I loved this book. It grabbed me quickly, and drew me in the entire story. A great story line of mistaken identity leading to a shared goal, that turns into attraction. Well written, with complex characters that feel historically accurate, and stay true to their "voices". The story moves along, not getting bogged down in too much back and forth of "does he/she love me". A very enjoyable read, with enough twists and turns to keep everyone interested.

When I read the initial description of this book I was leery. How could one author possibly combine mistaken identity, unrealized love, and falling for the "wrong" person all in the same story line? I don't know how she did it, but Anna Harrington gracefully combined unique elements of each theme to create a spellbinding story. With the first pages I was hooked. I had to see how Miranda Hodgkins's vest for life and unbridled enthusiasm mixed with Sebastian Carlisle's pragmatism and ridged sense of duty. If two people with opposing personalities and differing social class wasn't enough, let's throw in Sebastian's belief that as the Duke of Trent, he (and his future wife) must be without fault and Miranda's childhood fantasy of being with Robert, Sebastian's brother. These two are put through the test with humiliating, endearing, heated, and heartbreaking moments, that all lead to the greatest moment - trusting your heart and letting go of others expectations and preconceived beliefs. I cannot wait to continue reading more about this family.

If you enjoy historical romance novels, you won't be disappointed by "If the Duke Demands". This is a typical Regency romance, complete with the hero who is a cad, the damsel who thinks she can control her own destiny, the often-comedic events that bring the two together & the HEA.

Miranda Hodgkins is an orphan who lives with her aunt & uncle, who just happen to live next door to a Duke & his family. She is in love with Robert (or so her young heart believes) & decides to do something scandalous to show her love to him.

Of course, as in most of these type of books, the best laid plans go awry & there the fun begins! Ms. Harrington's descriptions of the time period, the clothing, the décor, and the hierarchy of class are spot-on and definitely add to the story. I look forward to seeing what happens next in the Carlisle family.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own and not influenced by this.

I first fell in love with these men when they were introduced in the Secret Life of Scoundrels series and I am SO glad to get to know them better. The entire family's verbal interactions are highly entertaining. I always love when an author includes scenes with the mother bantering with all her sons. Sebastian and Miranda's story is very romantic and getting these two to their HEA was an adventure. I like the sort-of-friends to lovers scenario and I felt Ms. Harrington did a very good job of making the transition believable. Looking forward to continuing the series to spend more time with the brothers.

Although the chemistry between the hero and heroine is sizzling hot, I didn't like the fact that Sebastian made Miranda feel like she was not good enough for him throughout the book. Only towards the end, he has an epiphany that she is his equal and accepts her. That aspect of this novel made it a little disappointing for me. Although this is a good author, this particular book did not work for me.

* I received this ARC from netgalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Miranda and Sebastian are the heroine and hero of this story and let me just say that it was quite interesting from the very start. Fireworks and hot seduction fires up theses pages. I highly recommend reading If the Duke Demands!

Miranda sneaks into the room of her childhood friend, Robert, to declare her love for him. However, she ends up in the room of his brother Sebastian. They come to an agreement - he will help her win Robert, if she will help him find a wife. But, like they say, the best laid plans go awry. Really enjoyable

If the Duke Demands, the first book in Anna Harrington's new regency series, Capturing the Carlisle’s, centers on Miranda Hodgkins who has set out to win the man she has loved since childhood, Robert Carlisle. With a reputation for being unconventional Miranda devises a plan to seduce her elusive love interest only to find herself in the bed of the wrong Carlisle brother! Former rake Sebastian Carlisle has spent the last two years reforming himself to be the man he thinks his father would have wanted him to be when he unexpectedly finds himself a Duke. Bound by a deal to secure each of their interest Miranda and Sebastian find that you cannot always foresee what is meant to be.

Writers like Anna Harrington are why I read historical romance. Beautifully plotted and superbly articulated this book was virtually impossible to put down to the very end. Sebastian and Miranda fit together endearingly as flaws became the very attributes admired. The awakening of the leads to their attraction to each other by this writer was made special and unique as each discovery they dealt with brought out a myriad of emotions ranging from denial to wonderment. Anna Harrington's wit and sensitivity flourished in this work and her homage to fellow artists such as Shakespeare, Milton and Mozart added a charming layer to a fine novel. A story of acceptance, love and taking chances, If the Duke Demands is a book to be read and re-read because it is just that magical!

*I was given an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.*
*While part of a series this work can be read as a stand alone.*

Well hello new romance author I need to be reading, welcome to my to-read list forever. Anyone who can bring the ship is an author I need to be reading. From the very beginning, I was enraptured by If the Duke Demands and I could not put it down until I reached the end.

