Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

December 6th, 2021 Kimberly Review 11 Comments

6th Dec

A baron and a woman who has turned her back on love find something magical in Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday. This delightful book delivered all the feels and trimmings, making it the perfect holiday romance this season.

Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday
Duke, Actually
by Jenny Holiday
Series: A Princess for Christmas #2
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Heat Level: One FlameOne FlameOne FlameOne Flame

USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday follows A Princess for Christmas with another delightful contemporary Christmas romance between a playboy baron and a woman who has said goodbye to love.

There’s a royal wedding on, and things are about to get interesting.

Meet the man of honor

Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla, is not having a merry Christmas. He’s been dumped by a princess, he’s unemployed, and his domineering father has sent him to New York to meet a prospective bride he has no interest in. In the city, he meets Dani Martinez, a smart (and gorgeous) professor he’s determined to befriend before their best friends marry in the Eldovian wedding of the century.

Meet the best woman

Newly single, no-nonsense New Yorker Dani is done with love—she even has a list entitled “Things I Will Never Again Do for a Man”—which is why she hits it off with notorious rake Max. He’s the perfect partner for snow angels in Central Park and deep conversations about the futility of love.

It’s all fun and games until their friendship deepens into attraction and, oops…

Falling in love was never part of the plan.

Holiday ROMANCE Royalty Sweet

With a nod to Love, Actually one of my favorite holiday movies, i couldn’t help but read Duke, Actually. Even though I didn’t read A Princess for Christmas book one in the series by the same name, I had no trouble slipping into this one.

Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla is the ex-fiancée of the princess. Now worries though, the two are best friends. Dani Martinez is best friends to the groom and lives in New York. She has sworn off men, especially rakes like Max…but an unexpected friendship develops when he is sent to NY for family business.

This was such a fun story with a slow-burning romance that begins with doubts, turns into friendship and blossoms into more. I laughed, pulled my hair out, and cheered my way through the story as we traveled back and forth between Aquilla and New York.

A pup, family issues and responsibilities combined with their best friend’s wedding offered a delightful story. Holiday allowed the characters to grow, find themselves and happiness. Her secondary characters addressed serious matters, added humor and enhanced the overall tale.

If you love sweet romances with all the feels of a Hallmark or Netflix original, you’ll want to curl up with Duke, Actually.

Amazon | Audible

Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday delivered a delightful slow-burning romance filled with friendship, Hallmark moments and swoons. #review #Romance #APrincessForChristmas Click To Tweet

About Jenny Holiday

Jenny Holiday

Jenny Holiday is a USA Today-bestselling and RITA®-nominated author whose books have been featured in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and Buzzfeed. She grew up in Minnesota and started writing at age nine when her fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook to fill with stories. When she's not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with her family, watch other people sing karaoke, and throw theme parties. A member of the House of Slytherin, Jenny lives in London, Ontario, Canada.

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

11 Responses to “Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday”

  1. Lorna

    I saved this to read after I finished reading, which was yesterday. I listened to the Princess one just last month and hadn’t realized this was the sequel when I put it on hold at my library. I actually enjoyed this one a bit better than the other one. Fun listen.

  2. Katherine

    The blurb and your review hooked me! I love the nod to Love Actually and I love that this a Duke romance but in a modern setting.

  3. Carla

    Great review Kimberly. I also enjoyed this one and agree that you don’t need to read the first one to enjoy it.