Say Yes to the Duke (Wildes of Lindow Castle Series #5)

by Eloisa James

Overview

A shy wallflower meets her dream man—or does she?—in the next book in New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James' Wildes of Lindow series.

Miss Viola Astley is so painfully shy that she’s horrified by the mere idea of dancing with a stranger; her upcoming London debut feels like a nightmare.

So she’s overjoyed to meet handsome, quiet vicar with no interest in polite society — but just when she catches his attention, her reputation is compromised by a duke.

Devin Lucas Augustus Elstan, Duke of Wynter, will stop at nothing to marry Viola, including marrying a woman whom he believes to be in love with another man.

A vicar, no less.

Devin knows he’s no saint, but he’s used to conquest, and he’s determined to win Viola’s heart.

Viola has already said Yes to his proposal, but now he wants her unruly heart…and he won’t accept No for an answer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062878069
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/19/2020
Series:	Wildes of Lindow Castle Series , #5
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	319,620
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.50(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Eloisa James is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author and professor of English literature, who lives with her family in New York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.

Editorial Reviews

04/27/2020

James delivers all the banter and sizzle her fans expect in the nuanced fifth Wildes of Lindow Castle Georgian romance (after Say No to the Duke). Viola Astley, stepdaughter to Hugo Wilde, Duke of Lindow, is painfully shy in company due partly to her insecurity that she will never measure up to her vivacious stepfamily. But her crush on her family’s new vicar has her determined to come out of her shell for her first London season. Meanwhile, the reclusive Devin Elstan, Duke of Wynter, feels obligated to find a wife and plans to approach Viola’s stepsister at their joint coming out ball. In the standout scene of Viola and Devin’s first meeting, Devin retreats from the festivities for the library, where Viola has arranged a clandestine meeting with her vicar. She overhears him insulting her to his uncle, dismissing her as “not a real Wilde.” Her indignation frees her from her shyness, allowing her to display a biting wit and surprising backbone when she confronts him, leading Devin to fall hard and fast. The relish taken with their early sparring and scintillating courtship sadly disappears in the inevitable third-act misunderstanding, which is sloppily rendered and unbelievable. Despite the bungled finale, the couple’s chemistry is undeniable and James’s dialogue is skillful as ever. Series readers will be pleased. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, Inkwell Management. (May)

Publishers Weekly

A very good (historical romance)…Devin starts out as your standard coldhearted duke, so it’s lovely when he’s the first to fall in love.” — New York Times Book Review

"James delivers all the banter and sizzle her fans expect in the nuanced fifth Wildes of Lindow Castle Georgian romance...Series readers will be pleased." — Publishers Weekly

"RITA Award–winning and best-selling James continues her winsomely winning literary streak with another brilliantly conceived and beautifully executed addition in her Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Once again, James expertly calibrates the perfect ratio of exuberant wit to elegant sensuality, and the end result is a romance worth celebrating." — Booklist (starred review)

"SAY YES TO THE DUKE was another great title in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series." — Fresh Fiction

From the Publisher

"SAY YES TO THE DUKE was another great title in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series."

Fresh Fiction

A very good (historical romance)…Devin starts out as your standard coldhearted duke, so it’s lovely when he’s the first to fall in love.

New York Times Book Review

"RITA Award–winning and best-selling James continues her winsomely winning literary streak with another brilliantly conceived and beautifully executed addition in her Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Once again, James expertly calibrates the perfect ratio of exuberant wit to elegant sensuality, and the end result is a romance worth celebrating."

Booklist (starred review)

06/01/2020

Considering that wallflower debutante Viola Astley can't attend a ball without wanting to throw up, only a quiet and reserved husband will suit her shy temperament—someone like her parish's new vicar, the serious and handsome Reverend Marlowe. What she doesn't need is a husband like the opinionated Devin Elstan, Duke of Wynter, whom she overhears insulting her in a library. Their families are in favor of the match, however, and Devin begins to regret his initial judgment when he discovers Viola's hidden charms. Even when Viola agrees to marry him, Devin's trust issues cause his jealousy to flare, particularly as Viola and Marlowe work together to stage a production of the story of Noah's Ark to raise money for the parish. Viola, meanwhile, can't understand why her husband doesn't see that she's completely besotted with him. VERDICT Though it takes some time for the story to warm up in the first act, best-selling James (Three Weeks with Lady X) comes through with another heartfelt, sensuous entry in the Wilde family saga (after Say No to the Duke).—Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB

Library Journal