When You Wish Upon a Duke by Charis Michaels is the second book in the Awakened by a Kiss series. I was not a huge fan of the first 
book, so I was pleasantly surprised by this book. This was a romance inspired by the Peter Pan fairytale with charming characters. The characters had many layers and were easy to relate to. The author’s beautiful descriptions of Iceland gave the story a magical touch. The story draws you in and you feel as if you are part of it.
Jason “North” Beckett, the new Duke of Northumberland, never wanted to inherit the title. He enjoys his job working for the Foreign Office so not only is he grieving for his father and brother’s death, but he is giving up his adventurous life. North hated idleness and taking over his duties as a duke would be nothing but overwhelming and tedious for him. He has one more mission before leaving the Foreign Office and that is to rescue his cousin from Nordic pirates. He needs Isobel’s help for it to be a successful mission, but she stubbornly refuses to cooperate until he bribes her with her own travel agency.
After her nomadic lifestyle as a child, Isobel Tinker wants to live a safe, quiet life and never, ever leave England again. She realized she could use her own travel experiences to help ladies travel safely abroad. Her dream is to open her own travel agency, so North’s offer was too tempting to refuse. Returning to Iceland would bring back all the heartbreaking memories but it would be worth her future agency.
The author does a wonderful job combining a fairytale with romance. I loved the witty banter between the main characters and Isobel’s letters were a nice touch also. North’s character was sensitive and understanding of Isobel’s painful past. He was a great hero although he was not as alpha as I felt he should have been. Isobel was confident and strong, but still had issues of feeling unworthy because of her past. She had to overcome those and realize her own worth. This was a beautiful story and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next.
Book Info:
Publication: August 24, 2021 | Avon | Awakened by a Kiss #2
All it takes…
After a childhood spent cavorting around Europe with a dangerous crowd, Miss Isobel Tinker has parlayed her experience and language skills into a safe, reliable life. Working as a clerk in Mayfair’s Everland Travel Shop, she dreams of someday owning her own travel agency and has vowed never to leave the familiar shores of England ever again. When a handsome duke arrives at her doorstep, she realizes her staid existence is about to take flight.
…is faith and hope
Jason “North” Beckett, the Duke of Northumberland, desperately needs a travel guide. He’s inherited a dukedom but has a final mission for the Foreign Office—rescuing his wayward cousin from Nordic pirates. Isobel Tinker is the ideal translator, discreet and unknown, but she’s also uncooperative, stubborn, and disarmingly beautiful.
And a little bit of trust
In exchange for her help, North promises Miss Tinker her own travel agency upon return and strict professionalism at sea. Isobel cautiously agrees but soon realizes “strict” and “professional” are not how she would describe her feelings for the irresistible duke. As their adventure sweeps them to the shores of Iceland and beyond, can temptation and growing trust give way to the magic of wild, passionate love?
