The Duke Alone
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-07 11:21:54
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Christi Caldwell
- ISBN：1713668645
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Cari Baker
，
The Duke Alone is the story of Val and Myrtle。 I almost instantly fell in love with Val， and his murderous ways。 Myrtle， on the other hand， always wears a smile that hides her own type of pain。 I laughed and cried while reading this book。 I loved the back and forth between Val and Myrtle， but the internal dialog was a bit much for me。 I did skim through parts of it and it didn't feel like it took away from the book at all。 Even so， Val's character made up for it！ I received an arc of this book v The Duke Alone is the story of Val and Myrtle。 I almost instantly fell in love with Val， and his murderous ways。 Myrtle， on the other hand， always wears a smile that hides her own type of pain。 I laughed and cried while reading this book。 I loved the back and forth between Val and Myrtle， but the internal dialog was a bit much for me。 I did skim through parts of it and it didn't feel like it took away from the book at all。 Even so， Val's character made up for it！ I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Tanya Sridhar
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3。5 surprised stars/5 Okay so this was hella cute， funny at times and heartwarming。 Would have been a star higher if the heroine wasn't eighteen sigh。 RTC。 3。5 surprised stars/5 Okay so this was hella cute， funny at times and heartwarming。 Would have been a star higher if the heroine wasn't eighteen sigh。 RTC。 。。。more
E。K。 Singer
，
I love Caldwell’s work， and I love historical romance AND a Christmas setting。 But this didn’t hit me as well as others of hers for me。 Here are three takeaways: 1。tThis is a fade-to-black romance。 There are varying views on this within the Romance community but hey， let’s just say that upfront。 Readers enjoy Romance – especially ones with secretive handsome Dukes - for various reasons。 And yes， the love story is there， even without on-page sex。 But it’s safe to say that many readers who enjoy h I love Caldwell’s work， and I love historical romance AND a Christmas setting。 But this didn’t hit me as well as others of hers for me。 Here are three takeaways: 1。tThis is a fade-to-black romance。 There are varying views on this within the Romance community but hey， let’s just say that upfront。 Readers enjoy Romance – especially ones with secretive handsome Dukes - for various reasons。 And yes， the love story is there， even without on-page sex。 But it’s safe to say that many readers who enjoy historical romance do so because of on-page sex—knowing that upfront may make it easier for certain readers to choose （or not choose） this book。 2。tThere’s an age gap – she’s 18， and he’s a thirty-ish widower （with a bit of a scandalous/dangerous/maybe even murderous past）。 It’s also a grumpy/sunshine trope， which is usually my jam。 But this one fell somewhat flat。 Not sure why other than I’m not the biggest fan of age-gap romances。 Especially when they’re still in their teens， even for the Regency period， it’s a bit much for me。 3。tIt’s Christmas！！！ It’s Home Alone！！！ It’s a cozy， somewhat easy read， perfect for a cozy day。 And that’s something， especially if readers are looking for a specific kind of book during the winter season。 Cuddle up and enjoy！ 。。。more
Emma James
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*Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for review - may contain spoilers*As a fan of most stories sent in the regency period， I have to say that I was a little disappointed by this one。 Lady Myrtle McQuoid is left behind by her family during the Christmas period （big Home Alone energy） and finds herself befriending a solitary and grumpy Duke who lives in a neighbouring house， whom she and her siblings have been watching through the windows of their own house for a long time。 With his help， sh *Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for review - may contain spoilers*As a fan of most stories sent in the regency period， I have to say that I was a little disappointed by this one。 Lady Myrtle McQuoid is left behind by her family during the Christmas period （big Home Alone energy） and finds herself befriending a solitary and grumpy Duke who lives in a neighbouring house， whom she and her siblings have been watching through the windows of their own house for a long time。 With his help， she manages to stop two burglars breaking into her house （hello， Home Alone！！！） and we get to see their initial opinions of each other change as they realise the positive impact they can have on either others lives。 I think my main issue with this story was the very glaring age difference between the two characters。 I know this was common throughout history to have a young woman as young as `17 courted by a significantly older gentleman but it was at the forefront here and Myrtle seemed so， so young， especially with her frequent mentions of her finishing school and the scene that focuses on her turning 18。 I have to admit that it did make me really uncomfortable。 In addition， I found the declaration of love a little insincere as it was lifted from Pride and Prejudice。 I appreciate that Austen is such an influence to Myrtle but it became a bit much to me to enjoy。 The final scene of the book was also a little lacklustre， as Myrtle's mother explains that she has always loved her daughter， but with little apology or explanation as to how she was forgotten or why she has been treated so dismissively。 This one was a miss for me！ 。。。more
Beena
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This was a nice and light read。 The perfect book for a toasty Sunday evening sitting by the heater。 Christi Caldwell knows how to create characters that warm you inside。 The premise was a unique one and the execution was wonderful。 I can't wait to read more by Caldwell！Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 This was a nice and light read。 The perfect book for a toasty Sunday evening sitting by the heater。 Christi Caldwell knows how to create characters that warm you inside。 The premise was a unique one and the execution was wonderful。 I can't wait to read more by Caldwell！Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Bonnie
