Review: Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

 There’s a royal wedding on, and things are about to get interesting.

Meet the man of honor

Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla, is not having a merry Christmas. He’s been dumped by a princess, he’s unemployed, and his domineering father has sent him to New York to meet a prospective bride he has no interest in. In the city, he meets Dani Martinez, a smart (and gorgeous) professor he’s determined to befriend before their best friends marry in the Eldovian wedding of the century.

Meet the best woman

Newly single, no-nonsense New Yorker Dani is done with love—she even has a list entitled “Things I Will Never Again Do for a Man”—which is why she hits it off with notorious rake Max. He’s the perfect partner for snow angels in Central Park and deep conversations about the futility of love.

It’s all fun and games until their friendship deepens into attraction and, oops…

Falling in love was never part of the plan. ~ Goodreads

Source: Purchased - e-book

Review: 

This rom-com had the perfect balance of rom and com and I enjoyed it so much!

Coming off a divorce from her ass of an ex (who still works at the university they're both professors at, flaunting his new girlfriend, a former student, just to ad insult) Dani is now forced to deal with yet another irritating man, Max, who happens to be the arrogant, playboy Duke of Aquilla. 

Dani's best friend, Leo, is marrying Marie, a princess, and she'll be his best man, while Max will be Marie's maid of honor. Max flies into NY for another function but makes time to see Dani to *work on the wedding* (he's already crushing on her a bit) and does her a solid by going to a work function to keep her calm while dealing with her ex. She's trying to make tenure and if she loses her cool that will go out the window. 

To her surprise, Max is charming, supportive and funny and they strike up a friendship, often calling each other just to chat and for advice - Dani with trying to date (hook up really) and he trying to find more meaning in his job as Duke and with his troubled family. 

To say this is a slow burn romance would be an understatement. I think at least a year goes by. However, they are so flipping cute and funny and romantic together, even without the kissing and sexy times. You truly believe in their building relationship and get all the romantic feels anyway. They spend so much time together doing couple-y things and it works. 

As time goes by and Dani's divorce is final and Max is finally finding his place in his world they are drawn to each other again and again and start feeling more for each other. However, both have a list of dating rules and feel the other wants to stick to them - no love, no giving up things for a man etc...

I know every book has the dark moment that separates the couple before the resolution and HEA but theirs didn't really ring true. They are so open, honest and mature throughout the whole book and for them (Dani, really) to be SO clueless and a little cruel as their true feelings came out was a little jolting.

They both had good grovel though so I was able to overlook that blip in an otherwise absolutely delightful book. Not only was it a solid romance, but I loved Max's growth, his relationship with his brother and Dani's dog Max lol