Sometimes, you just need a little bit of steamy fun in your life, and that’s exactly why I picked up the historical erotic romance anthology Duke I’d Like To F…. Five awesome romance authors joined forces to share individual novellas in this anthology. Of course, each novel embraces the trope of the dashing duke. And if you’re a fan of historical romance, check out their latest collaboration (upcoming on my TBR list), Rake I’d Like To F…!
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The summary, from Amazon:
He’s got big duke energy…
The Chasing of Eleanor Vane – Sierra Simone
Ajax Dartham, the Duke of Jarrell, has a problem. And that problem is his future niece-in-law. When the clever and capable Lady Eleanor Vane-understandably-runs off into the night rather than marry his horrible nephew, the Duke has a choice. Should he catch Eleanor and return her to her fate-or make Eleanor his own instead?My Dirty Duke – Joanna Shupe
Violet knows that her father’s best friend, the Duke of Ravensthorpe, is the most powerful man in all of London with a reputation for sin. But nothing can stop Violet from wanting to shed her wallflower ways and fulfill her darkest, most forbidden desires…even if it means seducing a man twice her age.An Education In Pleasure – Eva Leigh
As a governess to the Duke of Tarrington, Cecilia Holme resigns herself to a passionless life. Except now the old duke is dead and Owen, the new duke, is very tempting-and much younger. Is the chance to give Owen an education in pleasure too enticing to refuse?Duke For Hire – Nicola Davidson
As her fiery clergyman father chases away all suitors, Miss Ada Blair is resigned to spinsterhood. Yet while she can’t wed, bedding might be another matter. One man meets all her requirements for a discreet and expert pleasure tutor-Jasper Muir, Duke of Gilroy-but he insists on a very wicked contract…The Duke Makes Me Feel… – Adriana Herrera
Dukes and their demands are nothing new for Marena Baine-Torres. Her newfound success has her little apothecary teeming with ill-mannered aristocrats. But as tiresome as they are, she needs the business. When the unflappable Duke of Linley storms into her shop and makes her an offer she’d be a fool to refuse, Marena soon finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime with a man who is as infuriating as he is intriguing.
Buy Duke I’d Like to F… here.
I greatly enjoyed all of the stories in this novella anthology. In The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone, Lady Eleanor Vane runs off in the middle of the night to avoid her marriage. When his uncle, who arranged the match, chases after her, sparks fly between the two instead. I loved Simone’s bio: “Sierra Simone is a USA Today bestselling former librarian who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.” As a librarian, I can relate. This was a super hot 4 star read for me.
Nicola Davidson’s Duke For Hire features Ada, a resigned spinster whose father chases away all her suitors. Nonetheless, she knows what she wants, and with the help of friends hires Jasper to be her partner in pleasure. Of course, there’s not just sexual passion between these two, and romance ignites. This was another 4 star read for me.
Eva Leigh is one of my favorite romance author, an An Education in Pleasure was a wonderful read. Cecilia has been the governess for the Duke of Tarrington’s daughters for some time. When he passes away, his son Owen claims the title. Owen has known Cecilia since he was a teen and she was a young adult. He has always had quite the crush on her, and now Cecilia sees Owen for the man he is. Of course, the governess has a thing or two to teach this younger man. This was another 4 star read for me! I loved the age difference in this one. It felt realistic and appropriate.
My favorite of the group was Adriana Herrera’s The Duke Makes Me Feel… Simply wow. All of these stories were heavy on the romance, light on the plot, and good with the characters, but Herrera’s story really struck hard with her characterization. Marena and Arlo cross paths when he enters her apothecary and enlists her to help him find his half-sister, the partner of Marena’s sister. The two are on the run after a legal misunderstanding and are in France. Passion ignites between this unlikely couple, but is just a few days together enough? There were some stunning quotes in this one I have to include:
Something possessive and hot ran through his body at the idea of having this kind of intimacy with her. To be the man a woman this self-sufficient could depend on.
“I find it hypocritical that women’s purity is held as proof of their value, while a man can do as he pleases. If the sexes are truly equal, then why would I expect something in a woman when I wouldn’t of myself?”
Even the men who were in favor of women’s suffrage seemed to like the females in their midst docile and only marginally opinionated.
“She never misses a chance to remind me that the least we can do is work to uplift others when we have been handed so much.”
“Some things, some people, come into your life and force you to reimagine the dreams you had for yourself.”
“I’ve always been bold when I’ve needed to be. I’ve had to be, but this makes me feel afraid.”
I love that this romance featured a biracial woman as the romantic lead. Historical romance as a genre has been super whitewashed up until recent years. Now, we are seeing more and more historical romances written by authors of color and featuring more diverse casts of characters. Some (racist) critics seem to think Black heroes and heroines in a Regency or Victorian romance aren’t historically accurate, but that’s just not the case, and I am always excited and happy to read and promote diverse historical romance. Anyway, this particular story was a 5 star read for me.
And finally, we have My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe, an age gap romance about Violet and her father’s friend, Max. I love a good age gap romance and adored how steamy this one was, though it wasn’t my favorite take on the trope. I would’ve preferred for Violet to be maybe two or three years older. For me as a reader, this would have given her more agency and maturity to make the decision to be with a man as old as her father (though her being 18 made sense for a plot point). I also felt there were some hints that maybe she had been attractive to her love interest when she was still a minor which rubbed me the wrong way, but I also could have been reading into things too deeply. Nonetheless, this one was very steamy and swoon-worthy so I have to rate it 3 stars.
So if you’re looking for super hot historical romance novellas, look no further! They’re right here.
Find out more about how I rate books here.
Duke I’d Like to F… by Sabrina Darby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Such a fun read! All of the novellas were super steamy and romantic to boot.
The Chasing of Eleanor Vane ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Duke for Hire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Education in Pleasure ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Duke Makes Me Feel… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Dirty Duke ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Club Questions
- Which was your favorite story? Why?
- Describe the relationship dynamics between the individual couples.
- These are historical romances, but could any of them take place in a modern setting? Why or why not?
- What messages and themes (and not just regarding sex and love) are shared in these stories?
Interested? Buy Duke I’d Like to F….
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