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I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion。Lady Myrtle is a young woman home in London， with her loud， large， and boisterous family。 She is a middle child， of six， and the impression one gets is that she feels lost， neglected， and not heard。 She was shunted off to finishing school for 4 years and has just returned， and feels her family has forgotten about her more and sees and hears her even less than before she left。 It is Christmas time and to add further to h I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion。Lady Myrtle is a young woman home in London， with her loud， large， and boisterous family。 She is a middle child， of six， and the impression one gets is that she feels lost， neglected， and not heard。 She was shunted off to finishing school for 4 years and has just returned， and feels her family has forgotten about her more and sees and hears her even less than before she left。 It is Christmas time and to add further to her feelings of disappointment， her family is packing up the home and leaving London to head off to Scotland， as the London townhouse needs extensive renovations to make it livable。 Myrtle loves Christmas and their traditional way of celebrating it was in London， with their extended family。In the hurly burley hustle and bustle of packing up and packing off all the siblings， cousins， and extended family going to Scotland， as well as all the servants， no one realizes when they leave that Myrtle wasn't with them。 She had slept in and was left behind。At first， Myrtle doesn't mind。 She figures they will realize soon enough their mistake and come back for her， and after a lifetime of noisy， bustling family， and then being a group at school， she figures she will enjoy the quiet。But really， she doesn't and becomes cold， and lonely pretty fast。 She engages with the new-to-her neighbour， Val， the brusque， rude， reclusive Duke of Aragon。 He has rebuffed visitors in the past， including herself and her family， as well as pretty much his own， has a minimal household， and keeps to himself。 Society， including her own family， spout gossip and rumours about him。 He is a widower who lost the young love of his life after a very short time to a tragic accident and that has changed him from the charming， social man he was prior to the barking， gruff recluse next door， with a skeletal staff and his wolf-like dog。But Myrtle is lonely and intrepid and loves dogs， so she wheedles her way into his life， steals the affections of his dog， and manages to get under his skin。This is a very sweet story with definite Home Alone vibes - so much so， I was expecting Myrtle to slap her hands on her cheeks and scream at some point。 But it was also too too too sweet almost for me。 Myrtle is supposed to be mischievous and a prankster in the characterization - to the point where she thought her family sent her away to finishing school as a punishment， and she engaged in further pranks and mischief there。 Fine， that sets it up， so that if you are going with the Home Alone vibe， that I expected some of that to come through when the thieves were engaged - yes， there were two thieves who were looking to break into what they thought would be an empty home over the holidays。 But I felt at times Myrtle was just too sweet and innocent， and too child-like in her feelings of familial neglect and resentment and her behaviour with the Duke。 It became a bit treacly and grated on my nerves a bit。 Also， this was obviously a Christmas story。。。。 so very many Christmas-y things in this story。 The Home Alone vibes。 The fact the family celebrates Christmas tide - when not everyone did at the time， and had traditions that Myrtle cherished。 So many carols。。。 she sings a lot - in English and German。 Val has trauma around Christmas - his wife died during that time， and he has images of her dead body in red satin， in snow。。。 on the the way to his family's Christmas celebration。。。 Myrtle's birthday occurs around that time too。 However， if you are looking for an exceptionally sweet， feel good Christmas love story， where sunshine meets grumpy， where a tragic heartbreak is healed， with Home Alone vibes， then this would be one for you。 It was OK for me， but I did find that my teeth ached a bit from too much sweetness at times。But， there was a dog， and he was a great dog and a large focus of the story， so that helped a lot。Because no matter what， I always love animals in stories。。 especially big， furry， snuggly dogs。3。25 stars out of 5。 。。。more
Kaitlyn
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*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley， all opinions are my own。*Historical romance meets Home Alone in this novel by Christi Caldwell。 Myrtle is forgotten by her family and turns to the reclusive Duke next door to help her keep an eye out for thieves and to lend an ear to her never ending prattle。 I found Myrtle to be a young woman after my own heart-she talks too much， is obsessed with Jane Austen and refuses to dim her shine for anyone。 Val is the grumpy to her sunshine and the trope *I received a copy of this book from Netgalley， all opinions are my own。*Historical romance meets Home Alone in this novel by Christi Caldwell。 Myrtle is forgotten by her family and turns to the reclusive Duke next door to help her keep an eye out for thieves and to lend an ear to her never ending prattle。 I found Myrtle to be a young woman after my own heart-she talks too much， is obsessed with Jane Austen and refuses to dim her shine for anyone。 Val is the grumpy to her sunshine and the trope is woven seamlessly into their story without Val being cruel or Myrtle being a pushover。 I found both characters to be endearingly （and sometimes maddeningly） human in their misconceptions of each others’ thoughts and intentions。 Overall I found this novel to be a light and enjoyable read， easily completed in a day。 。。。more
