Never Seduce a Duke: A Novel
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- Create Date：2023-02-27 11:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Vivienne Lorret
- ISBN：B0BDJ39CN6
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Summary
In USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret's latest romance， a young lady engages in a steamy flirtation with a bespectacled， studious duke while on holiday， only to return with more than just memories。。。
After being jilted， Margaret Stredwick has sworn off men and marriage。 What she needs is a holiday。 But a detour along the way takes a surprising turn that leads Meg to him。 And soon she starts to wonder if she should indulge in one grand flirtation before she's firmly on the shelf。
The instant Lucien Ambrose， Duke of Merleton， finds a strange woman touring the halls of his ancient estate， he knows the minx is up to something。 So， when a family heirloom is stolen， it's clear who the culprit is。 She may tempt him beyond reason， but he isn't about to let her get away， even if he has to chase her across the continent。
Meg never imagined that anyone would mistake her for a notorious thief， known for seducing men to distraction。 It's the most thrilling thing ever！ She eagerly plays along。 。 。 until she finds herself falling in love with a man who has no idea who she really is。 And by the time she returns to her ordinary life， she discovers that her grand flirtation won't be a secret for long。 Apparently， she brought home an unexpected souvenir。。。
After being jilted， Margaret Stredwick has sworn off men and marriage。 What she needs is a holiday。 But a detour along the way takes a surprising turn that leads Meg to him。 And soon she starts to wonder if she should indulge in one grand flirtation before she's firmly on the shelf。
The instant Lucien Ambrose， Duke of Merleton， finds a strange woman touring the halls of his ancient estate， he knows the minx is up to something。 So， when a family heirloom is stolen， it's clear who the culprit is。 She may tempt him beyond reason， but he isn't about to let her get away， even if he has to chase her across the continent。
Meg never imagined that anyone would mistake her for a notorious thief， known for seducing men to distraction。 It's the most thrilling thing ever！ She eagerly plays along。 。 。 until she finds herself falling in love with a man who has no idea who she really is。 And by the time she returns to her ordinary life， she discovers that her grand flirtation won't be a secret for long。 Apparently， she brought home an unexpected souvenir。。。
Reviews
Silvia （roomforbooks）
，
Ugh， this was so convoluted
AbadWallflower
，
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 a 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。 。。。more
Greis
，
Hey Queen！ Girl， You have done it again， constantly raising the bar for us all， and doing it flawlessly。 I'd say I'm surprised but I know who you are。The two year jump threw me and I thought I'd hate but once again Vivienne Lorret made it work。 Normally I'm not a big fan of the pregnancy trope but what can I say I love a good father daughter moment they were adorable。 Hey Queen！ Girl， You have done it again， constantly raising the bar for us all， and doing it flawlessly。 I'd say I'm surprised but I know who you are。The two year jump threw me and I thought I'd hate but once again Vivienne Lorret made it work。 Normally I'm not a big fan of the pregnancy trope but what can I say I love a good father daughter moment they were adorable。 。。。more
Alda Delicado
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Funny and entertaining。 The first part is especially hilarious， the second could have been shorter。 Overall a fun read。
Book Addict
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2。5 stars rounded up。 Skimmed the first 50% of the book。 It felt as though the hero's character kept changing。 Also all the mentions of "fate"， "destiny"， "family legend" and "legacy" was a little to fantastical for my taste。 2。5 stars rounded up。 Skimmed the first 50% of the book。 It felt as though the hero's character kept changing。 Also all the mentions of "fate"， "destiny"， "family legend" and "legacy" was a little to fantastical for my taste。 。。。more
Darbella
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Meg and Lucien。 I love their chemistry together。 I also loved that in this story the main characters traveled and visited places like France， Germany， and Italy before heading back to their home country。 I also enjoyed the side characters and their exploits。 For me the second half was not as strong because of the abundance of plot devices kicking in， but overall I thought this story was amazing。
Sabrina
，
This is the third Vivienne Lorret book I’ve read， and my god， that woman is witch because she makes me enjoy tropes I don’t usually like。 Half of the book falls under the “road trip” trope， which usually I don’t like， but this time？ I honestly didn’t mind it。 The story was too captivating for me to care about that if I’m being honest。 However， the plot twist that happens in the middle of the book might not be to everyone’s taste， it personally worked for me because I felt that I was done well， b This is the third Vivienne Lorret book I’ve read， and my god， that woman is witch because she makes me enjoy tropes I don’t usually like。 Half of the book falls under the “road trip” trope， which usually I don’t like， but this time？ I honestly didn’t mind it。 The story was too captivating for me to care about that if I’m being honest。 