One of a kind storyline and characters but this book just wasn't for me...........
344584
I love this writer but this particular book wasn't for me.  I found it to be depressing as hell.  The storyline was unique as were the characters which I appreciated but upon closure I wasn't satisfied.  At least it was offered as a kindleunlimited though and will defiantly read more of this writers work.
555565
This book is not for me. The story seems to be well written but I didn't enjoy it.
2743362
I am just not a fan of this Author; could not find the characters interesting enough to keep my attention
104970
This book just wasn't my cup of tea.

Honestly, I will probably forget that I ever read this book in eight months; I tried and tried to connect to the MC, Avery Roe, but I never could which led me to have apathetic feelings towards her actions throughout the entire book. Avery likes to believe that everyone in the entire world (excluding us, the concerned readers) is against her and this gives her the right to be dramatic. If you cant tell, I didn't enjoy this trait about her; in fact, it annoyed the crap out of me.

One word to describe me while reading this book: lackadaisical. Avery would stress out and make a dramatic choice. Sure, thats fine, I would think. Then she would completely change her mind and do something else dramatic. You do you. Whatever. She would complicate absolutely everything and decide to do something completely unnecessary and ridiculous. Eh. Im sure youll change your mind before long. Basically, I didn't care what she did.

I was just bored throughout this book; the writing was fine, the story was fine, the characters were fine, and the romance was fine. Scratch that last part, the romance was lacking; I was reading Sway by Kat Spears at the same time as this and the chemistry in that book was insane while the romance in this book couldn't elicit a tiny ripple in the ocean (shes a water witch).

I didn't hate this book at all, I just didn't care which I think is worse; its like when your parents say they aren't mad, they're disappointed, thats how I am with this book. The book had a promising premise but it just fell flat and I didn't like how it weirdly came together, I wasn't satisfied.

A few things I did like: the Roe witches are the bomb dot com and I enjoyed seeing some strong female characters who men respected. Preach.

Avery grew up shadowing her grandmother, the resident witch, because her mother essentially quit being a witch and abandoned her. I enjoyed how Avery looked up to her grandmother and had a love of magic as a whole. We eventually find out why her mother left and why she did the things she did which was helpful to understand the whole story.

Every Roe witch has their own unique gift and Averys was dream interpretation; she would often see how someone dies which reminded me of Helena Bonham Carter in Big Fish, go watch it if you havent, its my favorite movie ever. After I first found out that this was Averys gift, this is who I imagined for the rest of the book.

The plot could have been interesting: Roe witches cant die. Avery Roe is destined to come into her powers. Avery dreams of her death. Now that is a conundrum if Ive ever heard one but yet, it wasn't executed well.

It should be noted that this is a standalone novel; there is not a sequel in sight.

FAVORITE part: that cover is simple yet beautiful.

FAVORITE quote: Theres magic in talking out loud, like drawing out poison, like exposing a wound to air. That gives you just a taste of the writing to see if you would like it. I loved this quote because Im a psychology student and a firm believer that talking is good for the soul.
2563332
This was a so-so read for me. The beginning was interesting enough that I kept going but by the middle of the book I was already losing interest. However, I did push through and finish it. The storyline itself had potential to be great. Unfortunately it fell flat about halfway through. I don't know about everyone else but if I'm reading about centuries old, kick-ass angel guardians, I don't want them to talk like fifteen year old boys. (dude, bro, I got your back...etc) The way the guardians acted (goofing off most of the time like kids) and talked really got on my nerves. And then there was Emma. I think she accepted everything way too fast. It was like it didn't even bother her to learn that angels and evil creatures existed. There was also many mistakes throughout the book, but that didn't bother me as much as the other things did. Overall, it was an okay read that other, younger readers  (I'm in my thirties) may enjoy. I, however will not continue this series despite the fact that I have already purchased the other 3 books. I just don't think I can force myself to read something I've already lost interest in.
1348031
Not quite what I was expecting and sadly I couldn't finish this one...
628206
yup, I'm in the minority here...I didn't rate this too high.
Its starts off with a bang, though! I tell you, the author wasted no time getting things going!
I liked the story, I liked the characters, I liked the writing style. However, it was too short for me to really feel anything. I wasn't wrapped up in them. Was the attraction there? Sure...I guess. There were just a few things that just didn't do it for me.

there were other issues other than just the sex going on, Josh was not out and Adam had some bad experiences with guys like Josh's friends that led him to be somewhat weary of them. I think overall, I did really like the characters and the idea but it was so short that things couldn't develop to where I felt a real emotional connection to them. It just wasn't enough for me. I would read more from this author because I did enjoy the writing style and storyline. If you're looking for a quick, hot, sweet but not very emotional read, this would be perfect.
3946078
I was kind of disappointed with this book. It's a little slower than the others in the series and therefore I didn't enjoy it as much. It took me longer to read it and I gave up.

