Kiss a Duke by Erica Ridley is a delightful and captivating Regency romance full of charm, wit, and undeniable chemistry. The story follows a strong-willed woman and a rakish duke who is determined to win her heart despite her resistance. Ridley’s signature blend of humor, passion, and emotional depth shines through in this enchanting tale of love, fate, and second chances. It’s a perfect read for fans of historical romance with witty banter and a sweet, slow-burn romance.

Another enjoyable novel in this series by Erica Ridley. I enjoyed the heroine's strength, and the connection between the hero and heroine was great

Perfectly charming and heartwarming characters. Just enough heat! Interesting plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Enjoyed every minute of it!

*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.

I enjoyed Nicholas & Penelope's book. It was a fun, entertaining read. I got a copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

This is a flirty fun read ..........with characters slightly removed from the norm in this
latest book by the Author .
Lady chemist , Penelope , is revelling in the success of her scent for men , called Duke .
A scent that men think will make them more of a Rake , where women will clamour for them .
Along comes real Rake , Nick , who aims to stop her in her tracks ...... but this only starts Penelope
onto the next scent in line - Duchess - made for women who want to aspire to catch their own Rake .

The witty side-kicks , the banter and fun that emerges throughout the book kept me well entertained

I loved Kiss of a Duke!! Penelope was a delightful and refreshing character. I loved that she was a scientist, curious and inquisitive. Nicholas was fun too. I loved watching both of their lives unfold into something that would never happen.

I really enjoyed this book!
It is HR and features Nick a known rake and Penelope who is classed as a lady chemist. Penelope is celebrating success with her men’s scent Duke which when worn is meant to cause women to fall in love and give the ordinary man a chance. Nick has many issues with this as he has worked hard for his reputation and takes these to Penelope. She sees an opportunity to trial her new female scent Duchess and if it can work on a rake and someone as ordinary as her then she has another success on her hands. Flirty and fun with some great side characters who I can’t wait to find out more about.

I received a free ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable quick read that kept me engrossed the whole time. The characters were witty and fun. The plot was easy to follow and kept me turning the page. I will be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Guest Review by Joann Maggio
This book is so adorable. The romance between Penelope and Nick is heartwarming. Penelope a chemist and inventor of a beguiling cologne for men called the Duke has made herself a name to all. Men clamoring to become rakes they begin wearing her product and women seem to swoon over them.

In come Nickolas Pringle a true rake and he tries to stop her. The banter and biscuits between these two is awesome.

Ms Ridley always injects humors in her romances. Although she has made me shed a tear or two on occasions.

To read this romance and see the couple realize they are in love with one another is a delight. Read this book if you love romance

I loved this book. It's a feel good story filled with romance, hope and humor. The story was well-written, the characters fully developed and interesting and the story was enchanting. Highly recommended! This author hit it out of the ballpark!

A fun, romantic read. This is a great addition to this series set in a Christmas themed village in the north of England.

Oh, this book was so much better than the previous one!

I love how the pages turn basically themselves, I was so engrossed in the story, I couldn't stop reading!

Nick came into the village to stop the spreading and produce of the cologne named Duke. He's immediately smitten by the lovely chemist and can't stop visiting her. Penelope wants to test the new cologne before it hits the market and what better than to test it on Nicholas?

Such a charming story that for a moment, I forgot this all happens in the village called Christmas! (where they celebrate Christmas all year long according to the first book)

I was very much relieved this book wasn't so story focused on Christmas as book one. If you need a great, fast read that will make you swoon, I recommend this one!

4.5 stars.

I absolutely love stories with quaint and quirky characters, and the christmas setting just made it that more charming. Add that to a female character in a historical setting with a modern career choice, and I was completely in love. Great romance, plenty of laughter, this was the perfect read!

This was such a cute story. I laughed through the whole book. We should market a cologne that make men fall in love in 10 days. Thanks for a great read

This is the second book in the series. I love this author! She's out-done herself in each story that she writes. They are all wonderful but somehow she comes up with another great book. I loved this story and the characters. I enjoyed where she got her story idea from. The Christmas hints everywhere were special. A must read!

A romantic comedy, “Kiss of a Duke” reminded of the movie “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” but just in spirit only. Still, with the risk of sounding nerdy, it actually reminded me more of Madam Marie Curie, French-Polish physicist and chemist who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person and woman to win it twice!