However， the plot twist that happens in the middle of the book might not be to everyone’s taste， it personally worked for me because I felt that I was done well， but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea。 So， heads up guys。 If I’m being totally honest， I was not expecting Lucian to be this… well for lack of better words， steamy。 I fully expected him to be a little more awkward in the bedroom but my man knew exactly what to do with his desire。 Meg was honestly so real， she knew what she wanted and she was ready to take it。 Love that for her。 It is safe to say that the chemistry between the characters was THERE。 I mean， their scenes together were hot。 The story was captivating。 I sat down planning to only read a few chapters， only to end up binging the whole book in one sitting。 The plot twists， the mystery， the drama… I ate that shit up。 The only problem that I had with this book was the over-usage of the miscommunication trope。 I just wanted to smack Lucian and Meg， and force them to communicate properly with each other。Other than that， I really did enjoy this。 I am not getting over Lucian and Meg anytime soon， and this will definitely not be my last Vivienne Lorret read。 。。。more
Tami Fidler
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What a fun end to a great series。 I enjoyed the banter， it was top notch。 I liked the romance and the sweetness。 I don't normally like stories where there is a misunderstanding， but I felt in this case it was written well。 It was a fun book and I will definitely re-read it again。 What a fun end to a great series。 I enjoyed the banter， it was top notch。 I liked the romance and the sweetness。 I don't normally like stories where there is a misunderstanding， but I felt in this case it was written well。 It was a fun book and I will definitely re-read it again。 。。。more
Colorado
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I thought this book was extremely frustrating。 While the hero is supposed to be a brilliant， well educated man， his behavior is clueless。 When a precious family heirloom goes missing shortly after Meg visits his castle， Lucien assumes that the innocent Debutante is actually a notorious international thief。 Meg is initially flattered to be viewed as a woman of intrigue but tries to tell Lucien that she has not stolen his ancient book many times。 Even after getting to know her through long discuss I thought this book was extremely frustrating。 While the hero is supposed to be a brilliant， well educated man， his behavior is clueless。 When a precious family heirloom goes missing shortly after Meg visits his castle， Lucien assumes that the innocent Debutante is actually a notorious international thief。 Meg is initially flattered to be viewed as a woman of intrigue but tries to tell Lucien that she has not stolen his ancient book many times。 Even after getting to know her through long discussions and activities together， he refuses to accept that evidence and insists on viewing her as a criminal。 I thought his behavior was insulting and disrespectful。 He kisses her， etc。 and immediately afterwards demands that she tell him where she's hidden the book。The back cover and the book's preview in How To Steal A Scoundrel's Heart both allude to the fact that Meg returns from her trip with an unexpected souvenir or pregnancy。 The book is essentially divided in 2 parts。 In the first half， Meg and Lucien meet and he follows her as she takes a European grand tour。 The second half takes place after Meg returns home and needs to deal with the aftermath of her summer romance。 I gave this 3 stars because I liked Meg and I finished the book to find out how she got her HEA。 。。。more
Margaret Davis
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The book started off slow- the story of Lucien， the Duke of Merleton， who incidentally meets Margaret while she is touring his home with her 2 elderly aunts。 Margaret is found in a part of the house that is off limits to tourists and soon after， a family heirloom， a jeweled book of recipes is stolen。 Lucien thinks Margaret is the eponymous Lady Avalon and chases her across Europe to retrieve his family's recipe book。 The book gets much better midway， as Lucien and Margaret are mutually attracted The book started off slow- the story of Lucien， the Duke of Merleton， who incidentally meets Margaret while she is touring his home with her 2 elderly aunts。 Margaret is found in a part of the house that is off limits to tourists and soon after， a family heirloom， a jeweled book of recipes is stolen。 Lucien thinks Margaret is the eponymous Lady Avalon and chases her across Europe to retrieve his family's recipe book。 The book gets much better midway， as Lucien and Margaret are mutually attracted to each other and eventually give in to their attractions。 Lucien's stepsister Morgan and cousin， Pell come along for the ride and a mystery surrounding the recipe book unfolds。 I really enjoyed the book despite the slow start。 I will look forward to the next installment from Mrs。 Lorrett。I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review 。。。more
Margaret Davis
，