Usually, once I put a book down that's it but I just couldn't completely give up and write it off as a miss. So I picked it back up and unfortunately I struggled to finished.......it just didn't do it for me.

I really can't put my finger on one thing, I just couldn't get into it. I don't think it was the older woman/younger man, or the lame reason Eddie used for not hooking up with Captain, or the Beauregard situation. Maybe it was simply the pace of the book. Who knows??? Anyway, you can't please everyone all the time. This won't deter me from continuing with the series. NEXT!!!
947979
Sorry I just could not get into it.
 ********* maybe spoiler alert*******
I could not get through this book at all.
There was a couple of things that makes this
book really difficult to finish. One was the author
Wrote in the first person and I love when the author
Writes in the third person I hate being in someone's
Mind. The other thing is throughout this whole book
You only know what the h is thinking you have no clue
What so ever what the H is thinking. For me at least I love to get to know
Who the characters are and feel like I know them. I have MS
Pretty bad so all I do is read and I'm so sorry to say
That I was not able to finish this book and that's very rare
For me, because I love to escape my reality even if it is Just for a little while
And have my imagination go wild with a lil bit fantasy. Some  of my favorite romance
authors like maya banks, lora leigh, shayla black, lori foster, elle kennedy
Jaci burton, cherise Sinclair, and that's just A few of the ones I love LOL
They all help me forget what I have to go through for a little bit at least and
Honestly I really wanted to like this book but like I said I just couldn't
finish it.
63817
I didn't love this book, and I won't be continuing the series.  It wasn't awful, and the writer has potential.  The story line and delivery just didn't work for me.

Taylor isn't the strong female lead that I like to see in stories.  She has moments when she puts her foot down and gets angry, but those moments pass quickly and almost all lead to her giving an apology for getting upset. Her reaction/anger to several situations aren't really over the top and are justified, so I don't see why she should apologize.  In fact, I would have liked to have seen her stay angry and maintain some dignity.  I also found her character to be immature and/or lack common sense, which is off-putting for me. Being naive is one thing, but being stupid with no real sense of self-preservation is another. I couldn't connect with her.

At several points in the book, Case says some version of the following: "I'm sorry. I don't deserve you. I promise this will never happen again. I'll keep you safe." And, yet something happens to Taylor--repeat x3 (at least). Since Taylor never calls him on his empty promises and since he never addresses that they are empty promises, I don't see why this sentiment is repeated. It doesn't contribute to character growth in any way and is, therefore, random.

I didn't care for Case either. I found his big secret predictable. I kept hoping I was wrong--that his secret revel wouldn't be what I thought--but I was right, and as a result, I was disappointed in his character. People like him have to do what they have to do, but some of what he engages in (i.e., his relationship with Rachel, amongst other things) isn't part of that life, and I have higher standards for men like him. Speaking of, I found his whole relationship with Rachel to be disturbing and trashy, and the inclusion of it and his lack of shame (at any point) made me detest his character.  I also hate that sex between him and Taylor is similar to sex between him and Rachel. There's nothing that makes sex with Taylor special, and I don't like that--especially when Rachel points out to Taylor that Case is not making love to Taylor, and Case never states otherwise or corrects Rachel.  What could have made that scene would have been Taylor knowing that he did make love to her and that she was special.  But, no.  The writer felt that we needed to know that sex with Taylor isn't special to Case.

Along those lines, I didn't care for the sex scenes. Dirty sex has its place, but I never felt any emotional connection during sex between the H/h.  And plenty of writers have proven that a connection can exist in the dirtiest of sex scenes.  Even as they cared about each other, it was as if they still kept sex void of feelings--and that's not for me.

The writing itself is choppy.  I wish the writer would have used more contractions, especially in the dialogue. There are frequent grammar errors, but nothing too severe.  The lack of contractions is what killed me the most--as far as the writing itself is concerned. For $0.99, it's fine. But, this book shows that the writer doesn't use an editor (not a good one, anyway). So I'm not likely to buy anything else of hers.

