Just one more kiss… (Milady, it’s cold outside)

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. And she has just the man in mind…

Sexy pleasure-seeker Nicholas Pringle—known as “Saint Nick” for his wicked ways—wants to end the absurd cologne that has every young buck believing himself a ladies’ man. How hard can it be to charm a spinster into changing her mind? But when Penelope does the charming, this rakish scoundrel must decide between losing the war... or losing his heart.

The 12 Dukes of Christmas is a laugh-out-loud historical romance series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village.

My Thoughts:

This is without a doubt one of the most entertaining books I have read this year.
Penelope Mitchell cares for nothing beyond her laboratory with her concoction of a men's scent that makes all men who wear it swoon worthy.
Nicholas Pringle, rake extraordinaire frankly doesn't want the competition so he decides to buy the rights of the scent from Penelope. Only the lady has other ideas.
This is a laugh out loud, well written regency tale. I read it twice and loved it as much the second time as I did the first.
The play on names and even the misunderstanding between our hero and heroine make this a must read for this holiday season and many more to come.
I gave this second book of this series 4.95 of 5.0 stars for storyline, character development and plot. There is only one physically intimate scene but it gets a warm rating of 3 of 5 flames.
Give this reader more delightful Erica Ridley romance for this and many more holiday seasons to come.
I received a complimentary Digital ARC of this book by invitation to read.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I love Erica's books so much! you can always count on her for great romance scenes and interesting character growth. In this book we meet a Lady Chemist who has devoloped a perfume that is causing a stur amongst society.

such a fun sexy read

I had so much fun with this story. This was a quick light read that takes us a little deeper into the town of Cressmouth (otherwise known as Christmas) and introduces us to yet another of the ‘Dukes’ in Christmas. It’s much lighter than the previous one in the series, with significantly less emotional turmoil. There’s still a healthy dose of angst, though, as Penelope and Nicholas try to prove there’s no such thing as love in their lives. There’s also lots of silly, funny moments that occasionally left me gasping for breath. I can’t wait to read Christopher’s story now.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author through NetGalley.

A delightfully funny read with endearing characters. Perfect for reading during the holiday season. This was a nice, light-hearted story and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.

Penelope just wants to have her work recognized by the scientific community. But when she decides on a lark to sell her latest experiment as a men's cologne, it becomes a sensation across the entire country. Penelope is dismayed that her discovery is celebrated for its popularity as a perfume, rather than for its scientific significance. She has inadvertently been helping people find mates and fall in love, supposedly thanks to her perfume, which she believes to be preposterous since there is no such thing as love. Nicholas is a confirmed rake and very much annoyed that this new perfume is leveling the playing field a bit; he is proud of his accomplishments as a rake and sees using the allure of the perfume as cutting corners and a flagrant and dishonorable deception. Unlike the men who swear by the perfume, Nicholas has no interest in a permanent mate; he has no desire to ever marry but prefers spending just the one night with his partners. He is happy to provide a good time, but no commitments, and a 36 he has done a fine job of avoiding them, and he certainly doesn't believe in love. At 34, Penelope is a confirmed spinster with no use for emotions; she just wants to test out her new perfume, one designed for women's use. Her new formula seems to be working just fine in her trials with Nick, leading her to be upset that he is only interested in spending time with her because of the perfume's effects. Little does she know, Penelope has turned Nick's world upside down and has him considering abandoning his rakish reputation entirely, except he believes her to only be interested in one night. When Penelope begins to question her beliefs on love and relationships, she decides she must avoid Nick to ensure the perfume's effects wear off,even if it will break her heart. When Nick learns that he was used as an experiment test subject, he is angry and hurt, and Penelope finally begins to consider that Nick's feelings could be genuine, it may be too late.

I liked this one a lot more than the first one in this series. This is an entertaining, quick read if you can appreciate some whimsy, many cheesy Christmas references, and even a reference to a Killers song.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Intelligent, witty, insightful, romantic - a perfect Regency romance!

Penelope is a chemist first, top-shelf spinster second. She has no interest in intangible concepts like love, choosing instead to rely on scientific evidence that her pheromone-based perfume for men helps ordinary men find eligible women. As the most notorious rake in all England, Nick feels that leveling the playing field is vastly unfair and unnatural, and he sets out to stop Penelope's cologne by any means necessary. Even if that means showing up at her door every day, partaking of her delicious cookies and unwittingly participating in her field study wherein she tests the female version of her perfume on herself, with Nick's reactions providing the measurable data for her study.

