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Duke I'd Like to F... by Adriana Herrera, Joanna Shupe, Nicola Davidson, Eva Leigh, Sierra Simone
thiaroberts's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lifeand100books's review
5.0
What a stellar anthology! Most anthologies I've read have included stories that run the entire rating gamut. There was not one weak story in this whole collection.
My favorite one of the bunch was definitely Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson, a new to me author!! Jasper and Ada's path to love was a complete joy to read.
Coming in second place was Joanna Shupe's My Dirty Duke, an age-gap/best friend's daughter taboo story. I'm not usually a huge reader of either of these tropes, but I was a HUGE fan of this story.
Brava to these wonderful authors for an incredibly strong anthology!
My favorite one of the bunch was definitely Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson, a new to me author!! Jasper and Ada's path to love was a complete joy to read.
Coming in second place was Joanna Shupe's My Dirty Duke, an age-gap/best friend's daughter taboo story. I'm not usually a huge reader of either of these tropes, but I was a HUGE fan of this story.
Brava to these wonderful authors for an incredibly strong anthology!
muffreads42's review
5.0
Duke I'd Like to F...
I really enjoyed reading Duke I'd Like To F.....
Most of the authors were new to me. And y'all wrote a fantastic book!
The Chasing of Eleanor by Sierra Simone ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Duke Makes Me Feel by Andriana Herrera ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed reading Duke I'd Like To F.....
Most of the authors were new to me. And y'all wrote a fantastic book!
The Chasing of Eleanor by Sierra Simone ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Duke Makes Me Feel by Andriana Herrera ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
topy_loving_books's review
3.0
5 novellas and only 2 I truly enjoyed. The other are more or less forgettable.
- The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone ⭐⭐
Didn't like the story. The hero spend most of the book mourning his dead wife so even less time thinking about the heroin. The orgy plot felt weird but it was my first Simone. Since then I've read Sinner and LOVED IT LIKE CRAZY, and I enjoyed American Queen. I'm so happy I didn't give up on the author after this novella.
- An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I LOVED it much much MORE!!! Younger duke + experience governess = FIRE. He is an excellent student who learn really fast. It's adorable to see him to gain confidence into his new ducal role, because of the heroin. And the angst... I'll read more Leigh for sure!!"
- The Duke Makes Me Feel... ⭐⭐
I never succeed to connect or care for the characters. But I liked the representation with a black heroine, working at her own business and who know how to use contraception. The F/F couple among the side characters was a nice bonus."
- My Dirty Duke, by Joanna Shupe. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was hot as hell with some interesting dad's BF trope. The Duke of Ravensthorpe is such a dirty talker and Violet loves it. They have a 23 years age gap, but it doesn't stop the young lady to fight for what she wants aka Max. He is doomed right away. The steam level is crazy from the start and doesn't go down. It was my first read from Shupe and won't be the last one.
- Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson ⭐⭐
I loved the F/F couple who guide the heroine. They are adorable and kinky. But it didn't click about the main couple. If it was a longer length, it would have give time to make more room for the growth of their feelings. Because it felt too rushed. But I enjoyed Davidson' style and it's the first time I read an historical with some butt pleasure...
- The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone ⭐⭐
Didn't like the story. The hero spend most of the book mourning his dead wife so even less time thinking about the heroin. The orgy plot felt weird but it was my first Simone. Since then I've read Sinner and LOVED IT LIKE CRAZY, and I enjoyed American Queen. I'm so happy I didn't give up on the author after this novella.
- An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I LOVED it much much MORE!!! Younger duke + experience governess = FIRE. He is an excellent student who learn really fast. It's adorable to see him to gain confidence into his new ducal role, because of the heroin. And the angst... I'll read more Leigh for sure!!"
- The Duke Makes Me Feel... ⭐⭐
I never succeed to connect or care for the characters. But I liked the representation with a black heroine, working at her own business and who know how to use contraception. The F/F couple among the side characters was a nice bonus."
- My Dirty Duke, by Joanna Shupe. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was hot as hell with some interesting dad's BF trope. The Duke of Ravensthorpe is such a dirty talker and Violet loves it. They have a 23 years age gap, but it doesn't stop the young lady to fight for what she wants aka Max. He is doomed right away. The steam level is crazy from the start and doesn't go down. It was my first read from Shupe and won't be the last one.
- Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson ⭐⭐
I loved the F/F couple who guide the heroine. They are adorable and kinky. But it didn't click about the main couple. If it was a longer length, it would have give time to make more room for the growth of their feelings. Because it felt too rushed. But I enjoyed Davidson' style and it's the first time I read an historical with some butt pleasure...
balletbookworm's review
5.0
Super horny-pants. 4.5 stars (which I'll get into) but I'll roll it up to 5 because it's a fun anthology. Overall, the collection seems to be arranged roughly in chronological order, from the late Georgian to late Victorian periods. The over-arching theme (clearly) is dukes you want to bang and the collection delivers on it.