I was torn about whether I wanted to give this 2 or 3 stars. The story was kind of engaging. I finished the book. I acknowledge that some of my issues with the story are based on personal preference within this genre, but the character development and writing just aren't to standard for me. I give the plot a 3, but the writing brings it down to a 2.
4270049
I thought the storyline was great but not evolved enough.  This story had the potential to be amazing but instead I finished the book with a shrug of my shoulders.  Maybe I'm so used to reading longer books??  I definitely felt that the author tried too hard to make her man character "Cas" sound like a boy.  It just seemed like Kendare Blake was new to the writing world (not sure if she is or not) and has room to grow.  The artwork on the cover is stunning.  Whoever they used for the artwork-- keep it up. I don't know if I would recommend this book... maybe if it was a rainy day and there was nothing left to do?  It wasn't horrible, I just wasn't imporessed.
4591590
While on a mission to protect the Crown in the name of the Brotherhood of the Sword, circumstances lead Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford, to the door of Lilith Crisp, Lady Thornton, the woman whose hand his brother died fighting over in a duel years ago.
Having been trapped in an arranged and unhappy marriage for years, Lilith finally sees an opportunity for freedom when Gabriel shows up at her door to bring her some news.
Shes ready to start a new life with her niece, but when it becomes obvious that her charge is in danger, she is forced to work with Gabriel to uncover the mystery surrounding her niece in order to keep the young woman safe. Working side by side, they cant deny the attraction evident between them.
Can Gabriel and Lilith overcome their past and maybe build a future together?

Dueling with the Duke had all the ingredients for a great historical romance  an unrealized past connection between the characters, sexual attraction, mystery, a little action and danger  but unfortunately I couldn't connect with the story all that much.

I felt like the novel barely scratched the surface while trying to explore its characters and rushing through its far-fetched plot. Gabriel felt like a cardboard cutout and the book constantly reminded me why I should feel sorry for Lilith and why shes so brave while not giving me a real grip on her character. Everyone else in the book also seemed like merely a sketch.
The romantic and physical attraction between the characters was believable but I just couldn't really get invested in it.

Also, the mystery couldn't hold my interest because I couldn't care that much about any of the characters and I felt like half of this novel tied into or set up other parts of this series.

Overall, I just didn't enjoy Dueling with the Duke.

______________________
I received a review copy from Entangled Publishing.
1383213
Ive been struggling with how to review this book.  I loved the premise of the story. I was excited to read about Chases double life as a successful businessman by day and sexy rocker at night, but I honestly had a hard time connecting with and getting invested in the storyline or the characters.  Believe me, I absolutely love rock romance, and I love be true to yourself and follow your dreams storylines, so again, I was looking forward to this one, but it just didn't do it for me.
 I felt like the beginning dragged on and then when it came to the meat of the story it was rushed.  I felt Ivys reaction to Chases secret was beyond over the top.  I mean, hellodont you lead a double life yourself?  Look into your own reasoning for having a pseudo name for your art and take into account Chases family and the history there. The friend and family twist was interesting but, to me, that could have been a huge storyline twist with drama and angst and it fell flat and was seriously lacking in detail.
These are only my opinions.  As you can see by looking at the reviews, many people loved this book, so again, it could be just me. So please only take this as it is, my opinion.  We all have different likes and tastes.  This was definitely not the worst book Ive ever read, so please, if this book looks and sounds good to you, give it a chance.
1966755
***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review***
Just not my cup of tea.  I felt that the book was too slow, had too many different perspectives that are jumbled as who was talking.  I struggled to read through the book.  I love to read but this storyline did not keep my interest.
2030337
I received this book in the Goodreads First reads give-away in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. It has strong characters, mystery, romance, everything that should have made it a book I really enjoyed. But it just fell flat for me and I had a hard time caring about the characters or their story. Coco was too "perfect", things came too easily for her, her reactions and the character in general just weren't very believable to me.

That being said, I plan to read another book by P.S. Merona because I did like his writing style. I just didn't like this book.
4017417
I really wanted to like this book but I just can't get into it.  The two main characters are just not developed enough and couldn't grab me like they usually do.  I've tried to get involved in the story 4 - 5 times but it is just not happening for me.  I finally just gave up at around 18 percent read.  Sorry but it just didn't grab me.  I will look for more of the authors books and give another one a chance because I think she has great possibility with the right material.
1299028
"Take Me With You" by Catherine Ryan Hyde has a wonderful storyline that I wanted to like more than I actually did. The premise of matching strangers together on a trip while confined to a small motorhome is great. But for some reason that I can't put my finger on I didn't like the pacing or writing style. The characters are richly developed and interesting and the adventure is stimulating but the constant recriminations and self doubt are a drag. 3 stars!!!