I wanted to love Falling on a Duke—the premise had so much potential, and I could tell the author poured her heart into the story. However, I found myself struggling to fully grasp the narrative and connect with the characters. The writing felt disjointed at times, and I had difficulty following the flow of the dialogue and plot.

That said, I later learned that English is not Stefany Nunes’ first language, and that context helped me better understand some of the challenges I encountered. I truly admire her for writing and publishing a novel in a second language—no small feat—and I wish I had known that going in, as it might have shifted my expectations.

While this book didn’t quite work for me, I recognize the effort and creativity behind it. I hope to see more from this author as her voice continues to grow and evolve.

Perfect book for a beach day or a day by the pool.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very cute and easy read. A quick, sweet, low angst, time travel romance that can be enjoyed on a beach day.

A hot duke from the 19th century, a corgi puppy, funny dialogue, and spice- what more could you ask for?

I decided to read this as a pick me up after finishing a different book and it was exactly what I needed. The characters were lovable, even those who weren’t featured or focused on much. I loved that there wasn’t a true “villain” or anything complex about the “conflict”. This book is a true cozy romance with a happy ending that is well deserved. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a light and extremely enjoyable read.

If you’re a fan of The Knight Before Christmas or love the charm of Bridgerton-style dukes dropped into the chaos of modern life, Falling on a Duke is a total delight. This book gave me all the cozy, romantic, time-travel magic I was hoping for.

Benjamin, a proper 19th-century duke, suddenly finds himself in present-day London, completely out of his element. Enter Isabella, a heartbroken writer trying to put her life back together. Their worlds collide in the most unexpected (and adorable) way, and the chemistry is instant.

Stefany Nunes blends historical charm with contemporary wit, creating a sweet, swoony romance that feels like Julia Quinn meets The Knight Before Christmas. It’s light, funny, and heartfelt—the perfect feel-good read when you want a little escape and a lot of romance.

REVIEW FROM GOODREADS

** spoiler alert ** 4.0 ⭐️

[1:00am — 17/04/2025]

First of all I want to start by thanking The Book Guild for choosing me as an ARC, as I send gratitude to the author, Stefany Nunes. And also to NetGalley too!!

I’m truly grateful for the advanced copy, and hope to get more in the future! <3

Now review time :)

Don’t judge the absurd time, it’s peaceful reading at this time. Though at times, I had to hold my laugh in😭. Just Ben adjusting to the way life was in modern day.

It was so romcom coded with fluff, raunchy yet beautiful quick paced book. This book is so very April coded, even if it is mostly taking place during the Winter time. It was so cute and sweet, I nearly sobbed at them not having a happy ending.

This conversation between Isabella and Cinthia:

"I love it! It's going to be great. But there's a happy ending, right? For God's sake, don't separate the two of them."

"Of course, I'm not an evil author. It has a happy ending; I just don't know how yet."

I LOVED IT😭

It was like the author was reassuring, and talking to us and I personally found that extremely cool. It’s like she’s writing but informing, I’m not sure how to explain it or what the literary device would be [would it be foreshadowing or pathetic fallacy? I swear pathetic fallacy is for bad omen. Never mind, I got my 6 in English Language, I’m good😭].

The mention of actual modern stuff in London such as: Underground, Oyster Cards, Waterstones, Bank Street, Green Park, Abbey Road and BRIDGERTON (🤭) etc, I loved it. Usually I don’t but in this book it made sense and I loved the mentions. Adding to the fact that I am a Londoner myself, this felt like a hug in a way😭.

It was cute, fast paced. Nothing wrong with it except, the ending felt like the Epilogue had a big jump. I know it’s just a book but I kept thinking about this all legally. Like does Ben have a passport?😭😭😭 I know odd question but it kept circling in my head.

I am practical as I am a dreamer. Please.😭😭😭😭

Overall a 4.0 stars!! Now. I’ll be going to Tower Bridge in the morning in hopes of finding a stranded 19th century man, in cute boots. Wish me luck girls 🤭🩷 x

[1:23am — 17/04/2025]

The plot of this book is enjoyable and I liked the characters well enough, but it felt a bit like a "paint by numbers" romance novel. The main characters are sweet together, but the spice is clunky and rushed while trying to feel "scandalous" and not hitting the mark.