Indie
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5 stars A cute winter read just in time for the Christmas season。 Talk about toe-curling and cheeky smiling moments in this grumpy falls for the sunshine romance。 Myrtle is forgotten and left alone for her 18th birthday but after working her way in to her neighbour， the Duke of Aragon's heart along with his dog， she hardly minds being forgotten。 This is the type of romance that has you smiling and laughing to yourself as the characters cascade around pretending that they clearly don't like 5 stars A cute winter read just in time for the Christmas season。 Talk about toe-curling and cheeky smiling moments in this grumpy falls for the sunshine romance。 Myrtle is forgotten and left alone for her 18th birthday but after working her way in to her neighbour， the Duke of Aragon's heart along with his dog， she hardly minds being forgotten。 This is the type of romance that has you smiling and laughing to yourself as the characters cascade around pretending that they clearly don't like each other！ Their chemistry is undeniable - filled with hidden wants and longings。 Mrytle is all but subtle as she makes her own way into Val's icy heart。。 but oh boy， does she warm it！ okay， wait。。 Talk about a feel good romance that keeps you hooked and sated to the end！ I do admit， the fade to black scene was surely disappointing。。。 but one can imagine？I do admit， the whole Home Alone homage flew right over my head whilst reading。 It was only after checking fellow reviews that I noticed it （oops？） but nevertheless， and without it， this book was pretty awesome！I read only few historical plots， but this was so well-written that I can't help but to look at the author's other works。 I marked this also as a light enemies to lovers， because Val at first did not tolerate Mrytle as much as he did in the end。。。 but oh boy， it was a great ride。 This made easy 5 stars for me， ticks all the boxes （except the lack of some good spicy time but totally not as needed） so， to read or not to read？ 110% for sure！ This is worth all the energy and time spent！ I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for one of those feel-good romances that is well written with everything you could possibly need。 Might I mention。。 one bed trope？ like hell yes！ Thank you NetGalley and Team for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review！ Find me on Bookstagram @1ndreads and on BookTok @1ndd13 。。。more
Whitney
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////ARC RECEIVED FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR HONEST REVIEW////I thought this book was adorable。 It was such a charming， cozy romance。 I normally don't prefer romances with "fade to black" scenes， but the dialogue and banter was so good， I did't mind。 I love me a classic duke romance and this one did not disappoint。 Myrtle， the boisterous and lovable heroine， is the middle child of a large Scottish family。 She finds her self accidentally left behind by her family over the Christmas holiday。 Li ////ARC RECEIVED FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR HONEST REVIEW////I thought this book was adorable。 It was such a charming， cozy romance。 I normally don't prefer romances with "fade to black" scenes， but the dialogue and banter was so good， I did't mind。 I love me a classic duke romance and this one did not disappoint。 Myrtle， the boisterous and lovable heroine， is the middle child of a large Scottish family。 She finds her self accidentally left behind by her family over the Christmas holiday。 Like Home Alone if it was set in 19th century England。 She turns to her mysterious and reclusive neighbor the Duke， Val， to keep her company。 In addition to the budding romance between the two protagonist， there is also and interesting subplot of Myrtle trying to protect her home from thieves stealing her fathers prized collection。 This book has some of the classic romance tropes。 Slow-burn， grumpy/sunshine， and the fan favorite one bed trope。 I really related to Myrtle。 She is a girl who has so much to offer and so much to say but often feels left out on the fringes of both society and her own family。 I also liked how Caldwell used Jane Austen and her novel Pride and Prejudiced throughout the book and to connect Val and Myrtle。 One point of the book that bothered me a little， is her relationship with her family。 I feel liked it wasn't really acknowledge that her family literally LEFT her！ Like she was all like "there is nothing to forgive"。 She is a better person than me because I would have given my family hell。 Overall， I thought this was a cute Christmas time romance and if you love a headstrong heroine， this is the book for you。 。。。more
Proserpina
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Kiddies， this is how you make an incredibly awkward relationship between a woman of 17/18 who thinks and speaks like a pre-adolescent （maybe that's why Myrtle was treated as such by her family） and a generally older widower man。 Plus， it's a Home Alone parody， you cannot convince me otherwise。 It's very。。。 Cringe。 But don't get me wrong， I love the movie a lot！ However， morphing it into a regency love story isn't the best formula for a winning novel。 Kiddies， this is how you make an incredibly awkward relationship between a woman of 17/18 who thinks and speaks like a pre-adolescent （maybe that's why Myrtle was treated as such by her family） and a generally older widower man。 Plus， it's a Home Alone parody， you cannot convince me otherwise。 It's very。。。 Cringe。 But don't get me wrong， I love the movie a lot！ However， morphing it into a regency love story isn't the best formula for a winning novel。 。。。more
Aud
，
