The Duke Is But a Dream
A Debutante Diaries Novel
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4,0 • 96 notes
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- 7,99 $US
Description de l’éditeur
She’s a secret sensation.
Miss Lily Hartley is the anonymous mastermind behind the ton’s latest obsession: The Debutante’s Revenge, a tell-all advice column for young ladies. To keep her identity hidden, Lily delivers her columns disguised as a boy—which is well and good, until she lands in the middle of tavern brawl. As luck would have it, a devastatingly handsome duke sweeps in to rescue her.
He has no idea who she is.
Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, discovers there’s a beautiful woman hiding beneath a lad’s cap, and, before long, he’s falling for the delightfully clever stranger recuperating in his house. He vows to help her find her home, even though he’s reluctant to part with her. There’s only one problem…
Neither does she.
Lily has no idea who she is. She could be a duchess or maid. Betrothed or married. There’s only one thing she does know—that her attraction to Nash is more than skin-deep, and it grows stronger every day. While Lily and Nash search to find her true identity, they just might lose their hearts to each other...
“Fans of Regency romance authors Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Mary Jo Putney will go wild.” —Booklist
"Deeply satisfying." - Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The second Debutante's Diaries Regency (after First Earl I See Tonight) matches a duke with a gossip columnist in a solid story that makes the best of its amnesia gimmick. Lily Hartley, the anonymous author of the controversial Debutante's Revenge column, disguises herself to deliver her latest piece. Then she goes to a tavern, where she becomes the victim of thieves and suffers a head injury. Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, rescues her and takes her back to his place, where they determine she has amnesia. Lily bonds with Eric's sister, Delilah, and soon sparks are flying between Lily and Eric. But with no idea who Lily is or whether she's promised to another, they feel constrained from pursuing a romance. Eric believes that he could never give his whole heart to a woman, but Lily's patience with Eric helps him overcome his fears. The pace of their story is steady and the flow is smooth, with plenty of chemistry and passion. Fans of pining and sexual tension will find this a deeply satisfying tale of love persevering despite social constraints.
Avis d’utilisateurs
The Duke Is But a Dream
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
I did enjoy this book. The plot flowed beautifully and was just enough descriptive detail to imagine the book as a movie in my mind. Lily's sister and brother-in-law are going to Scotland for several weeks and her father and step-mother are going to Bath. That leaves Lily in London all by herself for a couple of weeks. She is the author of a controversial column in the newspaper. To protect her identity, she dresses as a chimney sweep to deliver her column. Since she is free to roam, she decided to stop at a tavern to absorb life from a different perspective than as a lady of the ton. She catches the attention of 3 burly men with an unsavory attempt to relieve her of her bag. Enter Nash, he comes to her rescue. In the skirmish, Nash is momentarily distracted by her smile. Lily suddenly changes the direction to come to his aid instead of leaving and Nash throws one of the men in the same direction. Lily is thrown into the table and hits her head. When her cap comes off and reveals that the lad is actually a woman and unfortunately no one knows her identity, Nash this the ultimate gentleman and takes her home.
The journey to Nash and Lily's HEA is one that is a delightful story. It is filled with intrigue and mystery. The scenes of a sexual nature are told in a manner that leaves the reader to their imagination for the most part. The issue that I have with the story is that Lily (Delilah names her Caroline just to give her a name) acts like nothing a young lady of the 1800's would. She is really bold and daring in her pursuit of Nash. Now I realize that this is a fictional story and the author has the right to portray the characters to fit the story but it didn't seem natural in fitting in the period. This is the first story of this author that I have read. Would I read more of her work, yes. Because it is a fictional story and the author does have license to do with what she will with said characters to entertain me the reader.
I did enjoy the dual POV format. Reading the characters' thoughts does help me to understand the direction the character is going in.
If you what a perfect period piece of historical romance, then this story may not be for you. If you enjoy a piece of work that will take you on a mini bookcation, then you may enjoy this story. This is the second in the series but you really don't have to read the first book of the series to enjoy this one.
Enjoyable Tale
A wonderful journey with Lily and Nash! Couldn’t put the book down. Loved their very bumpy ride to happiness.
Who I Am
Dressed as a boy, the disguise she wears when she delivers her advice column to the paper, Lily decides to visit a tavern to see what it is like. When she is set upon by three bullies, the Duke of Stonebridge steps in to rescue her and accidentally knocks her into a table. Nash takes the unconscious girl to his home and sends for a doctor. The head injury results in amnesia. While she recovers and tries to regain her memory, she and Nash and his sister come to know each other. She and Delilah become friends. There is a strong attraction growing between her and Nash. Her search to regain her memories results in not just her recovery, but some surprises as well. Once she remembers her name and her life, will there still be a connection between her and Nash?
The Duke is But a Dream has is an exciting and touching story. It is full of emotion, drama, and discovery. There is enough action to hold your attention and turning pages to find out what happens next. I like the characters and the way they grow and change as the story unfolds. Lily is an exuberant confident young woman. She has a wonderful family and is happy. Nash and Delilah are her opposites in many ways. Tragedy took their father and sister. Nash inherited the dukedom and guardianship of his sister when he was eighteen. Delilah is a delightfully cheery girl who loves her brother, but longs for a little freedom to go out and enjoy the life of a debutante. Until Lily comes into his life, Nash is dour, overwhelmed with regret and guilt. He is almost unreasonably overprotective of Delilah. Fiona and Sophie are here to support and advise Lily. Drake proved to be a friend for Nash, as well as his solicitor. This is an enjoyable read. Don’t miss it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.