We're getting near the end of Erica Ridley's 3-year, 12 book project about the town of Cressmouth, colloquially known as Christmas, which the town celebrates year round.

This time around we get to hang with Olive, who we met briefly in the first book of the series, Once Upon a Duke. Olive raises and trains horses. Olive also found herself humiliated out of her London season by her father's former friend and now archrival, aided and abetted by his son. The same son she kissed and never forgot.

Her father has decided.to end the feud. The price? Olive must marry Elijah, the boy whose kiss started her road to humiliation. And so begins a delightful tale about independence, forgiveness, and love.

Olive and Elijah were wonderful together. He so admires her and gives her the space to be herself. She in turn gives him the opportunity to turn the page on his painful past and imagine a delightful future. I loved them so much, as well as Olive's father.

This is a very strong entry in the series and a great lead into the final book, Forever Your Duke.

Olive Harper and her father have been involved in a fierce rivalry with her father’s former business partner and his son, the Westons, for as long as she can remember. Sure, the Westons’ horse farm is larger, but the Harpers’ operation has gained more of a reputation. Even better, Olive is the sole heiress to the business she’s so passionate about. At least she thought she was, until her father determines a way to end the feud by arranging a marriage for Olive to the Weston heir. He’ll get the farm she loves, and she’ll be forced to wed the man who’s done nothing but humiliate her in the past.

Elijah Weston prefers his study of botany to time spent with horses, much to his father’s disappointment and ire. He’s also been madly in love with Olive since first kissed her and then, unfortunately, humiliated her, ten years ago. Now he has just ten days to convince Olive his feelings for her are sincere, but with machinations from both their fathers, earning her trust won’t be easy.

This was hands down my favorite book of this series so far. This one has some real steam and chemistry between the main characters, in addition to the cheery, Christmassy feel. Eli and Olive were great together and I loved that it was Eli working to win her. His determination to follow his heart no matter the sacrifice or consequence made this excellent reading. Olive was prickly but she truly did give Eli a fair shake and was willing to hear out his explanations and understand from his actions just how much she truly meant to him. I loved this couple and look forward to the Duke of Nottingvale’s book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh, we are nearing the end of our 12 Dukes of Christmas series and it is getting so exciting! We have our 11th Duke, people! And, he's... well he's a horse. *I am trying so hard right now not to put in a Mr. Ed quote. -I know, I'm showing my age again and need to tuck that right back on in-*

We are back, once again in the town of Cressmouth where it's Christmas all year long. The Harpers have a famous stud farm featuring the most prized horse in all the realm, Duke. The Harpers have been feuding with the Westons, owners of the biggest stud farm, for decades. They used to own a stud business together but a rift caused one of the biggest feuds around. Now, Olive Harper's father has decided enough is enough. In one smooth action, he is going to ensure his daughter's future with a husband to care for her and the business and end the rift with the Westons' once and for all, with a betrothal.

Elijah Weston has been a horrible knave of a man to Olive, not once but twice. His cruel actions have caused life-long insecurities in Olive that she has had no choice but to live with and cost her her season in the ton. And now, her father had decreed that she must marry Elijah in order to have some say or control over the stud farm she has meticulously worked at and built to its prestigious heights it is today.

Now, I am the first to admit, I have a hard time with second chance romances. There are bridges on fire and rapids underneath, and I just don't forgive that easily... so, needless to say, I have a hard time reading them. But, as always, Erica Ridley pulls it off in such a way, that I didn't mind it all too much. It was an enhancement to the story rather than a detractor. I couldn't help but feel for Olive with her life-long insecurities that were likely not even the slightest bit true. Poor thing! And the suffering in silence of Elijah. I couldn't help but continue to be furious with the Fathers (Weston AND Harper). Olive's father was no innocent old man in these machinations. I hoped for more from them in the end about how ashamed they were with their actions, but... se la vie.

I enjoyed how Harper's strength as a horsewoman didn't incite male blah blah blah stupidity with Elijah. His pursuits were completely alternate to Olive's but they also complimented what she did. It was nice. Elijah was not challenged by a strong woman and he encouraged her to be so. It was refreshing. Also, the application of sign language and including a character who was deaf was very nice.

As always, I enjoyed this book immensely, and cannot wait for our 12th and final duke in Forever Your Duke. (psst... It's the Duke of Nottingvale... squee! Finally!)

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

It’s an age-old theme, enemies to friends to lovers but there are some surprises along the way. With their fathers deciding to repair a decades old feud by marrying their adult children, Olive and Elijah do not stand a chance. They were attracted to each other as children, but embarrassment and hurt feelings killed that attraction. There is a lot of sneakiness going on behind the scenes – you will love it!