“The Duke Alone” by Christi CaldwellForgotten， Lost， Found & RememberedI don’t remember when I fell in love with Myrtle。 But I do know it was very early in this tale。 I do remember my heartbreak for Val was from the very beginning。 And， the adventures to be had by Myrtle as the story unfolds！ Well， they are just too precious and could possibly spoil the story for you by sharing them here。 This is a truly fun romance with suspense and pure joy。 And a sweet clean Regency romance so I didn’t need t “The Duke Alone” by Christi CaldwellForgotten， Lost， Found & RememberedI don’t remember when I fell in love with Myrtle。 But I do know it was very early in this tale。 I do remember my heartbreak for Val was from the very beginning。 And， the adventures to be had by Myrtle as the story unfolds！ Well， they are just too precious and could possibly spoil the story for you by sharing them here。 This is a truly fun romance with suspense and pure joy。 And a sweet clean Regency romance so I didn’t need to skip a single scene！ Happy Reading ！ ！NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion。I received and ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Cameron Lindsay
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1。5 stars。I think this book would have worked better as a novella。If you REALLY enjoyed the 1990 film Home Alone， you would kind of like this。 Otherwise， I unfortunately think most should pass on this。 There are sooooo many similarities to the movie， it kind of gets annoying， And in my opinion， the heroine was not likeable at all。 I understand that she is young， and misunderstood， and teens can be annoying， but with the heroine， I had a harder time sympathizing with her because of the way she ca 1。5 stars。I think this book would have worked better as a novella。If you REALLY enjoyed the 1990 film Home Alone， you would kind of like this。 Otherwise， I unfortunately think most should pass on this。 There are sooooo many similarities to the movie， it kind of gets annoying， And in my opinion， the heroine was not likeable at all。 I understand that she is young， and misunderstood， and teens can be annoying， but with the heroine， I had a harder time sympathizing with her because of the way she came off。I've read other Caldwell books that thoroughly enjoyed， so don't give up on the author， just skip this particular book 。。。more
travelbug74
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This book was a play on Home Alone。 Myrtle has just arrived home after 4 years away at school。 She feels abandoned because she was the only child to be sent away。 The family somehow all leave without her。 She comes across her neighbor a reclusive duke。 She eventually softens him and they become friends over the course of several days。 A break in causes the duke， Val， to take matters in his hands and take her to her family on Scotland。There wasn't much intimacy and nothing explicit on the page。 T This book was a play on Home Alone。 Myrtle has just arrived home after 4 years away at school。 She feels abandoned because she was the only child to be sent away。 The family somehow all leave without her。 She comes across her neighbor a reclusive duke。 She eventually softens him and they become friends over the course of several days。 A break in causes the duke， Val， to take matters in his hands and take her to her family on Scotland。There wasn't much intimacy and nothing explicit on the page。 There was a LOT of singing with all the song lyrics in German taking of space。In the end Myrtle's mother mentions how wonderful she is but never why she was sent away or any apology。 Very weird。I received and eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Nancy
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The Duke Alone was my first Christi Caldwell book but it won't be my last。 I loved this story。 The heroine was so compelling and the conflicts that she and the hero faced dovetailed so well。 Her personality was perfect to counter balance his and to coax him to be his best。 I would read this book again because the story line was so good。While some of the story may seem a bit improbable， the author made it all work。 The opening scene was confusing with so many people， but it was meant to be that。 The Duke Alone was my first Christi Caldwell book but it won't be my last。 I loved this story。 The heroine was so compelling and the conflicts that she and the hero faced dovetailed so well。 Her personality was perfect to counter balance his and to coax him to be his best。 I would read this book again because the story line was so good。While some of the story may seem a bit improbable， the author made it all work。 The opening scene was confusing with so many people， but it was meant to be that。 Having a large family preparing to depart for a trip would have been chaotic and Caldwell brought that out。 The moment the family was gone， the story scaled back to focus on the heroine and the hero。 They are a perfect couple。 Even the oversized dog is adorable。 I highly recommend this book。Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of The Duke Alone。 All opinions are my own。 #NetGalley #TheDukeAlone #ChristiCaldwell 。。。more
maddie （ve schwab’s version）
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc！ I enjoyed this book！ The characters were well-written and consistent， and despite the story being very predictable， I liked it。 The plot was easy and flowed well， and the writing was very easy to read; it was a relatively quick read。 :）
Rose
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I got this book as a arc on netgalley。 The cover doesn’t update on my kindle because it’s a uncorrected proof but the second image is what they want to use for the book I'm guessing and it’s coming out this October。This book is basically Bridgeton meets home alone。 It was super good。 So it follows myrtle who is a middle child of a Scottish family。 The family is in a rush to leave the house to go to a London townhouse to spend Christmas with their London family。 She meets this guy who’s a rude an I got this book as a arc on netgalley。 The cover doesn’t update on my kindle because it’s a uncorrected proof but the second image is what they want to use for the book I'm guessing and it’s coming out this October。This book is basically Bridgeton meets home alone。 It was super good。 So it follows myrtle who is a middle child of a Scottish family。 The family is in a rush to leave the house to go to a London townhouse to spend Christmas with their London family。 She meets this guy who’s a rude and grumpy and also a neighbor next door。 She hears a rumor that he murdered his entire staff and his wife died of mysterious circumstances。 She ends up slowly falling for him and vise versa。 。。。more