The book started off slow- the story of Lucien， the Duke of Merleton， who incidentally meets Margaret while she is touring his home with her 2 elderly aunts。 Margaret is found in a part of the house that is off limits to tourists and soon after， a family heirloom， a jeweled book of recipes is stolen。 Lucien thinks Margaret is the eponymous Lady Avalon and chases her across Europe to retrieve his family's recipe book。 The book gets much better midway， as Lucien and Margaret are mutually attracted The book started off slow- the story of Lucien， the Duke of Merleton， who incidentally meets Margaret while she is touring his home with her 2 elderly aunts。 Margaret is found in a part of the house that is off limits to tourists and soon after， a family heirloom， a jeweled book of recipes is stolen。 Lucien thinks Margaret is the eponymous Lady Avalon and chases her across Europe to retrieve his family's recipe book。 The book gets much better midway， as Lucien and Margaret are mutually attracted to each other and eventually give in to their attractions。 Lucien's stepsister Morgan and cousin， Pell come along for the ride and a mystery surrounding the recipe book unfolds。 I really enjoyed the book despite the slow start。 I will look forward to the next installment from Mrs。 Lorrett。I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review 。。。more
Andrea Wenger
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When an heirloom disappears， duke Lucien immediately suspects the mysterious， beautiful woman he discovered in an off-limits part of his ancestral home。 To get it back， he follows her on a tour of the continent。 But Meg and the aunties are only searching for family recipes， not priceless illuminated manuscripts。 Can she convince him that she's not the culprit？The characters in this novel are fascinating， and the story is as well。 It's not a typical romance novel—more a mashup of romance/mystery/ When an heirloom disappears， duke Lucien immediately suspects the mysterious， beautiful woman he discovered in an off-limits part of his ancestral home。 To get it back， he follows her on a tour of the continent。 But Meg and the aunties are only searching for family recipes， not priceless illuminated manuscripts。 Can she convince him that she's not the culprit？The characters in this novel are fascinating， and the story is as well。 It's not a typical romance novel—more a mashup of romance/mystery/domestic thriller。 It's also got a secret baby storyline and a two-year time jump。 Lucien is something of a "Sherlock" character and the dynamic between him and Meg is fun。 The audiobook narration by Justine Eyre was well done。Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Antonella
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 really disliked this book the entire storyline is one big misunderstanding！！ if that wasn't enough， there are lies and mindless separation of two years in which we learn heroine had hero's baby and after they get back together and sleep together made up and everything， she still waits to tell him about the kid。。。。their connection and romance is based on lies and betrayal and these two don't really know each other。。。 in the end they are just annoying！！and to hero - I don't really care about that really disliked this book the entire storyline is one big misunderstanding！！ if that wasn't enough， there are lies and mindless separation of two years in which we learn heroine had hero's baby and after they get back together and sleep together made up and everything， she still waits to tell him about the kid。。。。their connection and romance is based on lies and betrayal and these two don't really know each other。。。 in the end they are just annoying！！and to hero - I don't really care about that stupid book。。。 this wasn't the book for me， I would still recommend it to other readers who are interested in a historical romance with these tropes and don't mind angst。。。 。。。more
Laura Slabach
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Not my favorite。 The writing style was fine and the plot was ok。 I disliked that it was stretched out over such a long stretch of time。 I understand why it was necessary for the plot but just not my style。 I tend to read these because I need something fluffy where I know everything is going to be ok at the end。 Jumping 2 years at that point in the plot was a little hard for me and this particular tale was a little bit darker than the others in this series （which I have also read）。 Not a bad read Not my favorite。 The writing style was fine and the plot was ok。 I disliked that it was stretched out over such a long stretch of time。 I understand why it was necessary for the plot but just not my style。 I tend to read these because I need something fluffy where I know everything is going to be ok at the end。 Jumping 2 years at that point in the plot was a little hard for me and this particular tale was a little bit darker than the others in this series （which I have also read）。 Not a bad read， just not one of my favorites。 。。。more
Amanda mcguire
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4 stars
Robin
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This was an entertaining， well-written book。 It was fun， steamy and held my interest。 I wanted to find out what was going to happen。 I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author。
Maria
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True Rating - 2。5I utterly dislike this heroine。 The hero is way too good for her！ The heroine and her two aunts visits the duke’s （our hero） residence to steal a recipe from the famed cookbook if King Arthur and possibly make a match with the hero。 The Hs had a run-in and she departs without giving her name。 Later， the hero discovers the book was stolen by “Lady Avalon”。 The hero tracks the heroine & her two aunts to the continent， in an effort to locate the book。 She finds out pretty quickly h True Rating - 2。5I utterly dislike this heroine。 The hero is way too good for her！ The heroine and her two aunts visits the duke’s （our hero） residence to steal a recipe from the famed cookbook if King Arthur and possibly make a match with the hero。 The Hs had a run-in and she departs without giving her name。 Later， the hero discovers the book was stolen by “Lady Avalon”。 The hero tracks the heroine & her two aunts to the continent， in an effort to locate the book。 She finds out pretty quickly how important the book is to him and his family as well as he believes she took the book。 Instead of telling him the truth so he can look for the book， the heroine decides she wants a “grand flirtation” and lies to him。 She laments her family treats her like a child and these actions prove her family were correct！ Because of this I could behind this couple。 I fell it was a missed opportunity for this couple to work together to find the book。 What flames the heroine’s attraction is that the hero thinks she is smart， competent and sexy。 As such， they could have created a relationship based on mutual respect & attractiveness。 。。。more
