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The McQuoids of Mayfair #1
The Duke Alone
For an abandoned lady and a reclusive duke, the winter season brings a swirl of romance—and danger—in a bracing novel by USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell.
Lady Myrtle McQuoid has always felt a little forgotten, and this season is no exception. When her boisterous family vacates their London townhouse for the country, Myrtle finds she’s been left behind. But she just needs to stay warm, keep her belly full, and distract herself until her relatives realize their mistake and turn back to collect her. Surely that won’t take long.
Brooding widower Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, has shut himself off from the world. He craves blessed solitude—a loyal dog, a silent house, and his own company are all he requires. Certainly not the nonstop chattering of the joyful, opinionated young woman next door.
But with a potential threat lurking in the winter shadows, Myrtle may need to pluck up the nerve to approach the reclusive duke. And Val is not one to turn his back on a vulnerable lady.
Amid the silent nights of London, beneath a blanket of snow, could the light of a new, warm love be kindling?
Lady Myrtle McQuoid has always felt a little forgotten, and this season is no exception. When her boisterous family vacates their London townhouse for the country, Myrtle finds she’s been left behind. But she just needs to stay warm, keep her belly full, and distract herself until her relatives realize their mistake and turn back to collect her. Surely that won’t take long.
Brooding widower Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, has shut himself off from the world. He craves blessed solitude—a loyal dog, a silent house, and his own company are all he requires. Certainly not the nonstop chattering of the joyful, opinionated young woman next door.
But with a potential threat lurking in the winter shadows, Myrtle may need to pluck up the nerve to approach the reclusive duke. And Val is not one to turn his back on a vulnerable lady.
Amid the silent nights of London, beneath a blanket of snow, could the light of a new, warm love be kindling?
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2022
2105 people are currently reading
4338 people want to read
About the author
Christi Caldwell
136 books2,557 followersUSA 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 586 reviews
July 6, 2022
✨All I want for Christmas is explicit sex.✨
If you’ve never known the pain of the only sex scene being a surprise fade to black mess then I envy you. As a whole I suppose I didn’t mind most of this book. I love Home Alone, I love Christmas, and I love broken dukes who may or may not be murderers. However, most aspects were lacking depth or the proper scope to get me fully invested.
On the Home Alone front, the book stripped the best part of home alone away: the tactics Kevin used to stop the burglars. The actual burglary aspect was so small and honestly very random. It was only included because of the movie, but it added nothing here. Myrtle totally had the ability to be a badass in the face of home invasion but she never was. Why say she used to pull elaborate pranks if she doesn’t dust off those skills? It was also concluded super quickly.
Another aspect of the movie is Kevin’s relationship with his mother. We got a bit of this in the epilogue, but I think the family could’ve played a bit more of a role at the end. I do think the concept up being left home alone is definitely fun and I enjoyed the aspect as a whole in the book. I loved how Val was the scary neighbor from the movie.
While Myrtle was literally home alone with Val for most of the book, I still wanted more moments of them together. The bathing scene was great, but if the book wasn’t going to give us explicit sex, then we absolutely needed more development between the two. There was a pretty major age gap as she was a FRESH eighteen. At the end, I thought we were finally going to have a grand emotional moment (aka have explicit passionate sex) but it was totally breezed over.
I’ve read the author before and was definitely expecting at least one sex scene. This book had one “scene” that was totally fade to black and very abrupt. The page before I was like “they’re in a bed!!!” I flipped the page in eager anticipation and immediately saw *** indicating a scene jump and I just about lost it.
Some books do enough work to the romance without sex and it’s great and sex is a nice cheeky little bonus or not needed, but this what not a case of that. I don’t like not knowing what words were shared between the two at that moment. It made me feel weird knowing that she was screaming his name because it felt so impersonal and improbable. She was so innocent. Plus, I just want to know about his Yuletide 🪵 in vivid detail is that too much to wish for this Christmas?
Overall, I did like parts of the book and think the bones are there. However, I think it needed…more. But different more than what’s already there because the book is already pretty lengthy. Not much happened but it was still a fairly enjoyable holiday read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 .5🌶/5
CWs: Carriage accident, death of spouse, death of unborn child
If you’ve never known the pain of the only sex scene being a surprise fade to black mess then I envy you. As a whole I suppose I didn’t mind most of this book. I love Home Alone, I love Christmas, and I love broken dukes who may or may not be murderers. However, most aspects were lacking depth or the proper scope to get me fully invested.
On the Home Alone front, the book stripped the best part of home alone away: the tactics Kevin used to stop the burglars. The actual burglary aspect was so small and honestly very random. It was only included because of the movie, but it added nothing here. Myrtle totally had the ability to be a badass in the face of home invasion but she never was. Why say she used to pull elaborate pranks if she doesn’t dust off those skills? It was also concluded super quickly.
Another aspect of the movie is Kevin’s relationship with his mother. We got a bit of this in the epilogue, but I think the family could’ve played a bit more of a role at the end. I do think the concept up being left home alone is definitely fun and I enjoyed the aspect as a whole in the book. I loved how Val was the scary neighbor from the movie.
While Myrtle was literally home alone with Val for most of the book, I still wanted more moments of them together. The bathing scene was great, but if the book wasn’t going to give us explicit sex, then we absolutely needed more development between the two. There was a pretty major age gap as she was a FRESH eighteen. At the end, I thought we were finally going to have a grand emotional moment (aka have explicit passionate sex) but it was totally breezed over.
I’ve read the author before and was definitely expecting at least one sex scene. This book had one “scene” that was totally fade to black and very abrupt. The page before I was like “they’re in a bed!!!” I flipped the page in eager anticipation and immediately saw *** indicating a scene jump and I just about lost it.
Some books do enough work to the romance without sex and it’s great and sex is a nice cheeky little bonus or not needed, but this what not a case of that. I don’t like not knowing what words were shared between the two at that moment. It made me feel weird knowing that she was screaming his name because it felt so impersonal and improbable. She was so innocent. Plus, I just want to know about his Yuletide 🪵 in vivid detail is that too much to wish for this Christmas?
Overall, I did like parts of the book and think the bones are there. However, I think it needed…more. But different more than what’s already there because the book is already pretty lengthy. Not much happened but it was still a fairly enjoyable holiday read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 .5🌶/5
CWs: Carriage accident, death of spouse, death of unborn child
November 26, 2023
he’s 30 and she’s 17. he needs to go get a JOB and stay lonely
November 28, 2022
There was a lot of stuff going on, something between beauty and the beast, Home Alone and Pride and Prejudice, I kid you not.