Mary Hart
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3。5 starsI really wanted to give this more stars。 It was a lovely premise but in some parts it just seemed to be sections of vinaigrettes stitched together， There's the home alone aspect of Myrtle being left behind when her boisterous family up and leave for scotland。 The brooding widower duke whose heart is encased in ice and Myrtle is trying to thaw by singing loads of christmas carols， we get half a page of lyrics。 Mrytle's relationship with Val's delightful dog Horace。 Myrtle doesn't have to 3。5 starsI really wanted to give this more stars。 It was a lovely premise but in some parts it just seemed to be sections of vinaigrettes stitched together， There's the home alone aspect of Myrtle being left behind when her boisterous family up and leave for scotland。 The brooding widower duke whose heart is encased in ice and Myrtle is trying to thaw by singing loads of christmas carols， we get half a page of lyrics。 Mrytle's relationship with Val's delightful dog Horace。 Myrtle doesn't have to do much to stop the fiendish thieves that Val only vaguely believes is trying to steal her Dads treasures。 Then it changes to the disparity of the teenager who's lonely and the 30plus widower and her eagerness to get him to kiss her but IMO the authors wanting to provide us with a cleanish Xmas story and not venture down the passion route。 It's worth a read but I can't help but think it could have been a great read with a few tweeks。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Boo
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I’m a big fan of this author and find her historical romance often hit the tropes I want but I wasn’t that keen on this one。 I found the beginning confusing with all the different names/characters thrown at you and I found Myrtle and her love interest quite boring。 I did enjoy the ‘Home Alone’ aspect though and will continue to check out this authors other work
Megan
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Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review！The Duke Alone by Christi Caldwell is a delightfully romantic gender-bent take on the holiday classic film， Home Alone。 Set in London 1813， our protagonist Myrtle McQuoid knows what it is like to be invisible。 Often forgotten or unseen by her family， it hardly comes as a shock to her that the boisterous clan has accidentally left her behind in their London home while they travel to Scotland for the yuletid Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review！The Duke Alone by Christi Caldwell is a delightfully romantic gender-bent take on the holiday classic film， Home Alone。 Set in London 1813， our protagonist Myrtle McQuoid knows what it is like to be invisible。 Often forgotten or unseen by her family， it hardly comes as a shock to her that the boisterous clan has accidentally left her behind in their London home while they travel to Scotland for the yuletide season。 Knowing that it is only a matter of time before her family realizes their mistake and returns for her， Myrtle spends her days trying to stay warm in the drafty house in need of repairs and attempting to befriend the brooding Duke who lives next door。 Duke Valentine Bancroft wants nothing more than to spend the Christmas season alone。 After sending most of his servants away for the holiday， Val finds his solitude interrupted by the effervescent young lady next door。 Forced to deal with her incessant chatter and positive attitude， the walls Val has erected around his heart start to crack and the two of them find themselves toing the line of propriety while waiting for her family to return。When sinister characters start skulking around， the boundaries they have made shift and neither Myrtle nor Val will ever be the same。I found Myrtle to be a delightful young woman who is determined to remain positive， even after being left behind by her family。 Not only does she manage to bury her hurt under seasonal cheer， but she also attempts to befriend the lonely man next door。 Val is delightfully broody with a Tragic Past™ and unwilling to allow Myrtle into his life。 Watching them grow past the fronts they have put up to keep pain and sadness away to truly seeing each other for who they really are invoked such a bubbly feeling in my chest。 The worldbuilding was minimal but very sweet。 The writing was quick paced and easy to connect with after the first page。 Once I was able to get past the five run-on sentences the story was easy and pleasant to sink into。 The relationship was sweet and slow building， and the Fade to Black aspect makes this a great novel for those who would prefer little to no spice in their romance novels。 This novel features some of my favorite tropes such as the Grumpy/Sunshine dynamic， idiots in love， and miscommunications abound！ I feel like this novel would be great for fans of the Bridgerton series as well as Pride and Prejudice！ 。。。more
Melissa
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A silly romance with a fun story line。 Home Alone meets regency England and romance。 This would have been great but I started to get bored with the reptation of thought and the brooding hero who never speaks。 This is an adult read。 No graphic sex scenes but some inuendo and alluding to more。 Sex before marriage and some alcohol。 A little violence but like Home Alone more silly then violent。
Jackie