Yes, Olive and Elijah have loved each other for years. Their one-time kiss ten years ago, ended up breaking both of their hearts. I loved that Olive put the ten-day courting into place. It gave both a chance to get to know each other. These two had to draw on strength and character to become one. I think Olive’s father may be my favorite father figure of all time!!! I am sorry the series will be coming to an end soon - loved it!

Olive Harper is horse mad! She eats, sleeps, and lives horses. Afterall she does run England's most famous stud farm. Harper's just happens to be located in Cressmouth aka Christmas where it is Christmas all year long. Elijah Weston shakes in his boots whenever he is near a horse. Unfortunately, this is not helpful when one is the heir to the Weston stud. Elijah is a scholar and botanist, using his talents to find medical cures especially for childbed fever. Although they have been feuding for years, Olive and Elijah's fathers plot to bring them together by arranging their betrothal, albeit for different reasons. How in the world of Christmas can these two very different people be able to tolerate each other, much less marry? Their growing awareness of each other and what they do about it is the fun of this story. Just what are they willing to do for the other? And who or what is the Duke in this the eleventh book in the series? I have loved each and everyone of these tales. Each holds the reader's interest from beginning to end. So sad that there is only one more duke to find.

This title was yet another great addition to the 12 Dukes of Christmas series!!

At the beginning of this title, I was so afraid it was going to be a second chance romance. Thankfully, that was not the case! Yes, Olive Harper and Elijah Weston have a past, but not a past relationship. So we get to read all about it as they get to know each other rather than constantly reading how they wished things had happened differently.

I did find myself liking Eli a lot more than Olive as her stubbornness got kind of old after a while. I applauded her for being so determined to keep her farm but felt it got in the way of other things at times. But Eli was such a sweet and unique guy that I felt he really complemented Olive’s personality very well.

I was also a little disappointed with what happened between the fathers. It just seemed too easy after all the years they fought.

I am both crazy excited and super sad about the next title. I am excited to see the Duke of Nottingvale finally get his HEA but I am so sad to see this series end.

Although Elijah (male protagonist) lacked a bit of dimension, the story had tention, a strong female lead, and a bit of naughtiness. The ending (without giving too much away) was slightly too sacharine and quick, I would have loved to see what happened in the last chapter as a complete sequel.

I've been loving the 12 Dukes of Christmas series and this one may be my favorite. I loved that there was a bit of role reversal, with Olive being the feisty horse trainer while Elijah is the brainy gentleman who is afraid of horses. This is an enemies-to-lovers romance with shades of Romeo and Juliet as it's the family that is feuding and the family feud resulted in Elijah to do something really horrid to Olive when they were younger. I really loved seeing them grow together and this book is especially poignant because it tackles the way childhood bullying could affect a person's psyche even as they grow up. Olive is such a fantastically strong character but still so good at heart and I loved reading about her getting her HEA. If you're in the mood for a short, sweet and fun Christmas regency story, all of the books in this series would fit the bill but this one definitely rises to the top because of how much I love the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early read.

The Duke in this, the eleventh book in Erica Ridley’s 12 Dukes of Christmas series, is actually a horse - a prize stud stallion belonging to Olive, the story’s heroine, a hyper-competent Horse Girl. Asked by her father to marry the son of their greatest enemy in order to resolve an ancient feud, she very sensibly says, absolutely not… until she discovers she stands to lose everything if she doesn’t even give her potential suitor a chance.

The only thing Elijah Weston wants to do is pursue his botanical research studies as he seeks to identify a medical treatment for the condition that killed his mother. Held hostage by his father’s refusal to fund his research, he’s forced into going along with his father’s wishes… which aren’t necessarily what Olive thinks they are.

There’s an awful lot going on here and so many things to notice, including Olive’s Deaf father and the way they speak in sign language, the horsey knowledge sprinkled all over the place, and Elijah’s botanical research, plus the romance, the parental manipulation (and abuse) and more. There was also a slightly weird thing where Elijah’s father, the fifth son of an earl, had a courtesy but non-hereditary title of marquess - which is higher ranked than an earl - which just would not be a thing, something I would expect an author of Ridley’s stature and skill to know.

I feel like, as Ridley has got deeper into this series, she has constrained herself a bit too much with the limited word count on these novellas. There is just Too Much Plot for a story this short. There’s no space to revisit the characters who charmed us so thoroughly in the earlier books, something that’s usually a ‘selling point’ in a big series - getting to see other couples progressing with their relationships. There’s just no word count for anything more than a couple of quick mentions in passing, because the plot of this one is so complex Ridley doesn’t have the words to spare… and even then some things get skimmed over. I was disturbed, for example, by the fact that Elijah’s father clearly physically and mentally abused him and then they just… encouraged his father to ‘kiss and make up’ his old feud with Olive’s father, without actually addressing the abuse of his son? You don’t just handwave that stuff away because you haven’t left yourself enough word count to deal with it.

