The Duke's Desire by Erica Ridley is book 8 in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. Lots of fun and very entertaining. I loved Meg Church and Lucien le Duc. Meg wants to be free and not beholding to anyone and Lucien wants to get back to France and have his family name restored. While the story is fun and lighthearted, our couple has some issues they need to work out before they can have their HEA. I definitley  recommend.

This is a fast-paced, amusing and romantic. Lucien is losing everyone, he is now the only sibling going back to France. And he's been so focused on that task, that he hadn't notice the things that went on around him. When he learns that his new neice and nephew are learning French so that they can more easily converse with him, he feels horrible and selfish. Needing to practice his English, he decides to get a tutor. The person that comes to mind is not exactly his favorite person. Meg is a spinster by choice, a woman with only her cousin left for family. She had previously spent most of her time with Lucien's new sister-in-law, Eve. But now that Eve is busy with the paper becoming monthly, Meg is at loose ends. After Eve took her to task about her crush on Lucien, she makes a point of talking to him and flirting with him, and generally driving him crazy. Meg happily accepts the task of helping Lucien, while spouting as many naughty phrases as she can at Lucien. Lucien gets over his shock and really gets to know her. The more time he spends with her, the more the prospect of moving back to France loses it's appeal. These two are so opposite in nature, but she's just what Lucien needs to lighten up. And she does have fun doing that.

This is my favorite Christmas series, hands down.  I always try to read a few of these for the Christmas season, to help get me in the mood for the holiday, and this one did not disappoint.  

I love how all of the characters are intertwined, the continuity of the village and the people in it.  I also love that they are novella length, so I can usually squeeze more than one in for each Christmas.  

Since the characters are all brought up in other books, when they are the H and h of their own book, a lot of their backstory has already been developed, though you could read these out of order, it is better to read them in order, so you can have the full effect of feeling like you know the H and h a little already before diving into the book.  The novella length can sometimes work against character development, but since everyone is connected and in books prior to the one they star in, it's not a huge issue.

Also, the setting is the same and is a character in its own right.  I would love to visit a town of perpetual Christmas and get to stay in a castle!  That sounds so lovely.  

While there was one on page pre-marital sex scene, it wasn't overly descriptive and I think that it was the H's first time was glossed over a tad too much.  Nice roll-reversal with her being the one who enjoyed a sex life she was in charge of and him being the V.  

Despite that one scene, the h and H did "quote" from some of the more lurid books of the day.  She was a big reader of those types of romance novels and flowery descriptions of what she would like to do abounded in this book, so not a squeaky clean romance.  

4, solid and I am definitely keeping on with this series, stars.  Recommended if you enjoy historical romance that isn't super clean, but is a lot of fun.  

My thanks to NetGalley and WebMotion for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't love the last couple of books I read by this author so I kept putting off reading this series but I am glad I finally opened it.
This short novella is a perfect quick HEA romance.
Lucien has worked for 18 years to return to France after his parents were killed and he escape with his little brother and sister.  He finally has the means to return home and reclaim his ancestral lands.
Meg needs to find a place now that her cousin is soon to give birth.  However, she agrees to tutor Lucien because she has been lusting after him forever.
The romance is quick and sweet, the end is abrupt but it is a novella.  There is not time to get bored.

I enjoyed this historical romance story of Meg Church and Lucien le duc. And also the rest of the characters to.

Meg Church is a spinster that live in a village that likes to celebrate Christmas all year long. She live with her cousin family. So when her cousin tell her that they are going to have a child.She is happy for her cousin but they need her room that she is renting.
Also with all of this she has aslo has meet and now is talking to Lucien.


Lucien le Duc and his family was forced to flee from France during the Revolution. Now that he is older he want to return and get his family lands back. He finally has the money to do this. While waiting for the date that he can get on the ship. 


This book was fun to read. It had me laughing a lot. It also had a few sad parts to.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

4.5 for this story

I’ve enjoyed the 12 Dukes of Christmas series so much. Meg and Lucien’s story had great banter, a really good connection and sexy talk. I want to move and live in Cressmouth. I’m excited for the next installment in the series that releases in September.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that I love Christmas stories and historical romances. So of course I love this series by Erica Ridley.
Lucien le Duc longs for his France, his aristocratic life, and the possibility of communicating in French instead of battling with English. And the opportunity is around the corner to restore his family to their old greatness.
Men's family was in the other side of the revolution, she's an independent, strong willed woman, and she has no interest in French aristocrats. But she's been lusting after Lucien for years.
The attraction! The banter! The slow burn! The funny conversations! I absolutely adored the development of their relationship. It was perfectly, exquisitely executed.
And all the Christmas! I'm soft for this stuff. I loved it. 
I enjoyed this book a lot, it was exactly what my tired, stressed, quarantined brain needed.

