This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
I first heard about "Choosing Theo" from my time on Instagram, I will admit that the book community over there really influences what I read most of the time, and this was a solid read and I am so grateful that I was drawn to this one. There are so many fun aspects to this story here and its a story that will immediately pull you in and draw you to a world that is so captivating and endearing but also making you want to fight for true equal rights. I found the world building so interesting but the romance and depths of growth in the relationship itself was spot on. You definitely will find some beauty in this one and if you love a good sci fi or alien themed romance, then you definitely need to be drawn towards this series here. Absolutely loved every single moment.

Summary
Jade is kidnapped by a reptile form of alien and dropped onto a strange planet, she is eventually rescued by the native aliens on the planet, the Clecanians, who are willing to shelter and protect her, but she will need to make a sacrifice and respect the boundaries and established laws of their people, which will mean a marriage of convenience. She figures she can play along, have some good sex while looking for a way back home. She chooses the man she is most drawn to, a man no woman would choose because of his tattoo looking scars, but she is intrigued by their instant connection. As Theo and Jade work on figuring out their marriage, there is a secret plot, but only their fated bond will be enough to save them...

My Outlook
What a majestic romance this turned out to be and it contained so many layers that really impressed me overall. I also found the matriarchal themed society unique. I really felt for the males on this planet though, they have hardly any rights and everything is done for the pleasure of the women but both sacrifice so much for the good of their people. I found their interactions beyond endearing and fascinating. I had so much fun with the heroine especially. I wasn't sure about her in the beginning, but the way she treats Theo, was so humbling. She really shows him that males have value and worth and I am so intrigued to see if the author will really expound on the male treatment that is unjust and developing that a bit more. The romance was beyond endearing and these two just fit right for each other. Highly intrigued on this world building and the style of writing from this author and definitely going to pick up more and soon.

Overall View
I found Choosing Theo to be such a fascinating story that instantly pulled me in and I found myself thoroughly enjoying myself on this one here.

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building: 4
Cover:4
Hero: 5
Heroine: 4.5
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels:4
Ending:4
Overall View: 4 ( )

Barbara’s rating: 3.3 of 5 Stars

This is the third, and I believe final, book in the series. We find the third and final heiress as well as identify and punish the villain(s) who has plagued the dukedom by murdering the previous duke and making several attempts on the life of the current duke. So, most of the mysteries are cleared up – and those that aren’t – well, I had to wonder why they were ever in there in the first place. I have read all of the books in the series and my actual ratings have moved down with each book. I rated the first book as a solid 4 – the second book as a 3.5 – and now this one with a 3.3 – so maybe it is good that the series is finished.

I have loved Nicholas Radnor, the new Duke of Hollinburg since the first book. He is handsome, charming, and honorable. He was unprepared to be the duke, but has stepped into the role as best he can and is making strides to become the duke he has never trained to be. His uncle, the previous duke, left the dukedom in a mess by bequeathing most of his personal fortune to three heiresses he didn’t even really know. So, of course, without any funds, the dukedom flounders and Nicholas would be required to find a loveless marriage with an heiress to keep it afloat. While Nicholas isn’t happy about the state of affairs, he has more or less accepted it and is settling into being the best duke he can be. He’s hoping the third and final heiress won’t be found because not having to give out that portion of the inheritance will at least give him a little breathing room to get the dukedom on an even financial footing before he has to make decisions about what to do long-term.

Iris Barrington has absolutely no clue she is an heiress when she knocks on the door of the Duke of Hollinburgh. She’s only there to try to find the truth about a long-ago wrong that was done to her grandfather – and to set it right and rehabilitate her grandfather’s name. She is totally shocked to learn of her potential inheritance! Still, her goal is to right a wrong, the inheritance is just the icing on the cake.

I just didn’t love Iris and I didn’t really feel the chemistry between her and Nicholas. For me, the book got off to a slow start, and spent a lot of time in libraries and talking about the book trade, etc. I know that time was supposed to show them growing closer to each other, but for me, it just dragged along.

Aside from the overarching mystery that has run through all of the books, this one had a couple of additional mysteries pertinent to Iris and Nicholas. The first one is the mystery of why and how Iris’s grandfather was wronged. That was basically solved and the beginnings of a solution were set in motion. The second mystery had to do with some factories Nicholas had inherited. We got a quasi-answer, but no real final solutions, so I had to wonder why we would include them in the story at all. All of that page time could have been devoted to more character-building and interactions between Iris and Nicholas.

I believe the best scene in the book was when the three heiresses, who had become fast friends, decided to have an adventure and went to a women’s entertainment venue. It wasn’t exactly a brothel for ladies because it did have other entertainments there – but it was close enough to one. They were listening to bawdy songs and dance routines, etc.

For me, this was a bit disappointing as the wrap-up for a series and it was in desperate need of an epilogue to show how their futures evolved. I mean, we didn’t even get a wedding in this book!