I do love this series. It’s charming and (mostly) light-hearted and delightfully diverse, but the later books in the series have suffered due to the constraints of a short word count, and I think Ridley needed to ease up on herself a little and just make the later ones a bit longer. Or cut back on the sheer amount of plot she was shoehorning in, one or the other. I’ll give this four stars for all the things I did like about it, but I wanted a lot more.

We are in the final stretch of the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, and now we are introduced to a couple who have known each other for a long time, but because of a misunderstanding, what was supposed to be a magical day - the first kiss - has become cause for shame and hurt.
Years ahead, the couple finds themselves in a situation not very pleasant (at least for her): they should get married. How could they get rid of that commitment made by their parents... when, in fact, they wanted it too, but didn't want to admit the strong feeling between them?

Olive and Elijah. Their parents had once been close friends and partners as horse trainers. But a confusion years ago - at the time when each one got married, caused them to fight and break off relationships and partnership.
The years passed and Mr Harper proved to be much more successful at his stud farm than Lord Milbotham.
And despite the distance and animosity, their children, Olive and Elijah knew each other, and one day, Elijah's kiss on Olive caused her reputation to be shaken. Thereafter, Olive decided that both Lord Milbotham and his son Elijah were hateful people.
What Olive didn't know was that Elijah was already in love with her and didn't know how to do it right.
Six years later, the surprise. The two enemies said it was time for that fight to end, that their business would be more prosperous if they joined forces again, and that the best way to seal the union was through the marriage of their children.
Elijah knew nothing about horses, and he actually preferred botany. But marrying Olive was something he really wanted. But that was not her opinion.
As an only child, she was sure she would inherit her father's farm, and training horses was her life.
Getting married would mean giving up everything she worked for. When her father insists that she needed to give Elijah a chance, they decided that in the next ten days the couple would be together to get to know each other better.
Elijah's plan was to make Olive fall in love with him.
Olive's plan was to make it as hard as possible to make Elijah give up on her.
Who will win?
5 stars

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

Ten Days With A Duke, by Erica Ridley, is available at booksellers on 11-13-2020. We're up to book 11 in the 12 part 12 Dukes Of Christmas series. The main female character, Olive, is so easy to identify with. She was mocked and it took hold and ruled her life. How many of us remember a slight from high school and it still stings? She's smart, hard working, and the best with horses. She's running the show & things are going great. Elijah is a meek academic under the thumb of his father. He's literally been beat into submission. Marry Olive or pay the price. Cool thing is he's always had a thing for her, this is his dream come true. They have a bunch of issues and quirks to work through and I must say they're close to home. An enjoyable, if uncomfortable, read.

#EricaRidley #Netgalley #WebMotion #TenDaysWithADuke #12DukesOfChristmas #HistoricalRomance #Romance

Once again Erica Ridley’s book is absolutely spellbinding and I couldn’t put it down. I started and ended it in one day.

-- Read this review, and others, on my blog at https://hookedbythatbook.com --

Olive and Eli are at odds with each other and their fathers are engaged in an all-out feud with each other. The two old men manipulate their offspring into a marriage agreement. Well, Eli and Olive are not so easily controlled. Olive lives and breathes her horses and Eli is deathly afraid of them. Olive makes an amendment to the agreement between their fathers and allows Eli ten days to convince her.

I loved Eli. I just want to wrap him up and take him home with me. The two of them together were a lot of fun to read. And I think this was the best Duke of them all so far.

This was quick, and super fun, and will fill all those romance cravings you might have. I have been enjoying this entire series so far. You don’t need to read them in order, each one stands very well on its own.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great story from Erica Ridley. loved the cover and the characters and I look forward to the next instalment in the series. Great characters.

What a lovely book!! I love that little Christmas town and all stories that take place in this cute town. Olive and Eli story is not the exception !! Awesome boom.

Another wonderful visit to magical Cressmouth village, and this time with a feuding families, the Harpers and the Westons and their wonderful offspring Olive and Elijah

Olive Harper knew her purpose in life and excelled at it. The Harper horses she and her father raised filled all her needs and being a spinster was least of her worries. That was until her father said (in sign language) "I've decided on a husband for you." Then he said his name.. No!! Elijah Weston, the boy who had humiliated her years ago!