And not a single sex scene!
Still it was amusing and relatively well written. I doubt I’ll read this author again tho.
And not a single sex scene!
Still it was amusing and relatively well written. I doubt I’ll read this author again tho.
October 23, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
I guess I should have guessed The Duke Alone was a holiday story by the synopsis but I totally missed that before starting to read. This is very much Home Alone meets a Regency romance even to the description of the thieves out to rob the house during the holidays. While I like both Home Alone and Regency Romances I'm not sure how much I like them mashed together.
Myrtle was sent away by her family to boarding school and has just returned on the cusp of eighteen right before the holiday season to a household in a huge bustle to get packed to leave London for the winter for the house to renovated in their absence. Myrtle seems like an after thought among all of this. The only interesting thing to happen in her time away is the Duke who moved in next door. There are so many rumors surrounding him about murdering the servants and being a mean man, or in her mind brooding hero, that Myrtle is intrigued.
Val is the broken hero, devastated after the death of his wife and unborn child; he has removed himself from society and definitely does not celebrate Christmas. He did not expect to be accosted by the woman next door who he can seem to get rid of no matter how surly and rude he is. She just goes on with her day and puts his life in upheaval with all her happy chatter and the way she has bewitched his dog and horse. But there is something about her that has niggled its way in and Val now finds himself thinking of the innocent young woman in a ways he hasn't thought of anyone since his wife.
This is a pretty cute holiday story. I didn't love the mash up idea of it following Home Alone so closely but Myrtle was likable enough to carry most of the story. Val is an okay hero and I did like him for the most part overall but I don't think he is particularly memorable has heroes go.
Narration:
Timothy Campbell did great and I enjoyed his voice for all the characters but especially the hero's. He sounded like butter and it was smooth and I just wanted to spread that voice all over myself. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
I guess I should have guessed The Duke Alone was a holiday story by the synopsis but I totally missed that before starting to read. This is very much Home Alone meets a Regency romance even to the description of the thieves out to rob the house during the holidays. While I like both Home Alone and Regency Romances I'm not sure how much I like them mashed together.
Myrtle was sent away by her family to boarding school and has just returned on the cusp of eighteen right before the holiday season to a household in a huge bustle to get packed to leave London for the winter for the house to renovated in their absence. Myrtle seems like an after thought among all of this. The only interesting thing to happen in her time away is the Duke who moved in next door. There are so many rumors surrounding him about murdering the servants and being a mean man, or in her mind brooding hero, that Myrtle is intrigued.
Val is the broken hero, devastated after the death of his wife and unborn child; he has removed himself from society and definitely does not celebrate Christmas. He did not expect to be accosted by the woman next door who he can seem to get rid of no matter how surly and rude he is. She just goes on with her day and puts his life in upheaval with all her happy chatter and the way she has bewitched his dog and horse. But there is something about her that has niggled its way in and Val now finds himself thinking of the innocent young woman in a ways he hasn't thought of anyone since his wife.
This is a pretty cute holiday story. I didn't love the mash up idea of it following Home Alone so closely but Myrtle was likable enough to carry most of the story. Val is an okay hero and I did like him for the most part overall but I don't think he is particularly memorable has heroes go.
Narration:
Timothy Campbell did great and I enjoyed his voice for all the characters but especially the hero's. He sounded like butter and it was smooth and I just wanted to spread that voice all over myself. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
September 1, 2022
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and publisher, Montlake. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Publishing: October 18, 2022
Series: Stand Alone
Pages: 319
Christi Caldwell is one of my favorite authors and I was delighted to get the opportunity to read/review “The Duke Alone” as the description seemed quite fun and upbeat. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that witty and fun take on this story. It appeared too wordy and for the most part dragged on too long to get to the ending. I get that Myrtle has been away at finishing school, is treated as child, and pretty much ignored or in the shadow by her family, but her character at some point became an annoyance…too immature and childlike. Then there is the reclusive Duke, Val who is rude and caught up mostly in himself. He was written a tad bit too old, so it was hard to picture any type of relationship between the two.
Well at some point in the story, their interest in one another takes flight and starts to build. However, there wasn’t much chemistry between the main characters and lacking on all points.
So looking for the steamy, but that was limited to hot kisses and fade to black when they finally came together…lost, not spoken on the pages and missed. At least that part of the story I was expecting as this is not the typical of Ms. Caldwell’s previous books I’ve read. In addition, I couldn’t grasp the sudden demeanor change in her mother towards the ending, after playing ignorance to her for so long. Nor, the author lining the pages as fillers with holiday songs.
I struggled with this one and almost did not finish. The storyline takes on a historical “Home Alone” type romance that could have been an enjoyable holiday treat but missed the mark in the writing. Rather than a long drawn out story…it would have been better as a holiday novella.
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Publishing: October 18, 2022
Series: Stand Alone
Pages: 319
Christi Caldwell is one of my favorite authors and I was delighted to get the opportunity to read/review “The Duke Alone” as the description seemed quite fun and upbeat. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that witty and fun take on this story. It appeared too wordy and for the most part dragged on too long to get to the ending. I get that Myrtle has been away at finishing school, is treated as child, and pretty much ignored or in the shadow by her family, but her character at some point became an annoyance…too immature and childlike. Then there is the reclusive Duke, Val who is rude and caught up mostly in himself. He was written a tad bit too old, so it was hard to picture any type of relationship between the two.
Well at some point in the story, their interest in one another takes flight and starts to build. However, there wasn’t much chemistry between the main characters and lacking on all points.
So looking for the steamy, but that was limited to hot kisses and fade to black when they finally came together…lost, not spoken on the pages and missed. At least that part of the story I was expecting as this is not the typical of Ms. Caldwell’s previous books I’ve read. In addition, I couldn’t grasp the sudden demeanor change in her mother towards the ending, after playing ignorance to her for so long. Nor, the author lining the pages as fillers with holiday songs.
I struggled with this one and almost did not finish. The storyline takes on a historical “Home Alone” type romance that could have been an enjoyable holiday treat but missed the mark in the writing. Rather than a long drawn out story…it would have been better as a holiday novella.
January 18, 2025
If you like a clean read . This story will be for you. One lady forgotten by her big family. She Is left alone to fend for herself . Her neighbour a brooding Duke, who wants to be left alone.
This lady needs his help and keeps turning up and taking to him and he finds himself helping her. Eventually she brake through his hard core feeling and they become friends and fall in love.
