The Duke’s Desire is the eighth book in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. Lucien is the last unmarried Le Duc sibling. After seeing his sister and brother settle down and marry Cressmouth locals adding a nephew and niece to his growing family, he’s decided to put aside his dislike of all things English and finally become more fluent in the language of his adopted homeland. Enter Meg Church, a local dairymaid who has no filter whatsoever on her mouth, often blurting out the first thing that comes into her head but who is determined to help him no matter how much he tries to resists her.

This is a fantastic addition to the series. As usual the hero and heroine are engaging characters with a humorous storyline set in the town where it’s Christmas all year round. An additional bonus though was more participation from previous characters in a little bit more depth than usual.

Heartwarming. The Duke's Desire is a story of two people who are both looking for stability and security. Lucien looks to reclaim his family's lands and birthright as well as his perceived identity, and Meg simply wants a place that won't eventually turn her out like every other place in her life has thus far. They both feel the need to be important and needed, and it's sweet to see them become important to each other.

That is a really long name.

It sounds like he is the only homesick one.

Where does she own land?

He has empty-nest syndrome.

Voltaire is hard enough to understand in one language, never mind two.

Good gift.

Intrigue.

The epilogue was funny.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of The Duke’s Desire by Erica Ridley.

This is Lucien’s story. He is the surly le Duc sibling we’ve gotten to meet in the earlier books of this series.

I liked Lucien. Although he keeps people outside of his family away with his scowls, he loves his family and always sets their well-being ahead of his own. Meg is also family-oriented.

Meg’s had a crush on Lucien for many years. She is confident and bold. I didn’t like her character as much as Lucien but she did have good qualities.

It was a light, quick read with the friendly village of Cressmouth as the backdrop.

This is the #8 of the series Dukes of Christmas and was sorry to say not my favourite. I found the heroines moral a little too loose for the time period. I like forward sassy heroines but I found Meg a little too forward. Although you can read this as a stand-alone, it is much better to have read some, if not all the books before to understand the town and know the people. I reviewed this as an Arc and freely do my review.

***3.5 rating. I was given an advanced review copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The story was good once I managed to get halfway through. The first half of the story was slow, and not in a slow-burn type of way. It was quite difficult to stay focused and read through, but once the Lucien and Meg actually started TALKING to each other, the story really started to pick up.

Their back and forth banter was enjoyable to read, and Meg poking at Lucien for his his reactions was amusing.

While i liked Meg, the plot had a decent speed to light speed at the end from bickering and kisses to eternal love. I just didn't really connect well with the book. Overall, an okay read.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc, opinions are my own.

Love any book from Erica Ridley!! She is s great storyteller! All her books capture your attention. This book was no different! Can not wait for her next book!!!

The Duke's Desire by Erica Ridley is a laugh-out-loud kind of romance. Think of a romantic comedy combined with a historical romance and you get, The Duke's Desire. I found is refreshing. The way the leading female protagonist spoke was charming and hilarious. I loved her character! Meg spoke in such a blunt yet bold way. It even had her bestest lady friend plus, the leading Duke of Desire raising their eyebrows at her. The things she says...it was awesome. I cannot quote what she said; however, I do say that you have to read this book and read it! I can promise you that it would not be a waste of your time. Also, I enjoyed how the main players mentioned were from opposite sides of a war and from different backgrounds. A poor farmer's maid and a wealthy titled Duke made for a great read. Erica Ridley has done it again. She has managed to capture my heart and soul and my whole attention starting from the first page. Overall, I highly recommend this historical novel to all readers.

Cute quick Regency romance read. Meg loves being a spinster that can take her satisfaction where she have it and she has been attracted to Lucien le Duc since she first saw him. The only problem is he is due to return to France and reclaim his noble birthright. When Lucien comes knocking at her door in search of an English tutor, Meg is more than happy to oblige, and sparks fly.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Well, the eight maids a milking was skillfully placed in this book! And Meg having to move to Huiville (is that pronounced whoville?)! I am sure there are probably more little things like that I missed but the ones I did get were cute.

I enjoyed watching Meg and Lucien grown from their mutual lust to actually like spending time together but their differences in social station were pretty vast. Lucien kept wanting to return to his privileged social status and finding the correct bride from his French society so when Meg comes along, I just did not see how they could get past this. Plus, with Meg's past and both their parents being affected by different sides of the French Revolution, you wonder if they can really let the past go.

After most of the book of their getting closer and closer, the end went kind of quick to resolve their conflict. Looking forward to the next duke in the series!

Even though I got to this one alittle late the author drew me to this one because she knows how to transport us back in the day of grand romance. In this one we follow Meg and Lucian with their dance around each other as they get closer to each other. You also want to see Lucian get his back too. This character takes your heart along with his. You are also glad to see others in this also.

