cup overfloweth with on-page falling in love.

This was like most “just one more chapter”-iest book I’ve read in a LONG time. There was the overall plot, but then there were so many mini-resolutions around every corner. Do not start this book before you go to bed. You will not sleep a wink. Ask me how I know.

[Lydia Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just…everything I want in a historical romance right now: it has gorgeous prose, a self-assured heroine, a hero who shows real vulnerability and is a total simp for HER but usually keeps it buttoned up for the dukedom. The historical details are also top-notch; they felt both immersive and totally natural to the world.

I loved Kelly’s first novella, THE EARL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS, so if you haven’t discovered her yet and start with this novella and then want more, I also recommend that one. I am really hoping for more from Colleen Kelly soon. I’ll read anything she writes.

All in all, Kelly’s historicals are this perfect blend of great prose, a sprightly plot, spice, and deep character work—they zip along but never compromise artistry in the process.

In short, I implore you to sign up for Kelly’s newsletter and read this one now!!

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the author.

"It was - glorious . To know herself. To feel herself known"

This was excellent, truly. I just feel I don't have words to talk about this book. I loved the dynamic Rex and Bitty had at the beginning and how unexpected it was, and how it evolved so smoothly.

This had a little twist at the end that it was so funny and cute.

I also enjoyed the side characters in this too.

I can't wait to keep on reading what this author brings next.

[busyreadingwithASD⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread after finishing my dissertation and once again I absolutely adored it!!! 5 out of 5 stars simply because 1) the author clearly does her research about the ambiance of the time period and as someone with an MA history I love when even little tidbits of historiographic elements can be woven into historical romance. 2) Bitty and Rex were HOT🥵🥵🥵 3) Ms. Kelly writes a sex scene in a way that would make queens Lisa Kleypas and Meredith Duran applaud. 4) I was captured from the very first page!!! 5) BITTY AND REX WERE VERY HOT!!!

Also: I NEED MS. KELLY TO WRITE MORE!! EVEN IF IT’S JUST NOVELLAS, I WILL ACCEPT ANYTHING LOL just please keep this good historical romance coming🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[Nikki (awallflowerreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

Have you ever sucked someone off and had them instantly confess their love for you? Well, that happens to our girl Bitty and oh does it provide for a hilariously good romp!! Leaving her life as a traveling actress, she’s going to become a teacher at her aunt’s school, but before she does so, she wants one last night of adventure. After stealing the room of an unconventionally attractive gent, she runs into him again at the Midsummer Night’s bonfire where the two start flirting in Shakespeare. She asks him back to her room and quickly learns that although he might be a virgin, he’s more than dedicated to learning. Thinking this one night stand is in the past (though something they both can’t stop thinking about), they’re more than surprised to meet each other days later…

Rex & Bitty
Bitty is truly a wonderful character and might go down as one of my favorites in a novella ever. She’s positive, insightful, caring, and also hella relatably hilarious. I loved her so much and she was the perfect match for Rex. His desire to maintain his father’s legacy and goodness is both sweet, sad, and also at times frustrating. I think Bitty handles this super well in the way she tries to reason with him that he’s his own person. And doing things differently doesn’t mean his father will be disappointed or that he’s not living up to his name. It helped Rex move through some of his recent grief and also see that she is someone who could change his life.

I totally LOVED this novella from Colleen Kelly (my first from this author)! Her writing is very poetic and she weaves each sentence so beautifully, I found myself highlighting so many lines. The ending was satisfying and sweet, the epilogue the perfect flash into the future. I immediately downloaded The Earl I Want from Christmas to check out Lydia’s story!

Thank you to the author for an eARC of this book. This novella is exclusive to newsletter subscribers, and will come out on March 25.

[Jess (JustMaybePerfect) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Langham is starting over. After running away from home to become an actor in her teens, she’s been discarded and replaced by her lover. She is heading out of London to teach at her Aunt’s school.

Hungry for one more night on her own, Elizabeth hops off the mail coach at a tavern to make the most of her trip. There she meets Rex, a grumpy, serious, man who knows how to dance. Elizabeth propositions Rex and he (nervously and enthusiastically) accepts. After an extremely hot and educational night together, Elizabeth and Rex part ways.

But of course, they are (awkwardly but eventually kindly) reintroduced as a teacher and brother to one of her students. Oh, and he’s a Duke.