Niki （mustreadalltheromance）
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Since the man she loved married someone else， Margaret Stredwick has decided marriage isn’t for her。 To nurse her wounded heart， Meg goes on holiday and after meeting a surprisingly intriguing man， she wonders if she should have one grand flirtation whose memories will carry her through her spinsterhood。Lucien Ambrose， the Duke of Merleton， is instantly suspicious when he encounters an unknown woman in his ancient home。 When a family heirloom turns up stolen on the same day as the stranger’s vis Since the man she loved married someone else， Margaret Stredwick has decided marriage isn’t for her。 To nurse her wounded heart， Meg goes on holiday and after meeting a surprisingly intriguing man， she wonders if she should have one grand flirtation whose memories will carry her through her spinsterhood。Lucien Ambrose， the Duke of Merleton， is instantly suspicious when he encounters an unknown woman in his ancient home。 When a family heirloom turns up stolen on the same day as the stranger’s visit， Lucien immediately suspects her。 He may find her inconveniently tempting， but he’s not about to let her get away， even if it means following her on a tour of the continent。Meg never dreamed she might be mistaken for a scandalous thief and seductress， but she’s thrilled enough to play along， up until she realizes she’s falling in love with a man who doesn’t know her true identity。 Unfortunately， when the holiday is over and Meg is settling back into her routine， it quickly becomes apparent that she’s brought something back from Italy that means she won’t be able to keep her flirtation a secret for long。There is so much going on with this book that I don’t quite know where to begin， but I did appreciate the completely bonkers plot and found the continental road trip setting of the first half of the book to be quite interesting。 The aunts， Maeve and Myrtle completely stole the show for me with their matchmaking， recipe thieving antics as well。 I’ve been looking forward to Meg’s story for quite some time and this was just not quite what I was expecting/hoping for her。I’m pretty torn about this book because there were a lot of aspects that I liked but also tons of things that annoyed me to no end。 Firstly， this story was extremely long and began to just feel drawn out。 There were a couple of places that seemed like natural conclusions for the story and then I’d look down at the percentage on my kindle and realize I still had lots of book left to go。 I think for me there was a bit too much detail about Meg and the aunts’ travels and interactions during them between Meg and Lucien in which their relationship doesn’t really change。 It’s mostly a lot of Lucien accusing Meg of theft and refusing to see her beyond the assumptions he presupposed。 Meg’s reasons for not being wholly truthful with Lucien and allowing his misapprehension to continue were pretty flimsy and this part of the book just felt drawn out and didn’t hold my attention well。 There just seemed to be a lot of superfluous book here and lost opportunities for this to be so romantic if Lucien had abandoned his wrongful assumptions and set out in a genuine pursuit of Meg。Our poor hero， Lucien， bless him， is so erudite that he winds up being completely obtuse most of the time。 He spends all this time with Meg， getting to know her despite this pseudo secret between them， though it’s only even a secret because he refuses to believe her， and yet much of these interactions and quality time between them occurs off page。 I was also a bit thrown off by the two year jump forward in the timeline。 This seemed like a very unnecessarily long separation， especially a few months would’ve sufficed just as well for the plot。 It was also frustrating that despite this separation， once Lucien and Meg are reunited， he almost immediately goes right back to accusing her of thieving the book。 It’s as if no time has passed， but not really in a good way and it made me feel a bit like I was rereading something I’d already seen in previous chapters， just with the addition of the secret baby element， which only made for another secret that was drawn out longer than necessary。 That last frustration， however， could also just be because I’m not a fan of the secret baby trope。Lucien just cannot see the forest for the trees， and it takes him entirely too long to figure it out so when they do come back together， the story is still plagued with frustrating miscommunication and there’s still way too much being left unsaid。 Lucien’s persistent refusal to listen to reason just made him seem like a petulant child after a while。 Though the villain was a bit obvious， I did like that aspect， though I wish this plot device had been enacted sooner。