Another great book in the series! I think this might be my favorite yet! I love Meg! She is a spinster by choice and she says outrageous things just to fluster Lucien, who has always been extremely uptight. It made me laugh repeatedly!

I requested this book as a newcomer to NetGalley and I was so excited to be able to get one of Ms Ridley’s ARCs. I love her books and even though I have not read any of the previous books in this series, I was excited to dive into this one. Coming into the series midway, I had no trouble at all following the storyline. Lucien and Meg have to overcome the prejudice between them and learn to compromise and how they go about doing it is what makes this book so fun and entertaining. Ms Ridley does an amazing job of bringing wit, humor, and romance all together to create a great story.
I can’t wait to go back and read the other books in this series!
I received this book as an ARC and am leaving a voluntary review. Thank you Netgalley and Ms Ridley for the opportunity!

The charming village of Cressmouth plays host once again to another installment in this fun series. With his sister and brother both married and happy to stay in England, Lucien le Duc is abiding his time until he can leave for his beloved France to reclaim the Le Duc’s birthright.

Lucien still refuses to learn how to read English, despite his sister’s ardent efforts. Until he meets the vivacious Meg Church, and agrees to let her teach him. Meg has had a crush on Lucien ever since she moved to the village to live with her two cousins, but she has never spoken a word to him. They bump into each other at the castle’s lending library.

Lucien has been an interesting character since we met him with the telling of his sister’s story. He pines for France and wants nothing more than to go home. With both Désirée and Sebastian settled, Lucien feels superfluous. His main goal has always been to look after his younger siblings, but he is no longer needed in that capacity. Meg is full of life, with a mischievous outlook on things. She loves her torrid novels and flirting with Lucien (once she has met him, of course). She clearly has too much time on her hands. Both of them feel out of place, and in need of a new purpose.

This was another quick and fun read. The main characters were engaging and I was rooting for them all the way. The story is short, but it never felt like anything was left out or rushed over.

I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book #8 in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series. Meg Church is a proclaimed happy spinster who doesn't care what anyone thinks of her or her reputation. She lives with family, but soon that will need to change. She also has found herself attracted to Lucien le Duc, the oldest of the le Duc family who has made it his life's goal to recover their fortune and lands in faraway France.

This book is a whimsical romance and quick read for anyone looking for a little bit of steam and lots of sexual innuendo.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC for my honest review.

“I’ve been dying to be alone with you for six long years. I thought I’d imagined every possible way it might happen, but you’ve just exceeded my every expectation.“
That was all it took and I was captivated. I could not put this book down. It is amazing and well worth the read.

Meg is the heroine I have been waiting for; full of spunk and not afraid to take what she wants. It was amazing to see the self reflective journey Meg and Lucian go though, while keeping everything lighthearted and full of laughs.

The Duke’s Desire was simply perfection and left me so excited for Dawn with a Duke.

I'm afraid I had to quit this book at the 54 percent mark. I've loved all the other books in the series. They were funny, witty, and lighthearted with an actual story line. This book is unlike any I've read from this "time period", much less this series. The heroine is constantly pushing the hero for sex with constant sexual innuendo? Very much not my type of book. Thank you for the offer to read this, I just hope the rest of the series follows the previous books and not this style. I'm Not leaving reviews on other sites as this is my personal opinion and I'd rather not influence others who have different tastes.

This fun Regency romance is the eighth book in the 12 Dukes of Christmas series by one of my favorite romance authors, Erica Ridley. While the stories interconnect, each book focuses on one couple and can be enjoyed on its own. Watch for the relevant reference to “The Twelve Days of Christmas” carol in each book!

I really loved our main couple. Lucien is sweetly devoted to his family and tries very hard to be a proper gentleman; his attempts to hide his lack of fluency in English with glares and grumpiness are rather endearing. Meg is clever, compassionate, and highly perceptive, as well as totally improper, delightfully wanton, and determined to maintain her unrestrained lifestyle. Watching these two grow from lust to admiration to love and finding the courage to make their relationship work made me smile, and their banter made me laugh.

This gleeful romance is a quick read and just the thing to brighten a dark winter day. Note that there is one scene of premarital sex and many references to the act (in florid language, used for comic effect); as long as such things don’t bother you, I highly recommend this to romance fans.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

Meg is not your typical historical romance heroine. She is no innocent wallflower. She is a woman who embraces life and is upfront about her sexual wants and desires.  I have waited for Lucien's story since we were first introduced to him. I couldn't wait to discover his story. I wasn't disappointed. These two had chemistry, and I was laughing out loud at some of their interactions. 

This is the last in this year's publications of the Twelve Dukes of Christmas series. I look forward to revisiting this quirky town next Christmas. 

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.