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allomancersam's review against another edition
2.0
2 Stars
Didn't finish the last little bit, but got far enough so ehh.
I was just bored. This is very character driven with no outside plot, which is fine, but I didn't really care about the characters. I don't usually go for unrequited friends to lovers -which I'll get into- but this promised something of a flirting lessons dynamic which I thought would make it interesting. It had a few good moments, but overall very meh.
I've spent the last year or so really fine tuning the types of tropes and stories I like (not to say I'll never step outside of those; any trope can be done well), and friends to lovers ranks quite low on my list of romance tropes. I do really like it when certain conditions are met -it has to be mutually requited with some outside force keeping them apart, not their own stupidity- but this was not it. Unrequited friends to lovers necessitates a few things, namely: one friend pining, the other being completely oblivious, some sort of revelation like "wow, how did I never see you in this light before?", and general insecurities and hesitations. It also usually features some kind of love triangle in order to facilitate jealousy or the characters' realizations. Every single of one of these things in so incredibly tiring to me, and I don't find any of these story beats to compelling.
This one is probably on me, but meh.
Didn't finish the last little bit, but got far enough so ehh.
I was just bored. This is very character driven with no outside plot, which is fine, but I didn't really care about the characters. I don't usually go for unrequited friends to lovers -which I'll get into- but this promised something of a flirting lessons dynamic which I thought would make it interesting. It had a few good moments, but overall very meh.
I've spent the last year or so really fine tuning the types of tropes and stories I like (not to say I'll never step outside of those; any trope can be done well), and friends to lovers ranks quite low on my list of romance tropes. I do really like it when certain conditions are met -it has to be mutually requited with some outside force keeping them apart, not their own stupidity- but this was not it. Unrequited friends to lovers necessitates a few things, namely: one friend pining, the other being completely oblivious, some sort of revelation like "wow, how did I never see you in this light before?", and general insecurities and hesitations. It also usually features some kind of love triangle in order to facilitate jealousy or the characters' realizations. Every single of one of these things in so incredibly tiring to me, and I don't find any of these story beats to compelling.
This one is probably on me, but meh.
sunnyxviii's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
🔥 2/5 - the slowburn/build-up was good, but anti-climactic when you get there. The spice exists, but it’s nothing to write home about.
❤️ all of the characters’ relationships were well written and, villain aside, all the characters weren’t stereotypical. The banter was good and the angst & pining was sometimes good.
đź’” Pacing at first was slow, but then towards the end felt rushed. Almost 20 year age gap. Misunderstanding was drawn out too long.
❤️ all of the characters’ relationships were well written and, villain aside, all the characters weren’t stereotypical. The banter was good and the angst & pining was sometimes good.
đź’” Pacing at first was slow, but then towards the end felt rushed. Almost 20 year age gap. Misunderstanding was drawn out too long.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
sophiewilliams's review
5.0
I couldn't put this down! From the first page I wanted to hear more about Caroline and James, and how they moved from being good friends to more. The side characters were all well done including the irritating Miss Preston. The setting is much what you'd expect from a regency romance, unlike some of the author's other works.
ctsquirrel's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Nice friends-to-lover with an age difference (she's 24 he's 41).
rjordan19's review
3.0
Her Best Friend, the Duke by Laura Martin
This is a story of friends to lovers. Caroline has always been in love with her friend James. They have an unconventional friendship for 5 years (I mean who has heard of a woman and a man being friends??). James cherishes their friendship but has never looked deeper than that. Caroline is beginning to realize she wants more from life than to be a spinster and burden on her relatives. She accepts that she must marry and it might not be the true love she dreams about. James immediately is unsettled by her decision, though he hasn't really examined why. He says he will assist her by helping her practice her flirting and assisting her in finding a good match.
Give this book a try if you like
friends to lovers trope
an older hero or age gap romance. Heroine is 24 while hero is 41.
unrequited love
Sadly this story was just okay to me. I didn't really like that the hero needed everything thrown in his face to realize how he felt. And it had to happen repeatedly. I just wasn't left feeling like he was totally in love with the heroine. He is a hero that believes in that true love, the one that slams you in heart and knocks you off your feat. He didn't realize there were different kinds of love, love that can form slowly over time with a friendship and turn to passion. It was such a point of contention in the book, I just wasn't left with the feeling he fully believed and accepted this.
The heroine just left me lukewarm. She cried a lot. I kept waiting to her to do, well, something. Maybe something to show the duke what he was missing. Maybe try to entice him with their flirtation lessons. But she didn't do much. She just kept pining and crying, and staring at him and attending balls...
I do think many will find this a pleasant way to pass the time though. It's a fairly quick read with a nice mix of steam, humor, dialogue. It just wasn't a top rating for me.
Thanks netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions about this story are my own.
This is a story of friends to lovers. Caroline has always been in love with her friend James. They have an unconventional friendship for 5 years (I mean who has heard of a woman and a man being friends??). James cherishes their friendship but has never looked deeper than that. Caroline is beginning to realize she wants more from life than to be a spinster and burden on her relatives. She accepts that she must marry and it might not be the true love she dreams about. James immediately is unsettled by her decision, though he hasn't really examined why. He says he will assist her by helping her practice her flirting and assisting her in finding a good match.
