A Good Duke is Hard to Find

I was utterly delighted with this new series from Britton! A vengeful, yet sad young man who is now the presumptive heir of the Duke of the Isle of Synne returns only to exact his revenge (NO HEIRS FOR YOU). He isn't expecting to find the beautiful and also sad society miss who's been jilted three times living with the woman who helped him and his dead mother all those years ago.<br /><br />Fun Norse inspired mythology paired with a gorgeous setting I felt MUST be like the Isle of Skye, this was so much fun.<br />Stay tuned for my full review on Library Journal.<br /><br />Thank you to LJ and Netgalley for the ARC.

Series: Isle of Synne #1<br />Publication Date: 6/30/20<br />Number of Pages: 384<br />*** 3.5 Stars Rounded Up ***<br /><br />Lenora Hartley’s journey to her HEA has been a tough one. She’s been left at the altar three times in as many years. None of them was her fault – one died in an accident, one eloped with someone else, and one left for the continent after a duel. Then, there is her father to contend with. He’s dead-set on marrying her off to his advantage – believe me, the man makes Simon Legree look like a saint. The poor woman deserves a summer break on the Isle of Synne to recover from the latest wedding debacle and her friend Margery is just the one to see that she gets there. The Isle is also where she hopes to confront and make peace with her guilt over her first fiancé.<br /><br />I like a grumpy, curmudgeonly hero on occasion, but Peter Ashford really put that to the test. He wasn’t just grumpy, he was rude, hurtful, and bent on revenge no matter who it hurt – and I think he hung on to that way, way too long. When Peter was thirteen, he went to the Duke of Dane for help in saving his mother. When the duke turned him away and his mother subsequently died, Peter blamed the duke and vowed revenge. It has taken him thirteen years in America to make his fortune and return to England to exact vengeance upon the duke. The duke’s only son and heir died three years ago in an accident, the duke is gravely ill, and now Peter is the heir to the dukedom. Oh! Yes! He’ll get his pound of flesh now.<br /><br />I liked the story well enough, but revenge is never my favorite trope – mostly because the person seeking revenge usually plans to hurt some innocent person in order to get back at the person they really want to hurt. I’ve never gotten how that is supposed to make sense. I thought it was well-written (though a bit draggy in spots), and I really liked the secondary characters – especially Quinton (Peter’s best friend), and Lady Tesh. I thought it had a lot of emotions and it was interesting to watch Peter try to figure out how to deal with those and come up with a HEA for himself and Lenora. I liked Quincy much better than Peter, so I’m really looking forward to the next book which will feature him.<br /><br />I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.<br />

✨Ready to be kicked in the groin by love.✨<br /><br />Let’s begin with the obvious: the cover. It’s so beautiful and glorious and seriously resplendent. Plus, the spine on my copy is wonderfully cracked from just one read which makes my heart happy. <br /><br />This one had me hooked from hello and I didn’t put it down until I reached the halfway mark—done begrudgingly I might add but sleep was necessary. But then I picked up my knitting for a day and had errands to run the next. So it goes, that little break dimmed some of the shine and I wasn’t itching to get back to it. <br /><br />Then, when I did start up again, I was right in the throes of miscommunication and pigheadedness that is a man in love. Said man, Peter, was also just not completely my cup of tea—or lemonade. I liked him well enough but he seemed pretty surface level to me. However, I do admit that when the hero isn’t a “rake” I always find him lacking so maybe that is why. I loved him and Lenora together, but I wouldn’t want him for myself if that makes sense. Quincy is more my style. <br /><br />I am also just not a fan of the revenge trope and the I’m-not-going-to-get-married-to-spite-some-wrinkly-ancestor-even-when-a-luscious-woman-lets-me-French-her-on-a-balcony-and-wants-me-for-more-than-just-my-hot-and-sweaty-Viking-body state of mind. Seems oddly specific but I’ve definitely come across all that jazz a few times and always get frustrated. I simply cannot understand the reasoning that even for a moment revenge would be chosen over love and happiness. To get a dukedom and the girl or not to get a dukedom and the girl—the horror of an easy choice! <br /><br />But overall, I really did enjoy Lenora and Peter and loved their ending. I was definitely teary when Peter got some sense and decided he did like midnight canoodling and morning breakfast in bed (forevermore) better than duty and honor and the allure of being mopey on a misty cliffside. I was definitely sad about Dane but happy how it all shook out. The sex scene was rather lackluster but the story was strong enough to hold its own without scorching hot chemistry. <br /><br />⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 ???/5

