After her third fiancé leaves her at the altar, Lenora Hartley is beginning to think she’s cursed. One thing’s for certain: she needs to escape London and her father’s tyrannical attempts to find her yet another suitor. The Isle of Synne, an isolated and idyllic retreat off Britain’s northern coast, is blessedly far from society’s gossip, but it also carries haunting reminders of her first fiancé. Letting go of the past to find happiness seems impossible—until Lenora is thrown in the path of a gruff, mysterious blue-eyed man who makes her pulse race.

Next in line for a dukedom, that he doesn’t want to inherit, Peter Ashford is only on the isle to exact revenge on the man who is responsible for his mother’s death. Once he’s completed the task, he’ll return to America where his life can finally be his own. Yet when he meets the beautiful and kind Miss Hartley, he can’t help but be drawn to her. Can Peter put aside his plans for vengeance for the woman who has come to mean everything to him?

Titles in the Isle of Synne series include – A Good Duke is Hard to Find – Someday My Duke Will Come –

Title:  A Good Duke is Hard to Find
Series:  Isle of Synne #1
Author:  Christina Britton
Genre:  Regency Romance
Published:  June 30, 2020
Publisher:  Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
My Rating:  4.5 stars

‘A Good Duke Is Hard To Find‘ is an emotional story far more than an action-packed one, although there are moments.  The first story in the ‘Isle of Synne‘ series will introduce us to Lenora who has been almost to the altar three times now and is still unmarried through no fault of her own, much to the fury of her odious father.  As she awaits another match to be arranged by her father, who is only looking to line his own pockets and raise himself up in the eyes of Society – certainly not concerned that Lenora finds a love match – she and her good friend, Margery will return to the Isle of Synne where Margery’s feisty grandmother, Lady Tesh resides, and a place where Lenora has experienced happiness and deep sorrow as well.  This visit will change her life as long as she is willing to take a risk.

Peter has spent much of his life plotting revenge.  Now his goal is in sight.  Yet he didn’t plan on the quiet Lenora to come to his aid, even though she was unaware of his end goal but simply because she is a caring, good person.  It won’t take long before Lenora will have him second-guessing his plan against the grandfather who turned his back on Peter and his dying mother.  Softening his resolve wasn’t in his plan at all, and neither was falling for a lovely lady who is filling up an empty place in his life, in his heart.  Now his goal has changed, and the prize is the love of a woman he never saw coming – if he, they can outwit her calculating father and the man he’s chosen for Lenora.

I liked Lenora and Peter both separately and together – but together they are explosive in many ways.  Each has issues, each has a past to be dealt with and a choice to keep living there or to move onward to a different future than either expected.  Watching the chemistry sizzle, smiling as the love slowly grows beyond their immediate attraction (which each ignored for a bit), was an emotional, enjoyable journey.  I definitely enjoyed myself in this world.  The secondary characters brought this world to life, and I’m looking forward to more of their adventures in this series.  If you love a really good Regency Romance with characters you’ll be cheering for, then ‘A Good Duke Is Hard To Find‘ should be on your reading list… right now.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story.  It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available in paperback, audio, and for your favorite e-reader (mine is the Kindle)