Nothing Compares to the Duke: The Duke's Den (The Duke's Den) Mass Market Paperback – May 26, 2020

I could not put this novel down. So here I am, exhausted, because I finished it in one read, overnight. So, that gets high marks from me just for that.Opening prologue really reeled me in as I felt so badly for the young heroine, Arabella (Arry to the hero, Bella to everyone else). She has her heart broken by Rhys Forester on her birthday severing their young friendship.Skip forward 5 years and they're thrown back together as he takes ownership of the family estate after his father's death. The family is more in debt than he realized was possible. He wants to find out why but the only person he knows who is good with puzzles and understands his shortcomings on reading is Arabella. He goes to apologize for the scene she walked in on 5 years ago. Can she forgive him, though?Arabella Prescott is a strong female lead. Smart, discerning, compassionate, with the fire of curiosity in her. Her father's been offered a job in Greece, and her parents are moving. She's expected to marry or come with. She humors them for a dinner party where they've brought together 4 potential suitors - she's only interested in getting her book of puzzles published in London. She’s already had 4 seasons and has turned down multiple proposals. Seems no one can compare to Rhys.Rhys, now the Duke of Claremont, has followed in his father’s footsteps – or sheets. He’s got a horrible and well-earned reputation as a rake. No honorable woman would be seen with him. Or would she? As he asks Bella for the favor helping him with the missing funds she asks for his assistance – a dinner date that is soon followed by a fake engagement to run off the potential suitors and make her parents happy. Bella won’t be alone when they head to Greece. With the rules (no kissing, no touching, etc.) set, they try their hardest but nothing can keep them from wanting each other.The passion and longing between Rhys and Bella were fantastic. This is one of those -- they belong together, they both want each other and obviously love each other, now let’s see them figure it out -- romances. I was slightly disappointed with her replies to him toward the end - she's a little hard on him but it's good to make him work for it after what he did when she was 17. But Rhys is really such a reformed rake that only has eyes for her. Well done.I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Arabella Prescott and Rhys Forester live on neighboring estates, and have been best friends since they were young children, even though Rhys is four years older. Although much of their youth was spent running about and playing, Bella is remarkably intelligent, and helped Rhys with his reading disorder. The years pass, and it’s now time to celebrate Bella’s eighteenth birthday. She’s nervous about having to give a speech in front of everyone, and is counting on Rhys’s face front and center to focus on. She also has been feeling her love for Rhys turn in a new direction, and hopes that he returns her affection. When Rhys isn’t part of the crowd, Bella runs off to seek him. And she does find him, unfortunately, it’s in the arms of an obliging older lady. Bella’s young heart is broken, and she is too distraught to listen to Rhys’s apology.Rhys realizes he has ruined his beautiful friendship. Unknown to Bella, he had already begun to live the rakish lifestyle that he would become notorious for over the next five years. His life in London consists of some genuine business ventures with his two close friends, but is full of wild parties, gambling, and a string of affairs and liaisons. When Rhys’s father dies, and there are serious financial problems, Rhys knows he must go back to his country estate and try to sort out the mess, as he’s now the duke.While Rhys has been living as a libertine, Bella made her debut, and has turned down numerous marriage proposals. She is hopeful that her parents will give up on trying to marry her off, and allow her to happily become a spinster, and to write her puzzle books, which she hopes to publish. Her world is turned upside down when she hears Rhys’s voice for the first time since that awful party five years ago.I’m all team Bella in this story, as I hated Rhys’s actions from his awful deed five years ago to the frivolous and ridiculous life he chose to live since then. Having said that, he does have an abundance of good qualities which were buried underneath the persona he created. He also felt genuine guilt and remorse over how he hurt Bella, and accordingly lost his best friend. I admire that he had the courage to ask her forgiveness, albeit five years later. I loved watching Rhys change the more time he spent with the “new” Bella, becoming a better person, and vowing that he would never break her trust again.Bella was easy for me to like, as who doesn’t remember and sympathize with their first experience at heartbreak? What made this sadder was the decade of solid friendship before their falling out. I commend Bella’s resolve not to marry just for the sake of being wed, and how she worked at building her own future of becoming a published author. It takes a good person to forgive someone who has hurt you that badly, and I applaud Bella’s finally being able to do so.Nothing Compares to the Duke is well written and enjoyable to read, with plenty of emotional scenes and some steamy moments. I think it will appeal especially to those readers who enjoy drama and many hurdles to overcome. I have to confess that I was left with a kernel of doubt as to whether Rhys could truly stay faithful to Bella, or whether the siren song of his former life would lure him back. I know I’m rooting for them.originally posted at long and short reviews

This was such a sweet story of childhood love developing into adult love. All three books are a definite must read. Get your copies today.📚😍📚😍📚😍📚

What a lovely story! It is a story of two childhood sweethearts who had grown apart and found themselves needed each others' help five years later. They came to realise they hadn't stopped loving each other and resolved their differences. The story was about two people and their romance, there weren't much distraction apart from the a back story regarding Bella's parents moving to Greece and Rhys' tracking down a fraudster which served as a plot devise to bring H/H back together. For those who are looking for a spy or dark mystery, this isn't the book for you, but if you are looking for a good happy read involving two handsome young people and a happy ending then this is a great one. Ms Carlyle writes fluently and her writing style reminds me of the Mills & Boon or Signet Romance books. Sweet, love it!