And since the International Women’s Day is on March 8th, “Kiss of a Duke” is fit for the occasion with the heroine, Lady Penelope Mitchell being a chemist and she invented “Duke,” a perfume for men that has women swooning at their feet.

Enter “Saint Nick” (real name Lord Nicholas Pringle) who was a well-known rake and hedonist. He hated the “Duke” because he believes that being a rake is an artform! The “Duke” being chemical just takes away the fun out of the game.

With that premise, Erica Ridley spun a yarn that is laugh out loud funny that quite frankly, I won’t be surprised if the Hallmark Channel picks it up as its next Christmas special.

“Kiss of a Duke” is Rated T for Teens with parental guidance strongly advised due to some sexual content which is not graphic.

I really enjoyed this book. Erica Ridley has done a wonderful job with Kiss of a Duke. I think it is my favorite of this series.

Kiss of a Duke is one of three eARCs I have been working through by Erica Ridley. This novel advises readers that perfume may attract another, but one's actions determine if there is true chemistry. This story begins with Nick searching out Penelope to put an end to her perfume as he feels it puts undue power into the hands of the populace. The two ultimately fall in love. 

Penelope is a peculiar character who denounces things that are not scientifically based. She reminds me a lot of Temperance Brennan from Bones. Nick is in many ways the opposite, he is a dashing rake who can have any woman, yet he holds a secret passion for glass blowing. 

Overall this was a quick, easy read that I recommend.

We return to the little Northern England village of Cressmouth, where it is Christmas year around. In fact Cressmouth has been dubbed Christmas by its many quirky residents. However, they are also very charming. Each has a place in Christmas, valued for the very things that make them unique. This is book two in Erica Ridley's the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. In this case the Duke is a manly cologne developed by local chemist Penelope Mitchell. Well known rake and heir presumptive to the dukedom of Silkridge (we met the duke in the previous book) arrives with his brother. His goal is to stop the manufacture and sell of Duke. Afterall, it gives unfair advantage to all men, no matter what their circumstances or looks are. Of course the chemistry between Penelope and Nicholas (also known as St. Nick) is inevitable. Their story is cute, filled with some surprises, humor, and is a delight to read. As with the first book you look for Christmas references. In this case they swirl around St. Nick and his mannerisms. I believe Nick's brother Chris is next in line for a story. Can't wait to read it. Good thing it is already loaded on my kindle.

4.5 stars

Penelope Mitchell is Christmas' resident chemist and newly minted celebrity - she created a cologne for men called "Duke" and it is wildly successful - based on science, Penelope formulated the scent to attract women and by all accounts it works. So well, that she has decided to create a scent for women and will call it "Duchess" - she has a base formula, she just needs to test it.

Mr. Nicholas Pringle, known by all as Saint Nick, is an unrepentant rake. He never spends more than one night with a woman and has no desire to settle down, he doesn't believe in love and has only agreed to come to Christmas to keep his brother Christopher company. While attending a party at the castle, Chris mentions that the creator of "Duke" is there and immediately Nick wants to confront her. He wants her to stop production of "Duke", it is unfair to real rakes.

He meets Penelope and offers to buy the formula, she has no intention of selling it to him, but tells him she will think on it and tells him to return the next day. Penelope decides that Nick is the perfect test subject for "Duchess", she will wear it and see if it works on men as well as "Duke" works on women. A kiss from him should be all the proof she needs, but to make things fair, she will make herself as dowdy as possible.

When he returns, she learns that Nick loves cookies, she feeds him and she is sure the perfume is working, just a kiss is all she needs. When she finally gets that proof, she decides that it is not enough and will need further research to be sure. They spend time together and Nick begins to question himself, he likes Penelope and his relationship with her has taken him to uncharted waters, he wonders if she might be the woman who finally breaks through the wall and meets the real Nick - not sure he is ready for that step, he tries to keep her at arm's length and fails.


Is it love or is it "Duchess", Penelope knows she has fallen for him, and he seems to care for her, but is it real or will it end when he learns the truth?

This was a very cute story with two very likable people, lots of cookies, secrets, chemical reactions and some corny Christmas references. The book is well written, flows nicely and is extremely entertaining. It is the second book in the series, but can easily be read as a stand alone and while there are references to Christmas, this is definitely a year-round read.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*