I would also recommend much tighter english language editing. I understand that this book was written in Portugeuse and I'm interested in reading global authors but there are a lot of inconsistencies in the dialog and writing that are hard to get through and pull focus. For example, many contractions were skipped, "it is" instead of "it's" in casual conversion, and things like a full conversation about Bella's roommate buying her a sandwich or burger are not necessary. Neither is a step by step explanation of printing out photos at a kiosk.

Falling for a Duke was a pleasurable read that kept me engaged from start to finish. It offered an enjoyable escape, especially for fans of time-travel romance.

The main characters were genuinely likable, and their chemistry made the journey all the more fun. Isabella is a Brazilian romance author living in London when she runs Ben over with her scooter. Turns out he’s a time-traveling duke…how lucky is she? This book doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes it a perfect light, silly, and sweet read—ideal to bring along to the beach this summer.

This was a super cute story. It reminded me of the movie "Kate & Leopold" which is actually mentioned in this book. I liked the dynamic of the characters and the connection they had from the beginning.

The Duke of Waldorf—also known as Benjamin—unexpectedly finds himself catapulted 200 years into the future after discovering his grandmother’s cameo, a mysterious necklace she once gifted him with a cryptic warning. Moments after his arrival in modern-day London, he's struck by a scooter, ridden by a Brazilian woman named Bella. Feeling responsible, she takes him in, and together they try to unravel the mystery of his return, while also, inevitably, falling in love.

I love this premise—it blends two of my favorite things: the Regency era and time travel. There are some truly charming elements here: the dog (and its absolutely perfect name), the heroine’s multicultural background, and the overall arc of the story all drew me in.

That said, the writing style occasionally pulled me out of the narrative. The language felt stilted—not in the delightfully formal way you'd expect from a historical character, but in a way that made the dialogue and pacing feel awkward at times. The romantic “steam” also felt a bit clunky and could benefit from a smoother buildup.

Still, this book has heart and will likely appeal to fans of time-slip romance and anyone who swoons for a man in riding boots.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Rating: ★★★
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Summary: Falling for a Duke is a charming, slow-burn rom-com with a touch of spice, lovable characters (including a standout dog), and a cozy happily-ever-after. While it took a bit to get going and didn’t quite leave a lasting impact, it’s a fun, light read—especially for fans of historical romance with a modern twist.

This was a sweet, light-hearted rom-com with—of course—a happy ending. It took me a little while to warm up to it, but once I did, I found myself attached to the characters and genuinely felt the connection between them. The yearning? Ooft.

Benjamin is a total gentleman, but with just the right amount of cheek—particularly when it comes to his obsession with Bella’s arse (no complaints). His interactions with Duke, the dog, made up about 90% of his charm, and honestly, I was here for it.

Falling for a Duke is the kind of read that leaves you warm inside while still delivering just enough spice to keep things interesting.

The beginning felt a bit shaky for me—it read more like a sitcom than a rom-com—but you can really feel the author finding her groove as the story progresses. Once it hit its stride, the pacing worked well. I was briefly worried the book might end on a sad note, but Stefany reeled it back in just in time.

This was my first foray into a period-piece romance, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. That said, I was impressed by how much research clearly went into it. The characters visit Big Ben, and Stefany even pauses to question whether the MMC would be familiar with the landmark. I hadn’t even considered that—but it was such a clever touch. Kudos to her for the attention to detail.

What didn’t quite work for me:
There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on that felt missing. I liked the book, and I’ll admit I was fully invested in certain chapters, but overall, some parts of the story didn’t really propel the rest forward. There’s nothing I strongly disliked, but there’s also nothing I’m dying to rave about either.

For readers who love a light rom-com with a slow burn and a satisfying HEA, this one will definitely tick the right boxes. I’m just not sure I’m the target audience this time around.

Thank you Netgalley and the book guild publishing, for this arc.

Once again I forgot about it for weeks. I am a weird netgalley user, I love books, but forget about them.

Anyyway. This book is great.
Is it a new abselute fave book? No.
Is it entertaining? yes defently.
Is it spicy? yes.
Is it funny? yes defenty.
Is it original? yes defently, original.