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This is Home Alone meets Regency Romance。 The first 1/3 of the books is a straight rip of Home Alone。 Instead of Kevin we have Myrtle the often neglected middle child。 She also happens to be madly in love with Miss Austen’s books， who is a neighbor of her Aunt。 I thought that was a cute touch。 The author harps a lot in the beginning about the pranks she played as a girl， so I had some high expectations for hi-jinx between her and the burglars… there really wasn’t and it was a sorely missed oppor This is Home Alone meets Regency Romance。 The first 1/3 of the books is a straight rip of Home Alone。 Instead of Kevin we have Myrtle the often neglected middle child。 She also happens to be madly in love with Miss Austen’s books， who is a neighbor of her Aunt。 I thought that was a cute touch。 The author harps a lot in the beginning about the pranks she played as a girl， so I had some high expectations for hi-jinx between her and the burglars… there really wasn’t and it was a sorely missed opportunity！ Now as for the surely Duke… he was a man in mourning who lost the love of his life and Myrtle was the sunshine he needed！！ I was into it :）。 Their banter and chemistry was excellent， but know this is a fade to black kind of book。 1 🌶steam rating， maybe 1。5 🌶Overall it’s an enjoyable holiday read though， and a bit of fun！Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy。 。。。more
Sarah
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I was intrigued by the plot， which can best be described as a loose retelling of Home Alone set in the Regency era。 （During the break-in scene， I couldn't help imagining Joe Pesci dressed in period clothing。）Lady Myrtle is accidentally left behind when her family leaves London for Scotland。 Val， the Duke of Aragon， is her reclusive neighbor who is the subject of terrifying local tales。 The have completely opposite outlooks on life and are thrown into an acquaintance based upon Myrtle being home I was intrigued by the plot， which can best be described as a loose retelling of Home Alone set in the Regency era。 （During the break-in scene， I couldn't help imagining Joe Pesci dressed in period clothing。）Lady Myrtle is accidentally left behind when her family leaves London for Scotland。 Val， the Duke of Aragon， is her reclusive neighbor who is the subject of terrifying local tales。 The have completely opposite outlooks on life and are thrown into an acquaintance based upon Myrtle being home and Val's sense of needing to help her。 The path to Val and Myrtle's romance was perfection。 The honest dialogue between them， their flaws and their uncertainties all added to their uniquely imperfect， but likable characters。 And don't forget sweet Horace。 And unlike a few other readers comments， I didn't mind that a certain point of the book wasn't overly descriptive because it fit with the characters and the story。 Loved the addition of Jane Austen and her work to the plot。 To think of Austen as a part of that period who could be someone's neighbor was such a creative way to insert her into the story。 Loved it。 A sweet， romantic Christmas read。 Definitely recommend。ARC of The Duke Alone provided to me by NetGalley and Montlake for an honest review。 。。。more
lauren
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I loved this book。 I got an ARC from netgalley and like goddamn I did not expect it to be so good。 I've never read a Christy Caldwell book before， but wow！ I finished it in one sitting！After Myrtle's family forgets to bring her to the countryside to celebrate Christmas， she becomes enraptured with the mysterous Duke next door。 After Myrtle bothers him enough， the two become friends （and than more）。I have a love-hate relationship with the historical romance genre。 To me， the characters all feel t I loved this book。 I got an ARC from netgalley and like goddamn I did not expect it to be so good。 I've never read a Christy Caldwell book before， but wow！ I finished it in one sitting！After Myrtle's family forgets to bring her to the countryside to celebrate Christmas， she becomes enraptured with the mysterous Duke next door。 After Myrtle bothers him enough， the two become friends （and than more）。I have a love-hate relationship with the historical romance genre。 To me， the characters all feel the same。 They all follow the same archetype and tropes: broody-mysterious-closed-off-unemotional man and lighthearted happy-go-lucky woman。 This story was exactly that， but actually exected really well。It was a slow burn with a slightly underwhelming ending， but I liked the epilogue （although it is more of a last chapter than an epilogue。 I don't know why Caldwell chose to name it "Epilogue" instead of "Chapter #"）。 I felt like I somewhat connected to the characters， but I'm sure they will just meld together in my head with all the other historical romances I've read by next week。 This book wasn't revolutionary， but it wasn't supposed to be。 The goal of the story was a happy， lighthearted historical romance novel， and Caldwell executed that perfectly。 The plot flowed really well with the characters; and most of the chemistry didn't feel forced。I actually really liked Val。 I have been getting kind of sick of the byronic hero trope， but he was much more emotional than they usually are。 I think it helped because of the dual POV's。I have mixed feelings about Myrtle。 I think she's borderline manic-pixie-dream-girl。 I mean， if this book was entirely from Val's POV she would be the portrait of manic-pixie。 I think Val actually describes her as a pixie or something similar to that a few times （don't quote me on that）。 It's not that she doesn't have personality， it's just that her personality doesn't seem as deep and well-developed as much as Val's did。 Maybe it's because her "my family hates me" tramua feels less substantial than Val's "my wife died in a car crash"。 I'm not saying that every character has to be completely traumatized to be good。 I think Myrtle just needed an extra umph， she was missing something。 She also felt at some points of the story as TOO innocent， and TOO immature。 She felt closer to 15 or 16 than 18 （still really young） in parts of the story。 The age gap felt really apparent in this story。Overall， it is one of the better historical romances I have read this year。 I was totally in love with the story as it was happening， but once you really think about a story it gets worse because you notice plot holes and flat characters a lot more， you know？ I gave it 4。25 stars。 。。。more
