Okay, I loved this story. A great regency novel with a strong and smart heroine... count me in. I laughed while reading of the exploits that Penelope and "Saint Nick" got up to which each trying to have everything their way. I can not wait for the next in this series.

This is a well written book about a female chemist and a rake who she decides to experiment on with her new perfume that believed to bring forth desire for the person wearing it. It’s a very interesting concept, and while it is definitely expected that the heroine think like a scientist and behave like a scientist, I found it to be just a little too much and that made the story a little dull at times. Overall though, it was cleverly worded, and Ms. Ridley did a great job getting into the heads of both characters!

Penelope Mitchell's first perfume for men, Duke, is a success. It has become wildly popular among members of the ton, earning Penelope a lot of money and notoriety since she is a lady chemist. Since Duke has went over so well, Penelope decides to work on it's female counterpart, a woman's perfume, Duchess. Duke is rumored to have women swooning left and right over men. Penelope wants to make sure Duchess can do the same, but first she needs a test subject, and she has just the perfect one in mind, Nicholas Pringle.

Nicholas is known among Society as "Saint Nick" for a reason. Nick earned his reputation as a rake with hard work and Duke is destroying his advantage. Nick seeks out Penelope to get her to stop it's production. He has no idea what he's in for! Penelope appeals to him as no woman ever has. Suddenly, he finds himself ready to shed his bad boy reputation. Find out what happens in KISS OF A DUKE.

KISS OF A DUKE is the second novel in author Erica Ridley's 12 DUKES OF CHRISTMAS series. It is witty and brilliant! I loved the references to Nick being "Saint Nick"... him being up on the housetop, bringing gifts, always eating biscuits (cookies), etc... If Nick is Santa then certainly Penelope is his Mrs. Claus... wearing her aprons, baking for Nick and constantly feeding him. KISS OF A DUKE is a magical holiday romance that readers are sure to love.

Erica Ridley has done it again! She wrote a fun, sweet, romantic story set in the snow covered village Cressmouth. This story centers around a female chemist and a notorious rake.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I just loved this book! I think it is now my absolute favorite! The author's characterization skills are phenomenal. She has the knack of being able to make her characters very realistic. No cookie-cutter characters here. They are not all sweet and full of fluff. No there are some mean ones, some very stubborn ones, some pathetically clueless ones, as well as strong and forthright ones. This just makes the conflict in the story that much more real, which, in turn, makes the resolution of the conflict Thank you Netgalley for letting me read it

I really enjoyed reading this book by Erica Ridley. I read within one sitting basically. I wasnt sure to begin with, whether I would enjoy the dynamics of the book, but stick with it, its actually pretty good.

Lady chemist Penelope Mitchell took England by storm with Duke, a perfume for men that has women swooning at their feet. To prove the same aphrodisiacal potency of her upcoming version for ladies, the new perfume must cause a rake to fall in love with her in ten days.When I started reading I couldn't put it down. Erica Ridley is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

I adored this book! Yes, it is historically inaccurate, and you should not expect much in that regard. But if all you are looking for is a short, funny, adorably sweet romance with two truly amazing leads and can ignore the silliness of the premise, this is the book for you.

"Running out of biscuits is like running out of…" "Oxygen?" she guessed. He shook his head. "Hot chocolate." "Humans can live very long lives with no consumption of chocolate," she informed him gently. "But without chocolate, are we truly living?"

I loved Nicholas, our hero. Hardened rake that he is, he is appalled when he finds out someone has created a perfume that sort of levels the playing ground by making men irresistible (don't ask… Read the author's note and just go with it) and sets out to convince the creator to cease producing it. He's not prepared to find the one woman who wants nothing for him, and it was so cute to see him fall hard for logical, scientific-minded Penelope. They had a Booth/Brennan relationship, and their bickering was just the cutest!

"But other people-" "The opinions of strangers are irrelevant. Live for yourself."
I LOVED Penelope. She was scientific and logical without coming across as silly, off-putting, or annoying, and I loved seeing her falling in love for the first time, despite trying very hard not to. IT was heart-warming and made for a perfect story for cozy evenings!

There should be a new genre created for many of the new 'historical romances' coming out nowadays. It should be called "Fantasy historical romance'. In the fantasy historicals, characters wear cravats and corsets, are constrained by social norms only when it is convenient to the story, and they talk like modern day people. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but if you've been reading historical romances for a long time, it is frustrating that there is no distinction between the two types of stories.

Erica Ridley typically markets her books as the light-hearted, unrealistic, fairtyale brain candy so I was not surprised when I went into this story that there was very little focus on the historical aspect. I wanted something silly and fun in a novella format to start getting into holiday romances and she delivered. The historical focus is non-existent. The characters are not constrained by social norms, can interact alone at all hours without anyone in the made-up town of Christmas gossipping, can call each other by first names immediately upon meeting each other, can get married without any interference from family (the hero's father is a duke), and can make heavy-handed sexual innuendo jokes in mixed company without anyone batting an eye.