A little gripe. I felt the romance could have been done better. But I did belive it when it happened. It just took some time.

Loved both narration voices, the book is dual pov.

A book I would recomend.

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. The writing style wasn't for me and it felt very surface level. I wanted to cheer them on but unfortunately it didn't happen for me.

This book felt to me a bit like the movie Enchanted with added in spice. It was an enjoyable book but very predictable. It took over halfway through the book to get to the spicy parts if that is what you are looking for.

This is definitely for those who watched the 2001 masterpiece Kate & Leopold as a kid and have been chasing that high ever since.

❤️‍🔥Falling On A Duke❤️‍🔥
By Stephany Nunes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Star Review
4/5 Spiciness Level 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Falling On A Duke is a Time-Travel Romantasy with dual POV. The MMC is Benjamin Gerard Waldorf, the Duke of Waldorf. The FMC is Isabella Souza Kato, a Brazilian writer living in London.

Ok, I absolutely adore this book! It is the sweetest story I have read in a long time. It’s not too long, so much angst, and when the spice kicks in… it kicks in hard. I love these two characters together!! They have a well deserved HEA.

Ben is a Duke from 19th century England. After enduring two great losses in his family, he has now inherited the title of Duke of Waldorf. His sister Abigail is the only family he has left and they are both suffering greatly from the loss of their father and brother. Ben never expected to be the Duke as he was not the oldest son. He gave up the life of a rake to be responsible as the Duke and to take care of his sister. In a moment of frustration, he wishes for a break at the same time he is picking up his desk. When he picks up the pendant his grandmother gave him…. Well he ends up in the year 2022 and literally runs into Bella being knocked unconscious.

Bella is a romance writer with writers block. She recently endured a bad breakup and isn’t quite over it yet. Her family is spread out all over the world, so she lives in London with her roommate and her dog… Duke, AKA Your Grace. She is an endearing FMC and very much a romantic at heart.

When Bella decides to leave the house to try and gain inspiration to write, she never imagines when she rents a scooter that she would run straight into someone knocking him unconscious. Feeling responsible for this strangely dressed man with his blatant confusion of who he is, where he is, and what year it is (or so she thinks) she brings him home with her. The connection is rather immediate between the two. However, the feelings are slow to grow… a true slow-burn.

This book is such a wonderful read. I fully recommend this book!

The author is actually Brazilian and there are parallels to the story and her real life which is super cool to read about at the end in the About The Author section!

Read this book as an ARC via NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!

Happy Reading! 🥰

My Initial Thoughts

I loved the idea of this book and the cover really drew me in. Straight away I loved the characters, what’s not to love about a Duke and a writer! And the little doggie, aww so cute. It pulled me in straight away. I was invested from the second the time travel happened! I knew I was going to love this one and the plot lines from just a few chapters in.

Plot

The plot is everything. You have parts pulling your heart strings in all different directions and that keeps you invested and hoping that everything will work out. I loved the adventure that Isabella and Benjamin went on and how he discovers how much has changed in the future. The dual pov really adds a lot of feelings into the mix.

Characters

I love the characters! Isabella is the most kind, compassionate person, who does everything in her power to help Ben remember everything while he discovers the future world. Ben is such a gentleman and I loved that he remained just as gentlemanly throughout the story. Duke is a cutie, that I adored when he was mentioned. Who knew a little doggie could steal the show!

Recommend

If you’re a lover of romance, with an aspect of historical and time travel… pick this up!

Favourite Quotes

“It’s kind of hard to be when your heart is being held together with glue and tape.”

“Are you telling me you’re a two hundred – year – old duke?”

“She is the gentleness in all my chaos.”

“Hmm, like Anthony Bridgerton in the series.”

Favourite Chapter/s

My favourite chapters were 5, 10, 11, 14, 16, 19 and 25…. Yep there was a few.

Summed up in one sentence

The perfect mix of time difference and love.

Overall Wrap up

I just adored this, it had me giggling so much and when the spice began, wooh it was getting hot in the bedroom! I loved the flow of the storylines and the slow burn was just the perfect amount!

Stars & Spice – 4.5 stars and 3 chilli’s.
Book Information – Falling On A Duke.

Genre – Romance.

Pages – 264 pages.