Nick's reactions are just as much of an object of study to himself, as well. He can't understand why the only woman he's ever met that doesn't want to marry him or bed him should still arouse such an interest from his own long-ignored heart. Penelope is likewise struggling to identify her own responses, knowing that she's not under the influence of any chemical reactant, and trying to figure out how she can reconcile her desire for Nick to choose her on his own with her need for his responding to her to be a demonstrable effect of her newest perfume.

The writing throughout this delightful story is effortlessly charming, deeply soulful, and just a tiny bit tongue-in-cheek as the author deftly includes various aspects of the Santa legend, transforming Nick into one Hot Santa. The setting of a small mountain town named Christmas is almost magical in its sweet charm and idyllic lifestyle. The love scenes are surprisingly sensual and the HEA is solidly heartwarming. It was a non-stop read for me, an endearing escape with fellow intellectuals that shows just how sexy science can be. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Erica Ridley continues with her 12 Dukes of Christmas series with another fun filled romance that will have you laughing as you turn the pages. Nick and Penelope are wonderful characters that have the best witty conversations back and forth. Penelope, a chemist, creates a scent for men called "Duke" and touts to turn the most unassuming man into a rake. Nick tries to convince her to stop selling the new creation, being the rake that he is and encourages her to make a perfume for women, which would have the same effect on men. She decides to try it on Nick and the adventure begins.
A delightful read that has me only anxious for the next book in this series!!

Kiss of a Duke by Erica Ridley was about Lady Penelope Mitchell, a chemist, who produced a perfume call Duke that was to have women swooning at men’s feet. She was now planning to make another perfume for women called Duchess. She thought who better to try it out on than the sexy rake Nicholas Pringle. But we all know that things don’t always turn out as planned. I received an advance copy for my honest review.

This is a lovely read. Nicholas and Penelope don’t believe in love. She’s a Spinster and he’s a rake. They get together because of a cologne she made for men. While he is trying to convince her to stop producing it she is trying a new experiment. They find out there really is love.

She is a chemist and he is a rake. What can they find in common? Penelope has formulated a perfume that attracts women to men. It is called Duke. Nicholas thinks it is terrible and he already has enough problems with women. He wants to buy the rights to it to get it off the market. She will not sell. Penelope temps him with biscuits. She makes them and Nicholas shows up. Every time they see each other they are more taken and more of their secrets come out, especially his. This is a fun book that take you to the village known as Christmas. It is the second in the series.

Another laugh out loud historical romance set in Christmas, a small fictitious town in northern England.

This time Penelope, the spinster lady chemist, meets with Saint Nick, one of London's most well-known rakes.

Nicholas wants Penelope to stop the production of her perfume for men. Penelope needs a subject for an experiment. Perfect match!

The only thing this book did not provide: the recipe for the perfect Christmas biscuits. Ms Ridley, I am disappointed. (Just kidding!)

Kiss of a Duke is a lighthearted, feel good historical romance set in the town of Christmas, where the holiday season is in full swing year round. Penelope is a chemist, a woman of science, always observing and recording data and firmly on the shelf at the advanced age of thirty-four. Duke, her male perfume, performed like a aphrodisiac allowing men to attract a mate evening the playing field for all. A smashing success, Duke succeeded beyond expectations and now Penelope wants to deploy Duchess to put woman on an even footing. Penelope does not believe in love, only chemical reactions. Saint Nick, dashing rake, hates Duke as its taking away potential lovers and all of London now is covered in its stench. St. Nick wants to end Duke and Penelope needs to test Duchess. Stolen hours together lead to so much more as the two people who do not believe in love discover maybe they "doth protest too much". Sweet, somewhat predictable, and completely fun, Kiss of a Duke leaves you smiling and heart happy for a ridiculously good time. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Kiss of a Duke by Erica Ridley
12 Dukes of Christmas #2

Penelope Michell has created a fragrance that has women swooning when men wear it. The scent has leveled the playing field so that women are able to get to know men who might otherwise be overlooked. There is one man who is not happy with this because he, a rake of renown, has found the competition increased and feels it is not fair for these men to have it so easy…pot calling the kettle black, perhaps? So, Nicholas Pringle sometimes referred to as St. Nick is out to remove Duke, eau de toilette for men, from the market any way he can and THAT means getting close to Penelope.

