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3.5 

A Duke by Default

By Alyssa Cole
A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

An NPR Best Book of the Year - A Bookish Favorite Book of the Year - A Bookpage Best Romance of the Year

Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way…

New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr.

Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice—and his attraction to her—but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project.  

Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?

578 Reviews

3.5
“Oh this was so close to being a 5 star read and then it went totally off the rails there at the end! :D I can pinpoint exactly where that was. Portia's drink being spiked! Everything after was bonkers and really took the shine off what had been a wonderful (if not utterly farfetched) story. I just adored Portia. I felt like everyone was way too hard on her and she wasn't given as much grace as she deserved. As with https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35271238.A_Princess_in_Theory__Reluctant_Royals___1_ , the underlying societal issues were a great addition, in this case it was gentrification and it's impact on communities.”
“Fantastic! I liked this one even more than book one, A Princess in Theory. Portia and Tavish are fascinating characters. Portia has recently taken a long, sad look at her life, and she is trying to make some changes. The change of scenery she gets by going to Scotland is just the beginning. But she still has a lot to learn about herself, which was so satisfying to read. Tav has a lot to learn, as well. There are some false starts for the two around assumptions and not speaking plainly to one another, but there are even deeper, richer details for why their road to romance is a little bumpy. And I LOVED it! I would have liked another chapter or two to finish the comeuppance necessary for a couple other characters in the book, but otherwise this was perfect. Fantastic romance series! Book three is out today. (Language, sex)”

About Alyssa Cole

Alyssa Cole is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers and romance (historical, contemporary, and sci-fi). Her books have received critical acclaim from Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her many pets.

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