Tropes –
Time travel.
Slow burn.
Duke x writer

Available on Kindle Unlimited – Not available on kindle unlimited.

Available Formats – Available on kindle and paperback.

Publishing Information – Published on 28th April 2025 by The Book Guild.

Format in Which I Read – Kindle.

Where my copy come From – Zooloo’s Book Tours and Netgallery.

POVs – Dual POV – Isabella and Benjamin.

Single/Dual/Multiple Timelines – Single timeline – Sometimes multiple when going back to the past.

1st or 3rd Person – Written in 1st person.

HEA, HFN or Cliff hanger – HEA

Series or Standalone – Standalone.

Trigger Warnings – Please check content warnings before reading if necessary and please always remember that your mental health matters.

Sadly, I am having to DNF this book at 20%. The idea is great, but it feels like it needs a professional editor. After perusing other reviews I’ve seen others feel the same way. The way it’s written (which I understand as English is not her first language) makes many sentences confusing to a native English speaker/reader.

I think this story has a lot of potential and I would be willing to try to read it again as an updated version.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Falling On a Duke
Stefany Nunes

The setting is England in the 1800s, the Duke of Waldorf, Benjamin Gerard Waldorf is a man with responsibilities and duties. His life is boring until he is transported 200 years into the future by an antique cameo. He meets Isabella Souza Kato, and she changes his world. Isabella is a frustrated writer; after a painful break-up she wants no part of men, love, dating, etc. However, that changes when she meets an unusual male purporting to be from the past. He claimed to be from the 1800s. Life in the present. 2022 is hard for him to comprehend, airplanes, cell phones, television, and automobiles; they all seemed strange to Benjamin.
Isabella was on her scooter when they accidentally met…she was on her scooter and ran into him. The present is so strange to him, he wants to return to his time, his world. Isabella invites him to stay with her, and she offers her assistance; she doesn’t believe he is really from the past at first. Isabella and Benjamin are falling in love. If he finds a way back will he go?
The author’s first language is not English and that does show in the text; this is her first English novel. Some of the sentences are read in a strange manner. The premise behind this tale is a good one. Unfortunately, the timing was off; the characters fell in love too fast. It needed emotional complexity, instead it was rushed and there was little true passion. Once Isabella and Benjamin were intimate the book lost its direction. There was a lot of sex in this tale which isn’t surprising since it is considered erotic. This could have been a passionate love story but that got lost along the way. I love time travel novels and this could be a good one with some tweaking.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

“I’m going to kiss you,” Benjamin warns. It’s not a request, nor is it a question. “But I’m still not sure about anything.” I’m not sure either, but I don’t mind. 💕


I was utterly swept away with Stefany Nunes' Falling on a Duke, it’s not often a story manages to elicit an emotional response from me, but this one did. I think this might be the first time I’ve actually shed happy tears while reading! What struck me was just how wonderfully different and quirky the whole premise felt. It wasn't your typical historical romance, and that's precisely what made it so captivating. The way Stefany Nunes crafted the characters of Ben and Bella was just brilliant. Their individual personalities shone through so vividly, and their interactions were an absolute joy to witness. I found myself completely invested in their journey, laughing at their witty banter and feeling every flutter of their burgeoning connection. Honestly, they had my heart from start to finish.

And it wasn't just the main couple who stole the show. Even though we only got glimpses into the lives of Jack and Abigail, their happy ending felt like the final piece of the puzzle that allowed Ben and Bella to finally find their own joy. It was such a lovely touch, adding an extra layer of sweetness to an already delightful narrative. The pacing of the story was spot on, allowing the relationship between Ben and Bella to develop naturally and believably. There were no rushed moments, no contrived drama just for the sake of it – just a beautifully unfolding connection between two wonderfully imperfect individuals.

Falling on a Duke isn't just a romance; it's a story about finding happiness in unexpected places and with unexpected people. It’s about embracing your quirks and allowing yourself to be loved for who you truly are. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most unconventional paths lead to the most beautiful destinations. If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, sigh contentedly, and maybe even shed a few happy tears, then I wholeheartedly recommend picking up Stefany Nunes' Falling on a Duke. It’s an absolute gem of a read, and I can guarantee you’ll fall in love with Ben and Bella just as much as I did.