I tend to hesitate with books that are part of a long series, but I found that it was easy to follow this book even though I hadn't read any others in the series. It was a fun read and I especially liked Meg and her charming wittiness!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful historical Christmas story that will leave you wanting more.  This book has it all:  humor, romance, a wonderful & caring man and a happy ending.  Another awesome story from this author.  Highly recommended!

Description From a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Meg Church adores two things: life in a village of perennial Yuletide, and the freedom of being a spinster with no reputation to protect. Oh, very well, three things: She’s harbored a secret tendre for Christmas curmudgeon Lucien le Duc since the moment she first glimpsed him. But the sexy blacksmith won’t give her the time of day, much less a night of torrid passion. Ever since Lucien le Duc was forced to flee his beloved France during the revolution, his all-consuming goal has been to recover not only his lost land and fortune, but also his rightful place among the French aristocracy. He would never be distracted by an English dairy maid’s sultry glances… or her soul-consuming kisses… or the temptation to turn one night into forever… The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. Twelve delightful romances… and plenty of delicious dukes!

Really enjoyable Regency romance. If you enjoy Jo Beverley you will likely enjoy this festive easy read.

This series is adorable and this addition is not different.  The banter and romance between Meg and Lucien is adorable.  This light-hearted romance will brighten your day.  If you love a quick read with great characters and romance, this is a good one.

The Duke's Desire is the first book from this series that I have read and I love it. If the rest of the books are anything like this one I will definitely be going back to read more of them. I enjoyed following  Lucien and Meg's story. He wants to return to his home in France and has no idea she grew up in his home country. If you love Regency romance stories, Erica Ridley is the author for you.

Meg Church adores two things: life in a village of perennial Yuletide, and the freedom of being a spinster with no reputation to protect. Oh, very well, three things: She’s harbored a secret tendre for Christmas curmudgeon Lucien le Duc since the moment she first glimpsed him. But the sexy blacksmith won’t give her the time of day, much less a night of torrid passion. Ever since Lucien le Duc was forced to flee his beloved France during the revolution, his all-consuming goal has been to recover not only his lost land and fortune, but also his rightful place among the French aristocracy. He would never be distracted by an English dairy maid’s sultry glances… or her soul-consuming kisses… or the temptation to turn one night into forever…
This was a great story by a great author. I’ve read a number of her books and they don’t disappoint. I really liked both main characters as well as the plot. I recommend. 
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This is not my first book by Erica Ridley, I have read many of her books and I’m definitely a huge fan of her stories and characters! “The Dukes Desire” didn’t disappoint! I loved Meg’s character, her spirit, passion and independence. Beautifully written!  I can’t wait to read another in series!

It is always a pleasure to read her books. Great story.  The book keeps you in the story from beginning to the end.  You laugh and cry but it's a good one.

Erica Ridley is a great author. Mag and Lucian are fun characters in this story. Humorous at parts, serious at other parts. Stand alone book is part of series. Highly recommended historical romance by this author.

This entire series have been fun, quick reads that work well as palette cleansers between heavier books and The Duke's Desire was no different.  While not historically accurate, the characters are so fun and quirky.  I was excited to finally get around to Lucien's story as the Le Duc family have been some of my favorite characters in the series.  Meg was the perfect character to bring Lucien out of his shell.  I loved the humor that filled the story.   Looking forward to reading the next in the series when it comes out!  

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review!

Description
From a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author:
Meg Church adores two things: life in a village of perennial Yuletide, and the freedom of being a spinster with no reputation to protect. Oh, very well, three things: She’s harbored a secret tendre for Christmas curmudgeon Lucien le Duc since the moment she first glimpsed him. But the sexy blacksmith won’t give her the time of day, much less a night of torrid passion.
Ever since Lucien le Duc was forced to flee his beloved France during the revolution, his all-consuming goal has been to recover not only his lost land and fortune, but also his rightful place among the French aristocracy. He would never be distracted by an English dairy maid’s sultry glances… or her soul-consuming kisses… or the temptation to turn one night into forever…
The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. Twelve delightful romances… and plenty of delicious dukes!

My Review
This historical romance - The Duke’s Desire - was provided as an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were well-crafted and believable. The story-line was entertaining and it held my attention until the very end.

If you enjoy historical romances, then you must read The Dukes Desire.

I am a major fan of Erica Ridley and, as always, was swept into the story.  
Our main characters, Meg and Lucien, are likable, engaging and believable.  There are also some memorable supporting characters.  Making for a great read!
I enjoyed watching as the game, otherwise known as courtship, played out between Meg and Lucien.  The whole will they or won't they?  
At times, I found myself smiling, crying and even laughing out loud on occasion. 
I highly recommend the purchase of this book.
Thank you Erica Ridley, Webmotion and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

This was an exquisite historical romance. Meg is a free spirit and I enjoyed her antics. The details of Meg and Lucien’s courtship are lovely to read.  
Many thanks to WebMotion and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.