"The Duke's Holiday (The Regency Romp Trilogy #1)" by Maggie Fenton

Cover from Maggie Fenton's Blog

I tend to read romance books (usually historical or paranormal) when I get bored, and I have found that the vast majority of them are all romance, with little or no feel of the subgenre. In addition to that, I'm rather harsh with my ratings of these books, as they rarely wow me enough to rate them above two stars. The Duke's Holiday surpassed my expectations, has the atmosphere of its subgenre (historical/Regency), and made me believe that there are great romance books still lurking out there, waiting for me to discover.

Beyond those qualities, it was delightfully funny. A mix of comedy of errors, character ridiculousness, and witty humor made the pages fly by. If there is a quality in romance novels I admire the most, it's the balance of humor and chemistry- it's hard to make me laugh at the hero and heroine without making the chemistry between characters fizzle out, and this book delivered with both aspects.

The Plot:
Lord Cyril Montford (do not call him Cyril) received a letter that the tenant of Rylestone Hall, Alyosius Honeywell is dead, and therefore, the property is now fully his to do with what he pleases. The problems with this: A. Honeywell has been dead for a year, and yet he still receives regular correspondence from an A. Honeywell, leading him to believe someone in the Honeywell clan has been continuing this ruse to keep the property. When he sends his man, Stevenage, to investigate, he responds meticulously, until all messages cease to arrive. It appears the Duke will be taking a holiday... But not an enjoyable one, if Astrid Honeywell has her way.

You can't have a great romance without fully developed, likable characters that people can relate to. I would say Montford one of the better OCD characters I've read about- his compulsions led to humor and missteps, propelling the plot. As a duke, he thinks he rules the world (which he kind of does), but Astrid tries her best to knock him down a peg.

Astrid is trying so hard to keep Rylestone Hall, she loses sight of what her family actually wants. Sure, she's you're usual spunky heroine from the Regency novels, but she's painstakingly flawed to make her more human.

One of my favorite parts of this book is how the author begins the chapters:

Chapter One

IN WHICH THE DUKE RECEIVES UNSETTLING NEWS

There are more humorous examples, but I don't want to spoil the plot.

The Duke's Holiday is generic in some of its Regency themes, but it evokes the feel of being historical, unlike many "historical" romances I've read. Quirky, entertaining, and easily devoured, this book is a stands out from the hordes of other Regency romances. If you're looking for a romantic read with a memorable hero and heroine combination, consider this for your next read.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars for a delightfully funny Regency romp. (This book was self-published, and I didn't find any spelling or grammar mistakes. A+ for that).

Content: Sex scenes (but not too many), mild violence, and lots of situational humor.

Page Count: 452 pages in the Kindle edition