What a stunningly cute story! I was constantly sighing and Awww-ing' into my book while reading this.

Story: Unpaid and under-appreciated journalist Miss Eve Shelling never goes anywhere without a trusty notebook and her overprotective Duenna—who happens to be a bullmastiff. Eve learned the hard way that men are not to be trusted. She’s definitely not falling head-over-heels for the deceptively charming subject of her front-page column. Local blacksmith Monsieur Sébastien le Duc is a rakish dandy with a heart of stolen gold and two teeny tiny secrets. One happens to be a wee international smuggling operation. The other involves losing his heart to an ambitious journalist determined to expose the truth at any cost…

Although it touches on some very important and heavy topics - like emancipation and the thoughtless killings during the French Revolution - it was done in such a skilled way that it got me thinking without dragging me down into a week long depression.

The skillful writing by Erica Ridley is making this an easy read, with a whole set of likable characters and with only a hint of a villain. I'm especially in love with Bastien and his skills to make the best out of his situation. Love love love it!

I am loving the series 12 Dukes of Christmas and I like the fact that they are not actual dukes. This one is no exception with the hero being a french blacksmith. As usual, Ms Ridely has put time into researching and writing into her story a craft to make the stories more than just a love story. This was a great read and am sure all who read will enjoy it. There was a small amount of sex and this reviewer, as usual, skipped it. I received this book as an ARC and was very happy to do a review.

Eve lives with her father. Her father runs a quarterly newspaper that Eve is the writer of. She would like more substance to the paper but he likes it as it is. While Eve is busy trying to find something better to write in the paper, she meets the handsome Sebastien. He is a blacksmith but unbeknownst to her, he also smuggles alcohol into Brittain. He is trying to get back to his home country if France and smuggling helps to get more money so he can go home.
The two form a friendship and eventually fall in love. But what happens when she finds out about the smuggling? Will her overbearing father allow Sebastien near her?
This is the first one I’ve read in the series. It is definitely a quick, quaint read. There were no major surprises and follows the HEA pattern. This is perfect for a long nights read. I’ll be looking for the other books in the series.

Bastian and Eve have a great story. I love that Bastian was able to make Eve laugh. I won't spoil the story, but they each have a huge decision to make...in the end!

Awesome. Sweet. Read in one seating. Short. Can’t wait to read more in the next book. Loving all the books I’ve read by this author.

The Duke’s Embrace by Erica Ridley
The Duke’s Embrace by Erica Ridley is the seventh book in the 12 Dukes of Christmas. These books include quirky characters, a town always full of Christmas spirit and lots of hope and love. Ms Eve Shelling wants to write for a newspaper. Real News, not the rehashed and same old stuff that her father insists putting in the local paper. She just needs to find the right story to convince him.

Local blacksmith Monsieur Sébastien le Duc has helped his family run the blacksmiths and to pay off all the other debts. What he is not ready to do is to move back to France. He feels connected to here, but his brother really wants to go back so he agreed. And that is how Eve can help - find them a buyer for the smithy. Only things start to change for Eve and Bastian. What will have now?

Another fun read by Erica Ridley is The Duke’s Embrace. I have to admit I didn’t like all the characters - specifically Eve’s father, however, having said that the story was a good read.

The Duke's Embrace (12 Dukes of Christmas, Book 7) by Erica Ridley is a nice addition to her Dukes of Christmas series. The town of Cressmouth- better known as Christmas- has so many interesting and unique women residing there. This time Eve Shelling, a journalist with the local paper, has her eye on the local blacksmith Monsieur Sébastien le Duc.

There are mysteries associated with Monsieur Sébastien le Duc (such as his little smuggling operation), but he is very open about his overwhelming desire to return to the country of birth, France, once he has saved the necessary money. Eve is very interested in Sébastien and his efforts to obtain the rest of the needed funds by selling his business. Meantime, Eve is increasingly frustrated by her inability to sway her father, owner of the newspaper, to understand that real journalism is not printing the same articles year after year.

I love Erica Ridley’s writing and have especially enjoyed the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. However, of the 7 books I’ve read so far, I have to admit that The Duke's Embrace has been the least interesting to me. I think, perhaps, a lot of that is due to Eve’s father. The character was very unpleasant and I felt that dragged the story down.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Duke’s Embrace by Erica Ridley is another warm,delicious read. The two main characters are strong willed yet unique, with trouble backgrounds and worries. The story is not predictable and has many unexpected twists and turns. I especially like the insight into each characters upbringing. Highly recommend this book and all the Dukes of Christmas stories I have read so far.

Miss Eve Shelling is a journalist who wants her father to take her seriously and let her write her own stories for his local paper. She’s searching for the perfect story and she thinks found the perfect story for the front page story of the upstanding blacksmith, Sebastien le Duc and his family. She gets more than she bargained for when she discovers nefarious smuggling career, she must choose between the man she loves and printing the truth and ruining him and her love. An excellent story with wonderful characters I voluntarily wrote a review for.

