How to Fool a Duke
Series: The Husband Dilemma #1
Author: Mary Lancaster & Violetta Rand
Published December 3rd 2020 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Young women in need of second chances find sympathy and assistance with the enigmatic Lady Whitmore in her seaside castle and village. The ultimate goal: to find husbands for these rejected ladies of the ton. Yet, not every young woman is motivated by the same emotions, for some of these ladies possess rakish hearts that can only be tamed by true love.

Her voice is pure, her motives wicked.

Lady Sarah Merrington will never forget being spurned by the duke she was supposed to marry. After all, that is the very reason she finds herself as a personal guest to the enigmatic Lady Whitmore in her village on the coast, a place of sanctuary where a lady might learn new accomplishments and, perhaps, the necessary skills to charm the elites of society. And Sarah is determined to reinvent herself so she can seek satisfaction, if not a bit of feminine revenge against the Duke of Vexen.

Leonard Blackmore, the Duke of Vexen, is invited to host a charitable event in a place he's never heard of before and by a lady he's never met. Pleased by the opportunity, he accepts the invitation only to find his gracious hostess, Lady Whitmore, is not only a fellow patron to the arts but provides second chances to young ladies who simply need a helping hand. Unexpectedly, the duke meets a beautiful woman who sings like an angel. He swears he's seen her before but can't quite remember where or when. It doesn't matter, for she's captured his deep interest, and he always gets what he wants.

Sarah can't believe her duke has arrived, giving her the chance to fulfill her dream for revenge. But the more she's around him, the more she admires and likes him. And it's only a matter of time before he realizes who she is.

Will Sarah take advantage of the perfect opportunity to fool her duke, or will she forgive and forget in order to give love a second chance?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Getting revenge has never felt so sweet. For Lady Sarah Merrington, she was basically engaged to marry the handsome Duke of Vexen when she was younger, but after he met her, he went to her father and refused. Now, she has grown up, and become accomplished while living with the mysterious Lady Whitmore at her home that provides second chances for young ladies. Now that she is ready, Sarah comes across the Duke again, but he thinks she is only Miss Sarah, at least, at first. Once he realises the truth, that the young lady he once sat in a tree with has become this beautiful and accomplished woman, he wants nothing more than to make her his duchess. But Sarah wants him to feel rejected just like she had, and will do anything to make him fall in love, and then suffer heartbreak. However, the sparks fly, and soon it looks like Sarah may have to forgive and forget, to have her happy ending.

I found this book such a fun and quick read. I was going through my kindle to-read shelf, and spotted it, and thought it was a perfect book for a rainy Sunday morning, and it definitely was. Okay, Sarah was a little young and naive at times, but her 'heartbreak' and dejection over the perceived rejection by Vexen, had affected her a lot, and she needed to find somewhere to recover. With Lady Whitmore, she flourished, and became extremely accomplished, and was ready for her revenge - or so she thought. However, meeting Vexen again, who had grown even more handsome in the meantime, it made Sarah reconsider her plan, especially as she got to know him. The sub plot surrounding the truth about Lady Whitmore and her background, I enjoyed, but it was an easy 'mystery' to guess at. The romance was good, I didn't like Sarah's parents, but all in all, a decent book.

Dates Read:
July 11, 2021

Rating
3 Stars