Once Upon a Duke by Erica Ridley is a charming and romantic Regency-era tale brimming with humor, wit, and sizzling chemistry. The story follows a reclusive duke and a spirited woman who challenges his solitude, leading to unexpected love and adventure. Ridley’s writing is engaging, with a perfect blend of lighthearted moments and deeper emotional connections. It’s an enjoyable, feel-good romance for fans of historical fiction with strong, relatable characters and heartwarming twists.

This was a fast-paced, swoon-worthy read, that I found I did not want to put down! The story was original and exciting with characters that were realistic and likable. It is everything you could want in a delightful stroll through the pages of a historical romance and more!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

It’s a quick read, humorous, light and holiday themed. The hero is cast in a Scrooge-ish light without becoming unlikeable. The supporting characters add life to the story, they are quite the match for our broody duke, There is a class difference between the hero and heroine however it’s brought together nicely in the end. The hero and heroine know one another from years past, just a light attraction but that definitely deepens upon his return to years later.

Another wonderful book from Ms Ridley. I loved Benjamin and Noelle's story. Noelle is the heart of her community and is not prepared to give up her own heart so easily. Benjamin has had a difficult time in his personal life, losing his Grandfather did not prepare him for what might lay ahead. Can't wait to read the next Duke of Christmas book!

Oh how I love the 12 Dukes of Christmas series! This one is no exception! Such a good read. The story draws you in and the characters are just perfect. I absolutely love Erica Ridley and can't wait to read more!

"Once Upon A Duke" just wasn't for me, I think. I didn't like the main character and the overall plot just kind of bored me.

This is a charming second chance historical romance story, and it was so good! Nicely written, wonderful characters and the story had a nice blend of drama, humor and romance. It's a winner! Highly recommend!

This is the first book in the Twelve Dukes of Christmas series. It has everything you could wish for in a seasonal regency romantic comedy.

Unfortunately, I'm uninterested in this. The heroine is completely unlikable and I couldn't stomach her being awful to him for no reason, and the whole Christmas premise is too much for me to handle.

The Duke of Silkridge must return to the home he left and finds an old spark with Noelle Pratchett. Christmas and sparks fly in this first book of 12 Dukes of Christmas.
Ebook from net galley and publishers with thank. Opinions are entirely my own.

Sadly I didn't enjoy this book as much as I usually enjoy Erica Ridley’s work. The story felt too forced, the characters too one-dimensional, almost as if it was a charicature of a Christmas romance. It does have a great pace and a nice heart, at least.

I normally love Erica ridleys book but this one didn’t quite gather my attention from the beginning. Noelle was charming but Duke was a bored. I gues opposites do attract.

Another witty , light hearted historical romantic novel from this prolific Author .

Benjamin, Duke of Silkridge , goes back to the Cressmouth Town, also known as Christmas , to retrieve the treasure that his Grandfather stole from him .
Noelle remembers him well , he broke her heart 5 years ago , when he left without saying goodbye .
This story is fast paced , full of Christmas sprit with plenty of witty dialogue and references to A Christmas Carol .
Their romance is sweet and perfectly set in this Christmas story .


An enjoyable read and I look forward to the other books in the series .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I love this author and all her books. This is the first in a new series and I devoured the series over the holidays. Definitely worth the read... and while you don't need to read the books in order, you will definitely find that you want to read them all.

Highly recommend! All the books in this series are wonderful but can be read as stand alone. Erica Ridley never disappoints and her plots and characters are always unique!

Erica Ridley once again proves that a really good romantic story does not need to be smutty or laced with foul language. For this reason she is one of my favorite authors. I do believe I have read most of her work and enjoyed each an every one. I love this first in the Twelve Dukes of Christmas series. So entertaining, I am really looking forward to the next eleven. The setting is Cressmouth aka Christmas, a place where Christmas lives year around. Benjamin, now the Duke of Silkridge left his grandfather`s castle five years ago, also leaving Noelle Pratchette shortly after he kissed her. Why does he dislike Christmas, the season and the time so much? The interplay between these two characters is wonderful as they discover, they never forgot that first kiss. Intertwined in the story are quite a few A Christmas Carol references, a treasure hunt looking for the next one to appear. Now to continue reading the series to find all twelve Dukes in Christmas.

This was sort of ridiculously delightful & I just adored the town's insistence on being Christmas town? Like, don't get me wrong, it was RIDICULOUS, but all the shenanigans just worked--very wacky small towns in ye olde England.

I was disappointed with this book as I enjoyed every book by Erica Ridley up to now.
It is choc full of Christmas cheer but too sickly sweet for me.

As a light read it is fine however I prefer traditional regency romances with a lot more substance.
As a second chance love story it didn't really work for me. There wasn't enough character development. I didn't get a sense of the emotional connection between the two nor of their previous attachment to each other beyond the fact that they had kissed years ago.

One of many Dukes in these stories comes home for his hated grandfather’s funeral, just to retrieve a family heirloom. He finds the whole snowy mountaintop town—as mountaintop as a place can get in England, anyway—loved the old man, especially for renaming the town Christmas and making it a tourist trap. And of course he meets up with the only woman he ever wanted.
This new heroine is just as smart and snarky as the previous ones, so I’m in, and the story even more fun. All the new characters make for some confusion, but not too bad.
Erica Ridley gets me.

I unintentionally read this book out of order it is numbered in the series. I started with the second book, which I enjoyed the most, followed by the third book, as it was a close continuation of the second one, then read this one. Of the three, I enjoyed this the least. It isn't bad, but in comparison I didn't like it as much. Maybe I read too many of these in a row. I guess I need to space my romance books out more.

The romance was sweet and a tad spicy, as the others were as well. This one also had no women competing for the man, so bonus as far as I am concerned. I like the continuity of everything taking place in the same village in England. Very homey.

Nothing overly fantastic, but also nothing horrific. I enjoyed seeing a different side to the founder of the Christmas in the village. The characters have personalities and foibles. I look forward to reading the next book in the series! 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars, because it was comfortable.

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