What a delightful story of two people getting to know one another. They find out so much about one another that has been somewhat hidden, are wonderful together and certainly deserve their happily ever after! I had no idea how one could have 12 Dukes of Christmas when I heard about the series but am thoroughly enjoying each story as another Duke is revealed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Returning to Cressmouth, where Christmas is a year-long event, we once again meet up with Penelope Mitchell, the chemist who prefers to lose herself in her fire-proof laboratory than to socialise and attract the attention of visiting rakes. Although this book is fairly short, it is laugh-out-loud funny, and the plot is well written and intriguing. Neither Penelope nor Nick believe in love. Nick thinks it is for fools and Penelope is convinced that it is an animal attraction. They both set out to prove the other wrong, and but end up forming a friendship that leads to undeniable attraction. Needless to say, when Nick finds out that Penelope is using him as a scientific experiment any chances of furthering the relationship are put in jeopardy. This novella is part of a series and although the characters do overlap, it is nevertheless a standalone. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A quick and cute romance in time for the Christmas season. Penelope the scientist and Nicholas the Rake. The two become connected over a manufactured scent and a hypothesis that this scent will attract the opposite sex. Penelope creates a perfume and uses Nicholas as her test subject. Formulaic banter ensues. Do the two fall in love are is it just science?

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Amusing and entertaining. These very different characters, with hidden agendas, prove that opposites do make great partners. The blossoming romance is actually very sweet and the author subtly makes Nick seem to resemble a jolly, beloved Christmas character, only tons sexier! I also enjoyed getting to know the other characters, like Chris, Nick's brother and can only hope for his story to follow!

Kiss of a Duke (12 Dukes of Christmas #2) by Erica Ridley ... This is a great story.. Thanks so much to the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. Nicholas Pringle (Saint Nick..the Rake) Penelope Mitchel (lady chemist.. inventor of DUKE a perfume for men) I loved the interaction between these two... all the laughs...what is his secret? ... they are such fun together..sexy times and of course a HEA. I am looking forward to NEVER SAY DUKE ...Christopher and Gloria's story.

A scientist and a glass-blower enter a bar…not really but that is what I love about Ms. Ridley’s stories. They are not always about the usual suspects but are about people you usually do not find in historical romances. I love the concept and I love this story. Penelope and Nicholas are characters you come to love over the course of the book. They are funny, their interactions are fiery for the most part, and their love is sweet. Another plus for me was that they are a little older. A fantastic story that will have you smiling and thinking of cookies and turtledoves in a whole new light.

I loved Nick and Penelope's story. Having met both of them in the previous book, I was very eager to see where Ridley would take this story.

Penelope is a chemist who makes perfume. She had created a cologne that made women fall for the men that wore it and was now trying to create a perfume for ladies. When Nick learns that Penelope is the creator of the cologne, he tries his best to get her to stop making it or to sell him the rights to it. He thinks that a man should be considered a rake on his own merits (like he himself is) and not by wearing a cologne that makes women fall at his feet. Penelope refuses.

Nick starts spending time with Penelope to get her to change her mind. Since he is hanging around, Penelope decides to use him as a test subject. If she can get a known rake to fall for her while she is wearing her new perfume, she will know when she has the right formula. She didn't count on falling for the man herself! When Nick proposes, Penelope believes that he doesn't really love her. That all of his feelings were created by the perfume. Will these two figure out their true feelings before it is too late?

This was a great addition to the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. The bantering between Nick and Penelope had me laughing out loud! I'm really hoping that we get Nick's brother's story next!

Penelope becomes semi-famous after she invented a perfume for men that makes women fall all over them. When infamous rake Nick meets her by chance he tries to buy the formula from her to stop production, as he is personally insulted that, with the help of this perfume, any man can be a rake like him.
Penelope, a spinster by choice who does not believe in love but only chemistry, finds him to be a good guinea pig to test her new perfume, the version for women that makes men swoon.
If the rake falls for the spinster, the formula works – doesn’t it?

This was a fast paced, very enjoyable 200page novella with very likeable, fun characters. Definitely one of my favorites by Erica Ridley.