Last Duke Standing by Julia London

New York Times bestselling author Julia London opens her sparkling, witty, sexy new series, A Royal Match, with a young future queen in the market for a husband, and the charming—and opinionated—Scottish lord tasked to introduce her to the ton’s most eligible bachelors.

Charming. Cheeky. Cunning.

When Crown Princess Justine of Wesloria is sent to England to learn the ropes of royalty, she falls under the tutelage of none other than Queen Victoria herself. Justine’s also in the market for a proper husband—one fit to marry the future queen of Wesloria.

Because he knows simply everyone, William, Lord Douglas (the notoriously rakish heir to the Duke of Hamilton seat in Scotland, and decidedly not husband material), is on hand as an escort of sorts. William has been recruited to keep an eye on the royal matchmaker for the Weslorian prime minister, tasked to ensure the princess is matched with a man of quality… and one who will be sympathetic to the prime minister’s views.

As William and Justine are forced to scrutinize an endless parade of England’s best bachelors, they become friends. But when the crowd of potential grooms is steadily culled, what if William is the last bachelor standing?

 

 

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
Due to her father’s illness, Princess Justine is soon to be crowned Queen of Wesloria. [I must say, I appreciate that she is able to become a ruling queen – not just a woman in need of a man to be king, not that she is just a commodity to tie a man to the ruling of this nation.] Of course, she is saddened by the expected passing of her father, but she's also nervous about filling his shoes. She's not good with public speaking, and truly dislikes being the center of attention. Justine has been embroiled in a bit of a scandal, and in an attempt to quash these rumors and to gain favor with her subjects, it has been decided by her mother (the Queen) and her advisor, that Justine needs to find a husband.

To prepare Justine to take the throne, it's been agreed that an apprenticeship with Queen Victoria in London would be advantageous. This will also give Lila Aleksander, aka the matchmaker to the stars (royalty), time to work!

This story was cute and sweet. It was light-hearted, yet meaningful. I really liked Justine and her quirkiness, I found myself sympathizing with her often. How does a person live their life constantly in the spotlight? How can she trust anybody when she's just a means to an end?

William Douglas was refreshing, carefree, and likeable. He is "normal" and down to earth and lacking the airs so many people put on. I liked him immediately!

I enjoyed this story; it was the perfect mix of serious and humorous. The slow burn was believable and fitting. I truly enjoyed this and I'm not a traditional historical romance reader, but it didn't feel stuffy or pretentious and I found myself falling into it quickly.

 

 

JULIA LONDON is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty novels of historical and contemporary romance. She is the author of the popular Highland Grooms series as well as A Royal Wedding, her most recent series. Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Last Duke Standing (A Royal Match #1) by Julia London to read and review.

The Perfect Bargain by Julia London Blog Tour

American lass seeks brawny Scot...

As if being newly single isn’t brutal enough, Sloane Chatfield's friends are getting obnoxious about setting her up. When Sloane insists she's waiting for a certain sexy fictional Highlander to come along, her friends surprise her with a trip to Scotland to find her a new boyfriend. She’d rather have a root canal. But if she can find a Highland hunk to “break her heart” before her friends arrive…

In a remote Highland village, Galen Buchanan is struggling to keep the family pub afloat. Everything is falling apart, he’s running out of money, and now there's an opinionated American lass parked at his best table, driving him mad. But then Sloane asks Galen to be her pretend Highland boyfriend...and offers him enough money to save the pub. It’s only for a few days, he figures. What's the worst that could happen?

Book 1
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

By the time they reached a smooth stretch of road, Sloane had been bounced and jolted every which way, but Galen seemed to think nothing of the jarring ride. He kept his gaze straight ahead. She rubbed her hands on her knees. “How long will it take to get there?”

“An hour.”

“I say we use the time to review some basic information.” She reached for her messenger bag and pulled out two folded papers. “I prepared a page for you, too.”

“A page of what?”

“Information about me.” He looked completely confused.

“You know,” Sloane said. “So you’ll know at least a little about the girlfriend you’d never have.”

“Ah, for the love of Christ,” Galen sighed heavenward. “It’s part of the deal,” she reminded him.

“All right, then,” he said with a nod. “I should know why you donna have a boyfriend, or a husband, or a mate. Are you gay?”

She laughed. “If I were gay, would I need a boyfriend?”

He shrugged. “Maybe you belong to a weird religious order. Are you a nun?”

“What? What is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“One of my teachers was a nun. Sister Mulhaney. She wore a knot in her hair and sweaters in the summer,” he said, tapping his neck. “Like you.”

“I don’t dress like a nun,” she said defensively.

“No? Seems to me a lass wanting to snare a lad will unbutton her collar.”

“I’m not trying to snare a lad,” Sloane said coolly, and unthinkingly touched the knot of hair at the base of her skull. “And do you have any idea how incredibly sexist that is? Some women button their shirts and some don’t, and it has nothing to do with their sexuality. I don’t think I needed to be all dolled up to work. I mean, you sure don’t get dolled up to work.”

“Aye, but that’s different,” he said cheerily. “I’m a man. And I’m no’ trying to woo a pretend girlfriend. I’ll say it again, then—a woman who wants a man best unbutton her collar and doll up a wee bit. We’re visual creatures.”

“Please. I don’t want a man. Not every woman is looking for one, you know. Some of us have lives.”

“Ah,” he said, nodding. “I get it.”

“Get what?”

“You must be nursing a broken heart.”

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Johanna – ☆☆☆☆
Longtime fan of this author, especially when I know I'm gifted a HEA regardless of who the characters are. Romances that are spun out with very little drama even when one of the main characters is a hot Scotland Highlander. Kilt anyone? I know.... That was so American of me :) Jamie Fraser popped up in this book so much I had to google him. I'm sorry I didn't know who he was, I don't watch television. Have to admit I might check him out though. Fangirling. The plot was simple. Sloane had been dumped at the alter practically when she takes a vacation in Scotland. She's gotten lost in her loads of work, and a contract with Galen pulls her out of her shell. I gave the book four stars. Lovely romance! Thanks Scotland for those yummy kilts.

Julia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular Cabot Sisters historical series, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and the The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several acclaimed contemporary romances, including The Cedar Springs series, and the recent Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch, and The Perfect Homecoming. Julia has added a short contemporary series to her titles as well, including The Perfect Bargain, writing under the name Jessa McAdams.

Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a four time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. To keep up with all the Julia London news, please visit her website or follow her on Facebook.

Connect with Julia

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Perfect Bargain (How to Marry a Highlander #1) by Julia London to read and review for this tour.