I am a fan of Christi Caldwell and have been for a few years.

Home Alone meets regency romance. I found this premise very attractive to me. I had hopes of a fun and light story with a few struggles thrown in to make sure we appreciate the good. I got the home alone vibe -Myrtle feeling invisible to her family -large family preparing to travel for Christmas -the set up for possible burglars. Bonus when we meet the Duke (Val) I got a bit of a Scrooge vibe -bah humbug to all things Christmas and anyone who may make him think about the holiday.

Myrtle gets left alone and she finds herself turning to and leaning on Val much to his annoyance in the beginning but things gradually change because we read these books for the happily ever afters. I did find a couple places where a part of my mind was tapping her toe saying "ok... lets move along".

I didn't get as much light and fun as I would have liked. I had hopes of a bit of a exciting romp in preparing for and with the burglars but that was not to be. I had also hoped for a reconciliation scene between Myrtle and her parents rather than the touching yet brief one (hint hint to Christi.... maybe a second epilogue?)

Language - Val uses a word I was slightly surprised to read referring to Mrs. Belden proprietress of the finishing school Myrtle and a number of other ladies from Christie's books have attended. So grabbed my phone and looked it up and was surprised to read not only have I always mispronounced it but but as many words seem to do meanings change and was only a mild insult at that time.

Overall while I didn't get the fun romp I had hope that was my expectation. The book delivered on it's promise of a Home Alone-esque Regency romance with a happily ever after.

This seems to be a stand alone in Christie's Regency London but with all of Myrtle's relatives and Val's brother I wouldn't be surprised to see more of this family tying themselves to families we know from some of Christie's established series.

I received this ARC from Montlake and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank-you.

#TheDukeAlone #NetGalley ( )

Easy romantic read. Myrtle’s very large family left in 18 coaches not realizing they were leaving her behind. She awakes and finds everyone gone and she’s all alone not prepared to do the everyday things. She meets the widowed Duke who leaves next door with the grumpy disposition who wants to be left alone and manages to enlist his help. She spots two men spying on the house and is sure they are planning to steal her father’s private antiquities and the duke thinks she fantastical and afraid of being alone. Lots of miscommunication before the HEA ending. ( )

The heroine's family left her alone at home as they traveled to the country for the holiday season. As the heroine learns to cope with her current reality, she acquaints herself with her neighbor, the hero who just wants to be left alone. Yet the heroine doesn't realize that her home will be the location of an attempted robbery, and that her growing relationship with the hero will amount to much more than neighborly acquaintances.

This is a nice holiday romance story featuring an older hero and a younger heroine with plot twists that are reminiscent of some modern movies that may be familiar to readers. I like the premise, but the book could have been better with more details to enrich the story. I also wanted a better resolution to how the heroine is treated by her family. Overall, this is a nice holiday romantic read.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.** ( )

Five sparkling stars worth of joy

A truly wonderful tale of a reclusive Duke mourning his lost love and a young woman who’s always felt out of place and forgotten. Lady Myrtle McQuoid awoke the morning of her family’s departure for their Scottish home to find they’d all gone—left without her. Confirming her belief that she was overlooked and never missed. After all no one returned for her—no one.
Well she’d just have to shift for herself. Although maybe she could approach the “mad” duke next door, Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon.
Val was relentless in his sadness about his dead wife. They’d been childhood sweethearts. Now this young hoyden from next door who sang Christmas carols loudly and slightly off key, who had unruly hair and a smile to light up the night, was all set to annoy him. So ok he showed her how to light the fire and keep it banked, but that was it!
Except it wasn’t! A Christmas story full of pain, awakening love and a young woman who just made me smile.

A Montlake ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. ( )