Yes, Elijah was even more handsome than before, but no, he would have to win her and he had ten days. To say Elijah was shocked at her stipulation, is putting it mildly! It seemed "He had ten days to win the affection of a duke."

Oh yes, humor abounds as these two face off, but what a marvelous ride they will have!!

This is a funny and romantic story. Eli and Olive when they were 16 and 14, they met after each had been in a horse race. Eli was hiding from his father, knowing he would be berated for not winning, especially since his biggest rival's daughter, Olive, won her race. Eli was enraptured by her, so he kissed her. They were caught by his father, who ruthlessly humiliated her, and made Eli do it too. 10 years later, Eli is sent to end the feud by marrying Olive. Olive wants no part of it, but agreed to seriously consider the offer, if Eli could get her horse, Duke, to let Eli ride him. Duke was notorious for only allowing Olive to ride him. Eli is determined to try to win Olive, even though he's terrified of horses. Olive was determined to get a little revenge against Eli, and still turn him down. They are both surprised by who the other really is, which is nothing like what they each thought. Eli the nerd shows Olive that he's not completely useless, and Olive shows Eli that she can still be a caring person with someone she hates. The storyline is great, and there were a few twists I didn't see coming. I love this series.

I have to admit this is not my favourite. It purely down to the description of The heroine being humiliated as a teenager and being set up to some similar again The idea that a father even considers that his son does to such an atrocious act ... and the fathers then be accepted back into the fold?! It made me a bit uncomfortable. As always the characters are well written and I managed to read the whole book, but it’s not going to be a favourite.

So we are back in Cressmouth aka Christmas where we have a horse ranch that that we have we have heard about before as they supply the horses that pulled the sledges up the very steep High Street; and of course Prinnie, the Prince Regent, wanted to buy Duke the amazing stallion who doesn't like anyone to ride him - apart from one person - that is the person who nursed him through his foal- hood, who bottle fed him and who trained him. Our heroine in other words.
However as we know, in Regency times we have come across this problem before - women cannot inherit or own property - they need a man, and so it's necessary for our heroine to find a man. Also her father thought she should be married so that she could then own the horse farm through him, or at least that's what he told her.
He had long ago had a major argument with his partner which had led to the horse business being split into 2; one part in Christmas and the other part in London. He now contacted his ex-London partner to facilitate a rapprochement, and suggested that his son might marry our heroine and this is where the Story starts. There is one problem however with the London son - he's a botanist doesn't really like horses. He is concerned with a major avenue of research – finding a herbal remedy for when the placenta is retained in childbirth – as this leads to the mother bleeding out – as his own mother had. Of course, this does not please his father, but he continues, and is in need of money to hire the necessary scientists for his project. He thus agrees to woo the heroine in =exchange for funding from his father.
I've looked into some of the plants that are mentioned here in the book to see which ones do have some medicinal impact and some of them certainly do, others are really just decorative. The first one mentioned is nelumbo nucifera also known as the sacred Lotus or Indian Lotus. It is completely edible in all its parts and may be an antidepressant or anti diabetic; the second plant mentioned is olea sylvestris which is in fact the wild olive and as we know olives are very edible indeed. There is a mention of the grass that the horses have in their pasture - phleum pratense, this is a perennial grass and actually isn't all that good for horses to eat when it is still green. It is sometimes called cats tail and is especially good when added to hay as it produces fibre and is good for the horses teeth as it is rather tough.
One of the things being researched into are plants that can induce Labour. Sometimes midwives will recommend castor oil or raspberry tea, or blue cohosh tea. However, there are no reliable studies to support that any of them actually work.
There are two orchids that are also mentioned, a Costa Rican orchid also called the Easter orchid - cattleya mossiae - and an epiphytic orchid from the Asian Sub Continent which is miniature and very floriferous called vanda ampullacea.
This series is fun and the Dukes in question are often unexpected. In this particular book, the Duke is a horse. I always enjoy this writer and is interesting to see that she has brought into the story plants from the part of the world in which she lives – Costa Rica. Which is a wonderful plant friendly part of the world!

Caught in a vise between feuding fathers, Elijah Weston arrives at the Harpers' home with a marriage license in his pocket. After thoroughly humiliating Olive at their previous meeting, Elijah is fully aware of the fact that he deserves her disdain and disgust. However, when she makes a pact with him, he overcomes his own fears to win the opportunity to make amends with her. Tension in this novel is created from the opening pages and one can only feel for both Olive and Elijah as they chart their course through troubled waters. The story is well written and emotive, laced with humour and wit, coming to a very positive conclusion. It highlights the fact that bullies can only get their way until someone stands up to them. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.