Both The Heart of a Duke and Sinful Brides are series from this author that I have been reading and enjoying over the past years. Coupled with the Home Alone vibes that the synopsis promised, I couldn't wait to dive into her new release which could have also sold itself to me from its beautiful cover alone.

Myrtle and Val were very sweet and lovely together. They were your typical grumpy/sunshine couple whom I would never say no to obviously; tall, broody and silent heros are one of my weaknesses. And the heroine's brightness perfectly balanced with the broken duke's grumpiness. As I'm used to the author's writing style, the story flowed quite well and I especially loved all the Pride and Prejudice references. Compared to her previous works though, I wasn't expecting to only get a fade-to-black scene which left me a bit disappointed to be honest; it personally felt like something was missing to complete their love journey.

If you want a cozy and light read during the Christmas season, then I would recommend you to take a look at this heartwarming holiday romance with a regency setting.

*ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review

This story is about Lady Myrtle and Val, the Duke of Aragon.
Lady Myrtle has just come home from finishing school to find her home in turmoil. Everyone is packing to head to Scotland. Myrtle was expecting a warm welcome, since she'd been gone for 4 years, but instead was ignored. Ignored to the point that when he family leaves the next day, they do so without her.
Val, is a widow. He is a recluse and has not recovered from the death of his wife.
Myrtle reached out to him for help when she realized she's been left behind. Val at first is very gruff and tries to send her away. Myrtle sees the sadness in him and realizes that they need each other. In the next few days , as they help each other and get to know each other, feelings start to grow. They become friends and then more.
What I didn't like about this book was that it spent too much time developing the past and not enough time developing the present relationship.
At the same time Christi Caldwell has a way of bringing emotions to the surface and again brought tears to my eyes.
4⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an arc of this book. All opinions are my own. This was a charming love story. It is not as steamy as her earlier books. For this reason, I didn't like it as well. It would be good for someone looking for a clean read. Not my style, but fine for others.

The characters were well drawn out. But I couldn't get past their age gap. So she's like 17 and he's widowed and around 30. It just felt wrong.

A historical romance combined with Home Alone? What’s not to enjoy? Except, I didn’t.

Myrtle, who has just returned from finishing school, lives next door to Val, the Duke of Aragon, who tragically lost his wife in a carriage accident years before. Upon Myrtle’s return, her large family is in the midst of packing for their holiday trip to Scotland and she is all but forgotten in the melee. When she awakens the next day, it is to an empty house! She finds comfort in Val being next door and finds herself seeking him out for companionship and help, particularly from the strange men who are hanging about her house. Over the course of a few days, Myrtle finds herself falling for Val, while he finds himself coming out of his depressed shell.

While I thought this could be fun, I didn’t love it. The connection between the two was not strong and the fact that he was a widow of many years and she was just turning 18 was a bit much. And as I read in another review, I was hoping (as I’d read Caldwell before), that I would at least get a great sex scene or two. But, nada. And thus, not my favorite of her books.

Caldwell has brought all my favorite regency tropes to one glorious plot: A character in a huge family, a reluctant, reclusive Duke, and their inevitable collision in like and love.

Myrtle is a resourceful delight, Val is a charming grump, and I can't wait to visit them again!

This was a very wholesome, slow burn of a romance- perfect for winter. I loved the grumpy x sunshine vibes of our protagonists and their antics!

The Duke Alone is a lovely historical romance about healing, feeling acceptance, and taking a chance on love. I enjoyed the characters and the Home Alone vibes in a Regency romance setting.

Myrtle is a wonderful protagonist. Often overlooked in her large and boisterous family, Myrtle is left behind when the family leaves to spend the holidays at their home in Scotland. Though she is disappointed and hurt, Myrtle is not surprised to be forgotten by her family, as she always felt left out and like a bit of an outcast. She is a strong woman who proves she is unforgettable and resilient. I like that she becomes more sure of herself and what she wants. While alone, she has to fend for herself, and I think it changes her, as does her growing relationship with Val. She also realizes some truths about her family and their feelings toward her, and it definitely changes several of the relationships in her life.

Val is a recluse who has given up on life since the death of his beloved wife. Rumors swirl about him, none of them good, and it isn’t until he begrudgingly develops a friendship with Myrtle that Val starts to live again. They have such a wonderful relationship, and I love that Myrtle doesn’t give up on Val no matter how hard he tries to push her away. She is persistent, and she sees past the sullen, angry, and often sharp man to the kind and thoughtful man he is underneath his gruff and hard exterior. She is the first person he lets in, and as their relationship deepens, he learns to live and love again. It’s a fabulous development, and their relationship is filled with great dialogue and banter, as well as some angst chemistry.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about Val’s amazing canine companion. He’s big and sweet and loyal, and he’s so smart. He’s also a great protector and is quite heroic in several situations. He develops a strong bond with Myrtle, which is surprising since he hasn’t really connected with anyone other than Val since Val’s wife died. Myrtle has a way about her, though, and animals and people alike are drawn to her.

