Desperately Seeking a Duchess

All the Duke's Sins #2

by Christi Caldwell

What happens when an impoverished duke with a reputation for being a rogue collides with a strong-willed heiress who wants to explore the world? An unlikely friendship...and unexpected passion.

Cailin Audley doesn't fit in with Polite Society. A life spent among the working class taught her to value her independence in a way no newfound fortune or glittering ballroom could ever erase. When a major misstep sees the new heiress whisked away to the English countryside, Cailin soon realizes the vexing lengths her family will go to see her settled. But having risked her heart once before, Cailin has no interest in the men of the ton--especially not the frustratingly charming Duke of St. James.

Courtland Balfour, the Duke of St. James, devoted brother and notorious rogue, despises what he must become--a fortune hunter. But with the ducal coffers drained by his late, spendthrift of a father, Courtland knows his duty lies at the altar and he will do anything to ensure a future for his siblings. Just his luck that the one lady who could make this new fate bearable, who enflames him like no other, is the one woman who wants nothing to do with him or his title.

But when an act of desperation inadvertently lands he and Cailin at the heart of another scandal, Courtland knows better than to waste his chance. Surely he can convince Cailin to love him?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Audiobook, Regency Romance

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 24, 2022

About the author

USA TODAY Bestselling author CHRISTI CALDWELL blames Judith McNaught's "Whitney, My Love!" for luring her into the world of historical romance. While sitting in her graduate school apartment at the University of Connecticut, Christi decided to set aside her notes and pick up her laptop to try her hand at romance. She believes the most perfect heroes and heroines have imperfections, and she rather enjoys torturing them before crafting them a well deserved happily ever after!

Christi makes her home in Charlotte, North Carolina where she spends her time writing her own enchanting historical romances, and baking surprisingly good cakes (almost 2 years in lockdown will do that) with her courageous son and twin daughters, each who with their daily antics provides limitless source material.

Reviews

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series! Since I was gifted the arc, I decided to read book one first. I am SO happy I did because that book was seriously such a treat. I loved it so much. I was super excited to pick up book two and I wasn’t disappointed! It wasn’t as light and fluffy as book one, but I still had a great time.

The beginning was the perfect level of dramatic, with her mistaking his identity and then that mistaken identity causing a bunch of problems in the future. It’s the kind of drama I love: low angst (no one is getting kidnapped or killed or anything) but just so fun to witness.

The ending got a bit crazy but overall I had a wonderful time and can’t wait for book three!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶.75/5

I received a free finished copy from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the illegitimate daughter of a duke, raised amongst working class miners, Cailin Audley is struggling to find her place in her father’s world. She merely wants her independence back and the freedom to explore the museums and educational opportunities to be found in London. Unfortunately, she keeps making social faux pas, one of which sees her and her family off to the country for an intimate house party rather than face the rigors of the Season in London. Cailin quickly recognizes that her family is trying to manipulate her into marriage, and she is having none of it. She’s experienced a broken heart before and has no interest in going there again, especially not with the roguishly charming Duke of St. James.

Courtland Balfour, the Duke of St. James, is floundering under the weight of the debts his father left him to deal with. He can see no way out and loathes that it seems his only option is to become a fortune hunter and find an heiress to marry lest he find himself in debtor’s prison. But he’s always done all he can to protect his siblings and now is no different. He knows his duty and is prepared to do it, so of course the one lady he’s genuinely interested in has no interest in marriage and couldn’t care less about his title. When a desperate act sees these two firmly in the middle of another scandal, Courtland takes the chance to try to convince Cailin of his feelings for her.

Full disclosure, I really wasn’t sure about this book at first. It’s a terribly slow burn and Cailin begins the story by costing a man his job and seeming unconcerned about it, unable to fathom why he might be annoyed with her. She has a difficult time seeing beyond her own loneliness to the plight of others and seeing that they can still share those desolate feelings with her, despite having high rank. Thankfully, she does learn this as she comes to know Courtland and care for him. They each open the other’s eyes to a different way of viewing the world around them and I really enjoyed their conversations. I only wish they’d had more conversations earlier on or maybe that Cailin’s animosity hadn’t endured quite so long, just so we could’ve had more time for them to ‘court’ and get to know each other on the page. That said, these two were definitely an example of ‘when you know, you know,’ and they didn’t really need more time together. I loved how Courtland just completely lost any smoothness or charm he’d had with women around Cailin and became all nervous and prone to anxious chattering. I found that adorably endearing and a sweet glimpse of the genuinely good, caring, protective man he was beneath his roguish reputation. His sisters were all complete pills and their antics drove me crazy. He definitely handled them with more grace and patience than I would have, and I loved finally seeing him get something for himself for a change rather than always having to care for others. In the same way, I was glad to see Cailin stand up for herself to her protective and sometimes overbearing brothers, saying who she wanted to be with and in no uncertain terms. Overall, I really did enjoy this story and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord “Fancy Pants” and the reluctant debutante.