I am not a fan of journalist main characters, but the heroine is earnest. The hero is a hard worker but also has some secrets.
I was charmed and smiled at the ending. Those who enjoy historical romance won't be disappointed.

There is an intimate scene, so this can't be classified as clean.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

Loving this series. Having to go back and read from the beginning I'm enjoying it so much. Love these men and the fabulous women.

I have read all of the books in this series as of yet. I am loving this series so far.
Sebastian and Eve’s story is one of my favorite books so far in the series. I would have liked to see more of a conflict but other than that it was awesome. I can’t wait to read the rest of the 12 Dukes of Christmas.

It was an okay read, but nothing i'd wish to reread. It was too quick, it didn't get enough character or world building and i found the characters boring, therebefore i didn't exactly get behind the insta-love this book provides either.

The seventh Duke is having a happily ever after! Yay! After Desiree Le Duc found her hapiness with Jack, I'm very pleased that this time Sebastien Le Duc is the main character of this book. Although Sebastien is regarded the 'Beau of Chressmouth, Bastien is trying to get back to France with his brother Lucien. But first they have to sell the smithy.
And how to reach out to the people in Chressmouth better than via the local newspaper? So, when Bastien contacts Eve Schelling, he is surprised to find out that this wonderful woman is nearly running the newspaper on her own.
Eve wanted to be taken seriously as a journalist, but one mistake made her father distrust her. So now she is struggling to come out from under her fathers wing and become a famous journalist. So, an article about the infamous Le Duc brothers may be her ticket to fame. Because the whole world will be shocked when they hear about the smuggling that Eve discovered.
Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Eva Shelling wants to be a respected journalist. She knows that won't happen unless her father agrees to let her write more relevant stories. The paper needs to be more that a travelogue praising Cressmouth. Since her father owns the paper I didn't think she would be successful. Eva deserves her father's respect and his love, but he won't do that. I hated to see her blame herself for her mother's death. Meanwhile local blacksmith Sebastien le Duc and his brother want to sell their business and go to France. They've been living in England for years. Now they can go home and try to reclaim their birth right. Can Sebastien leave this snowy village where he's found love? He knows the more time he and Eva spend together, the more he wants to be with her forever. I enjoyed watching their love grow. I wanted them to be happy. They both deserve it. The past has caused them both so much pain. Eva's father is a problem. I didn't want him to destroy their future. I wasn't sure that he could be stopped. Erica Ridley wrote a sweet, emotional romance that made me smile. I liked both the setting and the characters.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

Another great book in this series. I enjoyed reading the story of Bastian and Eve, a Frenchman who had worked his whole life to be able to leave Cressmouth and a woman who strives to prove herself as a journalist. An unlikely pair who can't seem to stay away from each other. I am excited to read the next book about Lucian!

This book follows Eve Shelling, lady journalist looking for more of a challenge and Bastien le Duc, Blacksmith and smuggler. I have read the majority of this series now and this one I think is my least favourite. It was a cute story and very well written, I think the problem for me was that this one had characters and a plot points that really should have been fleshed out more. For instance, I still don't exactly know how these brothers were even involved in the smuggling storyline that was introduced in the last book.

Anyway, quick cute read :)

Bastien Le Duc is Cressmouth's dandy; the secret is that he has pieced together his finery with his own skills. Aristocratic parentage means little when you are orphaned in a foreign land at a young age and must work in a smithy with your siblings to redeem the debt on the very land you inhabit.

Eve is the actual force behind her father's newspaper, The Cressmouth Gazette, and longs to be taken seriously as a journalist. Guilt over her mother's death has kept her in place beneath her increasingly fragile father's thumb. She thinks a well-written article on the Le Duc smithy could be her way out.

But there are layers upon layers-- the Le Ducs have secrets to hide, and Bastien discovers that he has a reason not to return to France and remain a smith if he likes. The truth will out, and it sets them all free. One of those truths is that Eve and Bastien don't want to live without each other.

Erica Ridley tells it much better than I possibly can, as usual.

The Duke's Embrace is a great novella in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series.. Eve and Bastian's story is compelling and well-developed even in a short length, which speaks volumes of Ms. Ridley's writing talent.

Eve wants to be taken seriously as a journalist, and her own father doesn't even take her seriously. She sets out to write a piece on the blacksmiths, and that's where she meets her hero. Bastian's family was torn from their home in France years ago, and he longs to go back. It is his and his brother's main goal in life. Love was not on the horizon for him, but when he and Eve cross paths, it becomes inevitable.

Well written, quick read. Enjoyable.

Ms Ridley never fails to deliver and this is an entertaining, fast and fun read full of action, drama and romance.
I laughed, I rooted for the characters and had a good time.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.