Cheers to the Duke - Sally MacKenzie (Zebra - Oct 2021)

Series: Widow's Brew (Book 3)

The "fallen" ladies of Puddledon Manor's Benevolent Home are restoring their reputations—and their future prospects—by operating their very own brewery and alehouse . . .
 
As the founder of the Home, Jo, the widowed Lady Havenridge, is determined to be there for the women who need her. But when those same women conspire to accept an invitation on her behalf, she finds herself suddenly on the way to the Earl of Darrow's home for the christening party of the son of her longtime friend and former partner, Pen, now the Countess of Darrow. Guests will include her other former partner, Caro—and Edward Russell, the new Duke of Grainger and the Home's generous benefactor. While Jo is determined to resist her friends' matchmaking ways, the duke's handsome looks and charming words are enough to make the lovely widow a little reckless . . .
 
Even after a year, the title of "duke" still sits strangely on Edward Russell's shoulders. But the responsibilities of the title are his duty, no matter his less-than-positive opinion of the nobility. When Edward encounters Jo—capable, fun, and utterly irresistible--he's delighted to find someone he truly connects with. A trick of fate has placed them on two different paths . . . but Edward is beginning to realize that perhaps he's not the kind of man who does the expected thing after all . . .
 
Fun book. Jo, Lady Havenridge, and her two friends Caro and Pen started the Benevolent Home years earlier to help women who had nowhere else to go. The Home partially supports itself by running a brewery and alehouse and partially with the financial support of the Duke of Grainger. Jo corresponds with the Duke regularly. Caro and Pen married and moved on to life with their husbands in the past year, though they are still peripherally involved with the Home. They also remain friends with Jo and support her as best they can. Jo is a bit of a control freak, and with her friends gone, she feels she must do it all herself, despite offers from others to help. It's become so bad that some of the ladies collaborate with Caro and Pen to get Jo to the christening of Pen's son as the boy's godmother. Jo arrives at Darrow to find that Pen and Caro have matchmaking on their minds, with Edward and Jo as their targets.
 
Edward was a solicitor until recently when he unexpectedly inherited the title of Duke of Grainger. The widowed father of a seven-year-old son, Edward wants a mother for Thomas and a wife who can be a partner for him. Attending the ton's ballrooms does nothing to improve his opinion of the nobility, and the available ladies are not what he wants. After a particularly stressful evening, Edward opts for an early arrival at his friend Darrow's home, where he will be the new heir's godfather. He takes Thomas and their dog, Bear, with him.
 
I loved the first meeting between Jo and Edward. Jo encountered Thomas and Bear first and immediately connected with Thomas. He's a very forthright little boy and jumps right into pleading his case for himself and his father, even though he just met her. Edward arrives shortly after. He is immediately smitten by the woman who interacts so easily with Thomas. While Jo is attracted, her first marriage was so terrible that she has no intention of ever marrying again; additionally, she refuses to give up control of the Home. Be that as it may, Jo and Edward quickly discover that they like each other and enjoy spending time together. I liked how Jo found herself relaxing and enjoying her time away, especially with Edward and Thomas, and she irritated me when she kept forcing herself to put the Home first.
 
When Edward and Jo gave into the attraction between them, Edward had high hopes that it would lead Jo to marriage with him. He accepts that he's already fallen in love with her. Jo suspects that she loves him, too, but after her first marriage is wary of trusting the speed of those feelings. I liked how Edward respected her fears and feelings, giving her the time she needed to believe in what they could have together. I loved the ending, as Edward shows up at the Home to plead his case just as Jo receives some unexpected news. Once they get past some insecurity-induced misunderstandings, seeing them finally admit their feelings made a fantastic ending. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up.
 
This book was a lot of fun to read. The interactions between Jo and Edward ranged from fun and flirty to serious and deeply emotional. Edward's son Thomas stole the show with his sweet care and worry for his father and conviction that Jo was precisely what they needed. The dog, Bear, certainly kept things interesting with his enthusiasm and occasionally awkward interference. I loved the close relationship between Jo, Caro, and Pen, though Caro and Pen may have been a little too enthusiastic in their attempts to get Edward and Jo together. That much pressure tended to make Jo dig in her heels rather than agree that she and Edward were right for each other. The dinner scene was both funny and uncomfortable because of two women who had no filters regarding gossip, Jo, and Edward. One of the funniest scenes was at the end when Livy explained to Jo why she didn't feel good.