An enjoyable read about a young woman of a mathematical bent who wants to right injustices but finds it impossible to do so without disguising herself and a Duke who never expected to inherit. Read in one sitting, the only thing that really felt totally wrong for the period was the idea of a Duke owning a London pub.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a historical romance, The Wicked Duke 1: One Night for Seduction is an average one.

It wasn't bad, far from it; but it wasn't overly good either.

Fast read since I finished in just under 8 hours.

What I like:
- quick pace
- strangely, I like Lady Felicity and wonder if she'd make her own appearance later on
- characterisations, especially the interaction between Diana and Felicity

What I don't like:
- instalove, but this is to be expected in historical romance, so proceed with your own caution

Overall, I read it with joy, but like, average joy, you feel?
Perfect for anyone who likes feisty and independence heroine (no matter how dubious the independence) and bad boy hero.

A very delightful read...

I knew from the first moment I opened this book that I would enjoy and love every page. I so love Diana Middleton's character. Strong, loyal and dedicated to what she believes in, an extraordinary woman. and Caleb, the Duke of Colehaven, handsome and oh so adorable, his sense of right and wrong is admirable, a perfect match for the high spirited, sensible and beautiful, Diana.
I love all of Ms. Ridgeley's books that I've read and this one is no exception...a must read! ❤

What a delightful introduction to the Wicked Dukes Club series! The Wicked Dukes Club is a pub in the Haymarket area of London and it is owned by two dukes who have been friends since Oxford where they were known as – you guessed it – the wicked dukes! The series is authored by Erica Ridley and Darcy Burke, so you can’t go wrong there!

This novella was very well written and the characters are delightful – I can’t wait to meet them in their own stories! The main characters are so fully fleshed out that you feel you know them and can identify with their struggles. Excellently done!

Caleb Sutton, fifth Duke of Colehaven (Cole) and Miss Diana Middleton are the stars of this story and they are a wonderful pairing. They both want the same things, they just have different ways of going about getting it. Cole can be open and aboveboard with his goals, but Diana thinks she has to use subterfuge because she is a woman and men won’t take her seriously.

Diana is the ward of her cousin, Thaddeus Middleton who took her in when her last parent died. Thaddeus is a lovely, lovely man and I can’t wait to see his story. Diana has no intention of marrying anyone – she cannot carry on with her mission if she’s married – but Thad wants her to be happy and he thinks that means marriage. When Thaddeus is talking about his incorrigible ward at the Wicked Dukes Club, he ends challenging Cole to find a husband for his cousin. Cole can never resist a challenge and the chase is on.

I can certainly recommend this novella and if it is an example of the rest of the books in the series, then I can recommend the series as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first Erica Ridley book. It was a pleasant reading experience. The plot might seem simple but the characters and the banters and the flow of the story was just enough to give it a touch of extraordinary.

I like how the hero and heroine were described. Aside from the beautiful physical traits (which I am appreciative that the author did not dwell on with every encounter), they were mature and intelligent. I love their humor too. The hero came from a life of poverty but had no hang-ups about it. He worked hard to get to where he is and be who he is. I like that he is a people person and not the typical dark and brooding aristocrat. The heroine is the ideal heroine. She is intelligent, she knows what she wants out of life and is actually living it. She has strength of personality but she does not come across as a stubborn and irrational person. She is straightforward, honest and genuine as well as open minded. And because she is a smart person it also shows that she has an excellent sense of humor. I guess one paragraph is enough to say I really liked the hero and heroine. The minor characters are also likable but they did not distract/detract from the main plot. Neither was a sequel obviously injected into the plot.

So the hero makes a wager to help his friend marry off the heroine. But the hero ends up liking the heroine and then gets to know her more—enough to feel a connection and actually fall in love with her. No great drama or denial or protestations here (remember the characters are intelligent and mature). Just a straightforward way of falling in love told in a romantic manner that made me sigh and smile. There is just something satisfying about knowing that two people meant for each other finally embrace a lifetime together. Now, there are kissing scenes and a single lovemaking scene. But these are described tastefully. Lately, I have been exposed to books with a high level of steaminess so reading this book with its more tame love scenes is quite refreshing. The only issue I had was that I thought this was going to be a slow paced book but the way it was written made me interested enough to finish the book overnight.