This is my first read for this author and won’t be my last.
3 books to this series and I will read them all.
This lady needs his help and keeps turning up and taking to him and he finds himself helping her. Eventually she brake through his hard core feeling and they become friends and fall in love.
This is my first read for this author and won’t be my last.
3 books to this series and I will read them all.
June 30, 2022
“There’d been a heat the likes of which she’d never known before. Nay, not heat; heat would have been the candles upon her cake. This had been an all-out burning within, one that had started like the slow kindling of a fire and had grown, overtaking her, and she’d been content to burn.”
I’m a sucker for a good Duke book and this one did not disappoint. Myrtle finds herself accidentally left behind by her family during Christmas time (think Home Alone in 19th century London) and turns to her neighbor for company, who just happens to be a lonely, reclusive Duke.
I liked that this book had a subplot besides the budding romance between the two main characters and showed Myrtle trying to protect her home from thieves who knew her family was going to be out of town (I’m not kidding about the Home Alone vibes).
If I’m being honest I was surprised by the lack of steamy scenes in this one, but the banter and relationship between Myrtle and Val is so pure you don’t even miss it. This would be a great book to add to your Holiday TBR!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
I’m a sucker for a good Duke book and this one did not disappoint. Myrtle finds herself accidentally left behind by her family during Christmas time (think Home Alone in 19th century London) and turns to her neighbor for company, who just happens to be a lonely, reclusive Duke.
I liked that this book had a subplot besides the budding romance between the two main characters and showed Myrtle trying to protect her home from thieves who knew her family was going to be out of town (I’m not kidding about the Home Alone vibes).
If I’m being honest I was surprised by the lack of steamy scenes in this one, but the banter and relationship between Myrtle and Val is so pure you don’t even miss it. This would be a great book to add to your Holiday TBR!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
December 26, 2022
Cute little snowy-season holiday regency romance!
Definitely, more on the virginal maiden/slightly older guy side if you're into that? (Personally, that's a trope I'm starting to find highly tiresome - however, while I was falling asleep on the plane the audiobook of this was available with distinctly English voices on Kindle Unlimited and I'm a fan of basically anything read to me in a British accent!)
NOTES:
- HEA ending
- Regency Romance (Christmas season)
- Quick Read (Audiobook available on Kindle Unlimited)
- Younger girl / older guy
Definitely, more on the virginal maiden/slightly older guy side if you're into that? (Personally, that's a trope I'm starting to find highly tiresome - however, while I was falling asleep on the plane the audiobook of this was available with distinctly English voices on Kindle Unlimited and I'm a fan of basically anything read to me in a British accent!)
NOTES:
- HEA ending
- Regency Romance (Christmas season)
- Quick Read (Audiobook available on Kindle Unlimited)
- Younger girl / older guy
November 25, 2022
Looking for a good mashup between regency romance and the Home Alone movie? Go no further, this is it.
June 30, 2022
Sadly, I really did not enjoy this book and that was mostly because it was very unoriginal because of its influence by Home Alone and Pride and Prejudice. To start with, the entire book is an homage to Home Alone, but instead of Kevin, the person left alone is eighteen year old Myrtle, abandoned during the holidays and wouldn't you know it: two robbers are staking out the place. On top of that, the next door neighbor, is Val, a duke who is the subject of gossip about how bloodthirsty he is and thoughts that he might of killed his previous wife.
From then on, it basically follows the plot of Home Alone except that instead of creating elaborate ways to fool the thieves, Val never really believes what Myrtle is saying about them, and Myrtle never really takes action against them. It's mostly just an afterthought despite being the so-called plot of the novel. Even once the thieves plot is wrapped up, the originality still never surfaces, with even the final love confession being a quote entirely from the love confession of Pride and Prejudice without an original word spoken.
It also doesn't help matters that Myrtle seems so young throughout all of this. She reacts to things like a child and routinely has to remind herself that she's a grown woman which makes the entire romance feel unbalanced and awkward.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
From then on, it basically follows the plot of Home Alone except that instead of creating elaborate ways to fool the thieves, Val never really believes what Myrtle is saying about them, and Myrtle never really takes action against them. It's mostly just an afterthought despite being the so-called plot of the novel. Even once the thieves plot is wrapped up, the originality still never surfaces, with even the final love confession being a quote entirely from the love confession of Pride and Prejudice without an original word spoken.
It also doesn't help matters that Myrtle seems so young throughout all of this. She reacts to things like a child and routinely has to remind herself that she's a grown woman which makes the entire romance feel unbalanced and awkward.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2022
The heroine is annoying. I see why her family ignores her and forgot about her. The hero had to acknowledge her; she was the only one who spoke to him.
October 16, 2022
Five sparkling stars worth of joy
A truly wonderful tale of a reclusive Duke mourning his lost love and a young woman who’s always felt out of place and forgotten. Lady Myrtle McQuoid awoke the morning of her family’s departure for their Scottish home to find they’d all gone—left without her. Confirming her belief that she was overlooked and never missed. After all no one returned for her—no one.
Well she’d just have to shift for herself. Although maybe she could approach the “mad” duke next door, Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon.
Val was relentless in his sadness about his dead wife. They’d been childhood sweethearts. Now this young hoyden from next door who sang Christmas carols loudly and slightly off key, who had unruly hair and a smile to light up the night, was all set to annoy him. So ok he showed her how to light the fire and keep it banked, but that was it!
Except it wasn’t! A Christmas story full of pain, awakening love and a young woman who just made me smile.
A Montlake ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
A truly wonderful tale of a reclusive Duke mourning his lost love and a young woman who’s always felt out of place and forgotten. Lady Myrtle McQuoid awoke the morning of her family’s departure for their Scottish home to find they’d all gone—left without her. Confirming her belief that she was overlooked and never missed. After all no one returned for her—no one.
Well she’d just have to shift for herself. Although maybe she could approach the “mad” duke next door, Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon.
Val was relentless in his sadness about his dead wife. They’d been childhood sweethearts. Now this young hoyden from next door who sang Christmas carols loudly and slightly off key, who had unruly hair and a smile to light up the night, was all set to annoy him. So ok he showed her how to light the fire and keep it banked, but that was it!
Except it wasn’t! A Christmas story full of pain, awakening love and a young woman who just made me smile.
A Montlake ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
July 12, 2022
A silly romance with a fun story line. Home Alone meets regency England and romance. This would have been great but I started to get bored with the reptation of thought and the brooding hero who never speaks.