If you let go of this set-up, then the rest of the story's components are quite fun and the reason I gave it 4 stars. I thought the heroine, Penelope, was a throwback to Dr. Temperance Brennan from the tv show Bones, as a hard core scientist obsessed with her perfumes (and their biological significance), her lack of belief in love, and her rational approach to life. I thought her friends Gloria and Virginia were hysterical (especially Virginia and all her bird analogies that seemed random but somehow made sense) and the presence of delicious biscuits throughout the story is always lovely. The hero, Nicholas, and his brother Christopher are both charming as well. Nicholas, for his gradual transition from rake to a man who starts to understand what love is, and Christopher, for his complete faith that love exists even though he has never seen it. The differences between the two made for some fun dialogue and I'll definitely be reading Christopher's story when it becomes available. As you can probably guess, the hero's name, obsession with cookies, his secret workshop, and at one point being on the roof, are all pretty heavy-handed references to Saint Nick for the holidays. I found this to be a bit much and stupid on occasion (cookies and the name would have been enough for me) but again, since the interactions between he and Penelope were so silly and fun, I did not lose interest in the story.

At it's core, the romance was strong. I believed the transition from logical scientist and lifelong rake into a couple in love. The fun dialogue was the strongest point. Was it historically accurate? No. But it was fun to read all the same. I loved the little gifts the leads gave each other and I loved the short format of the story. This amount of silliness would not work in a longer format, but it was a perfect morsel for this time of year.

In a nutshell, only read this story if you're into braincandy and have no expectations for an actual historical going in. Read it because you want fun dialogue and some themes that will get you in the holiday spirit and make you smile. I think that's all Ridley really intended and she does deliver on that score.

Second in Erica Ridley’s Twelve Dukes of Christmas series set in the small town of Christmas, the hero of this one isn’t actually a duke. It’s a perfume, well technically a cologne for men, called Duke, invented by the heroine. And it’s taken London by storm; even Prinny is wearing the new cologne with the near-magical ability to make women take an interest in even the most unassuming of gentlemen.

Our heroine Penelope knows there’s nothing magical about her perfume at all. Just excellent science. Chemistry is her passion, and now she’s proved her abilities with Duke, she’s ready to turn her attention to Duchess, the version for women which will make even the plainest Jane fascinating to gentlemen. What better subject to test it on than herself, especially when one of the most handsome rakes in England is in Christmas?

Nicholas Pringle, known as Saint Nick for his rakish ways, is disgusted by the very idea of Duke. He’s worked hard to be known as the worst rake in England! Bypassing all that hard work with a mere perfume is just laziness, in his opinion. He wants it off the market, by any means necessary. Penelope just doesn’t seem susceptible to his normal charms, though. And he’s finding himself inexplicably fascinated by her. Maybe there’s something to this chemistry business after all?

These two were absolutely hilarious together. There were any number of laugh-out-loud funny moments, most especially when Penelope cut off Nick’s attempts to charm her with her no-nonsense attitude. My only regret about this was that it was too short; I could have read another couple hundred pages at least of these two! Five stars for a funny and charming read to keep you in the Christmas spirit all year round.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.

I found my self smiling throughout this whole book. All Penelope wants is a kiss to prove her perfume works and all the Duke wants is a one-night stand. Should work, right? These two are my favorite so far. Love their story in Christmas town.

‘Kiss of a Duke’ was a delightful story with quite a novel storyline. Penelope Mitchell, a female chemist, has discovered the ingredients behind a scent, that will make men more attractive to women. The aptly named perfume ‘Duke’ has men, who would not have been considered ‘rakes’, irresistible to the ladies of the ton. Nicholas Pringle, has taken offence to this concoction as he is considered a rake, and believes that the perfume makes a lie of his talents. He soon sets about to purchase the perfume from Penelope, who decides to teach Nicholas a lesson; however, she soon finds herself, learning an invaluable lesson herself.
I so enjoyed the interaction between these two characters. This was a lovely book to read.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Wow wow wow. Loved this book. It was full of emotion, romance and lots of humour. There is not much to say but it is my favourite book in a long time and one I will go back and read again, something I don’t usually do. It was just plain lovely, beautifully written and you are left feeling good. I loved the secondary characters and look forward to seeing their story as they are all amazing characters. There is sure to be lots of fun and mayhem to come. I received this book as an ARC.

These bonds just get better and better. I feel in love with the village of Christmas just as much as Penelope and Nick. This book will bring readers into the Christmas Spirit!

Very sweet and enjoyable Regency romance novella! It's so lovely to see a female scientist in this genre, so I really enjoyed Penelope's character and her eccentricities. I liked the character of Nicholas a lot, too, as a rake who realises he's looking for something a little more permanent (but I did find that naming him 'Saint Nick' was a little OTT on the Christmas front!).

I laughed several times while reading this, especially when there was anything to do with Penelope's crazy kitchen alarm, but I also enjoyed the quieter, sweeter moments. I could wish for a little more depth to the story, but I suppose that's the nature of a novella - and it was certainly a delightful read for a dark and dreary afternoon. I'm definitely going to be picking up some more of Erica Ridley's books!