Despite the length of this book， the ending somehow felt simultaneously drawn out and rushed。 Lucien could’ve done much more apologizing to Meg for how much time was wasted thanks to his willful obliviousness。 The villain was dealt with quickly and the ultimate resolution there was never revealed on the page， leaving it as a loose end I remain curious about even now。 However， for all my complaints and frustrations， I did absolutely adore Meg’s family and their treatment of her。 They gave her nothing but support and didn’t try to force her into anything she wasn’t ready for or that would possibly bring her unhappiness。 It was especially refreshing to see this supporting dynamic from her brother even after he’d learned who had fathered Meg’s child。 Though some logistics were left a bit open for interpretation as far as their daughter， I did like seeing Meg and Lucien finally come together to create their own family， as well as him and his family being welcomed into the fold by hers。 I found that aspect of the story to be quite heart warming and I’m glad to have read this story and seen a satisfying conclusion to this utterly unique series。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance。blogspo。。。 。。。more
Catherine Stein
，
Wild romp of a book。 I've come to expect this from Lorret's books， and this one certainly didn't disappoint。 Who knew I needed a thief hunt， fake seductress， holiday flirtation， secret baby， Arthurian legend romance？ And somehow it works。 I enjoyed the first half of the book， where they travel across Europe flirting and falling in love。 But I *really* loved the second half of the book， where they're both coming together and learning how to be a family despite all the mistrust between them。 Both Wild romp of a book。 I've come to expect this from Lorret's books， and this one certainly didn't disappoint。 Who knew I needed a thief hunt， fake seductress， holiday flirtation， secret baby， Arthurian legend romance？ And somehow it works。 I enjoyed the first half of the book， where they travel across Europe flirting and falling in love。 But I *really* loved the second half of the book， where they're both coming together and learning how to be a family despite all the mistrust between them。 Both characters read as neurodivergent to me， and they definitely struggled with their trust problems。 Both naturally trust easily， but are very wary and uncertain of themselves because they've been hurt by this before。 I despised the villain for using this to manipulate Meg and Lucien both， and my heart ached for them。 I think my only real complaint was how obvious the villain was。 。。。more
Belinda
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This book was a total riot！ I thought the author （who is one of my favs） has written a fabulous， witty， highly entertaining book full of surprises and secrets。 I just adore Margaret Stredwick who has sworn of men because she was jilted。 She has decided to tour anything that interests her along with her two aunts who are very batty at times。 They stop at the grand estate of Lucien Ambrose， the Duke of Merleton to get a look see inside the home。 While there Meg meets the Duke and is instantly smit This book was a total riot！ I thought the author （who is one of my favs） has written a fabulous， witty， highly entertaining book full of surprises and secrets。 I just adore Margaret Stredwick who has sworn of men because she was jilted。 She has decided to tour anything that interests her along with her two aunts who are very batty at times。 They stop at the grand estate of Lucien Ambrose， the Duke of Merleton to get a look see inside the home。 While there Meg meets the Duke and is instantly smitten， but then she remembers （no men） but flirts anyway。Lucien is not sure if the woman is in his home is for real or up to something。 He decides to play along and find out the truth。 When the women leaves， Lucien later on， finds that his secret recipe has been stolen。 The culprit is the woman and he intends to get it back！Oh， the fun begins and he's off on a holiday of romance with a beguiling minx who is a seductress who has cast a spell on him。I really thought the characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own。 And the story was full of excitement to the very end。 I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review。 。。。more
Llynnya
，
Never Seduce a Duke （The Mating Habits of Scoundrels， 5） by Vivienne LorretA Regency romance that's lighthearted dialogue laced with humor， plenty of witty banter with characters are well portrayed， some likeable & some not as much。I will admit while the first half was what I would describe as a Regency Romp I found that the second half of the book almost seemed to be written by a different author it was a little different getting into at the start， but not enough that I lost enjoyment nor inter Never Seduce a Duke （The Mating Habits of Scoundrels， 5） by Vivienne LorretA Regency romance that's lighthearted dialogue laced with humor， plenty of witty banter with characters are well portrayed， some likeable & some not as much。I will admit while the first half was what I would describe as a Regency Romp I found that the second half of the book almost seemed to be written by a different author it was a little different getting into at the start， but not enough that I lost enjoyment nor interest。This is the fifth book of The Mating Habits of Scoundrels series and while I probably would have gotten a fuller read I didn't feel a need to have read the previous books。 Over all an interesting read。Thank-you to Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review。#NeverSeduceaDuke #NetGalley 。。。more