He’s been pinning, so has she. They make a go at a brief (and very secret) affair only to fall even more head over heels. Class differences, responsibilities, mutual respect, their protection of his sister (FMC from Kelly’s first book), and his mother, all stand in the way of their HEA. But, determination and love win the day.

This novella is HOT, funny, sweet, romantic, and just like her previous book, the sex is safe and protected. Elizabeth rules.

I can’t believe I’m writing this but I liked this even more than The Earl I Want for Christmas!

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received an advance copy from the author. All opinions are my own.*
This was a miss for me. I disliked the FMC and was bored. I skimmed the last 50 pages just to finish.

[Amy K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, phenomenal, ten stars, I need one hundred books by this author immediately. Going up there with Erin Langston as an auto buy, top tier indie hissy rono legend!! It starts off extra spicy but the story that unfolds from there is everything. Everything!!

[Alexandra G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midsummer night magic

Bitty & Rex
She’s a vicar’s daughter who left home at sixteen to join a travelling theatre company. Replaced as the troop’s leading lady – and its leader’s bedwarmer – she’s on the road to her aunt’s seminary for young ladies when she meets Mr Frown, a.k.a. Rex.
He’s a fresh duke paralysed by the fear he will never live up to his beloved father’s legacy, a good and honourable man, and the most adorable puppy in love! He caught her hat, gave her his room at the inn, and then his heart.

This was a brilliant heartrending gem!
An impossible romance between too strangers, and it’s this witty, playful and tender, delectably steamy, beautiful and utterly devourable little story.
It’s a young woman reinventing herself, bedroom lessons for a virgin hero, and class difference obliterated by scorching passion. It’s laughter and tears, comfort and heartbreak, summer storms, deep dark secrets whispered in the night and companiable silence. It’s heaven and hell all rolled into one. It’s knowing they’ll have to give it up sooner rather than later, yet always returning for one last time.
It’s also an unexpected visitor, a bird, a piano, three challenging pupils – one achingly shy, one haughty, one jealous – and her kind caring aunt – a headmistress who’s been around the block before.
It’s absolutely perfect, and I adored it!

PS – You might remember Lady Lydia – Rex’s sister – from the author’s previous novella The Earl I Want for Christmas. She’s part of this story too, although not quite as full in bloom as in her own.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

It’s very rare that I find a good balance when it comes to novellas usually there’s not much depth, the pacing or timeline is choppy or the spice is just too gratuitous for the little amount of time that we have, but I’m happy to report that this novella got it right!

The characters, the writing and the setting were just beautiful and I absolutely loved that we got unconventional characters. Bitty isn’t your regular fmc she’s a former actress readying herself to start work in a school for girls and decides she’s gonna have one last night of pleasure and decides she wants Rex the frowning, virgin duke(in fairness she doesn’t know that yet) who she meets at an inn. I’m not typically a fan of ONS in any type of books but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it here.

Of course they say their goodbyes, never to see each other again but it ends up that Bitty is actually teaching Rex’s sister at the school so duhhh they see each other again this is a romance after all!!

This book made me want my own poundhouse and also wishing a duke would show up to my house in the middle of the rain and propose 🤷‍♀️

[Megan (Midwest Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to its name, A Midsummer Night’s Duke is romantic and dreamy.

Elizabeth Langham, Bitty, knows who she is and what she deserves. A realist and romantic, a former actress and current teacher.

She’s the sunshine to the Duke’s grumpy. Like Bitty, Rex has almost made a career of pretending—he is barely hanging on in the midst of his grief at losing his father, duty alone keeping him afloat. Unlike Bitty, who ran away from home at 16, Rex seems always to do the “right” thing, the expected thing. Until he meets Bitty, a woman who makes it impossible for him to remain unchanged.

This novella was everything I hope for in a HistRom: a lush setting with writing to match, a tortured hero and the self-assured who wakes him up, and a declaration (in a rainstorm!!) worthy of a second chance.

[Eleonora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great, I read it in one sitting. Top tier indie historical romance. It was truly a breath of fresh air, well written and historically accurate while at the same time having Black characters, reproductive freedom and fierce female characters. I loved the characters, even the aunt. I know she seemed a bit misguided but that was her own experience! You go aunt. Mr. Frown - err, the duke - was adorable, saying I love you after their first time and crying after the second. The Shakesperean references were on point.

Don’t skip the author’s note! Also, this is free via the author’s newsletter.