Anne
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（video review to come） Myrtle feels like a twelve year old， which makes the romance even more disturbing。 Everyone in London seems to have vanished for Christmas。 And there is really not any historical understanding。 I read this book hoping for a light， historical romance， but this book was all over the place for me， a Regency Home Alone inspired romance。Full review on my Youtube channel: https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=es8-N。。。 （video review to come） Myrtle feels like a twelve year old， which makes the romance even more disturbing。 Everyone in London seems to have vanished for Christmas。 And there is really not any historical understanding。 I read this book hoping for a light， historical romance， but this book was all over the place for me， a Regency Home Alone inspired romance。Full review on my Youtube channel: https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=es8-N。。。 。。。more
Anna
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Hmm a shame。 I was in the mood for a lovely historical romance。 Saw this on NetGalley and the concept sounded great。 I love a grumpy/sunshine regency vibe。Unfortunately， for me this was one of the worst historical romances， in terms of writing style， I’ve ever read。 Felt very very clumsy。 Ended up whizzing through it very quickly because the awkward writing was just really getting on my nerves。 Too distracting to enjoy the story。
Boundingability
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The book combo I never knew I was missing: Bridgerton meets Home Alone。You’re going to ask， what does that even entail？ Isn’t Home Alone about a child？ You said it was Bridgerton-esque I expected romance！Hold your horses！ So Myrtle is the middle child of a large Scottish peerage family and seems to fall through the cracks quite often and be forgotten。 Her family is in a rush to leave the London townhouse to spend Christmas at their Scottish manor。 In the bustle of loading 12 carriages full of fa The book combo I never knew I was missing: Bridgerton meets Home Alone。You’re going to ask， what does that even entail？ Isn’t Home Alone about a child？ You said it was Bridgerton-esque I expected romance！Hold your horses！ So Myrtle is the middle child of a large Scottish peerage family and seems to fall through the cracks quite often and be forgotten。 Her family is in a rush to leave the London townhouse to spend Christmas at their Scottish manor。 In the bustle of loading 12 carriages full of family and servants， Myrtle is left behind。 Truly alone for the first time and harbouring fears over robbers and being so forgettable， Myrtle embarks on the craziest week of her life。Now being the spunky 18 year old she is and provoked by her extreme curiosity and need for companionship she begins to wheedle her way into a friendship with her begrudging and gruff neighbour。 Did I mention the neighbour is a total smoke show of a Duke who also happens to loves dogs？ You just can’t make this stuff up！ But wait， there is more， he is rumoured to have murdered his staff， and his wife died of mysterious circumstances。 Do with that information as you will。 But is it entirely safe for Myrtle to be with Val？ Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out。 Thoughts:This was an impulse NetGalley read but when I saw Regency era Christmas romance， I thought yep I’m in the mood for some Christmas in July energy。And let me tell you， Val and Myrtle did not disappoint … well okay the fade to black scene was just plain mean … but otherwise their story was captivating。 I loved his grumpy traumatized widower to her sunshine quirky debutant。 The tension between the two from brusque indifference to not being able to express their feelings of love was perfection。 Okay and the bathing scene was one of my favourites！！It was a quick read and dare I say entirely too enjoyable？ Nope。 That’s not a thing。 It was the cozy cute Christmas read everyone needs。📚 Tropes: grumpy/sunshine， age gap， one bed🌶 Spice: 2/5 。。。more
Zara
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Myrtle， a young woman who feels estranged from her family， is left behind in the city by accident （by her family）。 And at Christmas time， no less。 Naturally， she tries to befriend her grumpy， loner neighbor who， at first， is less than interested。 Over time and thanks to Myrtle’s determination， the two become close。 Here’s my favorite out of context quote : “Mrs。 Belden is a twat。”A very enjoyable slowburn with lots of sexual tension （and closed door sex）。 Grumpy & sunshine。 One bed trope。 The MM Myrtle， a young woman who feels estranged from her family， is left behind in the city by accident （by her family）。 And at Christmas time， no less。 Naturally， she tries to befriend her grumpy， loner neighbor who， at first， is less than interested。 Over time and thanks to Myrtle’s determination， the two become close。 Here’s my favorite out of context quote : “Mrs。 Belden is a twat。”A very enjoyable slowburn with lots of sexual tension （and closed door sex）。 Grumpy & sunshine。 One bed trope。 The MMC was sweet and endearing with that incredible dog of his。 Horace the dog was the star and I’m in love with him。 All in all a fun， cute christmas story with likable characters and lots of references to Jane Austen。 It has an HEA。 But for those who may not like that， the MMC is a widower。 Which caught me by surprise （it really should be included in the blurb） but it didn’t put me off。 I’m observing that people give this book a hard time because the plot is similar to that of Home Alone。 Admittedly I never watched that film （I know I’m a monster）。 But even so， I feel like this could be considered a different take and isn’t that allowed ？ The negative : A bit verbose。 The plot takes its time while you continuously hear about how Myrtle is NOT a child。 What a way to convince someone of something : repeating it over and over。 And don’t get me started on all the ‘she’s not like other girls’ vibes。 I guess it’s really easy to go there in historical romance because the rules of polite society were downright brutal back then。 Still， I think it’s a crutch。***I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 I thank the author and the publishing team for providing me with this review copy。 。。。more