Jessica （the naptime writer）
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Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC。 All opinions provided are my own。I don’t even really know where to start with my review of Vivienne Lorret’s Never Seduce a Duke。 After reading the previous book in the series I knew this was going to be an accidental pregnancy book but I didn’t anticipate where the plot would start & go & end & wowie， it was pretty bonkers。This book features a broken-hearted heroine who wants to have a passionate affair before real spinsterhood & Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC。 All opinions provided are my own。I don’t even really know where to start with my review of Vivienne Lorret’s Never Seduce a Duke。 After reading the previous book in the series I knew this was going to be an accidental pregnancy book but I didn’t anticipate where the plot would start & go & end & wowie， it was pretty bonkers。This book features a broken-hearted heroine who wants to have a passionate affair before real spinsterhood & a glasses-wearing duke hero determined to find a missing book heirloom that he believes she has stolen。Quirky & charming， Never Seduce a Duke has its share of awww moments， including just how enticed the Duke is by the woman so many others have ignored。But as previously mentioned， I just don’t love the overall premise or all of the places the plot goes—& it goes a lot—& there’s an aspect of the plot that feels rushed。So is this book entertaining & adorable in moments？ Yes。 Is it bewildering or unbelievable in moments？ Yes。I think there’s potential here but it just didn’t work for me。3⭐️。 Out 02/21。 CWs: Previous death of all of their parents—the hero’s were murdered。 。。。more
Amber Humphries
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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC。I enjoyed it when Vivienne and Lucien were having random meetings and bantering back and forth。 Their inability to read the situation was cute and was the most significant positive of the story。 That said， I wasn't engaged once it went to the aunts and The Duke's obsession with magical cookbooks。 So I give t I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC。I enjoyed it when Vivienne and Lucien were having random meetings and bantering back and forth。 Their inability to read the situation was cute and was the most significant positive of the story。 That said， I wasn't engaged once it went to the aunts and The Duke's obsession with magical cookbooks。 So I give this a medium score of 3/5 stars。 stars。 。。。more
Kathryn
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3。5 Stars。 After being jilted， Margaret Stredwick is taken on a journey through by her aunts so her aunts can steal recipes from the various places they travel。 Their first stop is the home of Lucien Ambrose， Duke of Merleton， and the pair meet。 During their encounter a book of recipes is taken and Lucien follows the group to France， Germany， and Italy。 After a romantic encounter in Italy Meg finds herself pregnant and returns home。 At this point， 55% in， the book jumps two years。 Lucien encount 3。5 Stars。 After being jilted， Margaret Stredwick is taken on a journey through by her aunts so her aunts can steal recipes from the various places they travel。 Their first stop is the home of Lucien Ambrose， Duke of Merleton， and the pair meet。 During their encounter a book of recipes is taken and Lucien follows the group to France， Germany， and Italy。 After a romantic encounter in Italy Meg finds herself pregnant and returns home。 At this point， 55% in， the book jumps two years。 Lucien encounters Meg and mistakes his daughter for her niece。 The two begin spending time together again but neither fully trusts the other。This book is the fifth in The Mating Habit of Scoundrel Series， and the third in the series that I’ve read。 The first two I read （books three and four） were both 5 star books for me， but this one was lacking for me both in content and pacing。 It was bonkers in a way that I haven’t seen in ages。 If this had been a book written 15+ years ago I wouldn’t have blinked twice at the events of the book， but it was just so the opposite of what is being written now that it really threw me through a loop。 The pacing also felt off to me。 It felt like the first 55% was one book and the last 45% was another。 Had either half been significantly shorter， i think it would have been better for me as a reader and would have helped my issues with the pacing。I really wanted to like both Meg and Lucien more than I did。 Other than Meg swearing off men at the beginning of the book， it felt like she did not make any decisions for herself。 It was like everything in the book happened to her rather than her being an active participant in their events。 Lucien’s personality was all over the place。 The Lucien we were introduced to at the beginning of the book who was analytical with an almost naïveté to him， was entirely different than that Lucien who was calculating and obsessively tracking Meg and her aunts through Europe。 Again their characters reminded me of the heroes and heroines of historical novels in years past， and by the end I honestly did not want them together。 I needed Lucien to do a whole lot more groveling than we got。I did like that the book let our characters travel outside of Britain and enjoyed many of side characters。 Overall， I’m glad I read the book and will read the next book Vivienne writes。 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Luz Trevino