Pleasing story about an illegitimate duke’s daughter who grew up in a mining community. Cailin Audley, is a young women without artifice, a strait shooter—mostly. When Cailin meets Courtland Balfour, the seventh Duke of St. James, pretending to be his twin brother and her father’s secretary, Courtland is thrown in more ways than one. Humorous! Did I mention the Cailin has brothers! Mmm!
Bentley and his new wife want Cailin to have a London season. Courtland is but a thread away from debtor’s prison. He is trying to hold things together to give his three young sisters the opportunities that is theirs to have (if only the estate can come out from under the looming spectre of bankruptcy). Keira’s employment is important to this plan. To assist Keir, Courtland decides to engage in the way the twins have always done, swap identities.
So Courtland meeting Cailin, in guise as his brother Keir, doesn’t factor in unexpected surprises that don’t matter, except when they do. By that stage Courtland (dubbed Lord Fancy Pants by Cailin) is well down the path of subterfuge, complicated by attraction, and Cailin’s in denial. It seems others must assist them with their affinity for each other, with disastrous results. I love fourteen year old Ellie. Courtland’s relationship with his youngest and decidedly quite a character sister is heartwarming.

A Berkley Publishing Group ARC via NetGalley

[Denise Wilbanks | This Is My Everybody · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW: Desperately Seeking a Duchess by Christi Caldwell
Series: All The Duke's Sins | Book 2
2022 Publication Date: May 24

⭐️⭐️⭐️️

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2022

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Get your facts straight... Before you draw your conclusions...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW: I listened to this book via audiobook. And, unfortunately, I believe that choice may have compromised my experience of this story. So that's on me!

Let me explain... When I choose to "read" a book via audiobook, my reading experience often merges into multi-tasking. Either I am also driving, or designing, or doing tasks that I normally love to do while listening to a wonderful story... And usually without compromising my full engagement with the book.

However, when a book has a "mistaken identity" element as a central feature of the story, there is an inherent strategy within the story to set up the characters in the story to be a bit confused as to who they are talking to.

You have probably guessed where I am going with this... The mistaken identity strategy worked like a charm on the characters... but also on me too! Unfortunately, I too was a bit confused "who was who" until about two thirds into the book.

But once I cleared the clouds in my mind, the story began to sing in true Christi Caldwell fashion!

I absolutely loved Book 1 (Along Came A Lady) of this series (which I did read in print format!) and remain a big fan of Christi Caldwell books. Her future releases will always make my T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books list for any year!

Just as our heroine learns to get the facts straight before she draws her conclusions, my audiobook selections in the future will steer clear of mistaken identity storylines and opt for print versions the next time up to bat!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 336
Genre: Historical Romance
Sub-Genre: Mistaken Identity Romance | Steamy Romance
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy)
Time Period: 1806 (Regency Era)
Location: Staffordshire (England)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: Along Came A Lady by Christi Caldwell (All The Duke's Sins | Book 1)
• T.I.M.E. TIP: You can read this book series as standalone books… ✨😎✨
TV: Bridgerton Series

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Cailin Audley, an heiress, makes a misstep in Polite Society, she is whisked away to the English countryside. There, she meets the Duke of St. James, who is frustratingly charming. As they get to know each other better, Cailin starts to see past his title and into the man he really is. But when her family intervenes, Cailin has to decide what she wants for her future.

Christi Caldwell's Desperately Seeking a Duchess is the second book in her All The Duke's Sins series and a charming romance novel that will leave you wanting more. If you're a fan of Christi Caldwell's other books, then you'll love this one too.