2.5 stars. This was just okay for me, but I did enjoy the last half somewhat more. I liked the setting on the Isle of Synne--always nice to have settings other than London for variety. The characters were fine, but I didn't have strong feelings for either one. Peter annoyed me a good deal in the beginning, but of course he had reformed by the end! I have no complaints about the writing style, so I think what made this one not stick out to me was that there really wasn't much of a plot. It did pick up a bit in the last half--once the fiance that Lenora's father picked for her showed up. But the story is driven much more by the characters' emotional journeys (Lenora getting past her guilt about her first engagement, Peter getting over his thirst for vengeance) than by much of an external plot. I like a bit more robust plot with more action, so this was a bit too quiet for me, but if you like a more emotion-driven story you might enjoy this one. I may or may not read the second book in the series, since I did enjoy the writing style and it appears to involve a fake engagement, which I always love!<br /><br />*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars<br /><br />I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. <br /><br /><b> <i>Three fiancés in as many years had left her.</i> </b><br /><br />Lenora is at the church ready to make her way up the aisle when she notices that her fiancé is not at the end to greet her. When she sees the look on her bestfriend Margery's face, Lenora knows that she is not getting married today. The scandal of losing another fiancé and the unforgiving nature of her father have Lenora escaping to the Isle of Synne with Margery to stay with Margery's grandmother and the place Lenora spent her summers. Her father tells her she has the summer to wait out the scandal and then he will betroth her again and she will marry his choice or he will disown her. <br /><br /><b> <i>“You cannot go, Peter.” she called after him. “Your mother, she wanted me to care for you.”</i> </b><br /><br />Peter is back in England for the first time in thirteen years. He left after his mother died, he blames the Duke of Dane for not helping when he and his mother went to him for help. He goes to the Isle of Synne to pay back, with interest, the money the Duke's sister gave him and to show that he made something of himself. When he gets there though, he learns the Duke is gravely ill and the Duke's sister guilt trips him to staying at least a month based on a promise he made to his dying mother. <br /><br /><b> <i>With a low oath, he stepped back. For a devastating moment, she felt the loss of his closeness down to the very marrow of her bones.</i> </b><br /><br /><i>A Good Duke is Hard to Find</i> is first in the Isle of Synne series and as I have already read the other two in the series, it was nice to see how it all began. I remember complaining how the setting of the Isle wasn't utilized enough in the other two, here I was happy to venture around to some sites with the characters and learn about the local lore of a maiden and her Viking lord. This provided some setting and while it's obvious that Lenora's friend Margery, Peter's friend Quincy, and the Duke of Dane's daughters will be future leads, their characters helped fill out the world. There's some tease for a secret Lenora is keeping about her first fiancé, who was Margery's cousin but it was fairly obvious and because of that, it dragged on a smidgen too long, especially when there wasn't really an impact about it. I would have liked to have a little more about how Peter made something of himself in America, we get a bare bones outline but I think that would have flushed his character out more. <br /><br /><b> <i>He never imagined that anyone could breach the walls he had put about himself.<br />Until Lenora.</i> </b> <br /><br />Together, Lenora and Peter had a lukewarm romance for me, it was pleasant but didn't particularly wow me. They had an instant physical attraction, kiss a little before the halfway point, and then are in love. I did like how they spent time together and talked but it was more told they're instantly attracted, instead of me reading and following along as it was developed. Since they're already thinking about love by the middle, what keeps them apart is the promise Peter made to the Duke of Dane to never marry so that his line will die with him and his property and fields will go fallow and, yeah, historical romance readers have been here before. <br /><br /><b> <i>And he saw that what he had thought to be delicate and in need of protection was, in fact, enduring and strong. <br />Like Lenora. Like his love for her.</i> </b><br /><br />This actually turned out to be my favorite from the series and I think it was because of something that I usually complain about, setting up the foundation for the series. This is a little longer than usual historical romances and its due to spending time exploring the island (setting), introducing the world's characters (world building), and the romance between the leads. It made the pace a little slower but I liked the adding and spending some time with the first two components. The romance didn't end up giving me the development and emotional building that I personally like between romantic leads, for two characters that had instant attraction there was a decidedly lack of bedroom scenes; I think there ended up just being two(?) quick ones. The later half has Peter still being stubborn about his “never marry!” and Lenora's father comes in with some betrothal villainy that works to shake and wake-up Peter to deliver our happily ever after. I liked some of the time given for certain story components but the romance, unfortunately, fell flat for me.