This is an adult read. No graphic sex scenes but some inuendo and alluding to more. Sex before marriage and some alcohol. A little violence but like Home Alone more silly then violent.
This is an adult read. No graphic sex scenes but some inuendo and alluding to more. Sex before marriage and some alcohol. A little violence but like Home Alone more silly then violent.
December 24, 2022
There's nothing better a Christmas time than a holiday Regency Romance. An angry antisocial Duke and a Lady full of Christmas cheer, both alone and deeply lonely. This was such a lovely sweet story and the Home Alone vibes were awesome! I can see myself reading this charming holiday tale year after year.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 19, 2022
Since 2015, I have read hundreds and hundreds of different authors but I only have 31 authors that I consider my favorites and have read all their books (in my genre). Christi Caldwell is definitely one of those authors. This is my 78th book by Christi Caldwell. I read 2 of her books in 2013 but didn’t pick her up again to read faithfully until 2015.
I enjoyed Myrtle and Val's story but I did feel that they both lacked a bit of depth of character and they were a tad boring. I also felt the story with the "renovation folks" was left unfinished. But because Christi Caldwell is such a great writer it was still overall a good read.
I enjoyed Myrtle and Val's story but I did feel that they both lacked a bit of depth of character and they were a tad boring. I also felt the story with the "renovation folks" was left unfinished. But because Christi Caldwell is such a great writer it was still overall a good read.
July 14, 2022
I’m a big fan of this author and find her historical romance often hit the tropes I want but I wasn’t that keen on this one. I found the beginning confusing with all the different names/characters thrown at you and I found Myrtle and her love interest quite boring. I did enjoy the ‘Home Alone’ aspect though and will continue to check out this authors other work
December 16, 2022
Lady Myrtle McQuoid has never felt like she truly fits in with her family, and this Christmas season is no different. When she wakes up to a silent house, absent her noisy family, Myrtle realizes they’ve headed out for their seat in Scotland and forgotten her. She just needs to find food and heat until they realize she’s been left behind and return for her.
Valentine Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, has shut himself away from the world since his wife’s death four years previously. He wants to be left alone, with only his loyal dog for company, and he has no use for his noisy magpie of a neighbor with her incessant chatter and forthright opinions.
But with Myrtle left alone and a potential threat to her father’s house, she has to find the nerve to approach the gruff duke for help and honorable Val can’t refuse a lady in need no matter how much he may want to.
I’m not sure what sort of vortex I’ve fallen into, but somehow almost all of my festive Christmas reads this year have wound up having heavy grief themes. This has been an incredibly difficult year for me with a lot of loss so that makes these books tough to read and I’m trying not to allow that to affect any of my reviews, but I do want to put that caveat out there.
This book was terribly sweet, and I did enjoy how things wrapped up, but it was perhaps a bit too sweet at times. There was a lot of lovely build up between the MCs here and then it all faded out into nothing and that did leave me feeling just a little bit shortchanged. Myrtle is the ultimate golden retriever heroine with Val as her foil, the ultimate broody duke. They are both perhaps just a bit overdrawn in their characters, with some of her behavior being just excessively silly and some of his gruffness going so far as to be comical, perhaps unintendedly so. Her being described as between childhood and womanhood when he’s clearly quite a bit older and much more experienced did feel a bit icky for me, but I don’t remember his age ever being mentioned so I’m not sure of the gap there. This was something I was able to get over when her age and the fact that she was about to have her first season wasn’t being mentioned, though it was mentioned a lot. Myrtle is so sweet and bubbly that at times she came off as a bit of a simpleton and some of her inner monologues grew very repetitive. She was also a bit judgmental and gullible, fully believing when they first met that Val had murdered all his servants and that’s why he was alone. Her character is a bit exaggerated, to the point that it was very easy to sympathize with Val’s wanting her gone, especially as she chattered in a fairly condescending manner at first, hardly allowing him a word edgewise. His story was incredibly tragic and that seemed to cheapen it a bit for me, though I believe it was meant to lighten up the darker theme of the book. We also had the slapstick villains for that lightness, though only briefly, but their threat was pretty vague and there were large stretches in which they did not appear, so I had almost forgotten about them. For this reason, I think some parts of the plot could’ve been shortened a bit without damaging the story. Nonetheless, this author handles darker themes very well, but her dramatic style was a bit less suited to the sweeter parts of the book.
I really liked Val’s growth and seeing him rediscover the joys of life after facing so much pain. Though his transformation happens very quickly, and we don’t get to see very much of the changed Val on the page, it did wrap up the book on a very hopeful note. Given the bittersweetness of this season, that positivity was something I needed, and I only wish we’d had more of it. All in all, I enjoyed this sweet, if a bit slow-paced, read, and, though I did wish for more Christmas festivities and less repetition in the dialogues between Val and Myrtle, his proposal was especially adorable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Valentine Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, has shut himself away from the world since his wife’s death four years previously. He wants to be left alone, with only his loyal dog for company, and he has no use for his noisy magpie of a neighbor with her incessant chatter and forthright opinions.
But with Myrtle left alone and a potential threat to her father’s house, she has to find the nerve to approach the gruff duke for help and honorable Val can’t refuse a lady in need no matter how much he may want to.
I’m not sure what sort of vortex I’ve fallen into, but somehow almost all of my festive Christmas reads this year have wound up having heavy grief themes. This has been an incredibly difficult year for me with a lot of loss so that makes these books tough to read and I’m trying not to allow that to affect any of my reviews, but I do want to put that caveat out there.
This book was terribly sweet, and I did enjoy how things wrapped up, but it was perhaps a bit too sweet at times. There was a lot of lovely build up between the MCs here and then it all faded out into nothing and that did leave me feeling just a little bit shortchanged. Myrtle is the ultimate golden retriever heroine with Val as her foil, the ultimate broody duke. They are both perhaps just a bit overdrawn in their characters, with some of her behavior being just excessively silly and some of his gruffness going so far as to be comical, perhaps unintendedly so. Her being described as between childhood and womanhood when he’s clearly quite a bit older and much more experienced did feel a bit icky for me, but I don’t remember his age ever being mentioned so I’m not sure of the gap there. This was something I was able to get over when her age and the fact that she was about to have her first season wasn’t being mentioned, though it was mentioned a lot. Myrtle is so sweet and bubbly that at times she came off as a bit of a simpleton and some of her inner monologues grew very repetitive. She was also a bit judgmental and gullible, fully believing when they first met that Val had murdered all his servants and that’s why he was alone. Her character is a bit exaggerated, to the point that it was very easy to sympathize with Val’s wanting her gone, especially as she chattered in a fairly condescending manner at first, hardly allowing him a word edgewise. His story was incredibly tragic and that seemed to cheapen it a bit for me, though I believe it was meant to lighten up the darker theme of the book. We also had the slapstick villains for that lightness, though only briefly, but their threat was pretty vague and there were large stretches in which they did not appear, so I had almost forgotten about them. For this reason, I think some parts of the plot could’ve been shortened a bit without damaging the story. Nonetheless, this author handles darker themes very well, but her dramatic style was a bit less suited to the sweeter parts of the book.
