Donovan has to fire his valet, Geoffrey, so Donovan can find a wife to carry on the family legacy. They have been together for 20 years and never spoken of their attraction. When Donovan does not find a bride at his family's ball, his brother and sister-in-law take him to Marrywell's marriage festival where they are certain he will find a bride. He takes Geoffrey as a friend. Will they finally speak of their feelings?

I enjoyed this story. It was fun listening to Donovan try to convince himself to give up Geoffrey. Geoffrey does get Donovan to put up or shut up. I enjoyed watching them both come to realize the other felt the same way but never spoke of it until Geoffrey's firing is close. I liked Donovan's mother's reaction. She was not what you expect.

I look forward to reading the earlier books in the series. ( )

Undressing the Duke by author Erica Ridley is the 7th and final book in the very satisfying Lords in Love series. We’ve enjoyed every minute at the annual matchmaking festival in the town of Marrywell and have loved following each couple’s stories both at the festival and once they leave. What a variety of couples it’s been: Lords and Ladies, poor and common folks, those on the run, in hiding, former enemies, childhood friends who never thought their dreams could come true, people who had determined they would never fall in love, would never wed. Plus of course those characters who wanted to prevent the matches for devious reasons of their own. A little bit of everything, and always sweet, sassy, steamy and often mysterious and dangerous. Situations and complications may have been unique, but each and every story has been full of romance and ended with a heart-warming HEA. This story is no different.

What is different about Undressing the Duke, however, and what makes it the perfect finale to this wonderful series is that our will-they-won’t-they couple this time is Donovan, The Duke of Southbury and his handsome French valet of twenty years, Geoffrey Vachon. It’s time for the Duke to take a bride and have an heir. But the closer and closer he gets to being forced to make that choice the more he realizes a young giggling girl is not what – or who – he wants. There has always been a little tingle between Donovan and Geoffrey, and that tingle is starting to turn into an electrical current.

But consider the time, the Duke’s standing, his obligations, the possible scandal and ruin. Donovan decides that the only thing for him to do is to dismiss Geoffrey in two weeks’ time to avoid hurt and harm to both of them. So off to Marrywell they go, to find that “perfect” bride for Donovan. You know where this is going, right? Yep, and it’s sometimes scary and sometimes heartbreaking and often pretty funny to watch these two spar and argue and come up with reasons and excuses when they – and we – know that love and such strong attraction can’t always be denied.

Thanks to the author for providing an advance copy of Undressing the Duke to me as a member of Erica’s Review Crew for my reading pleasure and honest review. Everything this author writes is a pleasure to read and this series has been especially fun to read. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ( )

Undressing the Duke by Erica Ridley
Lords in Love #8

Marywell is known for their Mayday festival as the place to find your true love and everyone is supposed to do so. This does happen for the Duke of Southbury but not as most would expect it to!

What I liked:
* Donovan: duke, unmarried, uninterested in marriage, secretly interested in his valet
* Geoffrey: valet, unmarried, secretly interested in the duke who employs him
* That the two have been trying so hard to keep their feelings secret and finally are able to express them
* Finding out what Donovan’s family truly want for him
* Feeling this has a bit of a fairytale feel to it due to the laws of England in this era and the harsh penalty for same sex relations
* The fun the two men had in Marywell and how well suited they seemed
* That it all worked out well in the end

What I didn’t like:
* Thinking about the laws of the time this took place and how easily people could lose their lives for loving the wrong gender/person

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars ( )