<i>A Good Duke is Hard to Find</i> features a wonderful romance between a woman cursed in love and a duke’s heir out for revenge.<br /><br />After being jilted by her third fiancé, Lenora Hartley decides to take a break from London and her father’s attempts to find her another match. The Isle of Synne, an isolated island off Britain’s northern coast, is exactly the right place to avoid the gossip. But soon after arriving, she runs into a mysterious man who attracts her far more than she expected. Peter Ashford is set to inherit a dukedom he doesn’t want, but his only thoughts are of getting revenge on the man who let his mother die. Determined to ruin the man and his legacy, he heads to the Isle of Synne to set his revenge in motion. But once there, he meets Miss Hartley who has him questioning all of his plans.<br /><br />Lenora was an intriguing character and one I was interested to learn more about after seeing she had three failed engagements. It quickly becomes clear Lenora’s father plans to use a marriage to Lenora to further his own political career and Lenora has had very little input on her betrothals. It was easy to feel for Lenora in her situation and I think my one complaint about her character was how long it took for her to stand up for herself. Peter left England thirteen years ago after the death of his mother and it is only his own sense of debt to the woman who helped his mother that has him returning now. Peter’s situation as a child was heartbreaking and it definitely made it easier to understand why he was so hell-bent on revenge.<br /><br />Lenora and Peter’s relationship was very much an opposites attract romance with the added bit of forced proximity due to the small isle they’re on. Peter is definitely a pessimistic person compared to Lenora, but as a fan of the grumpy-sunshine trope, that worked for me. Both Lenora and Peter have issues opening up to others which meant it took a while for their romance to progress. Plus, with Lenora’s father arranging another betrothal for her, she knows she’s not entirely free to follow her heart and Peter’s quest for revenge means he has no plans to marry. My one issue with their romance was how long it took for both of them to admit that their relationship was something they wanted. They definitely admitted their attraction to each other right away, but it took much longer for them to admit they wanted more.<br /><br />Overall <i>A Good Duke is Hard to Find</i> was a very enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the second book in the series, <i>Someday My Duke Will Come</i>, when it releases next year.<br /><br /><i>**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**</i>

After her third fiancé left her in the altar – yes, that’s THREE failed engagements – Lenora Hartley decides to escape London to The Isle of Synne, an isolated and idyllic retreat off Britain's northern coast where she spends a lot of her girlhood there. An island that also carries the memory of her first fiancé (now deceased). <br><br>Meanwhile, Peter Ashford comes to Synne to pay long time debts as well as ensure his revenge to Duke of Dane, whom Peter thinks solely responsible to the death of her mother thirteen years previous. Before Peter ran away to America and makes his own success story. He has no intention to stay in the island, but he is rather manipulated by his great-aunt, Lady Tesh, to spend a month. And when Peter meets Lenora, who is Lady Tesh’s guest, he starts to wonder if he should forego his plan of revenge.<br><br><br>This is my first Christina Britton’s and I think it’s successfully making me eagerly wait for book #2 coming next year. I liked the set-up; Lenora with her failed engagements, Peter who wants nothing of dukedom that will fall into his responsibility… and well these are just two wonderful people!<br><br>Lenora has been living under her tyrannical father, one who controls almost every aspect of her live, including who to marry. With Peter, Lenora learns that someone can appreciate her for who she is, including how she choose NOT to drink tea *smile*. I think, for the first time, Lenora feels that she can be loved.<br><br>While Peter learns to let old hate go by being with Lenora. If we take out his need for revenge out of the equation, Peter is a kind and pretty stand-up guy. Sure, he is roped to stay at Synne, but he doesn’t back down from his promise. I found it very entertaining to see Peter – who live as “common” people in America, dealing with dinners and balls in England *laugh*. This book also brings me a teary-eyes moment, in regards to Peter and the Duke of Dane.<br><br>I like the romance – and well, Peter makes a fine grand gesture to apologize to Lenora in the end. The epilogue is lovely. I also enjoy the secondary characters, most notably Lady Tesh. She’s a great matriarch character for sure, and not at all annoying *grin*.<br><br>So yes, I look forward to the next book about Peter’s best friend, Quincy, and Lady Clara…<br><br><br><b>A Guest Review for <a href="http://thebloggergirls.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Blogger Girls</a></b><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1408342739i/10838921.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><i>The ARC is provided by the publisher via <a href="http://www.netgalley.com" rel="nofollow noopener">Netgalley</a> for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.</i>

The third time is definitely not the charm for Lenora. She has been engaged three times and still, she remains unmarried. With her father furious at her for putting him in this situation... again, she decided to escape London with her dear friend and go back to the Isle of Synne. She has always felt at peace on the Isle. Lenora must wait for her father to save her reputation and match her with someone else that will aid his career and pocketbook. She knows she can never have a love match, but maybe for a small-time, she might find a little joy revisiting her past. When her friend's cousin shows up, the tall wild Viking makes her feel like maybe <br /><br />Peter is hell-bent on getting revenge on his uncle for the crime he committed. He has plotted against the man since the day he sent him off without aiding Peter's dying mother. Now, he can only think of one thing... inheriting the man's dukedom and destroying it so it returns to the crown. Nothing will get in way of his plan. But, when he is forced to make good on an old promise, everything he has used to fuel his revenge starts to unravel. Can he let go of the driving force that has held him together for so long?<br /><br />While I thought the main characters in this book were good, there was just something a little lacking for me. It was still an enjoyable read. This was book one in the new Isle of Synne series by Christina Britton. I'm interested to see how this series continues. I am A Good Duke Is Hard To Find a 3.5/5 stars<br /><br />A huge thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for letting me read an advance copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

