A Duke by Default

Everyone that I told I was reading this book, said it was their favorite. I can fully understand why, I loved it. Portia ends up in Scotland for an apprenticeship, as she tries to remake her party-girl life. Tavish (Tav) is the unexpected Scotsman-sword maker she works for and the sparks fly immediately. As in, she attacks him with bear spray because she thinks he's attacking someone and doesn't know it's not an attack or that he's her boss. It might be one of my favorite meet-cutes ever! Portia and Tav are both vulnerable people, both feeling like they need to prove themselves, but hiding behind the walls and armor they each have around them. Portia is wealthy and knows how to use that wealth to create an image, both good and bad, while Tavish has the strong guy who works with swords-big tough guy persona on. Portia struggles to not live down to low expectations, not recognizing that her sister and friends really believe in her. Her parents, though, (eye roll), need some serious talking to. Tav wants to save his neighborhood and the kids who need a mentor and hope and help, but doesn't want any kudos for it, and struggles against feelings of inferiority from not knowing his biological father. He's surrounded by his brother, sister-in-law, and a strong relationship with his mother and stepfather, and I loved that none of them was afraid to call his BS. I really loved these two characters, two imperfect people who helped each other bring out the best of each other. They made…

This book works best as a fairy tale, and, happily, fairy tales are hot properties these days. This particular fairy tale is expressed in some hella good writing. Cole is an excellent prose stylist; her wit and phrasing are just sheer pleasure to experience. Duke by Default is a worthy successor to A Princess in Theory, and one of this book's major enjoyments is reconnecting with some of the characters from the earlier books--most notably, Portia. Portia and Tav's connection is both improbable and vastly entertaining. Portia has gotten her act together, and is eager to tackle her internship with Bodotria Armory in Edinburgh in spite of the gigantic fissures that her parents and her own bad decisions have gouged into her self-respect,. Portia is sassy, clever, personable, tech savvy, and not at all what Master-at-arms and unashamed Luddite Tavish expects. After an unfortunate first encounter, Tav rapidly establishes himself as a first class d-bag. Yet, d-bag or not, Tav is pretty irresistible as a grump with a slowly revealed heart of gold. The supporting characters are particularly charming and diverse --each a beautifully limned miniature portrait. From Jamie and Cheryl, Tav's brother and his wife, to his long distance parents to "red-headed step-prince" Johan, each is a fully realized and likable character. Only--there are rather a lot of them. Still, solid characterization is at the core of this book. Cole talks about class, race, poverty, and immigration through the…

I’ve been dying to read Portia’s story since “A Princess in Theory” and it didn’t disappoint at all. We are introduced to Portia, in the previous book and she was very easy not to like. I knew there was another side to her and I couldn’t wait to until unravel the many layers that is Portia. On her quest to change herself for the better she applies and is accepted for an apprenticeship in Scotland. I admire Portia’s bravery for leaving everything she knows and going to a new county. I’m a born and raised New Yorker and I’m not sure if I would be able to leave here. I must say her first encounter with Tavish was one for the books!! Tavish. Where do I start with Tavish?? He was brash, dismissive and set in his old ways. Yet, he had a big heart and I loved how he gave back to the community.Tavish and Portia are complete opposites and you know how the old saying goes. I loved the build up and connection between Tavish and Portia. They each made judgments about the other in the beginning but once they got to know each other better they realized how looks can be deceiving. That their opinions were wrong and you shouldn’t be so quick to judge. I have to say I’m a huge fan of character growth and Portia matures so much in this book and I loved it! I knew there was more to her than what was portrayed in the last story. I love reading royal romances and this book didn’t disappoint. I also loved how the story touches on certain issues that are presently going on as well. This is my…

There's something about Alyssa's Coles writing that I just love! I love that this book took place in Scotland and I love how it talked about some important issues like immigration. I definitely enjoyed this slow-burn romance between Portia and Tavish but I will say that Portia annoyed me quite a bit throughout the book. I hate that she did because I'm pretty sure it was just me nitpicking, especially since I actually really like her character and her struggles and I found her exceedingly realistic but she annoyed me nonetheless. Tavish was a grunting, alpha male that was really a soft marshmallow underneath it all, which I really loved. He of course had his moments of stupid that had me wanting to knock him over. I did like them together but I am a little disappointed that we didn't get more of them actually together once they finally admit to having feelings for each other. It was great seeing Leidi and Thabiso again and the rest of the gang and I'm definitely curious to read the next book with Nya and Johan as well as Reggie's novella! Overall I'd say this was a nice read and one for fans of slow-burns for sure!

A Duke By Default picks up where A Princess in Theory left off (sort of). This is the story of Portia Hobbs, who is introduced to us in book 1 as the heroine, Naledi’s, not-so-together best friend. Portia sets out to reinvent herself and become a better person and friend and decides to do this as a swordsmith’s apprentice in Scotland. I never got the rationale for this, but it was different, and it fit the person we met in book 1. Portia and Tav’s first meeting is painfully hilarious and sets the tone for the ‘getting to know’ each other part of the story. Although their attraction to each other is instant, both are unwilling to explore it or different logical reasons. However, as they soon discover, the body can only resist so much when true love calls. The romance builds slowly but steadily and allows Portia and Tav to grow as characters. This means they don’t jump into bed for a good part of the book, which may be frustrating to some readers. For its length, the story tries to deal with quite a bit such as ADHD and mental health, which I think was well-done for the most part, but it competed at some points with the romance. I wish there had been more sword making too. Overall, I thought it as a well-written book. A little less engaging for me than book 1, but still entertaining and worth the read. Some readers may actually prefer this, because it’s a little less fairytale-y, and may, therefore, feel more real. I read Book 1 first, and it was great to see all my…