KISS OF A DUKE by Erica Ridley must be read with your tongue tucked firmly in your cheek. Well, maybe not too firmly, because you’ll need to remove it often to laugh out loud!

This second book in the series “The 12 Dukes of Christmas,” is truly a laugh-out-loud kind of Regency romance and it’s more than obvious that Ms. Ridley had a lot of fun writing it. Set in the town of Christmas (actual name Cressmouth, but the goodwill of the town seems to make it Christmas year-round), the Pringle brothers, Nicholas and Christopher, arrive. The elder, better known as St. Nick, didn’t earn his sobriquet by being good. In fact, his reputation as a rake is known far and wide.

Penelope Mitchell lives in this charming town and is a chemist. She is also the inventor of a recently released cologne for men called “Duke.” The cologne has taken England by storm as it’s believed to make men wildly attractive to women. Nicholas is in Christmas attempting to buy the rights to the scent, in order to stop its production. As a true ladies’ man himself, he’s offended by every gentleman who slaps a little on believing himself to be a lady killer.

Penelope is actually in the process of developing a similar scent for the ladies called, naturally enough, “Duchess,” and she decides to trial things with Nicholas, whom she finds just a little too full of himself. Now add into that combination the fact that Nicholas is obsessed with cookies (or biscuits, as the English call them) and wants no part of any of the numerous ladies batting their lashes at him. But, he does seem to be interested in spending more time with Penelope, who doesn’t appear to have a single lash-batting bone in her body. Why is that?

You’ll be certain to enjoy finding all the little Christmas clues that are sprinkled throughout the book, but most of all you’ll love reading as Penelope and Nicholas work their way to a HEA!

I loved the second book in this series just as much as the first. A handsome rake who thought he would always want to be a rake and a quirky chemist who did not believe that love was real. It was funny and sweet to see them figure out how wrong they were! Can't wait for the next book!

Another wonderful story in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, all Lady Penelope has to do is get a rake to fall in love with her in 10 days proving that her new perfume, the Duchess, is just as good as its predecessor as an aphrodisiac, enter Nicholas Pringle the gentleman out to prove that her cologne Duke does not make all wearers irresistable to the ladies.
Fast paced and irrisistable, I could not put this down

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Such a cute story. If your looking for a literary masterpiece, although this book is good, this is not it. What this is is a sweet, simple, feel good love story.

Penelope is a lady chemist, who lives in the remote, mountain top village of Christmas. She has created a perfume for men that she has called "Duke". It is believed that a man wearing Duke will become attractive to women. The perfume has become wildly famous with Beau Brimmel and even Prinney wearing it. Everyone loves it, except Nicholas Pringle.

Nicholas Pringle is a rake. He is well known to the ladies, who have dubbed him Saint Nick because of his prowess. He never spends more than one night with a woman. Everyone thinks that it is because of his rake-ish ways. But it really is because of something deeper. Duke goes against everything that Nick believes. He doesn't like the idea of a perfume manipulating people's feelings. He comes to Christmas, with his brother, Christopher, to buy the rights for Duke and stop its production.

Nick meets Penelope at a celebration for Duke. Penelope is more interested in the science behind who eats what type of biscuit than accolades for Duke. It's all science to her. She is currently trying to develop a new perfume she calls Duchess. The idea is that when a woman wears it, she will become irresistible to men. But she needs a way to test it in order to perfect the formula. What better way than to try it on an accomplished rake.

There is more to Penelope and Nicholas than people see. Nick harbors secrets and has been deeply affected by his past. Penelope sees science in everything, right down to "mating". Can these two find what love really is and allow someone to see their true selves?

I really liked this book. It is part of Erica Ridley's 12 Dukes of Chistmas series. The play on familiar Christmas words and themes is cute. Although it is a quick read, I felt like I really got to know the characters. I can't wait for the rest of the stories, especially Christopher's.

Kiss of a Duke features Penelope Mitchell. A rarity of her time, Penelope is a female scientist and the current toast of London after creating Duke, a perfume for men that will turn the most unassuming man into a Rake of the first order. Buoyed by her success, Penelope has decided its only fair that the ladies have their own version and comes up with the idea of Duchess. Nicholas Pringle or Saint Nick as he is known to the ‘ton wants to put an end to “every dandy, greenhorn and featherwit believing himself a dashing conqueror of women” or as he puts its so succinctly – cheating - so he offers to buy the exclusive rights to Duke so in an attempt to halt production entirely. After meeting Saint Nick, Penelope decides who else would make a better test subject to try her new creation on than London’s foremost Rake.

This is an amusing tale and the second book in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series and I can honestly say I found it a more enjoyable read than the first book. There is no incessant mentioning of Christmas or the forced jolliness of the first book. The characters seem more rounded and likeable. Nick and Penelope’s relationship develops over the story making it more believable and I loved the witty conversations between them. I’m eager for the next book in the series where hopefully the secondary characters of Christopher and Gloria will be the next couple.