Harrington combines a couple of my favorite historical romance tropes here: seducing the wrong guy and falling for an older brother of a friend. In this instance, heroine Miranda actually has a crush on Sebastian’s younger brother and her childhood friend Robert. Since he’s started expressing decided interest in a specific lady, Miranda freaks out and devises a surefire plan to get him to think of her as a woman: she’ll sneak into his room after the masquerade wearing a sexy, skimpy costume, do the sex, and then reveal her identity. It’s all going according to plan until partway through the kissing, she realizes she snuck into the wrong bedroom.

From that point on, If the Duke Demands is very similar ship-wise to Because of Miss Bridgerton, aka one of my very favorite romances of all time. Now, that’s totally okay because I adore that ship, but it’s really remarkably similar. Miranda’s also a bit wild, doesn’t think things through and loves reading. Sebastian had always been mildly annoyed by Miranda, but now he’s having feelings he doesn’t know what to do with. I basically love all ships where people don’t know what to do with their emotions.

However, though I absolutely love Miranda and Sebastian as a ship, it does mean that I can’t help comparing the two novels. While Harrington gets the ship right, the secondary cast is much weaker than in the Rokesbys series. It’s hard to go head to head with Quinn and come out the winner, because she’s just so good at building out not just her ship but the entire cast. Plus, Sebastian does seize on his father’s commandment to choose the right duchess with a narrow-minded persistence that’s more reminiscent of the unfortunate The Viscount Who Loved Me; Sebastian’s mindset really would have made more sense if his dad died when he was really young. As a result, the end does fall apart a bit, but I was caught up enough it didn’t totally throw me off.

I absolutely recommend If the Duke Demands to my shippy friends. It was so cute, and I had the best time reading it. Now I need to find copies of books two and three posthaste.

Miranda Hodgkins has been in love with Robert Carlisle forever and has only ever wanted to marry him. One night, she gets an opportunity to show him how much she loves him. When it turns out it’s his older brother Sebastian she’s attempting to seduce, she’s shocked. After he gets over his own shock, Sebastian offers Miranda a deal: if she helps him find a wife, he’ll help her secure the hand of his brother.
This book started off ok, even if a bit tiring of the female lead being in love with an undeserving man. The overall plot is similar to one of my all time favorite movies. However, in the movie, the female isn’t so forgiving of the horrible actions of the main male character. Unfortunately, I really didn’t like Sebastian for much of the book and it kind of ruined it for me.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Here is a fun fact. Before "If the Duke demands" I had read only one book from this author and it was "How I Married a Marquess" where the heroine is the sister of the Carlisles, coincidence? I think not. In If the Duke demands we have Sebastian and Miranda. Miranda is in love with Robert, Sebastian's brother and is set on seducing him and showing him that she is the woman he should be courting and eventually marry. Unfortunately for her, she ends up in Sebastian's room, but things end before anything good happens and he sends her home. The next morning Sebastian's mother informs him that she intends to give Miranda a chance at having a season and meet a gentleman to marry and that's where all the fun begins. I was okay with both of my main characters having some potential interest because it was obvious nothing would happen, though Sebastian and Jane kissed once. I really wanted to read about what would have happened if Miranda had witnessed that. The author had plenty of chances to make this story more dramatic and with a lot more angst, but she chose not which to disappointed me a little, to be honest. I wanted something more and that wasn't delivered. I liked the parts where Miranda or Sebastian would get jealous, but I would have loved to see some angst as the book deserved. Also, I got greatly disappointed when I found out that Quinton would get the next book and that would leave Robert in the third and final book (3 brothers=3 books, right?). Robert has already found his woman, hasn't he? I don't want to see some silly drama that will end his courtship with her. From the scene where Miranda spied them, I thought that they would make a good couple and I actually liked the gal. I guess I will have to wait and see what happens. The book was good and I will be recommending it.

Loved this story!! Two people who have known each other for years, finally see each other in a different light.

I loved that Sebastian still tries to get Robert to notice Miranda even after he starts to have feelings for her. It just shows what type of man he really is.

I was heartbroken right along with Miranda when she realizes that her dream of marrying Robert is over. She realizes that she didn't rally love him, but after wanting something so bad, it is hard to let go of it.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Review: I love romance in any genre, I really do. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love reading regency romance, fancy dresses, the Haute Ton, all of the parties, and teas the ladies got to attend. It’s fun reading about all that.

I have never read anything by Anna Harrington, but I really enjoyed The Duke Demands, a lot. I’m going to be reading more of her work from here on out. This is the first book in the capturing the Carlisle series and I saw on her Amazon page that the next book is out. I’m so excited about this!

Miranda is a young girl in this book, but she is extremely mature, despite her age. She’s loving, caring, smart, and determined. Sebastian is a man that has a gentle soul. He’s caring intelligent, and doesn’t take any crap from anyone. He puts a lot of unnecessary pressure and demands on himself. Miranda and Sebastian are each other’s friends, and are truly there for each other during their times on need. They look after each other, defend each other, and understand each other.