4.5

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Midsummer Night's Duke is so much better than I anticipated. When we met Rex and Bitty in the previous novella I was convinced I wouldn't like Rex much in his own story. How wrong I was. He's so extremely sweet and such a sad boy. Once he meets Bitty he is extremely besotted, and it's adorable to watch. On her part, Bitty tries so hard not to fall for him, but they're so good for each other it's obviously inevitable. These two were so soft for each other, and the chemistry was palpable. I usually have trouble with stories where characters get together right after meeting, but it was done very well in this novella. Their relationship felt like it grew naturally. The secondary characters were just as lovely, and I could have happily read an entire novel about Bitty's time teaching.
Colleen Kelly has done a great job of fitting a fully realized plot and characters into this novella, and I highly suggest subscribing to her newsletter so you can read it (for free!).

Thank you so much to Colleen Kelly for the ARC copy of this novella.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a setup: As a last hurrah, a former actress stops at a Midsummer Eve's fête on her way to become a teacher at her aunt's girls' school. She's a former actress because her previous lover, the director of the theatre, dropped her for someone richer. We learn that Bitty is unabashedly interested in sex, which I loved.

At the fête, which involves a bonfire and cider and all good things, she sets her sights on "Mr. Frown," a stern young man who she thinks needs to liven up. So, she propositions him... and he confesses he's a virgin. What she doesn't know is that he's also a duke. But honestly, that's by the by: We are here for the writing, and the boning, and it is exquisite.

Colleen Kelly's writing is so good. I loved her previous novella, and the lyrical prose and high heat is fully present here. When I say high heat, I mean it: I honestly can't recall a hotter book, and that's including all the ones that feature multiple participants and orifices and "good girl"s and all that. This is two people: one liberated woman and one starchy man who is eager to learn, and it is blazing and beautiful. But what happens when they move on, and she discovers she's been teaching his sister, and that he is a duke?

Small and large spoilers to come...



Other things I loved:
- Kelly includes a scene where Rex (the duke) inserts her sponge for her and somehow makes it sexy.
- During their first time, he lasts for about 15 seconds. Realistic!
- Bitty uses a chamber pot on page, something you rarely see, and something that's rarely even mentioned.
- The cider-making hut where they meet for their assignations is called a poundhouse, which is quite frankly perfect.

I am giving this 4.25 stars because it kind of fell down for me at the end (and also because Kelly keeps having Bitty put her tongue between her teeth in a porny/kittenish way, and it is annoying). It was such a lovely story and Bitty is such a unique character, so even if Rex is a bit boring, it was working so well. But I didn't feel the groundwork was laid enough for a duke to be happy/able to marry a disgraced actress. It felt far too conventional and Cinderella and predictable. It would have been more interesting if he gave up his dukedom for her, or some resolution that was more interesting. Even in a short-form book, there is room to do something unexpected, and I really wanted that here.

So, I am throwing down the gauntlet to Colleen Kelly: I would like to see her put her considerable powers to use writing a book that's challenging and daring all the way through. Imagine a different happy ending than one where a woman down on her luck happens on a duke. Move away from the aristocracy altogether! She has it in her, and I want to read it.

[Marion Löw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this romance novel. The plot is very well written, enticing and full of emotion, obstacles, steamy love scenes and multiple tropes:

Strangers to lovers
One Night Stand
Hidden identity
Class disparity
Grumpy-Sunshine
Opposites attract
Instalove
Lessons in carnal pleasure
He falls first

The protagonists and some of the supporting characters are very likable. Rex is a rather unusual hero, he is a virgin and insecure, while Bitty is the experienced and strong heroine who goes after what she wants.
I loved the sizzling chemistry between the two, Rex's admiration for Bitty, her empathy and understanding of him and how they were perfect for each other. I also liked Bitty's interactions with her students.

Elizabeth „Bitty“ Langham aka actress Elizabeth Luce is on her way to start a new employment as a teacher in a girls' boarding school after her lover and director of the company dumps her for another woman when she meets a man at a coaching inn who she finds instantly attractive and decides to spend her last night of freedom with the reserved stranger.
Since the death of his father a few months ago, Rex, Duke of Wrexham, has been overwhelmed by his duties and the self-imposed values of having to be perfect like his father. He is known as the
Incorruptible Duke and his behavior is irreproachable until he meets Bitty by chance and she throws his orderly life off course. The virginal Duke spends a passionate night with the seductive actress and can't forget her. Weeks later, they meet again by chance when Rex visits his sister at the girls' seminary, but she is a teacher there and his sister's confidante, so they can never be together again...