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Never Seduce a DukeBook 5 in The Mating Habits of Scoundrels SeriesRating: 2 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review。 All opinions are my own。****SPOILERS AHEAD*****Never Seduce a Duke is the fifth book in the series and sad to say it is my very least favorite。 To be honest I don't recall ever giving this author a 2 star rating， but sadly this book did not work for me。 I didn't like that for most of the story misunderstandings and lies prevailed between Meg Never Seduce a DukeBook 5 in The Mating Habits of Scoundrels SeriesRating: 2 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review。 All opinions are my own。****SPOILERS AHEAD*****Never Seduce a Duke is the fifth book in the series and sad to say it is my very least favorite。 To be honest I don't recall ever giving this author a 2 star rating， but sadly this book did not work for me。 I didn't like that for most of the story misunderstandings and lies prevailed between Meg and Lucien。 It was so disappointing to see these two people who should be falling in love with each other not trust in one another for most of the story。 Though Meg tried to let Lucien know about him being a father， once he confronted her because he STILL thought she had stolen his legacy。。she took a long time to tell him the truth。 It was these dumb decisions that made him mistrust her again。 Also， not enough groveling from him after he accused her of things that she had not done and I thought the two aunts were annoying and seemed to make matters worse with their meddling and stealing of famous recipes。 。。。more
Stacee
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I've enjoyed this series and was so excited that Meg was getting a book; however， this was a bit of a disappointment。 It started out fun， then morphed into so many miscommunications， then there was the so called plot twist， （which is my least favorite trope）， only for a time jump and more miscommunications。 I wanted so much more from this story because these characters had a lot of potential。 Sadly， I just skimmed after I got the the halfway point because I lost my will to care。 Overall， there w I've enjoyed this series and was so excited that Meg was getting a book; however， this was a bit of a disappointment。 It started out fun， then morphed into so many miscommunications， then there was the so called plot twist， （which is my least favorite trope）， only for a time jump and more miscommunications。 I wanted so much more from this story because these characters had a lot of potential。 Sadly， I just skimmed after I got the the halfway point because I lost my will to care。 Overall， there were some fun parts and I'll always read Vivienne's books， so I'm eager for the next one。 **Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge** 。。。more
Julie - One Book More
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Never Seduce a Duke is the fifth book in The Mating Habits of Scoundrels series， and it’s an entertaining addition to the series。 The meet-cute has total Pride and Prejudice vibes， as the pair meets when Meg is touring Lucien’s ancient and enormous home。 I love how they meet， and it’s easy to see why Lucien would mistake Meg for the thief who stole his priceless and ancient recipe book， which has been passed down in his family since the times of King Arthur。The first half of the story takes plac Never Seduce a Duke is the fifth book in The Mating Habits of Scoundrels series， and it’s an entertaining addition to the series。 The meet-cute has total Pride and Prejudice vibes， as the pair meets when Meg is touring Lucien’s ancient and enormous home。 I love how they meet， and it’s easy to see why Lucien would mistake Meg for the thief who stole his priceless and ancient recipe book， which has been passed down in his family since the times of King Arthur。The first half of the story takes place mostly on the road， as Meg and her aunts are vacationing。 It’s a fun road trip romance with Lucien chasing Meg across countries， determined to unmask the truth。 Then， the setting becomes more stationary， as a bit of time has passed， and Meg and Lucien’s lives have changed。 I have to say， I preferred the first half。 I haven’t read many historical romances with a road trip， and it was a fun and unexpected backdrop for the story and for Meg and Lucien’s romance。Meg and Lucien have a ton of chemistry， but so much stands in their way， including trust issues， miscommunication， mistaken identity， secrets， and more。 Even though they don’t trust each other and there doesn’t seem to be a future for them， Meg and Lucien are drawn together over and over again。 It’s interesting to see Lucien fight his feeling since he thinks Meg is a thief。 But she proves difficult to resist。 It’s also fun to see the inexperienced Meg try to flirt and entice Lucien， who is kind of clueless。 Their interactions and conversations are comical and endearing and filled with angst and sexual tension。Lucien’s cousin Pell is another fantastic character。 He’s so funny and charming， and I love how he banters with Lucien。 I’m hoping Pell will be a protagonist in one of the future books in the series because I would love to learn more about him， and I have a feeling his romance would be super swoon-worthy。 And the aunts and their never-ending search for recipes are hysterical as always。 They’re lovable and meddlesome and as clueless as they are discerning。I also really like the inclusion of the Arthurian legend。 However， I did think Lucien was too stubborn in his determination to find the book。 His refusal to see that Meg isn’t the thief he thought she was got frustrating at times， as was his intense focus on retrieving the book， even when it was to the detriment of himself and others。 It made sense， given his personality and analytical mind， but it still irked me。 And the miscommunication and secret Meg kept from Lucien are not my favorite。 Otherwise， it’s an enjoyable and sometimes steamy historical romance。 Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me with a copy of the book。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more