♡ T.I.M.E. TIP ➾ I would recommend reading it in print form (rather than audiobook) so that you don't get confused with the mistaken identity storyline. Either way, you're sure to enjoy Christi Caldwell's Desperately Seeking a Duchess.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• Even when people make mistakes, they can still be good people worthy of love and forgiveness.
• It's important to get the facts straight before making any decisions or judgments.
• Everyone has a past that shapes who they are, and it's important to understand and accept that before moving forward in any relationship.

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-...

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

// COME ON OVER & SAY HELLO!...
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And let's be friends here on Goodreads too!... ✨😎✨

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Series: All The Duke’s Sins #2
Publication Date: 5/31/22
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 336

Once upon a time, there was a very rogueish duke whose mistress bore him four children – three sons and a daughter. She never told him of the children’s existence, so he went through his life never knowing about them – until the youngest son showed up and asked him to provide funds for him to buy a military commission. That son told him it was the least he could do – and he agreed that it was. Thus began his quest to get to know his children, bring them to London, and fold them into the ton. Except those children had absolutely no intention of having anything to do with the man they felt abandoned them. He’d wear them down by sending person after person after person out to their mining community – sooner or later, one of them would succeed and get at least one or two of them to town. The first book of the series – Along Came A Lady – is the story of the one person who finally managed to coax some of them to London.

This book is about the duke’s daughter, Cailin, who begged her oldest brother, Rafe, to accompany her to London. Along with Cailin we also have Courtland Balfour, Duke of St. James, who was one of those who unsuccessfully tried to bring Cailin and her family to London. Well, it wasn’t supposed to be him – it was supposed to be his twin brother – but Courtland thought it would be a lark to take his brother’s place since his brother wasn’t at all good with people. After being shot at by Cailin and receiving a punch so strong it could have killed him, he decided maybe it wasn’t such a lark.

Courtland can never let Cailin find out that he was impersonating his twin brother because it could cost his brother his job – and they desperately needed the funds – not to mention that his brother loved his job. So, of course, it doesn’t take long for Courtland’s brother and Cailin to cross paths – and for it all to break loose and for Kier to lose his job.

I thought the chemistry between Cailin and Courtland was excellent – and I loved that she could tell the twins apart right away. Each of them had closed off their hearts and emotions, but for very different reasons and it was lovely to see them open up and learn to love. Each of them gave it their best fight – Cailin because she didn’t want to risk heartbreak a second time – and Courtland because he didn’t want to become his father and marry just for the money the dukedom so desperately needed.

I loved how protective Cailin’s brothers were of her – and what was even more delightful was how protective Courtland’s sisters were of him. The youngest sister, Ellie, was priceless and you should read the book just for the things she gets up to. However, I will note that the same youngest sister (14 years) has a not-quite-believable personality. She plays with toy swords like an 8-year-old - but she is also worldly-wise and gives advice to much older people. I liked parts of her character, but she just didn't seem believable.

The reason I didn’t give the book more stars is two-fold. First, while I liked the story well enough, it didn’t just suck me in where I couldn’t turn loose. Second, and more importantly (to me at least), is the constant (ad nauseam) references to Courtland being a step away from debtors' prison, being locked up, doing labor, etc. Since that would have been all but impossible, I just had a hard time buying into the story. There is a well-written article by Courtney Milan (who is an expert on these things) that explains about Peers and debtors prison, etc. If you are interested, you can read it at Courtney Milan Article - If you aren’t interested and it doesn’t bother you, then I’m sure you’ll love it.

I liked the story and thought it was well written. I liked the main characters and was rooting for their HEA throughout the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a great read.
Loved these characters, Cailin and Courtland.
Such a wonderful couple and a great read.

[Fae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one started off strong, dipped in the middle and got better at the last few chapters.

The chemistry between the hero and heroine was alright. I found their conversations to be super boring and I skimmed many of it.

The one thing I did not like about this book was the too long conversations between the hero and his siblings, and the heroine and her siblings/father. They bored me.

I felt more talking and bonding between the hero and heroine was needed, which this book lacked. Hero’s realization that he loved the heroine was abrupt and unbelievable to me.