Lingonberry
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Myrtle McQuoid is the eccentric and talkative daughter of the large McQuoid brood。 Val Bancroft， the Duke of Aragon， is a reclusive widower who lives in a lonely townhouse next to the McQuoid family。 Local gossip states he’s a serial killer， with a penchant for chopping up servant’s bodies。 Nosy Myrtle decides to investigate the serial killer claim （as one does） and encounters the surly duke， who is rude to Myrtle and tells her to never talk to him again。 Myrtle ignores this demand and manages t Myrtle McQuoid is the eccentric and talkative daughter of the large McQuoid brood。 Val Bancroft， the Duke of Aragon， is a reclusive widower who lives in a lonely townhouse next to the McQuoid family。 Local gossip states he’s a serial killer， with a penchant for chopping up servant’s bodies。 Nosy Myrtle decides to investigate the serial killer claim （as one does） and encounters the surly duke， who is rude to Myrtle and tells her to never talk to him again。 Myrtle ignores this demand and manages to weasel her way into the duke’s life after she is mistakenly left behind by her family when they travel to Scotland for Christmas。 Myrtle must defend her home against thieves and Val must protect his broken heart against his growing attraction to Myrtle。The premise of this book sounds AMAZING。 Lady is accidentally left alone at Christmas， she lives next to a brooding duke， and they must work together to protect her family home against thieves。 It all sounds right up my alley， but boy did this one fall flat。 For starters， Myrtle is only 17 and straight out of finishing school when she and the duke share their first kiss。 I’m sure this was totally normal in the Regency Era， but it made me feel uncomfortable reading in 2022。 Myrtle is also very immature and has no self-preservation instincts。 For a “Christmas novel，” this book lacked that special winter sparkle that I expect in holiday romances。 And finally， there was an unfortunate fade-to-black sex scene that was so disappointing。 It really needed some holiday spice （in more ways than one）！ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
Ez
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I'd rate The Duke Alone 3。5 stars out of 5。 Set around the lead up to Christmas， there were a lot of feel-good moments between a grumpy Duke and the sunshine-esque female lead。 Myrtle （yes， you read that correctly） isn't your typical lady。 To stand out in her large family， she'd grown into a boisterous， opinionated individual with a tendency to prattle。 Having been sent away for four years to a finishing school for ladies， she returns to her London home ready to celebrate her favourite time of y I'd rate The Duke Alone 3。5 stars out of 5。 Set around the lead up to Christmas， there were a lot of feel-good moments between a grumpy Duke and the sunshine-esque female lead。 Myrtle （yes， you read that correctly） isn't your typical lady。 To stand out in her large family， she'd grown into a boisterous， opinionated individual with a tendency to prattle。 Having been sent away for four years to a finishing school for ladies， she returns to her London home ready to celebrate her favourite time of year: Christmas。 Unfortunately， she receives a welcome that leaves a lot to be desired and is basically a non-event with most of the family ignoring her。 To top it off， they're packing up to leave London the next day as their expensive residence undergoes massive renovations during the off-season。 As if that's not bad enough， she wakes up the next day to find that her family have all left without her， leaving her completely （and almost scandalously） alone。 Her only company？ The ill-tempered， rude， dismissive and cold Duke her house neighbours。 Having his own tragedy in his past， Val， our Duke in question， has pushed everyone away， wanting to live a life of solitude and misery。 That is， until Myrtle pushes her way in， making him feel a tiny spark of laughter and love after years on his own。 There's a bit of danger thrown in for good measure and a trusty dog to warm your heart。If you're looking for an easy， light read， especially something to get you into the swing of the Christmas season， this will do it。 There are only stolen kisses and a fade-to-black scene， so it's not on the steamier side of things if that's what you're chasing， but it was a nice story。 The writing is more on the formal， flowery side but I liked that as it matches the regency times the book is set in。 I liked both of the main characters。 They were both lonely in their own way， finding comfort in one another。 The Duke， especially， was a stand out。 He was the perfect mix of droll and uptight， making him a perfect regency romance male lead。 A quick warning: some readers will probably find Myrtle exasperating rather than endearing。 She blabbers non-stop， but to be fair， that's part of her charm。 There's also a small trigger warning as the Duke has a deceased wife he was desperately in love with （I like this as it stopped the book from being too cliché）。 I found there was quite a bit of repetition in the story， from Myrtle being the forgotten， odd-sheep and almost unloved member in her （seemingly horrid） family， her somewhat ordinary appearance （it seemed as if the author was trying to make her quite unattractive at times）， to the Duke's sad past， to Myrtle annoying Val and her being annoyed in return。 There's a fair few mentions of Austen throughout this book， so fans of Pride and Prejudice should love this aspect of the book。 The cover is gorgeous， as well。 。。。more
Laura
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