Thankful for my ARC from Netgalley. It was unexpected but I am glad I got introduced to Erica Ridley and the Wicked Dukes series. Time to pre-order the rest of the books in the series.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book started out hot right away, and I was actually looking forward to reading the bonkbuster,, but the heat sizzles out and drags for the majority of the book. By the time the couple reconnected, the fire is pretty much gone out

Diana is a beautiful young lady with a brash and independent spirit. She has no qualms of letting you know the facts or where she stands, but her heart is a tender loving one with a searing heat hidden behind her eyes and lips. Colehaven was lost the moment his eyes connected with hers, their meeting for the first was like a lighted match to dry brush. A sizzling and entertain ride.

Loved it!
Erica Ridley is one of my go-to authors.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Wicked Dukes Club
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Diana and Cole work so well together! One of my favorite things is that Diana doesn’t just have a spitfire personality—she claims real agency for herself wherever she can. I’m very tired of women with fierce personalities and snappy one liners used to disguise the fact that the narrative gives them no agency, so I’m glad this broke that mold.

I was initially concerned about the premise of the bet over Diana’s marriageability, since that usually indicates some kind of mean spiritedness, and would make it very difficult for me to like the hero in question. But this bet around Diana’s future is one that Cole makes completely honorably. When we meet him, he is already friendly and kind and understanding and respectful. The drama lies in their clashing motives, and it’s nice to see such a soft hero—not just in glimpses, but for the entirety of the book.

Because this clash of motivations drives the book, their goals don’t align until very, very near the end, which was a little unsatisfying—except the very end is so adorable I don’t really mind.

I received a digital ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Diana Middleton is more than just a wallflower, for she enjoys being an independent woman and fixing injustices. She is rather determined, especially with her decision to never marry. The Duke of Colehaven has not lost a bet in 10 years. When accepting a bet to find a husband for his friend's cousin, he did not realize what he would be getting into. Diana and Cole have an attraction to the other, but neither desire marriage. Cole is trying to move his political career forward, but cannot have a wife who would not listen to him. Diana and Cole come to realize they are both fighting injustices, just on different fronts. Diana falls in love with Cole, but he wants to change her into a duchess he thinks is what society wants. Diana has no plans to change herself. Can Cole accept Diana for who she is, since that is the woman he fell in love with?

This is my promised fait and honest review in return for this ARC. What a well told and tantalising story. Our quirky heroine who is willing to give everything up for her beliefs and a hero duke who is still learning.

I do love books where the main characters are not the norm. I also like to learn a bit about history – I think that is one reason why we love historical romance, the escapism and the history. Cole and Diana are perfectly matched characters and you can feel the tension. Oh, and when she said “no,” I swear I could see the surprise on Cole’s face. Lovely turn around of what we come to expect.

One Night for Seduction (Wicked Dukes Club Book 1) by Erica Ridley ... Typical Erica Ridley ...this first book in the WICKED DUKES CLUB series is a winner. Thanks to Erica, #NetGalley and the publisher for letting me preview this book. Cole(Duke of Colehaven..part owner of The Dukes Club..and 10 years of never losing a dare or bet) Diana Middleton(wallflower..ward of Cole's friend..and seeker of justice) I started this book and didn't put it down til I was finished... Erica always pulls me right into the story and I love it. This book is funny, a little sad, full of great characters and some steam all getting us to a very HEA. I can't wait for the next book in the series ONE NIGHT OF SURRENDER.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Witty Romantic Page-turner Entertaining Great world building Steamy Unpredictable Easy-to-read Funny Wonderful characters Happily Ever After

One Night for Seduction is the first book in the new Wicked Dukes Club regency romance series. Erica Ridley is writing the odd-numbered books in this series, and Darcy Burke is writing the even-numbered books. I love both writers, so this is a total win win for Regency romance fans.
This was a clever and intelligently written story. I really enjoyed the heroine Diana Middleton. She is witty and determined in her mission to help others. I always enjoy it when an author infuses real historical fact into their writing. The 1815 Weights and Measures Act was a real piece of legislation. Diana’s desire for there to be uniformity in measuring for trade was actually a problem for people back then. Since there was no uniformity, tradesmen could steal from the public quite easily. Ridley takes a topic that could be boring and turns it into something quite magical.
I also enjoyed the heart throbbing hero - Caleb Sutton, fifth Duke of Colehaven. Ridley is hands down one of my very favorite authors. I am excited to see her launch a new series.