Duke Gone Rogue by Christy Carlyle is the first book in the Love on Holiday series, and it started the series off with a blast! I 
always enjoy and look forward to books by Christy Carlyle and this one did not disappoint. There’s a stuffy duke, a cheerful businesswoman, and collaborating sisters that make this the perfect lighthearted book for a day of reading. It was fast-paced, witty, had main characters that were likable, and it captured my attention from the beginning.
After inheriting the title Duke of Ashmore, Will Hart spends all his time making amends for his father’s past transgressions. Will’s digging into his father’s past has made him plenty of enemies in society and eventually, his fiancée decides she no longer wants to marry him. Being dumped by his fiancée was bad enough but having Madeline overhear their conversation has Will feeling self-conscious about his reputation. With his sister’s engagement party coming up, his sisters are afraid his presence will ruin it so they create a plan that will have him leaving London. He thought he would never see Madeline again after that night in London so was astonished when he arrives in Haven Cove and encounters her. His plan was to visit Carnwyth, an estate he hated, and sell it but his discovering Madeline had him changing his plans.
Madeline Ravenwood took over the Ravenwood Garden business after her parents died but her heart was not in it. She had never wanted to run the nursery but felt like she needed to for her parent’s sake instead she wanted to design gardens and hybridize roses. She is co-leader of the Royal Visit Committee which is preparing for Princess Beatrice’s visit to judge the annual flower show. The committee wants the duke to repair his eye-sore vision of a home before her visit, but the duke has no plans to repair Carnwyth. Madeline needs the princess’s visit to go well and hopes to win the contest with the new rose she has grafted and named after the princess.
The book was entertaining, light, and had low angst. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it. The story flowed smoothly, was beautifully written, and had lovable characters. I loved watching their relationship grow as they worked together. It was great to see Will loosen up and he needed someone like Madeline to help him enjoy life again. They were perfect for each other and seeing how they were able to merge their two lives together and find true happiness at the end was perfect. I look forward to the next book in the series and hope to see Will and Madeline again.
Book Info:
Publication: December 28, 2021 | Avon | Love on Holiday #1
Will Hart, the Duke of Ashmore, is everything his father was not: scrupulously honest, forbidding, and apparently joyless. As a duke, he’s a catch, but as a grumpy stick-in-the mud, no lady knows quite how to catch his eye. When his sisters concoct a plan for him to visit a run-down family property in Cornwall, he reluctantly agrees, hoping it will be a chance for him to rediscover the carefree man he once was.
Madeline Ravenwood believes she can do anything she puts her mind to, including running the gardening business she inherited from her father and being a founding member of the Royal Visit Committee. Hard at work preparing for Princess Beatrice’s visit to judge their annual flower show, the appearance of a stern, handsome duke is a distraction Maddie doesn’t need.
Tasked by the committee to convince the duke to repair his ramshackle manor house in time for the royal visit, he agrees, if she will join him as he explores Cornwall. Spending their days, and nights, together, Will’s love for Maddie becomes too strong to ignore. But Maddie knows how different their worlds are and when the burdens of his title reappear, can Will convince her that she’s the woman he’s been waiting for?