I really liked Val’s growth and seeing him rediscover the joys of life after facing so much pain. Though his transformation happens very quickly, and we don’t get to see very much of the changed Val on the page, it did wrap up the book on a very hopeful note. Given the bittersweetness of this season, that positivity was something I needed, and I only wish we’d had more of it. All in all, I enjoyed this sweet, if a bit slow-paced, read, and, though I did wish for more Christmas festivities and less repetition in the dialogues between Val and Myrtle, his proposal was especially adorable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 6, 2022
3.5 surprised stars/5
Okay so this was hella cute, funny at times and heartwarming. Would have been a star higher if the heroine wasn't eighteen sigh.
RTC.
Okay so this was hella cute, funny at times and heartwarming. Would have been a star higher if the heroine wasn't eighteen sigh.
RTC.
October 21, 2022
the days leading up to christmas brought myrtle and val together. myrtle has always thought her family didn’t care about her but when they had forgotten to bring her along for the trip to their other home for christmas, she was disappointed. despite that, she kept spirits up and was still singing carols at the top of her lungs as she bustled around the home. next door, val is the duke of aragon and a widower. his beloved wife had died previously and ever since he had locked himself up emotionally. that is until the joyous neighbor.
val couldn’t leave myrtle alone, attracted by her cheerfulness and her personality. he doesn’t know how does one be constantly happy even when life throws obstacles against myrtle. while val’s broodiness might scare people off, myrtle isn’t affected at all. after knowing that val’s wife had passed too soon, she understood why val is so closed off. little by little, they fall in love. although val didn’t want to acknowledge it, he couldn't help but fall for myrtle.
this was incredibly. the duo worked really well together. it’s great as a cozy read for the holidays.
val couldn’t leave myrtle alone, attracted by her cheerfulness and her personality. he doesn’t know how does one be constantly happy even when life throws obstacles against myrtle. while val’s broodiness might scare people off, myrtle isn’t affected at all. after knowing that val’s wife had passed too soon, she understood why val is so closed off. little by little, they fall in love. although val didn’t want to acknowledge it, he couldn't help but fall for myrtle.
this was incredibly. the duo worked really well together. it’s great as a cozy read for the holidays.
October 28, 2022
Basically Home Alone the movie but it is a 17 year old girl in Regency London. She is not creative in setting traps but finds herself a dog and a duke.
Read
December 17, 2023she's literally 17 for half of this book. GET A JOB!!!! STAY AWAY FROM HER!!!
October 20, 2022
I love this time of year when Christmas stories begin and it puts you in just a joyous spirit!
Having just returned from school to her family home in London, Lady Myrtle wakes up and find her family has left for their home in Scotland for Christmas... without her!
When she tries to befriend the new neighbor next door, Val the Duke of Aragon, she finds a wonderful large dog and a grumpy, reclusive man. He had shut himself away with grief after the loss of his wife.
A delightful story as two people help each other and thwart some thieves while finding love!
Having just returned from school to her family home in London, Lady Myrtle wakes up and find her family has left for their home in Scotland for Christmas... without her!
When she tries to befriend the new neighbor next door, Val the Duke of Aragon, she finds a wonderful large dog and a grumpy, reclusive man. He had shut himself away with grief after the loss of his wife.
A delightful story as two people help each other and thwart some thieves while finding love!
November 29, 2022
Almost a 3.5 ✨
“Odd, he’d been so sure he’d only ever be cold, and yet there was only heat at this woman’s gentle touch.”
The rating would have been more if I’d gotten just a little more chemistry and spice. There were some moments of tension that was nice, but I needed more. Over all the story was sweet. A grumpy sunshine trope with a Duke that is a widower. I love a damaged hero who has closed his heart off thinking he’ll never love again. This heroine grated on my nerves some, but she was young so I’ll give her a pass. Such sweetness that grew between them.
If you are looking for a sweet clean romance with sex off the page then this one you’ll enjoy.
“Odd, he’d been so sure he’d only ever be cold, and yet there was only heat at this woman’s gentle touch.”
The rating would have been more if I’d gotten just a little more chemistry and spice. There were some moments of tension that was nice, but I needed more. Over all the story was sweet. A grumpy sunshine trope with a Duke that is a widower. I love a damaged hero who has closed his heart off thinking he’ll never love again. This heroine grated on my nerves some, but she was young so I’ll give her a pass. Such sweetness that grew between them.
If you are looking for a sweet clean romance with sex off the page then this one you’ll enjoy.
August 1, 2022
This was a nice and light read. The perfect book for a toasty Sunday evening sitting by the heater. Christi Caldwell knows how to create characters that warm you inside. The premise was a unique one and the execution was wonderful.
I can't wait to read more by Caldwell!
Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I can't wait to read more by Caldwell!
Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
dnfs
October 9, 2022*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title.*
This writing style is just not for me. Also, this is a clean historical romance and I'm not really interested in those at all.
Thanks for the opportunity to read it though.
This writing style is just not for me. Also, this is a clean historical romance and I'm not really interested in those at all.
Thanks for the opportunity to read it though.
August 8, 2022
A bit boring… rtc
January 14, 2024
Rating:3.75
A Duke Alone is the first book in The McQuoids of Mayfair series.
This Christmas tale reminded me a little of the movie Home Alone if it was set in Regency England. Overall, I did enjoy this Christmas story, but I think some tweaks here and there could have made the story even better. The story takes place around two weeks. It is a story about healing and opening oneself up to love again.
Tropes:
Home Alone in Regency Era
Widower
Grumpy/Sunshine
Age Gap
One Bed
Lady Myrtle McQuoid(h) 17 turns 18 in a few days. The name Myrtle had me thinking of Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter.
