Review: Kiss of a Duke (12 Dukes of Christmas #2) by Erica Ridley

Print Length: 200 pages

Publisher: WebMotion (November 6, 2018)

From Goodreads.com: Just one more kiss… (Milady, it’s cold outside) 

Lady chemist Penelope Mitchell took England by storm with Duke, a perfume for men that has women swooning at their feet. To prove the same aphrodisiacal potency of her upcoming version for ladies, the new perfume must cause a rake to fall in love with her in ten days. And she has just the man in mind… 

Sexy pleasure-seeker Nicholas Pringle—known as “Saint Nick” for his wicked ways—wants to end the absurd cologne that has every young buck believing himself a ladies’ man. How hard can it be to charm a spinster into changing her mind? But when Penelope does the charming, this rakish scoundrel must decide between losing the war... or losing his heart. 
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!

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I definitely enjoyed this story more than I did the first book in this new series by Erica Ridley! Penelope and Nick were both well developed characters that were fun to watch interact with each other. I loved seeing Penelope open up a whole new side to Nick, one that he probably would have kept hidden forever if not for her. Besides who doesn't enjoy watching a self-proclaimed rake meet his match? 

The addition of Penelope's "experiment" just added another layer to this story, as did the inclusion of her friends and Nick's brother. I do hope we get to see more from them in future novels. It is important to note that while there are a few different stories at play here, I never felt as though one of those stories overshadowed the other. In fact I think the smaller stories with the minor characters will only make the reader more invested in the overall series and more inclined to continue on with the future stories. 

This was a fun and rather quick read that is perfect for a rainy day. I do believe it will appeal to those who enjoy well written historical romances (even if they have not read the prior book) and I would read more from this author. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                Kiss of a Duke is available from Amazon.com