No Other Duke But You (Playful Brides, #11)

by Valerie Bowman

[chymerra]

Lady Delilah’s mother has issued her an ultimatum. She must get engaged by her next birthday. If she isn’t, Delilah will be forced to marry her mother’s suitor’s son. Delilah sets her sights on the most eligible bachelor in Society. But she doesn’t know that her best friend, Lord Thomas Hobbs, Duke of Huntley, has his sights set on her. When Delilah buys a love potion to give to the duke, things go sideways. Will Delilah get the duke she wants? Or will she let the duke she needs slip out of her fingers?

The plot for No Other Duke But You was simple. Delilah had to marry within two months or get married to someone her mother picked out. This is a storyline that I have seen used over and over again. The author was able to freshen it up with memorable characters. Which I loved!!

The other major plotline was an interesting one. Thomas wanted Delilah to realize that she loved him. So, he decided to woo her. He also decided that she was going to use the potion on him. It was interesting to me because I hadn’t seen this done with a man before. So, it was interesting to see what a guy would have to go through to make the object of his affection fall for him. I liked it.

I loved Delilah. I connected with her on a personal level. I am that type of girl who drops food on my clothes, stumbles when I walk, and always says the wrong thing at the wrong time. I could see myself being besties with her. Her love of French, animals, Shakespeare, and pink roses were made a focal point in the book. What I didn’t like was her lack of self-esteem. Her interactions with that woman who birthed her (I refuse to call her a mother) hurt my heart.

I loved Thomas too. He couldn’t have been more perfect for Delilah. I could tell how he felt about her before this book. Ladies, listen up. How Thomas treated Delilah is how every woman should be treated. He loved her, faults and all. He supported her, even when she told him that she was trying to land a husband by her birthday. Of course, Thomas did have his issues. But, his issues were not the focus of the book. The author made it a point of letting the readers know that he turned himself around.

Delilah’s mother, I couldn’t stand. I have never disliked a fictional character more than I hated her. Everything she said to Delilah was disgusting. All I have to say is karma is a bitch, and she got hers at the end of the book.

I also would like to mention Lord Hilton’s son, Clarence. I felt terrible for him. It seemed like he was being used by his father like Delilah was being used by her mother. The couple of scenes he was in, I got a strong depression vibe from him. I mean, he stayed locked up in the house all day, with no personal interactions (other than the servants). His actions at the dinner only furthered that opinion.

No Other Duke But You was a perfect fit in the historical romance genre. The author did a fantastic job of keeping within the era it takes place. From the way the characters dressed to how they talked, it was a fit.

I loved that this book was a friend to lover romance. I liked that the author had the male in love with the female, instead of the other way around. It made for a refreshing read.

The sexual tension and chemistry were kept on the back burner until the middle of the book. The sparks started when Thomas and Delilah kissed. It stayed at sparks until they made out at the park. Then the sparks turned into flames.

I liked that the author had Delilah and Thomas’s sexual experiences towards the end of the book. If it had happened sooner, I fell that it would have taken away from the plotline. So, it was perfect the way it happened.

What I also liked was that Thomas was a virgin. I haven’t read a book where the main characters were both virgins. It made the sex scenes more poignant and sweet.

The end of No Other Duke But You was nothing short of amazing. I can’t get into what happened. All I will say is that it couldn’t be written better. I had tears in my eyes the entire last chapter, and my tears fell during the epilogue. All the storylines were wrapped up. There was no lag in the storylines. There were no dropped characters.

As I mentioned above, I cried during the epilogue. I cried because of what Cade said. I cried because this might be the ending of this series. I cried because I was an emotional mess after the last couple of chapters.

I would give No Other Duke But You an Adult rating. There is sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread No Other Duke But You. I would recommend this book to family and friends.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review No Other Duke But You.

All opinions stated in this review of No Other Duke But You are mine.

Have you read No Other Duke But You?

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Friends to lovers romances?

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