<b>3.5 stars</b><br /><br />When I saw this book is the first in a historical romance series, I immediately requested the ARC with the hope of finding a new series I could continue to follow. Plus, the red-orange hues on the cover are gorgeous!<br /><br />I loved the opening chapters of this book as Lenora’s heartwarming friendship with Margary is established, a contrast to her tense relationship with her cruel father. <b>I admired Lenora’s resilience and grace</b> as she struggles not only with the shame of three failed engagements, but also with a dark secret she’s never told anyone that she will have to face upon her return to the isle.<br /><br /><b>Peter, on the other hand, was a lot more difficult to like</b>. His grumpiness went from potentially endearing to completely exasperating. He is stubborn to the point of being pigheaded, insists on vengeance even when it’s clear better options are available, and is unnecessarily rude to our heroine and side characters on multiple occasions. Aside from a couple of scenes here and there, I had a difficult time rooting for Peter and Lenora to end up together. In my opinion, she was too good for him.<br /><br /><b>Our cast of side characters helped make this book shine</b> and definitely piqued my interest regarding the upcoming books in this series. I grew fond of the tenacious Lady Tesh and her canine companion, Freya, and was excited to learn the next book will be about Peter’s charismatic friend, Mr. Quincy Nesbitt. I’m also hoping sweet Margery will get a book of her own because she deserves a happy ending <b>(2021 update—<a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/55880020.A_Duke_Worth_Fighting_For__Isle_of_Synne___3_" title="A Duke Worth Fighting For (Isle of Synne, #3) by Christina Britton" rel="noopener">she did!</a>).</b><br /><br /><b>Regarding the conflict, most of it is based on internal struggles – vengeance vs. forgiveness, facing the past vs. running from it – that made the stakes seem pretty low.</b> Many of the issues could have been resolved with better communication between characters. Any additional conflict, from a terrible storm hitting the isle to the arrival of a new suitor for Lenora, always seemed temporary rather than insurmountable.<br /><br /><b>The setting on the Isle of Synne is absolutely magical</b>, and I enjoyed exploring its picturesque cliffs and serene forests, wondering why the characters would want to live anywhere else. The author also tries to weave a tale about the isle’s past into the story, but unfortunately it falls flat. Clearly meant to parallel Lenora’s and Peter’s relationship, the legend tells the story of a young woman named Synne falling in love with a viking. Like Peter, this viking is a jerk; and like Lenora, Synne forgives him. Lenora may call Peter her “viking” throughout the book, but otherwise the legend of Synne didn’t add much to the story.<br /><br /><b>Overall I wouldn’t say I loved this book, but I’m definitely intrigued enough by its characters and setting to come back for more.</b> Christina Britton is truly a talented writer, and I can’t wait to see what this series has next!<br /><br /><i>Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

A Good Duke is Hard to Find was a great read with an original concept that brought something new to the historical romance and Regency romance genres. <br /><br />Miss Lenora Hartley, despite her beauty and gentle breeding, has suffered the embarrassment of being left at the alter (or well before it) no less than three times - three times too many for her coldly distant father. To avoid yet another scandal, Lenora and her lifelong friend, Margery, return to the Isle of Synne to await her newest suitor per her father’s edict. Lenora intends to spend her time on the Isle reconnecting with Margery’s high-spirited grandmother, Lady Tesh, and making peace with the memories of her first fiancé who met an untimely death there. She has no reason to suspect that this visit would go anything less than according to plan, however, fate has other things in store. <br /><br />Enter Mr. Peter Ashford, reluctant heir to the man who turned himself and his sick mother away at the tender age of thirteen. After spending the last thirteen years in America bitterly swearing revenge for his mother’s death, Peter has returned to the Isle to see his debts paid and his vengeance come to fruition. He never expected to meet his match in Lenora and certainly never thought that his head could be turned from the course he’d been pursuing for over a decade. As their longing grows for one another, Lenora and Peter must decide whether to linger in the past or look forward to the future. <br /><br />I loved Lenora and Peter together. Theirs was an instant attraction, although they both denied it. But once they got together – fireworks. Both characters suffered their own tragedies and heartaches. Both characters had to learn how to live again. I enjoyed seeing them get their happily ever after. Definitely recommend! <br /><br />*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review