I am glad to have read the book as it completes the series, but I wouldn’t read it a second time, nor would I purchase it for a friend. For me, it just wasn’t the book Nicholas deserved and I was disappointed. Should you choose to read it, I hope you will love it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

This was an enjoyable conclusion to the series. Nicholas, the new Duke of Hollinburgh, is slowly settling into his new role. As the book opens, he contemplates some of his challenges. One is finding the last of the three mysterious heiresses mentioned in his late uncle's will, and another is looking for a suitable bride to bring much-needed cash into the family. The heiress has been challenging to track down, so Nicholas is shocked when she shows up at his estate.

Iris, a rare book dealer, extracted a promise from the late duke that he would look for a missing rare book that she believes is in his possession. That book is at the heart of a scandal that ruined her grandfather's reputation, and she is determined to find it and prove him innocent. She is shocked to discover that the duke left her a substantial inheritance. She understands Nicholas's doubts and agrees to an understanding with him - she will inventory and appraise the books in his library if he agrees to look for the missing book.

I liked both Nicholas and Iris. Nicholas is an honorable man who didn't expect to inherit the title as soon as he did. Now he is land-rich and cash poor with many relatives who are furious at being cut out of his uncle's will, and they are making his life miserable. His best friends are his cousins Chase and Kevin, the heroes from the series' first two books. All three are convinced their uncle's death was not an accident, but their investigation has not revealed any proof.

Iris is a spirited and independent woman. She is a professional woman who makes her living buying and selling rare books all over Europe. She has no trouble going after what she wants, whether clearing her grandfather's name or giving in to the attraction she feels for Nicholas. I loved that she didn't let the relatives' attitudes get to her.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Nicholas and Iris develop. The sparks between them are evident from the start, and it was fun to see the attraction build as they got to know each other. There is some distrust between them, as Nicholas suspects that Iris is hiding something, and Iris isn't sure Nicholas will agree to something that would tarnish his family's reputation. The banter between them was fun, as neither held back when they had something to say. When it came to their attraction, Nicholas had no trouble showing Iris how he felt but left the pace of their relationship up to her.

I liked how they worked together to search for the missing book and how it brought them closer. Nicholas finds himself less interested in the "suitable" bride his aunts push at him and more inclined to make Iris a permanent part of his life. Iris has fallen hard for Nicholas but feels the gap between them is too significant to make anything permanent possible. That feeling intensifies when she makes a devastating discovery. I love that Iris is honest with him about what she found and that Nicholas shows her that it makes no difference to his feelings for her.

Several mysteries kept me guessing throughout the book. First is the mystery that runs through the series - was the previous duke's death an accident or murder? Nicholas, Chase, and Kevin have their suspicions but no proof. Second, is the mystery of the missing book. Nicholas and Iris have questions about the reasons for its disappearance, as nothing about it makes sense. Then there is the mystery of the attacks that happen when Nicholas and Iris are together. Who is the target? Iris, because of the inheritance, or Nicholas, because he is the current duke? The twists and turns of this story kept me guessing to the end, as the interweaving of all three made a surprising conclusion.

The relationships in the book were one of the highlights. In addition to the one between Nicholas and Iris, we see more of the previous couples. Minerva is now expecting, and Chase's overprotectiveness is sweet and irritating. Minerva is so frustrated with him that she finds ways to escape his hovering, creating hilarious situations. Rosamunde is a willing co-conspirator who gets Kevin in hot water with his cousin. The close friendship between the three cousins is heartwarming, though there is also a fair amount of teasing among the three. It is especially amusing to see Nicholas's reactions to Kevin and Chase's propensity to be "distracted" by their wives. I loved how Minerva, Rosamunde, and Iris bonded so quickly. The three get up to some interesting shenanigans, and seeing how the men react is fun.

The other relationships that dominate the book are those of Nicholas's relations. They all feel entitled to anything they want, and Nicholas has his work cut out to keep them in line. I liked watching him grow into his ducal dignity and use it effectively, though there were other times when they seemed to walk all over him. His two aunts were especially good at that, and Iris gets into the act when she uses them to set up Nicholas. I laughed out loud at the drawing-room scene where Nicholas pictured Iris and Minerva as lionesses bringing down a gazelle (Aunt Agnes) who never realized she was being hunted. He was less amused when he started to feel like a gazelle himself.

My only disappointment with the book was the lack of an epilogue. I would like to have seen them two or three years in the future, happy and prospering.

#netgalley ( )

Nicholas Radnor became the Duke of Hollingburgh when his uncle died unexpectedly. Nicholas inherited the entailed properties, but not his uncle's personal fortune, so he is resigned to marrying a suitable debutante with an enormous dowry. His uncle left his fortune to three young women who are unknown to his family. Two were introduced in the first two books in this series, A Duke's Heiress, but investigators had failed to find the third woman, Iris Barrington, until she turned up unexpectedly at the duke's home demanding that he fulfil a promise made to her by the previous duke. She is a book dealer and is looking for a valuable book that her grandfather was accused of stealing.

There are three mysteries: the mystery of the missing book; the family secret for which Nicholas's father fought a duel and died; the suspicious death of the previous duke. There's also the romance between the Iris and the duke, which seems doomed because Iris is neither rich enough nor aristocratic enough to become a duchess. All the threads eventually link up tidily. There's plenty of mystery and romance, a couple of potential villains, and many appealing characters, including the heroes and heroines of the first two novels in the series. You don't have to read the first two to enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC. ( )