PlotTrysts
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So this one started out SUPER cute and fun and on the bonkers side。 Meg Stredwick is taking a tour of the continent with her sister-in-law's aunts*， but on the way they stop at the Duke of Merleton's estate。 There， they steal a dessert recipe， meet the duke， and then take off。 The same evening， the duke loses a precious book and he assumes that it was stolen by the fetching young lady， whereupon he sets out in pursuit。From then until about the halfway mark， the book is a romp of a road trip roma So this one started out SUPER cute and fun and on the bonkers side。 Meg Stredwick is taking a tour of the continent with her sister-in-law's aunts*， but on the way they stop at the Duke of Merleton's estate。 There， they steal a dessert recipe， meet the duke， and then take off。 The same evening， the duke loses a precious book and he assumes that it was stolen by the fetching young lady， whereupon he sets out in pursuit。From then until about the halfway mark， the book is a romp of a road trip romance。 The duke finagles his way into traveling with the ladies; Meg embraces the role of seductress; really， all goes swimmingly for a charmingly bonkers romance。 Until。 Until a true villain appears， our lovers are separated for TWO。 YEARS。， and a whole bunch of lying and miscommunication commences。 Look， we understand that when you write a book with a ton of Arthurian references， it can be fun to embrace the mythos。 On the other hand， why does such a sweet book have to go a little on-the-nose with the antagonists？We're still giving it four stars， because it was super entertaining and （mostly） really fun。 We just wish we could have loved the whole thing as much as we did the first half。*You may remember them from previous books in the series for their flirtations， recipe-stealing ways。This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel。 。。。more
Meghan
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I’ve been waiting for Meg’s story for awhile and it did not disappoint！ I really thought I had this story figured out but that last 20% of the book had a number of twist and turns I didn’t see coming。Meg is getting over a heartbreak by going on a grand adventure with her favorite aunts。 Before they leave England they visit the home of a very anti-social Duke。 There seems to be a spark when Meg and Lucian meet but Lucian only goes after Meg thinking she stole something from him。 Meg let’s him thi I’ve been waiting for Meg’s story for awhile and it did not disappoint！ I really thought I had this story figured out but that last 20% of the book had a number of twist and turns I didn’t see coming。Meg is getting over a heartbreak by going on a grand adventure with her favorite aunts。 Before they leave England they visit the home of a very anti-social Duke。 There seems to be a spark when Meg and Lucian meet but Lucian only goes after Meg thinking she stole something from him。 Meg let’s him think that to get more time from him。However， Meg seems to get more than she bargained for and her adventure sets both on a very different course。 。。。more
Becca D
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Meg is taking a trip to the continent with her sister-in-law's aunts before settling down as a spinster aunt。 The aunts， however， are matchmakers as well as recipe thieves。 At the very beginning of the trip， they stop at Lucien's， the Duke of Merleton， estate。 The aunts are hoping for Meg and Lucien to meet， as well as to steal a recipe。 The Duke's family is famous for having a recipe book from King Arthur's time。 They end up stealing a recipe from the kitchen and Meg ends up running into the Du Meg is taking a trip to the continent with her sister-in-law's aunts before settling down as a spinster aunt。 The aunts， however， are matchmakers as well as recipe thieves。 At the very beginning of the trip， they stop at Lucien's， the Duke of Merleton， estate。 The aunts are hoping for Meg and Lucien to meet， as well as to steal a recipe。 The Duke's family is famous for having a recipe book from King Arthur's time。 They end up stealing a recipe from the kitchen and Meg ends up running into the Duke， and after a terse exchange， they part。 However， at this time， the Duke's family book is also stolen。 The Duke and his cousin give chase to the aunts and Meg， believing they were the ones to steal it。 Around this time， Meg decides to enjoy this foray out into the world with a great flirtation before settling down。 This leads to an interesting misunderstanding and flirtation between the duke and Meg。 When they finally do separate， it starts to become apparent to the reader （though not the characters） that something/someone is working against the two of them。This book was very playful and different， I felt， from a lot of other historical romances。 These differences kept it interesting enough that I never grew frustrated with the main characters for the misunderstandings between them。 Full 4 stars from me！Thank you #NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and comments are my own。 。。。more
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novel 101 never let me go中文版 never let me go 泰劇