An alright book. But not one I would re-read as the writing style was not my cup of tea.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desperately Seeking a Duchess is the second story in the All the Duke’s Sins series and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cailin’s road to happiness and love. Cailin Audley is finding that things aren’t always greener on the side. She thought that if she went to London with her older brother Rafe, that she would be able to go to museums and tour London. That’s not the case because she needed to be taught the rules of Polite Society. When she figures out that the man that came to see her months ago isn’t who he says he was, things go sideways for both of them. Courtland Balfour, Duke of St. James, pretended to be his twin Kier and encourage the Audleys to come to London, for his own ulterior motives. Trying to make amends for all that went wrong, the meet several times and Cailin and Courtland somehow become friends. Something is growing between the two of them that only the two of them understand. What they both realize that they feel trapped like a bird in a gilded cage, constrained by rules and expectations of Society. Cailin can’t give up her independent ways and finds her friendship with Courtland a salve for her situation. Courtland finds it interesting to befriend a woman like Cailin but he needs to marry an heiress in order to save his family from debtors’ prison.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cailin and Courtland’s romance as a fish out of water to finally being heard by the people who love her. Cailin is a bit of fresh air for this stuffy family and her brothers all thought they knew what was best for her. Being the youngest can be a blessing and a hardship because it’s hard to grow and be your own person when people are constantly telling what you can and can’t do. As for Courtland he was doing things the way it was always done and never considered changing course in order to save his family. Cailin opened his eyes to a new possibility and he couldn’t help but fall in love with her. This story is not only a romance of two individuals but a story of family and the love for one another. Both Cailin and Courtland got a better understand of how things have got to change in order to keep a family together. A wonderful story of love, family and romance all in one.

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series. It has been years since I have read a book by Christi Caldwell. I have missed my Regency books. Looks I have some catching up to do with this author, which I will happily do!

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Desperately Seeking a Duchess
Series: All the Duke's Sins #2
Author: Christi Caldwell
Release date: May 24, 2022
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: historical romance

His was the manner of embrace that consumed: a spark that kindled into a fire until a woman was set ablaze in the happiest of conflagrations, which left one feeling born anew of the ashes of past heartbreaks and regrets.

Christi Caldwell has written some of my favorite five star historical romance books. She was one of my go-to authors in the genre a few years back, but I haven't picked up one of her stories in quite some time. I was very interested to see if I could recapture some of the old magic. I'm happy to report that Desperately Seeking a Duchess was a resounding success; in fact, I will be catching myself up to date on this series by reading book one in the near future. Rafe and Edwina, the couple from the previous book, play a strong supporting role here, as do the other siblings of the main couple. All of the secondary characters were brought to life so well that I can envision myself one-clicking any of their books in the future. That's not really that much of a surprise to me, knowing this author's talent for characterization in her previous titles.

Lord Courtland, the Duke of St. James shows up on Cailin Audley's doorstep in the hopes of convincing the Audley siblings to come to London at their father, the Duke of Bentley's request. Bentley fathered them but only recently learned of their existence. He wishes for them to be a part of his life and join his social life in the upper class. However, Cailin and her three brothers live a quiet life in a country mining town and a quite content with their humble working class station. They want nothing more than to be left alone, especially when it comes to their absent father. I enjoyed the fact that these siblings were not moved by his wealth and status. These brothers and sisters are a strong, loyal, family unit that would lay down their lives for each other. The love they have for their mother and her memory makes them very antagonistic towards the idea of ever allowing their father into their lives (With the exception of Rafe. Rafe met and married a woman named Edwina in the first book and they are now happily married.)

When Courtland arrives at Cailin's home, it is in the guise of his identical twin brother Keir. Keir works for Cailin's father, but is socially awkward so they agree to switching places for the day so that Courtland can wield his smolder and charm to their advantage. His charm was no match for the woman who greets him with a shotgun. Cailin is a no-nonsense, petite spitfire who turns the tables on him and immediately charms the man without even trying. There was shooting, flirting, and a bit of smooching. Followed by a little bit of bloodshed. This was no common meet cute-it was a meet shoot and so much more funny and entertaining. Although Courtland's visit was a flat out fail by anyone's standards, he did manage to plant a seed in her mind about the wonders of London. Her thirst for scientific knowledge and experiencing new things finally convinces her to give her father's world a chance. It doesn't take her long to figure out that "Polite Society" was incredibly hard to navigate and very unwelcoming towards an illegitimate child of an aristocrat.