I also love the inclusion of music and Jane Austen’s books, especially the references to Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen is one of my favorite classic authors, so having her works woven into the story was fantastic. I also love how much music influences the story. At first, Val cannot stand to hear music, especially songs about the holiday season, as that’s when he lost his first wife. However, as he spends more time with Myrtle, he slowly learns to enjoy and appreciate music again. Music has a big part in healing him and showing his journey toward moving forward in life, and I thought it was really well done.

Of course, Myrtle is the main cause of this shift in Val. Her optimism, bubbly personality, constant chatter, and refusal to be daunted by his mysterious, angry, and withdrawn persona softens Val. He begins to resemble the man he was before tragedy changed him. It was lovely to see how the influence of just one person can have such a powerful impact, and their romance is slow-building and based on mutual respect, admiration, and love.

The story addresses difficult topics like death, grief, and guilt, and it’s balanced well with themes of hope, love, and perseverance. I would definitely recommend it to readers looking for a Home Alone-esque Regency romance with an opposites-attract love story. Thanks so much to Montlake for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This is a very good book!
Myrtle has fallen in love with a very reclusive and brooding Duke. Val is a brooding Duke because he misses his dead wife.
Lady Myrtle McQuoid has always felt a little forgotten, and this season is no exception. When her boisterous family vacates their London townhouse for the country, Myrtle finds she’s been left behind. But she just needs to stay warm, keep her belly full, and distract herself until her relatives realize their mistake and turn back to collect her. Surely that won’t take long.
Brooding widower Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, has shut himself off from the world. He craves blessed solitude—a loyal dog, a silent house, and his own company are all he requires. Certainly not the nonstop chattering of the joyful, opinionated young woman next door.
But with a potential threat lurking in the winter shadows, Myrtle may need to pluck up the nerve to approach the reclusive duke. And Val is not one to turn his back on a vulnerable lady.
Amid the silent nights of London, beneath a blanket of snow, could the light of a new, warm love be kindling?
Christi Caldwell has written another excellent book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

When I saw The Duke Alone as an upcoming Christi Caldwell book on another book I was reading or as a preorder on Amazon (I can't remember!), I was so excited for it! I was even happier to receive as an ARC from Netgalley for my honest opinion.
The Duke Alone is such a fun book! I love the two main characters, the dark and grumpy duke and Lady Myrtle, one of MANY siblings. This was a super fun read, it will be perfect on a rainy fall day or going into the holidays! If you were a Home Alone fan, you'll recognize where the stories correspond.
The duke's broodiness does get a bit annoying, but Myrtle's charm and energy balance it out. This is a fun holiday story and I recommend it. The Duke Alone is sweet, charming, funny and entertaining!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and publisher, Montlake. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 2/5 Stars
Publishing: October 18, 2022
Series: Stand Alone
Pages: 319

Christi Caldwell is one of my favorite authors and I was delighted to get the opportunity to read/review “The Duke Alone” as the description seemed quite fun and upbeat. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that witty and fun take on this story. It appeared too wordy and for the most part dragged on too long to get to the ending. I get that Myrtle has been away at finishing school, is treated as child, and pretty much ignored or in the shadow by her family, but her character at some point became an annoyance…too immature and childlike. Then there is the reclusive Duke, Val who is rude and caught up mostly in himself. He was written a tad bit too old, so it was hard to picture any type of relationship between the two.

Well at some point in the story, their interest in one another takes flight and starts to build. However, there wasn’t much chemistry between the main characters and lacking on all points.
So looking for the steamy, but that was limited to hot kisses and fade to black when they finally came together…lost, not spoken on the pages and missed. At least that part of the story I was expecting as this is not the typical of Ms. Caldwell’s previous books I’ve read. In addition, I couldn’t grasp the sudden demeanor change in her mother towards the ending, after playing ignorance to her for so long. Nor, the author lining the pages as fillers with holiday songs.

I struggled with this one and almost did not finish. The storyline takes on a historical “Home Alone” type romance that could have been an enjoyable holiday treat but missed the mark in the writing. Rather than a long drawn out story…it would have been better as a holiday novella.

The Duke Alone is supposed to be a fun Home Alone inspired holiday romance. Unfortunately, it wasn't a hit for me. I think maybe it would have served better as a novella and not a full length novel. The beginning of the book was confusing. So many miscellaneous characters are thrown at you it's hard to keep straight. This story has a large age gap which would normally not bother me, but Myrtle is a very young barely turned eighteen. She's upset that her parents treat her like a child but comes off as immature and winey. I found there to be a lack of chemistry between Myrtle and her love interest, Val. The fade to black scene did nothing to help. I was really expecting some explicit scenes since I've read this author in the past and she included them.