The dialogue between Miranda and Sebastian is truly entertaining, and I found myself giggling more than once out in public while reading. I got some strange looks, but I don’t care. I love reading books where the two main characters are each other’s friend first, before anything else comes into play. It’s important to be friends first in fiction as well as in real life.

Falling in love is so unpredictable, and I love reading about two characters finding each other, spending time together, discovering each other, falling for each other and loving and accepting each other.

A classic case of mistaken identity, which lends to the predictability of this romance, but If The Duke Demands is a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Miranda is in love with Robert Carlisle. She's always been in love with him. So she takes matters into her own hands and plans to seduce him. Instead of Robert, however, she finds herself with Robert's older brother, Sebastian. The two make a plan to get Robert to fall in love with Miranda, and of course, that plan backfires.

For its predictability, If The Duke Demands is a cute romance and was able to keep my interest until The End. I enjoyed the Carlisle family and look forward to reading about the other two brothers, Quinton and Robert.

Miss Miranda Hodgkins was hellbent on seducing her neighbour and her childhood friend, Robert Carlisle who is also the younger brother of Sebastian Carlisle, the tormented Duke of Trent.

Masquerading as Lady Rose, Miranda's seduction plan, has gone awry, when she propositioned the wrong brother, the Duke himself, whom she dubbed as Lord Panther.

Sebastian is single-minded on marrying only a society daughter, and the exuberant orphan Miranda, is most definitely not.

Despite their burgeoning attraction to each other, Sebastian kept Miranda at arm's length. But fate, in the form of Elizabeth Carlisle,the Dowager Duchess of Trent, paved the way for the couple to have their happy-ever-after.

I have read all Anna Harrington's novels, she definitely gets better every time. This is one of her best works so far.

A delicious new series from Anna Harrington will always get me reading. She combines the setting of the past with the crushes, squabbles, and same sorts of feelings we can all relate to in the challenging game of love. I really enjoyed the female character in this one.

Miranda was orphaned as a young girl and went to live with her aunt and uncle who ran a farm on the Carlisle estate. She was raised with the four Carlisle children as friends and always thought of then a such except for Robert. Him she idolized. Unfortunately for her romantic feelings, he didn't reciprocate the love. Oh, he cared deeply for her as a friend. Just not as a future romantic partner.

Sebastian still felt the guilt of not being at his father's bedside when he died. He'd been determined to put the Dukedom first, and his feelings and desires second. He was to take care of his family and do what was expected. His feelings weren't important. Or were they? After years of only seeing Miranda as the troublesome little girl she'd been, she startled him one night by showing up virtually nude in his bed. After that, he had no trouble seeing her as the beautiful woman she was.

But she wasn't for him, right? She wasn't what society expected of a duchess. She made him happy, though, and shouldn't that count?

Great story with heat and emotion. Loved it, thanks!

Rated 4.5!

Miranda Hodgkins has one goal and that is to marry Robert Carlisle. First, she must make him take notice of the woman she has become. Opportunity strikes when his family hosts a masquerade ball. Miranda rushes off to his room with seduction in mind. Her plan is flawless or so she thinks. Imagine her shock and mortification when she discovers she almost fell into bed with the wrong brother, Sebastian.

Sebastian is all for bedding the beauty in his chambers until she voices another man's name, his brother Richard's. Furious at himself and the masked temptress, Sebastian exposes her. That's when things take an unexpected turn, for never in his life could he have foreseen who lay beneath said mask... Miranda Hodgkins, the little girl who has long been a friend of his family. Sebastian sends Miranda on her merry way with a warning. That should be the end of it.

When Sebastian's mother approaches him about rewarding Miranda with a season, Sebastian wants to turn her down. He needs to be as far away from her as possible. Unfortunately, he cannot say no since Miranda has helped his mother get through some rough times after his father's death. A truce is called between Sebastian and Miranda and they even plot to help each other get what they want... her his brother, and for him a wife. Little do they realize fate has so much more in store for the two of them.

I fell in love with IF THE DUKE DEMANDS and it's characters from the start. I've always enjoyed a bold female character who isn't afraid to go after what she wants. The electricity between Miranda and Sebastian is off the charts. It was almost comical the lengths they go to to convince themselves that they are not falling for one another. Sebastian... what a hero. At times though, I wanted to strangle him for not seizing what was right in front of him, society be damned! I very much enjoyed Miranda and Sebastian's love story and look forward to reading Ms. Harrington's next novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1898080440?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Slightly mistaken identity, perfect love story. Miranda was just the right blend of sassy and uncertain, and I loved this story.