She’d come here wanting to explore a world different from her own. Only to discover her smaller, less grand world had proven greater in ways.

Courtland is such a cheeky, fun hero. He's described as a bit of a rogue, but he's 1000% committed to the safety and well-being of his family. He isn't one of those self-absorbed jerks who only cares for his own pleasure at the expense of everyone around him. Not only was his father that way, but he was also emotionally abusive to him and all of his siblings. The last thing he would ever do would be to follow in his father's footsteps. He is however, forced to step into his father's shoes, and that means taking on the massive debt the late duke acquired. If he doesn't come up with a plan to remedy their dire financial straits soon, he will most likely be sent to debtor's prison and his brothers and sisters will be left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, due to his disaster of a day switching identities with his brother, they are even worse off than before.

Keir was fired when Courtland's actions were discovered and he may be backed into a matrimonial corner to save them all. Courtland is emphatically against fortune hunting, but he's not sure if there's any other course of action open to him that will save them all from ruin. And how could he possibly imagine a loveless marriage when he can't get the fascinating Cailin out of his head? I loved how drawn he was to her-not despite her unique qualities but because of them. She didn't fit into his world at all, but then again, neither do his sisters. He loves each one just as they are.

He’d had relationships and dealings with all manner of women through the years. Many of them actresses. Some opera singers and ballet dancers. Others, widows. They’d been sexually inventive and brazen. None of that overt sexuality, however, could hold a proverbial candle to the seductive sight of a woman wholly enthralled by a book in her hands.

Cailin and Courtland's personalities were so different but they fit so wonderfully together. She saw his fiercely protective and loving side and appreciated his fast wit. He saw her for the strong, independent female that she was and encouraged her to pursue her unconventional interests in science. She gave him the courage to seek happiness for himself while still working to provide the best life for his family. They don't have to be mutually exclusive if you allow your family to share some of the burden with you. This was a hard lesson for him to learn because of his strong protectiveness, but his siblings adore him and his sisters in particular have him wrapped around their little fingers. I just loved seeing the tight family dynamic on both sides. His sisters really cracked me up and I'm really excited to read about their HEAs in the future.

I enjoyed this one very much! There were lots of funny moments, the conflicts felt organic and well-paced, and the romance was highly engaging and full of chemistry. I can't wait to read more about these families in the future. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a fresh, fairly new historical series to get hooked on.

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[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so underwhelming

First of all: how did the mother hide four kids and three pregnancies over the course of at least 14 years? The duke (FMC's father) had to know somehow.


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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Sandra Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desperately Seeking A Duchess is the stunning follow up to Along Came A Lady from the All The Dukes Sins Series. If you're a fan of heart touching historical romance, this series is for you. Caldwell has once again shown her expertise in writing a story that will warm your heart while making you laugh out loud. Readers, plan on swooning over our reluctant hero Courtland and cheering on our defiant heroine Cailin as they butt heads while guarding their hearts.

Cailin Audley, the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Bentley, has joined his family and as such is expected to learn the ways of a proper lady and flourish in the Polite Society which she finds just plain silly. Frankly, she's baffled by all the rules and regulations that burden women in this man's world. What's proper, what's not. The very idea that a lady meeting a man alone is scandalous and can ruin ones reputation for life is just preposterous. Cailin comes from a working class background and is used to making her own decisions. She's a smart, intelligent, strong headed woman who neither needs nor wants a man making decisions for her. Get married? Never!

Courtland Balfour, Duke of James, is a reluctant hero who inherited the title of Duke and the role of head of household from his late father who left the family coffers empty and in ruins. Courtland has assumed the role of protector of his twin brother and young sisters and as such he guards them from the knowledge that he's in danger of being thrown into debtor's prison. He'll do everything in his power to avoid this disaster and secure his sisters place in the Polite Society. Unfortunately, it's looking more and more like that means marrying a rich duchess to gain access to her money which grates against everything Courtland believes in. He may be a rogue, but he has principles that don't include being a fortune hunter. The idea of having to marry one of societies silly, nincompoops to gain her fortune gives him the hives.