If you like virgin heroes, strong heroines, spice and happy endings against all odds, you are sure to enjoy this book!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

[Cerian · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a touch of kismet about the circumstances in which Bitty and Rex come together. Bitty is an actress on her way to her new job as a schoolteacher after being unceremoniously chucked out of her acting company by her lover/boss. She decides to stop at a midsummer village festival en route and enjoy her last night of freedom, which is where she meets Rex.

Rex is serious and very buttoned up but he’s gentlemanly to Bitty and gives up the last room to her in the inn she stops at. When their eyes meet across a bonfire, sparks are flying (and not just from the fire). They have a very steamy, vulnerable and emotional night together. Rex is a virgin and Bitty is not, which is pretty unusual for a historical romance, but works perfectly for them. Rex needs someone to draw him out of his shell and ease his anxieties. Bitty is so open, kind and sweet that she easily does that.

I loved the pair of them, I really did. Bitty has such optimism and positivity, no matter what life flings at her. And she needs it on more than one occasion. Rex is the opposite. He’s drowning in expectations, some of which are the ones he’s imposed on himself, and just needs someone to break through his walls. I loved how Rex was just completely gone for Bitty - the yearning!He’s never judgy about her past and just loves her for who she is.

They’re super cute and I was absolutely willing them on towards their HEA together. I thought Colleen Kelly did a wonderful job at making you root for these two as a couple and building emotional depth in a fairly short story. It was my first book from her and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Posted to instagram - @cerians.bookshelf

[Nina Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A midsummer night‘s duke

Basic plot:
Bitty ran away from home at 16. She worked as an actress for a long time, but now she‘s starting a job as a teacher at her aunt‘s school. Before that, though, she treats herself to a wild evening with a stranger.

My thoughts:
This was my first novella by Colleen Kelly and I was pleasantly surprised. You are immediately drawn into the story and the night between Bitty and Rex is incredibly great, heartwarming and emotionally written.
I like how Colleen Kelly takes her time to describe this night in detail, so that you can really understand what a special night Bitty and Rex are having and why it is so hard to say goodbye the next morning.
It‘s also great that the usual roles are reversed: Bitty, who has experience and takes what she wants, and Rex, who is a virgin and doesn‘t know what he‘s getting into.
You feel for the two of them as the story progresses. How lonely they feel without each other, yet think that a life together is impossible, or even don‘t know if the other can even imagine such a life.
I especially loved the epilogue. It takes place 10 years after they met, and it‘s incredibly touching to read how their lives together have developed.

[Sri · Rating 5 out of 5]

She laughed as he kissed her, his scandalous duchess, his sweet-hearted actress, his Titania in the moonlight.

I'm honestly at a loss for words, this is utterly gorgeous, and reading the last line squeezed my heart with so much joy.

Colleen’s prose is lovely and the novella starts with, quite literally, a bang. A multi-chapter bang, to be exact. It’s wonderful. It’s hot. It’s long. It’s viscerally detailed sex, which I love, really comfortable with all of it—sounds, scents, the reality of human bodies. It’s midsummer y’all. There are Shakespeare references I loved, especially because they are similar to the ones in my current WIP.

Also, REX. I love this tentative and tender man so much. I sent my thoughts as I read in real time to Colleen which was a delight as well.

He's as wicked as he is good, which is exactly what I love, and there's a moment with him and his black gloves that had me messaging Colleen in all caps.

Her heart stopped, she was sure of it. Everything stopped. Birds in the air, breeze through the leaves, tree sap congealing beneath bark, apple buds hardening into fruit—all suspended motionless while she watched him watch her with fixed intention. A gaze like an arrow; a mouth like a bow.

Love, love, love.

[Ikwi Bookreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another passion-filled, emotionally gripping novel from Colleen Kelly! Bitty and Rex are (kind of) the reverse rake/bluestocking trope, in that he's buttoned-up and carnally clueless, and she's a former actress and joyously promiscuous. Bitty (Elizabeth) is a charming heroine, a woman pursuing her heart's desire with optimism and hope despite the very rigid constraints placed on women in her world. It is her exuberance that draws Rex in, and after their one night together, he's unable to forget her. Fate throws them together again and their relationship deepens, and while he holds all the cards in terms of power and finances, she refuses to play it safe and settle for less than absolutely everything. Her kindness, resilience, and zest for life are what really makes her stand out as a heroine. Rex fell first and hard, and never stood a chance! I also loved reading about her work as a teacher at an all-girls boarding school, especially instruction in oratory and elocution. Overall, a lovely, disarming book, written in Collen Kelly's lush, gorgeous prose that elevates her historical romance to high art.

