Every Duke Has His Day

Today marks the release of Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch. This is my first time reading this author, and it was a thoroughly pleasant experience! This historical romance almost reads like a cozy mystery when a duke and a viscount’s daughter both end up victims of a dognapper. Their black poodles, nearly identical in size and appearance (but not personality!), are both stolen, leading the two to track down their missing pooches. But throughout their tireless searching, these two opposites also discover that they may be more compatible than they first realized. 

Special thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

Michael Bromley, Duke of Woriton, is a social pariah who prefers alone time with his science experiments over making nice with the ton. When his aunt asks him to babysit her beloved black poodle, Lancelot, he agrees. Things go wrong quickly, though, when Lancelot gets tangled up with Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering’s own black poodle, Galahad. After a fall in the lake, Michael and Bitsy each go home with the wrong poodle—a mistake they soon realize and make arrangements to correct the following morning. But before they can switch the dogs back, Lancelot is stolen from Bitsy’s home. This sets off an increasingly outlandish set of circumstances: two missing dogs, a ransom note, unusual dog sightings in town, and more. Michael and Bitsy spend the next couple of weeks working together to unmask the dognapper and get their poodles back. But Bitsy will also have to make a decision about the persistent Peter Cordray’s latest marriage proposal… a proposal that hinges on Galahad’s permanent absence. 

Review

I was initially drawn to Every Duke Has His Day because of the poodles on the cover and central to its plot. I’ve always wanted a poodle, but until I finally follow through on that dream, books like this help scratch the itch, so to speak. 

This is perhaps the most fun and silly historical romance I’ve read. The premise is delightfully ridiculous, and the hijinks just get wilder as things progress. Dognapping not one, but two poodles, dangling ransom notes and threats of death, all to get a girl to accept your marriage proposal? It’s extreme and cruel, to say the least. But what Peter Cordray certainly didn’t see coming is how his evil plans actually would push Bitsy to spend more time with the Duke of Woriton… and that all this time together would allow understanding and affection to bloom between them. 

This is a case of opposites attracting and balancing each other out. Michael is anti-social and at times antagonistic with others, but he’s extremely smart and wants to help the world on a greater scale through his scientific research. Bitsy is a social butterfly who charms all around her, though many don’t realize how clever she, too, is. When their poodles, Lancelot and Galahad, respectively, get tangled up at the park, Michael and Bitsy start off their acquaintance on the wrong foot. There isn’t much friendliness between them, but they soon bond over their common goal of rescuing their stolen poodles. Their search proves that two heads are better than one!

I loved watching Michael and Bitsy traverse London, gathering clues and formulating plans to find the two missing dogs. Spending so much time together, their relationship blossoms very naturally. It’s gradual and sweet how the two develop a genuine fondness for each other, even if they still like to poke and tease in their own ways. 

In addition to sections following Michael and Bitsy, readers also get to see what’s going on with Peter Cordray and with the dognapper, Jimmy. Although the book’s premise is a bit like a cozy historical mystery, we readers know what’s going on the whole time. We know that Peter will stop at nothing to win Bitsy’s hand, including getting rid of her beloved dog that he hates so much. We also know that his hired thief, Jimmy, isn’t such a bad guy after all. Sally is certainly a good influence on him, too. They get their own side love story, which is cute! Reading their respective parts adds to the fun and charm of this book, and doesn’t detract from Michael and Bitsy’s earnest search at all.

Audio

Mark Meadows does a brilliant job of narrating Every Duke Has His Day. He reads with a pleasant voice that is articulate and easy to understand. He also does great work in differentiating between the characters, putting on distinctive voices for Bitsy, Michael, Peter, Jimmy, and Sally. While the former three get a more upper class accent, the latter two are working class and are given voices with the styling to match. It adds to the flavor and individuality wonderfully. This books works perfectly as an audiobook, largely thanks to Mark Meadows’s skillful narration. 

Final Thoughts

Every Duke Has His Day is a sweet and charming novel full of wit, hijinks, and a genuine love for dogs—especially poodles! The characters are likable, even some I didn’t expect to like, and the dogs are a delight. If you’re looking for a light but smart historical romance, this one is a winner.  

Get the Book

You can buy Every Duke Has His Day here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch
Audiobook Narrator	Mark Meadows
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	London, England
Book Length	11 hours
Format I Read	Audiobook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	September 19, 2023

Official Summary

Brain meets Beauty in this sparkling, fresh take on the classic Bringing Up Baby – if Jane Austen had written it! A romantic comedy with a dash of chaos featuring the most ill-behaved poodle in Regency London, by New York Times bestseller Suzanne Enoch.

Michael Bromley, Duke of Woriton, has a passion, but it’s not for chasing ladies or gambling till dawn. No, his is the far more dangerous pursuit of the science of chemistry. He may be a tad eccentric, but he can navigate a society ballroom, and manage a polite conversation—if he must. He’s certainly capable of taking care of his aunt’s perfectly behaved poodle, Lancelot, while she’s on holiday.

Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering, third daughter of a viscount, is enjoying her second, spectacular Season in London. She is a Diamond of the Season and is adored by all—and especially by her precious black poodle, Galahad. To everyone else, however, Galahad is a demon dog. So much so that Bitsy’s most insistent beau and particular victim of Galahad’s bad manners, has hired a thief to steal the dog, clearing the way for his suit.

But none of them can plan for a chaotic encounter in the park, resulting in lost notes, a soaking in the Serpentine and an accidental dog swap…and Lancelot being kidnapped instead of Galahad! Determined to locate the dog, Michael isn’t thrilled to be saddled with a flighty female insisting on helping—except that Bitsy has a great deal more sense than he expected. And a sharp tongue to match. Still, what’s a scientist to do but continue to pursue an outcome, however unexpected it may be? But chemistry is all about attraction, and this is one formula with some hilariously romantic results.