Valentine “Val” Bancroft, The Duke of Aragon (H) It didn’t say his exact age. Myrtle thinks he can't be more than 30, if that.
Told in dual 3rd person pov
London, England
December 1813
Myrtle has just returned home from being away at finishing school for four years. Myrtle’s parents chose to send her away to finishing school rather than hire a governess for her. She is one of six children.
The Six McQuoid Children
Dallin(future earl) eldest brother- no age given
Arran-no age give idk if he is second oldest?
Cassia-eldest sister no age given
Myrtle-(17 turns 18)
Quillon -(10) youngest brother
Fleur- (9) youngest sister
Myrtle’s father is the Earl of Abington. Sadly, Myrtle always feels like the overlooked child. Myrtle feels that her relatives still see her as a small child. When Myrtle was younger, she used to play pranks and do stuff to try to get more attention.
Myrtle loves celebrating Christmas in London. Unfortunately, this year Myrtle’s family will be celebrating Christmas at their estate in Scotland. The reason they are celebrating in Scotland is because Myrtle’s father hired a man to do repairs on their London Townhouse because it has a leaky roof, rotting floor boards etc….
Myrtle becomes suspicious of two of the men that have been hired to work on the house. The men say that they are doing inventory on items in the house. However, Myrtle knows that her father wouldn’t just let anyone into his “curiosity room” because the room holds many valuable objects. Everyone else is busy getting ready for the upcoming trip that they don’t really pay much attention.
In the parlor, Myrtle sees her older sister Cassia and her cousins staring out the window. They are looking at their mysterious neighbor, Valentine Bancroft, The Duke of Aragon (I think Aragon sounds like some mythical land). There is this gossip that Val killed his wife and staff. None of that is true. Val moved to town around 4 years ago with his new bride. Shortly after, Val’s wife was killed in a carriage accident on the way to his mother’s Christmas party. Sadly, Val’s wife was with child and the unborn child died too. Ever since, Val has shut himself away from everyone. Christmas used to be Val’s favorite time of the year, but now it just holds traumatic memories for him. Val doesn’t even spend time with his mother and brother. However, Val’s younger brother Sydney never gives up on him. Every year Val’s mom and brother hope that he will join them for Christmas. Val ends up catching a curious Myrtle, snooping around his home. He just wants to be left alone.
I loved how Val’s dog Horace took to Myrtle right away and Val was annoyed.
The morning Myrtles family leaves for Scotland is very chaotic. It’s snowing and they have a bunch of carriages. Poor Myrtle ends up getting left home alone. Everyone thought Myrtle was in a different carriage. For a moment, Myrtle is happy to be home alone but quickly the reality of the situation hits her. There isn’t really food at the house. She doesn’t know how to make a fire. Then, there is the fear of those shady workers lurking around the house.
Myrtle and Val seem to be the only two people left in town. Myrtle’s lonely and she thinks Val is lonely too, so she keeps going over to his place. Eventually, Val finds out that Myrtle is alone at her house and he is concerned for her well being. He does sweet things for her. She begins to thaw his frozen heart and cheer him up with her sunny disposition. For years, Val couldn’t stand the sound of Christmas music because it reminded him of happy times with his wife. I like that Myrtle sang a lot of Christmas song in the book. At first, Myrtle's singing bothers Val bc it brings up memories of his wife that had a beautiful singing voice. However, Myrtle sings off key but it adds to her charm. The song lyrics seem to take up a bit of page time, so I started to skim past the songs.
I really liked the birthday cake scene with Val and Myrtle. Myrtle didn't want to spend her 18th birthday alone, so she invited Val and Horace(his loyal dog) to join her. It reminded me of the scene in the movie 16 Candles.
Danger does lurk around the corner. Myrtle catches those men scoping outside her house. She tells Val about it, but he doesn’t believe her. He thinks she just has an overactive imagination. In the movie Home Alone, Kevin makes all these elaborate booby traps to fend off the burglars. In this story, Myrtle talks about playing pranks on her family when she was younger, so I thought Myrtle would use those skills more to ward off the potential threat. There weren’t really any elaborate pranks. However, Myrtle is a smart girl and tries to make it appear that her family is still home to try to deter the criminals. Together, Myrtle and Val end up saving the day and protect her home.
It ends up being a good thing that Val and Myrtle get to spend this time alone together because they are able to get to know each other in a way they wouldn’t if Myrtle had a chaperone present. I did think that they were sweet together and enjoyed their scenes. There were some funny scenes in the book.
I really liked the clever way the author incorporated Jane Austen into the story. Myrtle’s Aunt is a neighbor of the Austen family. Myrtle has spent time with Jane and her family. She loves Jane Austen’s works. Pride and Prejudice is one of her favorite books. Myrtle ends up giving her copy of Pride and Prejudice to Val and he actually reads the book.
I didn’t like all the mentions of Myrtle’s unattractive appearance. When Val first meets Myrtle he thinks she has a slightly too pointed face. When Val first meets Myrtle he thinks, “hardly pretty but certainly interesting to look at, in a peculiar way.” He mentions her ears being a bit to big. Then, he mentions Myrtle’s teeth being really crooked. I was thinking, okay that’s enough. Meanwhile, the dead wife was one of the diamonds of her season.
Val does like Myrtle’s smile and he is transfixed by her curly locks of hair. He does like more and more things about Myrtle as the story progresses.
“He’d always had a preference for blonde, and yet, those midnight-black strands gleaming at the ends, hopeless to be constrained or tamed, perfectly suited her. She was a fey fairy always up to mischief. A mermaid who’d found her way to shore and retained an ability to cast her net out to unsuspecting captains and land men.”
I didn’t like that Val brought up several time Myrtle being between “ girlhood and womanhood”. There was a part where he said her cloak was big on her that she almost looked like a child. Myrtle was young and innocent.
I think the book kind of skirts the line of a clean romance. It seemed like there was build up to a love scene in the book, but it ended up being a fade to black scene. I wish their first time would have been shown. I don't mind a clean historical romance. However, I don't like when it seems like the author builds up to a scene but skips it. Other reviewers mentioned that the author has written love scenes in other books of hers. There are some scenes where Val mentions being aroused and pictures Myrtle naked. There is a scene where they kiss and grind against each other. There are a few scenes where Myrtle takes a bath. He wasn’t watching her take a bath. He was outside the room. Val’s reaction was funny when Myrtle asked him to help her with the bath because he misinterpreted her request. Myrtle asked for help getting water for her bath. It was a lot of work getting a bath in those days. They had to get water from the well and boil buckets of water to make sure it was hot. It’s a reminder of how much we take running water for granted.
