Erica  Ridley writes terrific romances.    The characters are terrific as usual.    The hero is especially sweet in this book.   Love the heroine as well.    She's strong and brave.   I love how social issues are dealt with in this novel...  It's not patronizing but educational.    Terrific story!

Another warm and heartfelt romance in Cressmouth. Although this can be read as a standalone, it ties in with 'Dawn with a Duke" to reflect the other side of the partnership in the creation of "Fit for a Duke".

Jonathan is Calvin's partner in creating and promoting their new venture of making fashionable clothes at an affordable cost. He doesn't setlle in one place. That way he doesn't have to endure the bad memories of his past. 

Angelica is the jeweler in Cressmouth. She has to honour a contract which leaves her with little to no time for any leisure. When Jonathan walks into her shop, everything changes. Can he give up his wandering ways and settle for what he could call home?

Jonathan has this incredible personality. He is amusing and adorable even if he carries the unpleasant baggage from his past. Angelica is sweet. She can be herself in Cressmouth and not being judged for being black. Their friendship turns into a beautiful love story. I love the writing style, the pace, the portrayal and the romance. A great addition to this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Erica Ridley for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

I had pre-ordered this as soon as I finished reading the prior book in the series, DAWN WITH A DUKE because I loved that book and it had some nice sequel bait sprinkled in very lightly (Jonathan's business partner Calvin teases him about being bored, and Jonathan blushes!). So I was very happy to find that this book is also a delight!

Our hero Jonathan is kind of like a puppy. Very eager, always ready for adventure, exceedingly positive. He even thinks to himself about how people have compared him to an overeager puppy and his response is that puppies are great, there are way worse things to be compared to, I'd rather be like a puppy.

Our heroine Angelica is much more serious. She has been working to establish her jewelry business for 7 years and she won't let anyone, even a talkative Scotsman, distract her from her goals. She even wears copies of the same clothes every day so she doesn't waste time choosing what to wear.

I love a good opposites attract and this one was very cute. Jonathan loves being nomadic and never visits the same town twice, but when he gets snowed in, he explores the small town, happens upon the best jeweler in all of England, and before he knows it has become a regular at the bakery across the street, and he actually doesn't hate getting to know people and building relationships that go beyond talking about the weather.

The one thing that threw me off a little was that DAWN WITH A DUKE had some steam to it, with some excellent chemistry (the hottest unbuttoning scene!) and a love scene. This one actually just has kissing and is much more a meeting of the minds. I prefer my romances to be on the steamy side so I was a little sad, but this is a <150-page book so it kind of makes sense, and additionally I admire that Angelica says she doesn't want to be intimate before marriage and adheres to those principles (she is Christian and a regular church-goer, with a famous pastor for an uncle).

As you can see from the above, this is a very cute romance between two people and it's very enjoyable...but it's also a historical interracial romance! Angelica is Black and the text weaves in not only historical information (London had a Black community of 10-20 thousand people during the Regency; slavery existed in England at the time because even though it was illegal to buy or sell people, some wealthy people refused to free enslaved people they already had power over; Ignatius Sancho was a Black writer and composer who was the first Black man known to have voted in a British election--just to point out a few things I learned!), but also small things on how her race might shape her point of view (I should add that I am white so I will defer to Black reviewers on assessing the representation). For example, Jonathan enters her shop and starts asking her who she is, and she tenses, thinking that he'll mistake her for a servant. But he finishes the sentence and she realizes he has (correctly) assumed she is the owner of the shop, and it just lights her up. One thing I think readers will enjoy in additional to all the historical knowledge is that we never see racism on the page -- there is discussion of slavery and the slave trade, and mention that yes some of the tourists in the town are...not great to her, but we get the idea without having to see Angelica or her family treated poorly in a scene.

Oh, and make sure to read through to the Author's Note which has a few other historical facts and links to 10 Wikipedia pages on notable Black people in Britain before 1800, mostly 18th century but one was a silk weaver independent business owner in the late 16th century!

I had a great time reading this book and even though it is only fall, it definitely put me in the Christmas spirit!





Content notes: though this book is generally very cheery, just like its hero, we do have some off-the-page mention of depression and opiate addiction leading to death. And as mentioned above, references to past instances of racism against our heroine

Stunning, delightful Christmas romance!

Every time I read one of the 12 Dukes of Christmas I'm convinced it's better than the last, and this one really stands above the rest. Angelica shines as the independent and immensely talented jeweler who is determined to call her own shots despite the heavy odds stacked against her. Jonathan is happy to live as an itinerant traveler/salesman because having no roots equals having no risks to his heart.

Christmas only brings heartache to Jonathan, so he's trying to avoid it as much he can in the tiny mountain village that celebrates the holiday year-round. In Angelica he finds a kindred spirit who calms and centers him despite their vastly different outlooks on life.

Social issues - women's rights, racism, slavery - are all handled brilliantly with a matter-of-fact approach that showcases the best in human virtue rather than dwelling on the worst. Nothing is swept under the rug, but issues are accepted and overcome with grace and dignity above all.

This was a beautifully sweet, tender romance that knocked down all their self-erected walls and brought these two wonderfully caring people to their well-deserved HEA. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.