There's no way readers won't fall in love with Caitlin as she fumbles and bumbles her way through this story like a bull in a china shop leaving rules shattered while shocked bystanders with their tongues wagging fall along the wayside. The same goes for Courtland - a handsome, caring man of honor who sets aside his own desires to provide for his siblings. When these two meet, bells start ringing and the air is electrified with heat and sexual desire. Caitlin loves that Courtland doesn't treat her as a misfit, but seems to like her brutal honesty and boldness. Courtland finds Caitlin's openness refreshing, and he's as attracted to her mind as he is to her body . . . well, almost as much.

Desperately Seeking A Duchess is an unique, heart warming, sometimes hilarious story driven by the interaction between Courtland and Caitlin. Rest assured that a super support cast rounds out the story while literally goading these two characters on. Ellie, Courtland's youngest sister, is one of my favorites - an especially endearing and funny addition to the cast. Caldwell has a special talent for gifting readers well-developed and likable characters that earn their spot in the cast. Her talent for drafting plot lines that go a step beyond the ordinary is nothing short of brilliant. Desperately Seeking A Duchess is everything I look for in a great historical romance plus more. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance, romance and even rom-coms. This one has it all.
Special thanks to Berkley Publ. for an arc of this book.
Review will post on my blog on May 23rd as part of the Release Book Tour!

[Rainelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the number of humorous moments between Cailin and Courtland. I instantly new that these two characters would bring some exciting moments to this romantic story. I was very impressed by the clever writing of the characters background story and how it intertwined with their love story. The book was definitely an easy read for me. I enjoyed the romance and how how much fun this book was to read.

[Ceanray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sad bc this did not hit like book 1 :( it had its moments but unfortunately none of them were related to the romance which is a bit of a problem for a romance novel.

I liked how Caldwell wrote between the lines of class differences and how it felt to move among different classes. She wrote the suffocation of Polite Society so well I felt like I was suffocating too.

Downsides - very little interaction between MCs for the first half of the book. It made the story feel both dragged and rushed. Their chemistry had flashes of believability but it just didn’t hit like Edwina and Rafe. The intimacy scenes were clumsily written and made me full body cringe at times.

Overall open to reading more Christi Caldwell but this was sadly a miss for me.

[Karen Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review

I haven't read the first in the All The Duke's Sins series but that did not affect my reading or enjoyment of Desperately Seeking a Duchess,

I enjoyed the role reversal of this - now we have the Duke looking for a rich woman to support him and his family, not the simpering, eyelash batting debutante looking for a husband this season.

This was a fun story. In fact, it gave me strong vibes of Anthony Bridgerton's story in the Bridgerston series. The lawn bowls had a strong whiff of the Pall Mall scene - and I enjoyed them both.

Gossip, reputation and family are a big part in Courtland finding his love, and I couldn't wait to turn each page to find out where they were at.

I need to go back and read the first book, and I look forward to more from this author in the future.

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Courtland Balfour is the seventh Duke of St. James. He is a notorious rogue with a reputation to charm any woman. His late father left the dukedom in severe debt, and Courtland is trying to fix the situation while keeping his siblings, including his twin Keir, in the dark. While pretending to be Keir, Courtland kisses Cailin, Duke Bentley’s daughter, which eventually causes Keir to lose his job.

Cailin is happy living with her brothers in their mining village, but when her father’s men come to bring his “long lost children” to London, Cailin gives in to the temptation of the big city. However, now that she’s in London, she realizes she does not enjoy the rules of Polite Society. Only her budding friendship with Courtland gives her any joy, and even that is not allowed.

I picked up Desperately Seeking a Duchess because 1) I love historcials involving dukes and 2) it fits the 2022 Romance Reading Challenge (Yellow dress on the cover). The book is the second story in the All the Duke's Sins series, and although it is a standalone romance, I was a bit lost at the beginning of the book. I ended up going to the internet to find out what happened in the first book, and then things fell into place. I recommend reading Along Came a Lady first.

Cailin is an independent women who does not fit into Polite Society and is shunned by the ton because she is a bastard child of Duke Bentley. She goes after what she wants, and in this case, it’s Courtland. While Courtland tries to behave, he’s too enchanted with Caitlin to keep his hands off her. I adored the couple. I love how they become friends, despite Polite Society. The pair are well-matched and find a lot of common ground. There are some secrets that cause a few problems, but because the pair communicates and listens to one another, they make it despite the issues.