The ending skips ahead a week and ends on Christmas day. They get married on Christmas Day surrounded by their families. I wish there would have been a second time jump. I wanted to see them have a baby since he lost his first child. I wish there had been more interaction between Val’s family and Myrtle’s family. I wanted to see Myrtle meeting Val’s family.
I'd like to see Val's brother Sydney get a story. This has gotten turned into a series, so I guess there will be more glimpses of Val and Myrtle as side characters. I thought this was a sweet read for the Christmas and parts of the story put a smile on my face.
The McQuoids of Mayfair
The Duke Alone (The McQuoids of Mayfair, #1)-Myrtle/Val
The Heiress at Sea(The McQuoids of Mayfair,#2)- Cassia's story
A Sure Duke(The McQuoids of Mayfair, #3)-Dallin's story
Safety Info:
Trigger Warning: Val’s first wife died in a carriage accident around Christmastime. She was pregnant when she died, so the baby died too. There are the two thieves that lurk around in the story. They do break into the house, but Myrtle isn't harmed. Myrtle and Val take care of them.
Myrtle (h) is 17 at the start of the story and turns 18 within a few days.
Myrtle is a sheltered virgin
Val (H)- Val’s exact age isn’t mentioned. Myrtle thinks that he can't be more than 30, if that.
Val(H)- A reformed rake. He changed his ways and cleaned up his act when he took interest in his first wife. He has been celibate since his first wife’s death about 4 years ago.
Myrtle and Val share their first kiss when she is still 17 but she turns 18 the next day.
Val is a widower. He married for love. He loved his dead wife very much. Their families were very close. He knew the first wife for a long time.
The story skirts the line of a clean romance. There are mentions of the H and h getting aroused. He picture her naked when she is taking a bath. There is a scene where they grind against each other while kissing (their first kiss). There are a few kissing scenes.
One fade to black/closed door love scene. It skips to after. Premarital sex.
Ending: Skips ahead one week. It shows them getting married on Christmas Day. Both their families are there.
A Duke Alone is the first book in The McQuoids of Mayfair series.
This Christmas tale reminded me a little of the movie Home Alone if it was set in Regency England. Overall, I did enjoy this Christmas story, but I think some tweaks here and there could have made the story even better. The story takes place around two weeks. It is a story about healing and opening oneself up to love again.
Tropes:
Home Alone in Regency Era
Widower
Grumpy/Sunshine
Age Gap
One Bed
Lady Myrtle McQuoid(h) 17 turns 18 in a few days. The name Myrtle had me thinking of Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter.
Valentine “Val” Bancroft, The Duke of Aragon (H) It didn’t say his exact age. Myrtle thinks he can't be more than 30, if that.
Told in dual 3rd person pov
London, England
December 1813
Myrtle has just returned home from being away at finishing school for four years. Myrtle’s parents chose to send her away to finishing school rather than hire a governess for her. She is one of six children.
The Six McQuoid Children
Dallin(future earl) eldest brother- no age given
Arran-no age give idk if he is second oldest?
Cassia-eldest sister no age given
Myrtle-(17 turns 18)
Quillon -(10) youngest brother
Fleur- (9) youngest sister
Myrtle’s father is the Earl of Abington. Sadly, Myrtle always feels like the overlooked child. Myrtle feels that her relatives still see her as a small child. When Myrtle was younger, she used to play pranks and do stuff to try to get more attention.
Myrtle loves celebrating Christmas in London. Unfortunately, this year Myrtle’s family will be celebrating Christmas at their estate in Scotland. The reason they are celebrating in Scotland is because Myrtle’s father hired a man to do repairs on their London Townhouse because it has a leaky roof, rotting floor boards etc….
Myrtle becomes suspicious of two of the men that have been hired to work on the house. The men say that they are doing inventory on items in the house. However, Myrtle knows that her father wouldn’t just let anyone into his “curiosity room” because the room holds many valuable objects. Everyone else is busy getting ready for the upcoming trip that they don’t really pay much attention.
In the parlor, Myrtle sees her older sister Cassia and her cousins staring out the window. They are looking at their mysterious neighbor, Valentine Bancroft, The Duke of Aragon (I think Aragon sounds like some mythical land). There is this gossip that Val killed his wife and staff. None of that is true. Val moved to town around 4 years ago with his new bride. Shortly after, Val’s wife was killed in a carriage accident on the way to his mother’s Christmas party. Sadly, Val’s wife was with child and the unborn child died too. Ever since, Val has shut himself away from everyone. Christmas used to be Val’s favorite time of the year, but now it just holds traumatic memories for him. Val doesn’t even spend time with his mother and brother. However, Val’s younger brother Sydney never gives up on him. Every year Val’s mom and brother hope that he will join them for Christmas. Val ends up catching a curious Myrtle, snooping around his home. He just wants to be left alone.
I loved how Val’s dog Horace took to Myrtle right away and Val was annoyed.
The morning Myrtles family leaves for Scotland is very chaotic. It’s snowing and they have a bunch of carriages. Poor Myrtle ends up getting left home alone. Everyone thought Myrtle was in a different carriage. For a moment, Myrtle is happy to be home alone but quickly the reality of the situation hits her. There isn’t really food at the house. She doesn’t know how to make a fire. Then, there is the fear of those shady workers lurking around the house.
Myrtle and Val seem to be the only two people left in town. Myrtle’s lonely and she thinks Val is lonely too, so she keeps going over to his place. Eventually, Val finds out that Myrtle is alone at her house and he is concerned for her well being. He does sweet things for her. She begins to thaw his frozen heart and cheer him up with her sunny disposition. For years, Val couldn’t stand the sound of Christmas music because it reminded him of happy times with his wife. I like that Myrtle sang a lot of Christmas song in the book. At first, Myrtle's singing bothers Val bc it brings up memories of his wife that had a beautiful singing voice. However, Myrtle sings off key but it adds to her charm. The song lyrics seem to take up a bit of page time, so I started to skim past the songs.
I really liked the birthday cake scene with Val and Myrtle. Myrtle didn't want to spend her 18th birthday alone, so she invited Val and Horace(his loyal dog) to join her. It reminded me of the scene in the movie 16 Candles.