The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone - the one novella that I thought really ought to have been a full novel; the characters Eleanor and Ajax are so interesting, but the whole Second Kingdom (a shadow sex-positive/kink community in England) concept felt very underdeveloped for this length of story and given what I've read of Sierra before this is one of her less-transgressive pieces; 3.5-4 stars.
Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson - the funniest novella in the bunch; sheltered/put-upon clergyman's daughter Ada gets some help from her honorary godmothers (who are a hoot) in hiring the local duke Jasper (who, apparently, makes up contracts ahead of time for all his mistresses) to rid her of her v-card/have a little fun for once; it doesn't start out steamy but builds very quickly; 4 stars.
An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh - starts out with a little voyeurism (governess Cecelia spies new duke Owen skinny dipping) and gets very sweet plus steamy from there; Cecelia is the governess to Owen's sisters and he's been attracted to her since his teen years, but now he would like to acknowledge this attraction between them and allow the more-experienced Cecelia to teach him about pleasure (younger man-older woman, heyo, but Owen makes sure to put Cecelia's employment as governess under his mother's care so he is no longer her direct employer - that line is real fine there, but it turns out OK); 4.5 stars (would have liked more)
The Duke Makes Me Feel... by Adrianna Herrera - I was really excited to read this one since Adriana has a historical series coming out late 2021 (early 2022?) and it doesn't disappoint; I loved prickly herbalist Marena's fight against her attraction to Arlo because all of her reasons are good and practical reasons but the heart wants what the heart wants (plus who wouldn't want a good, socially-conscious Duke who is handsome as sin and has all his own teeth and wants women to have the vote and ALSO blows your mind?); the scenes in Paris are so beautifully and sensually written (and that's just the market and dinner scenes, lol); 5 stars
My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe - probably the dirtiest and most-transgressive novella in the collection because silver fox plus younger woman? Sorry, but yes please. Violet has been attracted to her father's friend since she can remember and, now that she's out, decides to sneak into Max's house when she overhears his mistress's assignation with him being cancelled....and THINGS HAPPEN. (Because Max has wanted her too and, well, he's older and not a "good" man and and and....); all the stars.
The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone - the one novella that I thought really ought to have been a full novel; the characters Eleanor and Ajax are so interesting, but the whole Second Kingdom (a shadow sex-positive/kink community in England) concept felt very underdeveloped for this length of story and given what I've read of Sierra before this is one of her less-transgressive pieces; 3.5-4 stars.
Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson - the funniest novella in the bunch; sheltered/put-upon clergyman's daughter Ada gets some help from her honorary godmothers (who are a hoot) in hiring the local duke Jasper (who, apparently, makes up contracts ahead of time for all his mistresses) to rid her of her v-card/have a little fun for once; it doesn't start out steamy but builds very quickly; 4 stars.
An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh - starts out with a little voyeurism (governess Cecelia spies new duke Owen skinny dipping) and gets very sweet plus steamy from there; Cecelia is the governess to Owen's sisters and he's been attracted to her since his teen years, but now he would like to acknowledge this attraction between them and allow the more-experienced Cecelia to teach him about pleasure (younger man-older woman, heyo, but Owen makes sure to put Cecelia's employment as governess under his mother's care so he is no longer her direct employer - that line is real fine there, but it turns out OK); 4.5 stars (would have liked more)
The Duke Makes Me Feel... by Adrianna Herrera - I was really excited to read this one since Adriana has a historical series coming out late 2021 (early 2022?) and it doesn't disappoint; I loved prickly herbalist Marena's fight against her attraction to Arlo because all of her reasons are good and practical reasons but the heart wants what the heart wants (plus who wouldn't want a good, socially-conscious Duke who is handsome as sin and has all his own teeth and wants women to have the vote and ALSO blows your mind?); the scenes in Paris are so beautifully and sensually written (and that's just the market and dinner scenes, lol); 5 stars
My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe - probably the dirtiest and most-transgressive novella in the collection because silver fox plus younger woman? Sorry, but yes please. Violet has been attracted to her father's friend since she can remember and, now that she's out, decides to sneak into Max's house when she overhears his mistress's assignation with him being cancelled....and THINGS HAPPEN. (Because Max has wanted her too and, well, he's older and not a "good" man and and and....); all the stars.
melledotca's review
4.0
Thanks to the authors for the ARC (specifically Adriana). This one was a lot of fun, and like with Naughty Brits earlier this year, I find I'm quite enjoying these somewhat thematic compilations that still bring each author's style, period, tropes, and flavour to each piece. It's impressive how much intensity they can pack into shorter pieces, and they're an excellent way to get introduced to authors you may not have yet read. Plus, who doesn't love a duke? :)
tnwhiskeywoman's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0