Give this book a try if you like
friends to lovers trope
an older hero or age gap romance. Heroine is 24 while hero is 41.
unrequited love
Sadly this story was just okay to me. I didn't really like that the hero needed everything thrown in his face to realize how he felt. And it had to happen repeatedly. I just wasn't left feeling like he was totally in love with the heroine. He is a hero that believes in that true love, the one that slams you in heart and knocks you off your feat. He didn't realize there were different kinds of love, love that can form slowly over time with a friendship and turn to passion. It was such a point of contention in the book, I just wasn't left with the feeling he fully believed and accepted this.
The heroine just left me lukewarm. She cried a lot. I kept waiting to her to do, well, something. Maybe something to show the duke what he was missing. Maybe try to entice him with their flirtation lessons. But she didn't do much. She just kept pining and crying, and staring at him and attending balls...
I do think many will find this a pleasant way to pass the time though. It's a fairly quick read with a nice mix of steam, humor, dialogue. It just wasn't a top rating for me.
Thanks netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions about this story are my own.
bhavani's review
3.0
1st read rating: 3.5 stars
2nd read rating: 3 stars + I figured out why I'm not keen on the Caroline-James pairing. It's because I'm rooting for Lord Hauxton (Milton). The guy is a widower who lost his wife and unborn child during childbirth. Before that, he lost his two elder brothers and his parents in a fire, tragically making him an Earl. He was a soldier, so I'm sure he saw more deaths in his service. I just want this serious, kind, understanding, grieving, caring man to find love again and be happy. In comparison, I think James is a dolt. How blind and in denial can a person be??!
2nd read rating: 3 stars + I figured out why I'm not keen on the Caroline-James pairing. It's because I'm rooting for Lord Hauxton (Milton). The guy is a widower who lost his wife and unborn child during childbirth. Before that, he lost his two elder brothers and his parents in a fire, tragically making him an Earl. He was a soldier, so I'm sure he saw more deaths in his service. I just want this serious, kind, understanding, grieving, caring man to find love again and be happy. In comparison, I think James is a dolt. How blind and in denial can a person be??!
blackngoldgirlsbookspot's review
3.0
The friends to lovers trope is second only to marriage of convenience stories for this reader, so naturally I just had to try the latest book from Laura Martin and Harlequin books. This book was the first time I've read from Harlequin in quite a while, but the quarantine has me reading absolutely everything fluffy and light-hearted that I can get my hands on. Since Harlequins are what Hallmark movies are to the TV world, I knew it would hit the spot.
Her Best Friend, the Duke was everything I had hoped for. The chemistry between Caroline and James was so sweet and completely believable. With some romances the relationships can seem a little forced, but this was just lovely. I'm a sucker for a cute animal too and I liked that Caroline's pupper played a key role in bringing Cara and James' love for each other to the forefront. That said, the book was a little anachronistic in places, but it wasn't extremely distracting. I enjoyed this short but sizzling romance and will be looking for more books from this author.
Recommended for a quarantine read! Word of warning: this is a general market book, so it's a little hotter than what I usually review on this blog.
~ My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ~
*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*
Her Best Friend, the Duke was everything I had hoped for. The chemistry between Caroline and James was so sweet and completely believable. With some romances the relationships can seem a little forced, but this was just lovely. I'm a sucker for a cute animal too and I liked that Caroline's pupper played a key role in bringing Cara and James' love for each other to the forefront. That said, the book was a little anachronistic in places, but it wasn't extremely distracting. I enjoyed this short but sizzling romance and will be looking for more books from this author.
Recommended for a quarantine read! Word of warning: this is a general market book, so it's a little hotter than what I usually review on this blog.
~ My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ~
*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*
jillmlong's review
3.0
I enjoyed reading this book. The book was easy to get into and if you like a friends to lovers plot then you might like this. I had difficulty liking the Duke. I found him to be very immature with his feeling towards Caroline.
Thank you for the ARC. This was my honest review.
Thank you for the ARC. This was my honest review.
cakt1991's review
4.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Friends to lovers is my catnip, so of course, I found Her Best Friend, The Duke incredibly adorable.
I rooted for Caroline to catch James’ attention, especially as he seemed to only see her as a friend, and kept holding out for “the One” even though she was right in front of him. The angst and drama that ensues of her giving up on waiting, choosing someone else, and him subsequently beginning to discover his feelings ended up being a rewarding story, even if I did feel like James took a bit too long to pick up on things that seemed way too obvious.
I liked this book, in spite of the minor flaws. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet historical romance.
Friends to lovers is my catnip, so of course, I found Her Best Friend, The Duke incredibly adorable.
I rooted for Caroline to catch James’ attention, especially as he seemed to only see her as a friend, and kept holding out for “the One” even though she was right in front of him. The angst and drama that ensues of her giving up on waiting, choosing someone else, and him subsequently beginning to discover his feelings ended up being a rewarding story, even if I did feel like James took a bit too long to pick up on things that seemed way too obvious.
I liked this book, in spite of the minor flaws. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet historical romance.
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