Review: Once Upon a Duke

Once Upon a Duke by Erica Ridley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Benjamin, the Duke of Silkridge returns to the small town of Cressmouth (Christmas) for the reading of his Grandfather's will. He hates the town but desperately wants his mother's locket, which was taken from him by his grandfather before he was banished from Cressmouth. After the deaths of his beloved mother and father and his grandfather's behaviour Benjamin has devoted himself to his work in the House of Lords, after all if you don't love anyone they can't hurt you when they leave. What he isn't looking forward to is seeing the girl he loved before he was forced to leave Cressmouth.

Noelle Pratchett has lived in Cressmouth all her life, she was desperately in love with Benjamin until he left without notice and never came back. Since then she has clung to the town and its people, and to Benjamin's grandfather who embraced eccentricity and was beloved by all the townspeople.

This started off very like A Christmas Carol, I must be one of the few people who loathes and detests A Christmas Carol in each and every format, Hallmark remake? Hate it. Muppet Christmas Carol? Hate it. Black and white version? Hate it. Book? Hate it. So it didn't bode well.

But I do like Erica Ridley's books, so I persevered and I can say the less it felt like a retelling of A Christmas Carol, the more I liked it. As Benjamin comes to know Noelle better and engage with the townsfolk in order to meet the terms of his grandfather's will he sees a new side to the town. But can there be a future for the man who won't stay and the woman who won't leave?

Overall, it was sweet and schmaltzy and Christmassy, full of eccentric characters in a small town that prides itself on being Christmas 365 days a year.

I received a free copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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