Danger does lurk around the corner. Myrtle catches those men scoping outside her house. She tells Val about it, but he doesn’t believe her. He thinks she just has an overactive imagination. In the movie Home Alone, Kevin makes all these elaborate booby traps to fend off the burglars. In this story, Myrtle talks about playing pranks on her family when she was younger, so I thought Myrtle would use those skills more to ward off the potential threat. There weren’t really any elaborate pranks. However, Myrtle is a smart girl and tries to make it appear that her family is still home to try to deter the criminals. Together, Myrtle and Val end up saving the day and protect her home.
It ends up being a good thing that Val and Myrtle get to spend this time alone together because they are able to get to know each other in a way they wouldn’t if Myrtle had a chaperone present. I did think that they were sweet together and enjoyed their scenes. There were some funny scenes in the book.
I really liked the clever way the author incorporated Jane Austen into the story. Myrtle’s Aunt is a neighbor of the Austen family. Myrtle has spent time with Jane and her family. She loves Jane Austen’s works. Pride and Prejudice is one of her favorite books. Myrtle ends up giving her copy of Pride and Prejudice to Val and he actually reads the book.
I didn’t like all the mentions of Myrtle’s unattractive appearance. When Val first meets Myrtle he thinks she has a slightly too pointed face. When Val first meets Myrtle he thinks, “hardly pretty but certainly interesting to look at, in a peculiar way.” He mentions her ears being a bit to big. Then, he mentions Myrtle’s teeth being really crooked. I was thinking, okay that’s enough. Meanwhile, the dead wife was one of the diamonds of her season.
Val does like Myrtle’s smile and he is transfixed by her curly locks of hair. He does like more and more things about Myrtle as the story progresses.
“He’d always had a preference for blonde, and yet, those midnight-black strands gleaming at the ends, hopeless to be constrained or tamed, perfectly suited her. She was a fey fairy always up to mischief. A mermaid who’d found her way to shore and retained an ability to cast her net out to unsuspecting captains and land men.”
I didn’t like that Val brought up several time Myrtle being between “ girlhood and womanhood”. There was a part where he said her cloak was big on her that she almost looked like a child. Myrtle was young and innocent.
I think the book kind of skirts the line of a clean romance. It seemed like there was build up to a love scene in the book, but it ended up being a fade to black scene. I wish their first time would have been shown. I don't mind a clean historical romance. However, I don't like when it seems like the author builds up to a scene but skips it. Other reviewers mentioned that the author has written love scenes in other books of hers. There are some scenes where Val mentions being aroused and pictures Myrtle naked. There is a scene where they kiss and grind against each other. There are a few scenes where Myrtle takes a bath. He wasn’t watching her take a bath. He was outside the room. Val’s reaction was funny when Myrtle asked him to help her with the bath because he misinterpreted her request. Myrtle asked for help getting water for her bath. It was a lot of work getting a bath in those days. They had to get water from the well and boil buckets of water to make sure it was hot. It’s a reminder of how much we take running water for granted.
The ending skips ahead a week and ends on Christmas day. They get married on Christmas Day surrounded by their families. I wish there would have been a second time jump. I wanted to see them have a baby since he lost his first child. I wish there had been more interaction between Val’s family and Myrtle’s family. I wanted to see Myrtle meeting Val’s family.
I'd like to see Val's brother Sydney get a story. This has gotten turned into a series, so I guess there will be more glimpses of Val and Myrtle as side characters. I thought this was a sweet read for the Christmas and parts of the story put a smile on my face.
The McQuoids of Mayfair
The Duke Alone (The McQuoids of Mayfair, #1)-Myrtle/Val
The Heiress at Sea(The McQuoids of Mayfair,#2)- Cassia's story
A Sure Duke(The McQuoids of Mayfair, #3)-Dallin's story
Safety Info:
Trigger Warning: Val’s first wife died in a carriage accident around Christmastime. She was pregnant when she died, so the baby died too. There are the two thieves that lurk around in the story. They do break into the house, but Myrtle isn't harmed. Myrtle and Val take care of them.
Myrtle (h) is 17 at the start of the story and turns 18 within a few days.
Myrtle is a sheltered virgin
Val (H)- Val’s exact age isn’t mentioned. Myrtle thinks that he can't be more than 30, if that.
Val(H)- A reformed rake. He changed his ways and cleaned up his act when he took interest in his first wife. He has been celibate since his first wife’s death about 4 years ago.
Myrtle and Val share their first kiss when she is still 17 but she turns 18 the next day.
Val is a widower. He married for love. He loved his dead wife very much. Their families were very close. He knew the first wife for a long time.
The story skirts the line of a clean romance. There are mentions of the H and h getting aroused. He picture her naked when she is taking a bath. There is a scene where they grind against each other while kissing (their first kiss). There are a few kissing scenes.
One fade to black/closed door love scene. It skips to after. Premarital sex.
Ending: Skips ahead one week. It shows them getting married on Christmas Day. Both their families are there.
December 10, 2022
Perfect holiday read especially for historical romance fans! I, too, got the Home Alone vibes other reviewers commented on and enjoyed it. Myrtle is a cure heroine who helps bring the Duke out of his shell and recover from the loss of his first wife. One complaint which I see from reviews is common is the fade to black sex scene, we're romance readers, we're here for it! Thanks to Amazon Publishing for the book to read and review.
January 5, 2023
Think Home Alone but in regency London - just a cute read.
December 7, 2022
The Duke Alone is a holiday historical romance novel by Christi Caldwell.
I did not LOVE the other book I read by this author a few months back so I was on the fence about this one as well. The beginning of the book was a bit weak imo, I could not connect with the characters at all and there were a couple of moments when I was absolutely annoyed by the female main character Myrtle.
However, they kinda grew up on me as the book progressed and some of the themes of the book like moving on, handling grief and issues of self confidence resonated with me on a deeper level. The holiday spirit gave the book a kind of cheerful background.
The romance between both the MCs was slow paced and full of emotion which is another thing I liked. It could be seen how they gradually grew to care for each other and there was maturity in their actions.
3.5 stars.
I did not LOVE the other book I read by this author a few months back so I was on the fence about this one as well. The beginning of the book was a bit weak imo, I could not connect with the characters at all and there were a couple of moments when I was absolutely annoyed by the female main character Myrtle.
However, they kinda grew up on me as the book progressed and some of the themes of the book like moving on, handling grief and issues of self confidence resonated with me on a deeper level. The holiday spirit gave the book a kind of cheerful background.
The romance between both the MCs was slow paced and full of emotion which is another thing I liked. It could be seen how they gradually grew to care for each other and there was maturity in their actions.
3.5 stars.
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