Would I Lie to the Duke
Series: Union of the Rakes #2
Author: Eva Leigh
Published August 25th 2020 by Avon/September 17th 2020 by Mills & Boon

Goodreads Synopsis
When an ambitious entrepreneur pretends to be a lady of means, she catches the eye—and heart—of a duke...

Jessica McGale's family business desperately needs investors, and she's determined to succeed at any cost. But she knows London's elite will never look twice at a humble farm girl like herself. Posing as “Lady Whitfield,” however, places her in the orbit of wealthy, powerful people—most notably the Duke of Rotherby. His influence and support could save her company, but Jess never expected the effect he'd have on her.

Society thinks Noel is a notorious, carefree duke who dabbles in investments, but there's a side to him that only his closest friends see. When he crosses paths with Lady Whitfield at a business bazaar, his world tilts on its axis. She's brilliant and compelling, and brings him to his knees like no woman has before. Trust is difficult for Noel, but Jess makes him believe anything is possible...

As time ticks down on her Cinderella scheme, the thought of achieving her goal at Noel's expense breaks Jess' heart. He doesn't just want her now, he wants her forever. But will her secret end their future before it begins?
Goodreads

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

Would I Lie to the Duke follows Jessica McGale as she navigates London as a companion to Lady Catherton, while trying to save her family's soap making business that burned down a few months ago. After Lady Catherton is delayed in the country due to an illness, and Jess is alone in London, she decides to masquerade as Lady Whitfield, gain access to the exclusive Bazaar, and find some wealthy backers to save her family. She meets Noel, Duke of Rotherby, and together they have such a chemistry that she starts to forget that she's little old Jess McGale, and not Lady Jessica Whitfield. Noel, for his part, has never felt like this around a stranger. He's always been slightly hidden and aloof, apart from with his closest friends, the Union of Rakes, but Jess breaks down all his walls and she the real Noel. When their attraction becomes too much, the spanner is thrown in the works when the Bazaar want to travel to Jess' hometown, to see the business in situ, and her whole Cinderella style dream could come crashing down around her. Will Noel forgive her, or has she ruined everything?

Eva Leigh has been an author I've wanted to read ever since I got into Regency romances, and this book was just fantastic. I was hooked from the get go, and really enjoyed both points of view. Jess was a perfect heroine, and her story was so moving, and I completely understood why she pretended to be Lady Whitfield for so long, and get it a secret from Noel, even though she knew it was likely to turn out in a big mess. She was caught up in the whole experience, and felt like Jess McGale wouldn't be someone that Noel would be interested in, and she wanted that love and attention before it was too late and the clock struck midnight. Noel, on the other hand, was a very complex character, I felt, who had his two different personas, but only with Jess, and the occasional appearance of his fellow Rakes, did his true persona appear, and we really got to know the real Noel, and not the Duke of Rotherby. When both of them were apart, they were thinking about the other, and though their attraction and lust was instant, them starting to love each other grew gradually, as the story progressed, and it felt natural. Inevitably, there was a bit of drama and angst towards the ending when Jess' lies caught up with her, but the resolution was just what was needed, and I'm now desperately looking forward to book 3, Waiting For a Scot Like You. I can't wait to read more of Eva's books in the future.

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