Once Upon a Duke: 12 Dukes of Christmas, Book 1

Written by Erica Ridley

Narrated by Rosie Akerman

A heartwarming, second chances, reunion romance from a New York Times bestselling author:

Due to the terms of an estranged relative's will, the Duke of Silkridge must revisit the cold, unforgiving mountains where he lost everything he once loved. As soon as he restores his family legacy, he'll return to London where he belongs. He definitely won't rekindle the forbidden spark crackling between him and the irresistible spitfire he'd left behind...

Noelle Pratchett is immune to charming scoundrels like the arrogant duke. He stole her heart, stole a kiss, and then stole away one night never to return. Now he's back—and they both know he won't stay. But how can she maintain her icy shields when every heated glance melts her to her core?

The Twelve Dukes of Christmas is a laugh-out-loud historical romance series of heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
• Release date: Nov 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664993754

Erica Ridley

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of witty, feel-good historical romance novels. When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Reviews for Once Upon a Duke

[Emily Lassiter Branch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've been reading historical romances (on and off) for a very long time, and the past couple of years I've really read/listened to a LOT - I guess we all have our "escape" books, and historical romance is my escape genre. So when I had the opportunity to listen to this one I took advantage. At a little under 5 hours listening time, it's more of a novella than a full-length novel. Even so, there was a lot of repetition in this - both main characters having the same thoughts, and conversations, over and over and over. And it's quite "cutesy", which usually isn't my thing. Then again, set during the Christmas season in a village called "Christmas", I pretty much expected a healthy dose of cute.
I liked this one - didn't love it, but it left enough clues about the "12 Dukes" of the series title to pique my interest in reading more of the series to see how the other characters' stories develop (I've found that freqently the first book in a series isn't the best of the series because there's a lot of time spent setting up the foundation for what's to come). This one's a nice, short listen - especially for the Christmas season. I can be a bit picky about narrations, but Rosie Ackerman did a nice job with this one.
My thanks to Netgalley and OrangeSky Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

[Andrea Author · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Duke of Silkridge is attending his estranged grandfather's funeral for only one reason: to get back the property his grandfather stole from him. But seeing Noelle again warms Silkridge's icy heart. When the terms of the ridiculous will force him to stay in town longer than expected, can the two find a second chance at love?

This book is adorable. I love that Noelle is strong, smart, and independent—and that she's valued for those qualities by the people of the village. Silkridge is a teddy bear underneath his hard exterior. I could relate to how his sense of loss affected his decisions.

The supporting characters are whimsical and delightful. I enjoyed the audio as well. If you're looking for heartwarming holiday romance, the 12 Dukes of Christmas series is a good choice.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the audio ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Kayla Pratt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Short and Sweet

This story was so adorable. That is all.

3.5 stars