The most important thing to know about Duke, Actually is that it’s acquaintances-to-friends-to-lovers and the friendship arc is looooooooooooong. It takes until almost page 300 for the two MCs to even kiss. But it’s Jenny Holiday, so it does pay off on the Hallmark, but more sizzle promise.
In this modern fairy tale, Max and Dani meet as they’re the besties of the couple in book 1, A Princess for Christmas. Max, a baron, is unexpectedly in New York on business and looks up Dani. They end up attending her work holiday party and the Nutcracker. That said, I wouldn’t strictly call this a Christmas romance as it spans a full year from one December to the next.
Jenny’s books often comment on social and political issues, this one includes environmental issues too, since Max’s family runs a mining company in Eldovia. But I felt like this one almost had too much going on. Between Max’s abusive father, his brother working out how to come out to his screwed up family, and Max trying to figure out what to do as a career, since he doesn’t want to be the duke, it’s a lot. Meanwhile, Dani’s divorce is still in process and she’s figuring out if tenure as a lit professor is what she really wants.
If you love a story that really takes its time building the friendship between the two MCs, this is one for you. I was looking for them to get to the romance a little quicker.
3.5 stars
CW: alcoholic, abusive father; brother navigating how to come out to his family; FMC is in the process of getting divorced
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