While I enjoyed their romance, I did have a couple small issues with the story. First, Courtland’s youngest sister, Ellie, is too wise for her age (14). I suppose it’s to be her quirky personality thing, but it felt forced and unrealistic. She’s hiding behind curtains and playing with toy guns, yet she is wise about love and relationships? No. Additionally, I didn’t buy the way her father and brothers did an about-face about putting her into Polite Society towards the end of the book (and after something huge happens). It just rang false to me.

In the end, I enjoyed most of Desperately Seeking a Duchess. I liked the couple; I loved watching them become friends. I loved his recognition of her point of view and how she frees him from his perceived ducal life.

Rating: B-

Review copy provided by publisher
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love a Christi Caldwell novel. She always puts her heart into each and every work. Wonderful characters, captivating storylines and simply beautiful romance. Highly recommend Courtland and Cailin’s story.

[Joann Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem by Christi Caldwell! I truly hope all of the siblings get their own story❤️

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the main characters but there were a couple plot problems that annoyed me. An event would happen and then it'd be described as the day after and then as happening that morning. Or the duke was fully naked and then a page later he's pulling himself out of his pants. Also, I know this is just me being picky but there were 2 things repeated so much that it became annoying. Every pice of furniture was a leather button sofa. The other is that the author would use italics to emphasize words in the dialogue, making it super clear that the character was stressing a word, and then she would write in that they stressed a word. It was redundant.

[belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

courtland took his twin brother’s name when visiting cailin to convince her to london and reunite with her father, a duke who only recently found out that he had illegitimate kids. courtland is a rogue, a duke, an eldest brother who is trying to keep his family afloat. despite his dukedom, the duke of st. james inherited an empty coffer and a huge debt thanks to his father’s wastrel ways. on the other hand, cailin is suddenly an heiress living in a luxurious house after having lived in a miner’s town her whole life. the abundance, though, didn’t cause any indulgence in cailin’s part. in fact, she stays pretty down to earth and provided perspectives from the working class. finding that she doesn’t fit into the rigidity of polite society, cailin misses the freedom that came with a simple life.

as we started to know more of courtland, we find that he isn’t as bad as people expected him to be. the love he has for his family surpasses everything else. to prevent them from knowing about the dire straits of the family’s monetary situation, he goes through great lengths. but of course, the truth will come out. after cailin sees this side of him, she realized that he isn’t that bad after all.

one thing i loved is the families within this series. you can feel the love radiating from the siblings. not just between the balfour siblings but also cailin and her brothers, though they barely made an appearance. as for the audley’s relationship with their estranged father, it’s taking a little bit for each party to understand the other. it’s not easy for the duke to finally have four adult children. getting to know them for who they are will take a while, and some are more open to the notion than others.

[Carol lowkey.bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the grumpy/sunshine romance of the first book in this series, Along Came a Lady. So, I was excited to read book two in the series, Desperately Seeking a Duchess. This second installment involves Rafe’s sister, Cailin. Cailin is the perfect romance heroine who is feisty and can take care of herself. Her love interest, Courtland Balfour is charming and burdened by his family’s dwindling finances. Their meeting is explosive as is their immediate attraction.

I liked this book for the charming hero and strong heroine. I also like that there are tons of siblings on both sides of the family which means more fun historical romances in this series.

I recommend you read this book if you like Bridgerton, witty banter, and charming heroes.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC via Netgalley.

[guiltless pleasures]

This is DNF for me at 54%. There were sloppy little things like the heroine saying “What in tarnation” and the hero giving his friend the middle finger, which isn’t a thing in England.

Caldwell also kept doing this thing where she tells us how the characters are speaking, e.g. “‘Soooooo,’ he said, adding an extra two syllables for emphasis” thing. A stylistic irritation.

She kept trying to build tension by having them kiss every now and again, but the kisses come out of nowhere. I like every action/decision to have a reasonable motivation. Is that too much to ask??

My final note: Caldwell kept referring to the hero as “London’s leading rogue” or similar, but he is written as a blushing, bumbling dork.

It all felt sloppy and unconvincing. I put it down five days ago and haven’t had the urge to pick it back up, so byeeeeee!