[Wandering Seal · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest I'm really not sure why Colleen Kelly is giving this story away for free in a newsletter - it's really, really good.

This is a one night stand turning into a second chance, sisters teacher kind of story (if you're needing the tropes first and foremost). Our FMC is a woman who decided she didn't want to follow the rigid rules set out by her father, but is now finding out that societal norms can be just as restrictive. I loved her - Bitty knew her worth, but in a way that didn't feel historically inaccurate at all. Rex, our MMC, was everything I wanted him to be as well - stuffy, rather uncertain in a very adorable way, and utterly, utterly in love.

The one thing that gave me pause was the ease to which we hurtled into the resolution - I wanted to know more about the how of how they would make everything work without serious reputation damage. It wasn't enough to make me not enjoy the ending, but it just felt a bit short against how well worked out everything else was.

I read an advance copy of this book. My thoughts are very much my own.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise novella about an actress in regency England who has a tryst unknowingly with a Duke. Bitty left her strict father’s home to become an actress. By this act, she would forever be viewed as ruined. After many years on the stage, she has come to the end of her career, after being jilted by the company’s director. As she is traveling to the next destination in her life (becoming a teacher), she encounters a man and decides “one last time”. The novella is divided between her affair and then her time working for her Aunt as a teacher, where she of course runs into the Duke and learns he IS a Duke. I really enjoyed the chapters on her work as an elocutionist instructor. I had not heard the term before and found it fascinating. The romance was well done and had a wonderful resolution. This novella can be had for free by signing up for Colleen Kelly’s newsletter. I highly recommend this one!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable, fun read about an actress and a duke that have what’s supposed to be a one night stand until they meet again in an unplanned circumstance.

I liked the character of Bitty and her story before we meet her in the book. I liked that she was the more experienced out of the two and wasn’t shy about asking for what she wants. Rex’s character fell a bit flat for me but he was pleasant enough.

My only real issue was that Rex apparently loved his sister and was concerned with her happiness, and yet never defended her against their mother’s constant belittling remarks. This was sort of mentioned as something he knew he didn’t do, but the resolution seemed to be that he’d marry Bitty and she’d take on that role instead.

But overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading what the author does next!

I received an ARC copy of this book

[bookstosoothethesoul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute!! I devoured it in an afternoon it was so good. I love Colleen Kelly's writing! Our hero is down bad for Bitty and I found that absolutely adorable. They meet during a one night stand and then later find out that he is the older brother of one of her new students (whoops 😂). They form a connection pretty quickly but Colleen Kelly gives them strong obstacles to overcome and I adored how angsty the story was. The relationship is so well balanced despite their class differences and it was so sweet to see them be themselves together. Definitely go sign up for Colleen Kelly's newsletter to get this delightful novella for free!

Thanks to the author for giving me an ARC in advance!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steamy and emotional one-night stand romance between a duke and an actress. Basically, Bitty and Rex meet each other on the road at an inn, have a wonderful night together, and go their separate ways. But of course they can’t stop thinking about each other, even though Bitty is about to be a respectable teacher at a girls’ school and Rex needs to get on with business as a duke. Neither of them know who the other person is, so are totally shocked when Rex shows up to visit his sister at school and finds Bitty there as her teacher. Awkward. But also, fortunate because they can rekindle their relationship, despite it being a terrible idea. Full of steam and sweetness and longing. Loved it.

[Kelli Matthews | SighingOurPleasure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I do love a virginal hero and a Duke undone (give me the opposite of a reformed rake any day), and this novella delivered. Bitty’s independence is such a treat—she knows exactly what she wants and isn’t shy about going after it. But she does it with such grace, empathy, and confidence, it’s no wonder Rex falls head over heels.

And the steam? Whew. That “one-night stand” sizzled. Their chemistry was electric, and it only deepened as the story unfolded. A tight, sexy, and emotionally satisfying read—I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

📖 He wanted to say thank you. It came out: “I love you.”