This book had some funny and even endearing scenes that makes it a cute fluffy holiday read. It just could have used some more in the chemistry department

2.5 stars rounded to 3
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was mostly about one’s emotions, passions and ways to keep them inside or... not being able to do so. Because of that, you could quickly find yourself reading on. When you read about an emotion for 100 pages or so, you’re bound to do just that, but trust me when I say - stick around for the ending. It was perfect..

I really enjoyed this book, and found it was a fairly quick read. While there are a lot of historical romance novels available, I found the storyline for this book to be unique. Myrtle was a delightful character and I enjoyed reading about someone who didn't fit the standard debutante role. She was quirky and fun, and her relationship with Val was entertaining. I found it hard to put the book down and look forward to reading more books by Caldwell!

Such a good book. Myrtle is left behind at Christmas while her family celebrates elsewhere. Only person around is the surly next door neighbor. Myrtle tries to be friendly with him. He's have none of it. She tries and tries. He reluctantly has a couple conversations with her. She pulls him into her lonely Christmas. The rest you'll have to read for yourselves. But you will want to read it!!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn't get into this book as I found the heroine unengaging. She was so young, so willing to believe the worst, so prejudiced and so child-like.

I've enjoyed many of this author's books, but sadly this didn't meet my expectations.

Myrtle was an irresistible, courageous, and annoying young lady, but she was fun. She didn’t wallow in self-pity when her family had forgotten her. She did the next best thing, seek help from her antagonistic and beastly neighbor. She was stubborn, hilarious, lovable, and quite enticing. I loved how she was able to rope the Duke into helping her. Val had a hard time traversing the course she had set out. But what a learning experience it was for both of them. It was an exciting, enticing, and entertaining read.

A Duke Alone by Christi Caldwell
⭐️

I struggled with this one. I debated on not finishing a couple of times, but kept going. The storyline had potential to be cute, but I feel like it just wasn’t played out right.

The romance (what romance?) seems so forced and contrived, and it really doesn’t work for me. One minute he’s mourning his dead wife, the next kissing her senseless. Then how he views her as almost child-like, which leads into my biggest problem with the story.

Myrtle at the very beginning seems like a mature young women, but then a few pages in it starts with the many scenes that depict her child-like and unaware. At one point, the male lead describes her as “the lady stuck between childhood and womanhood”. This type of comparison happens too many times for me to be comfortable with the "romance". Um. Ick factor for me. *Note: she is 17, turning 18 and he is 30ish?

And the ending with her family? That felt like it came out of nowhere, but maybe earlier was simply how she viewed her family and at the end she gets more of the truth?

I have loved many of Christi Caldwell’s books in the past, but this one doesn’t work for me.

I couldn’t finish it. I didn’t like the heroine enough to carry on reading it if I’m honest. There wasn’t anything wrong with the writing style it’s just the main character was like a 12 year old and annoyed me. The blurb made me want to read it but what I read just didn’t make me want to invest the time and finish it.

In The Duke Alone, Lady Myrtle McQuoid has always felt a little left out of her family and, after returning home from finishing school, finds that she has literally been left out as they have removed to Scotland for the holidays and accidentally left her at the London townhome. Meanwhile, Valentine Bancroft, Duke of Aragon— the McQuoids’ next door neighbor— intends to spend a quiet Christmas alone, grieving his late wife and unborn child. Afraid that brigands have come to attack her family’s London home, Lady Myrtle appeals to her fearsome neighbor for aid, and the two draw closer together as they challenge their initial misconceptions of the other, attempt to stay safe, and celebrate the holidays.

Although the premise for this book borrows heavily from the movie “Home Alone,” Caldwell also references Pride and Prejudice throughout The Duke Alone, perhaps with the intention of allowing readers to see how Myrtle and Val initially misunderstand and then grow to appreciate each other. However, this book actually reminded me most of another Austen work— Northanger Abbey. Like Catherine Morland, Lady Myrtle is flighty and immature, prone to believing erroneous stories about the Duke’s dark character. For the first third of this book, I found myself frustrated with Myrtle and her choices, but once I began to view this book with Northanger Abbey’s satirical and farcical viewpoint, I began enjoying it more. As for Val, the narrative basically runs roughshod over his trauma of being bereaved/losing his wife and unborn child and uses it as a stepping stone to his relationship with Myrtle. In a more-earnest book, I think this storyline could have been handled with more tact, but, if viewed from this farcical framework, the text’s handling seems less callous. Viewing it from this farcical point of view also helps gloss over some of the concerns I would have about their age/maturity gap in a more-earnest book— Myrtle is a young-and-immature 18, while Val is a widower several years her senior.

All in all, I would recommend The Duke Alone with the proviso that readers know to go in expecting something light and silly rather than emotional and earnest. For fans of Caldwell’s earlier works, light regency works, and (a lot of) caroling, they will likely also enjoy this one. 3.4 stars.