[Callie (readitlikerory) Coker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illegitimate daughter of a duke raised among coal miners, Cailin Audley is skeptical of most people. But then she meets her match in a rogue who is searching for a fortune. In this slow burn, the romance is built on embers that are slowly fanned until, finally, we get fire. *resists urge to make a Bridgerton burning reference*

I had trouble with the slowness of this one, but I ultimately enjoyed it because I liked Cailin and Courtland's chemistry. In slow-burn romance, the chemistry has to be strong otherwise I can't buy into the story.

I recommend this one to historical romance readers who enjoy less steam, the slowness of Bridgerton season 2, and strong character development.

I received an early copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[CheerfullRain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t make it through the first book in this series, but I am so glad I gave the second one a try. It was infinitely better than the first and I am definitely excited to see how this series progresses. My only real gripe was that I found the book to be slow at times. I felt that there was some extraneous exposition that was there just to kill time between scenes and added nothing to the story or my understanding of the characters.

[Diane Shearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry. I was bored. I usually really enjoy “the wrong twin” stories, and I did very much enjoy Courtland and Keir, but the story really went off in too many directions for me to enjoy it. I just didn’t like Cailin. Yes, she’s only 18 and illegitimate, I get it, but she’s also a rebel, a bluestocking, and somewhat of a tramp in my opinion. She’s the one who got Rafe to agree to go to London to meet their father, yet once there she chafes at the restrictions and constantly breaks the rules, wishing for life back home which she couldn’t wait to leave. I got so tired of her. And she pushed my pet peeve button by insisting she will never marry for 9/10ths of the book, while having sex at every opportunity. Ridiculous. I wanted her to develop a deep relationship with her stepmother and learn to love London life. Instead she just whined and snuck out and had tantrums and caused everyone trouble. I really hope the next one is better, because the first book was great.

[Cocktails and Books]

I enjoyed this story a lot. Courtland and Cailin's relationship may have started off a bit on the wrong foot, but their chemistry was undeniable. Their romance was slow-building, but the friendship they formed helped each of them grow and finally understand what they wanted out of life. It wasn't an easy road, with both of them constantly being told what to do by those that love them, but they forged their own path and fought for the HEA.

Side note...the snappy dialogue between the characters, especially Courtland with just about anyone he interacted with, was fantastic.

[Myblogisgreat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness that was so great. Funny, sweet, with yearning angst and a little heartache. A perfect historical romance!

I can’t wait for Ellie’s book!

[Kaalatzvya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now quite as good as the first in the series. A lot felt the same; add a few factual errors (I admit to being a bit of a pedant) and I just wasn’t fully into it. Still, enjoying my romance run so will gaily run on to the third in the series.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

For all of her life, Cailin Audley has known that her brother's would do anything for her, even if that means meeting their absentee father, and joining polite society so she could have a good life. But Cailin doesn't fit in with the other society women, and she would much rather be back home in her mining village, than in a Mayfair ballroom. She might be able to learn how to act the part, but when the stain of being a Duke's illegitimate daughter is indelible, no matter how large a dowry her father awards her, it's clear that Cailin is looked down on. Apart from by the handsome and charming Duke of St. James. Courtland Balfour may be a duke, but he's a penniless one, and knows that he needs to do something to save his family, especially his younger sisters. The only family member who has any inkling of the financial situation is his twin brother, who works for Cailin's family, and after a mistaken idea to masquerade as his brother, and kiss Cailin, Courtland needs to protect them all. Cailin, who just may be the only woman he could imagine marrying, wants nothing to do with him, but when she lands herself in the country after a social faux pas, can she steel her heart against the duke.

Immediately after reading Along Came a Lady, I had to start book 2. When we met Cailin, it was clear that she had such a story waiting to tell, and let me tell you, Desperately Seeking a Duchess did not disappoint! I couldn't put this down from the moment I picked it up. Cailin is a strong woman, but she's got vulnerable sides, and being in society is not right for her. She soon realises that her family want her married and settled as quickly as they can - for her own good, because they want her to be safe - but it rankles, especially after having her heart broken in the past. Her and Courtland's relationship was perfect for their characters, as was the interactions with their siblings, who were so protective of them! Ellie, in particular, was the superstar of the book, though some of her actions were questionable. Honestly, I don't think I could've asked for much more from this book, and the way they opened up, and truly fell for each other, was one of the best romances I've read in a while. Caldwell has kicked it out the park, and I'm looking forward to her next book!