Never Seduce a Duke

Many F-words in and to describe “Never Seduce a Duke” by Vivienne Lorret… such fun!! Miss Margaret Stredwick aka Meg goes on a grand tour with her twin aunts-in-law after being jilted, and she decides to have a grand flirtation before spinsterhood. First, they stop over at an ancient estate in England, she gets separated from an aunt when sneaking around, and she meets the bespectacled Duke of Merleton. Lucien Ambrose obsesses over his family’s ancient book of recipes, especially keeping it safe and secret. However, after the mouthy encounter with Meg, he discovers the book gone and replaced with a note from Lady Avalon. There are only three strangers who toured the estate recently and he goes on a grand mission to get his family’s recipe book back. Arthurian and food themed, what a great combo!! This appeals to those who know and watched anything about a sword in a stone. Plus, there are real references to the legend such as Avalon, yes, I did some research. Also, this book appeals to foodies in a unique way. I love how each chapter begins with food! The banter and chemistry between Meg and Lucien is entertaining! Lucien being analytical and Meg being free-spirited, we never know if his social awkwardness will prolong or halt her flirting practice. Their journey to happily ever after is slow, even though this is not a slow burn romance. It is unexpected, but it makes the twists and mystery reveal more delicious, heartbreaking, and wild! If you enjoy reading about fate, flirting, food, legends, opposites attract, road trips, and who-dun-it to name a few, then I highly recommend this fantastic book!! Thank you to Net Galley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

3 Stars!! This is the 5th book in ‘The Mating Habits of Scoundrels‘ series and can be read as a standalone book. This is the first book in said series that I’ve read. I wanted to love this but I couldn’t get past how all the problems they seemed to have was because of their lack of communication. The bad guy was kinda easy for me to pick out and I kept getting frustrated that nobody else seemed to notice. For such a smart guy, Lucien, the main male character, seemed to be kinda dumb, or oblivious. And Meg was getting on my last nerve with always keeping important information to herself. All in all an entertaining book that did tick me off enough to vent to my Mom about it. However I love when just reading a book stirs up emotions, good or bad. *I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*