<b>I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.</b>

While reading the book I was asking myself: <i>Is it really enough just to stand up to someone in order for him to notice and appreciate you?</i>

And I kept asking myself this all through it!

Here, the answer is a resounding <b>YES</b>!!!

Beth stands up to Alex constantly! She even blackmails him to bend him to her will! LOL

And Alex falls, hook, line and sinker! ;)

But, while everybody thought Alex a mean bastard, I got the feeling that he was a softy inside! I don't know how could anybody think him mean?!?! He was such a sweet guy.

Beth was almost rude to him. He could have snobbed her, being a duke and all, but instead he did everyhting she'd asked without hesitation.

A cute story. I'll be looing forward to the story of the last "Wilting Wallflower". :)

Great story. It's always a nice change to see the lead female stand her ground and stay in control.

Really enjoyed this story, The characters were well written and had great chemistry.

I enjoyed this book a lot! At first, I was a bit apprehensive given the attitude of the hero towards the heroine. I thought maybe this would be a book I put down early. Not so! It picked up quickly, and their interactions were increasingly honest and sweet. A quick read for a day when you need a pick-me-up.

Alexander Savage, the Duke of Blackshire, should be dead. After an "accidental" poisoning and a broken axle on his carriage, he is now certain that someone is trying very hard to murder him. Now he needs to be sure his beloved grandmother isn't caught in the crossfire. The one thing he hadn't counted on is her new companion, Elizabeth Lacey, a woman whom he once dubbed a Wilting Wallflower. Beth knows of the Duke's reputation, but when she makes a bargain with him, she realizes there is more to him than meets the eye. Soon she is entangled in his investigation to find who his attacker is before he strikes again.

Beth and Alex had so much chemistry! Once they both let their guards down, it was easy to see how they could fall in love. Alex has a sincerity about him, and a shyness despite his outward appearance as a player. Beth gave as much as she got when sparring with him, and I enjoyed seeing that side of her. The only thing that was a bit off was Alex's change in character - it was odd how quickly he moved from arrogant Lord of the manor to gentle and sensitive lover. Would have liked a smoother transition to make it more believable. Beth broke his walls down a tad too easily.

Overall a great story with likeable characters and an engaging storyline. I can't wait to read the third book, which will highlight the spunky Juliet.

This book had all the elements to being a good one but it just fell flat for me. The characters, mainly Beth, was not a consistent character. I found certain situations really hard to believe for her stature in society. I felt the author just wanted the story to move on and didn't make it realistic for this time piece. It was just an ok book.

I really enjoyed this book. It is part of series and I did read the first book but I feel this book can easily stand alone. This story is about Alex, a Duke with a terrible rep, womanizer and also who lost his parents in fire when he was 6 and who has scars on his body from that. Beth is our heroine, she is from a society family and they sent her to be a companion to Alex's grandmother. Not for money but to keep her company.

The story opens when Alex, after recovering from several attempts on his life visits his grandmother and wants to get her out of town because he fears she will be attacked as well. Thats when he meets Beth and lets just say that their is a big atttraction and lots of sparks start happening.

I really liked that Alex's bad reputation is just a bunch of lies, he is not a womanizer. I also liked that he always saw Beth as his equal. He was not a Duke that ever came off as lordy and Duke like. He was just a man, and Beth was just a woman. And once the death threats end he always plans to come back for Beth. That was refreshing in this romance.

I totally loved the story and all the main characters. It has some cute and funny lines and it was a fast paced and fun historical romance.

“I Dared” was a pleasant read with some steamy scenes. It does drive me crazy, though, when a plot line is premised on the H & H refusing to talk to each other despite bedding down after the equivalent of a second date.

My favorite character in this book was Alex’s grandmother. Will she get her own story, please?

This is the my first Anna Bennett novel and I was so impressed I immediately bought the first book in the series. And looking forward to book 3, THE ROGUE IS BACK IN TOWN. It may very well go on my yearly reread list! Obviously I read it as a standalone with no problems.
Alex and Beth have amazing chemistry that pulled me right into the story. The dialogue between them is at times hilarious. Grandma was pretty cool too. The story moves along at a nice pace, not too fast and not too slow. This story is captivating and very well written, I read it in one sitting. I just couldn't out it down.

This is the first book of Anna Bennett's that I have read, and I am glad I got a hold of it. This story was addicting! I would have finished it in a couple of days, if a research paper had not sneaked up on me. It was difficult for me to have to set this book aside because the characters are so personable.

I liked this one a lot! This was a well written and interesting book that successfully demonstrated emotion and intimacy between the characters without being overly explicit. (There are sex scenes in this book, but they are much more subdued than other novels I've read.) Additionally, I found a rare romance novel that does not have an obvious villain. I honestly was not expecting the murderer to be that person. This is refreshing because many romance novels reveal this information early and take out the intrigue of the mystery.

I recommend this book and author and I am looking forward to more books of hers in the future.

Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review......

I was so happy to have the chance to read a historical romance book. I love mixing up my tastes and this was the first book I had read by Anna and by god it will not be the last.

For me it was spot on !! It was Alexander and Elizabeth's tale and was told from duel POV - bless you for that Anna. I cannot do this book justice. It was just an addictive page turner.

I WANTED to be in the story with out H/h.......I FELT LIKE I WAS THERE because Anna set such a brilliant scene for the reader. I absolutely LOVED the book from start to finish !!!

It has a fabulous twist. We have a gritty heroine !, a tortured soul in our hero and I loved Alex's Gran !!! Little meddler !!!


A massive well done Anna for a brilliant historical story. Many thanks for this opportunity xx


Later peeps xxx

What an exceptional historical romance. I so enjoyed this book. Good plot and characters.!

Anna Bennett has added yet another light, happy, romantic book to her Wayward Wallflowers series. The series focuses on three sisters who lost everything when their parents died. They had no fortune and no home and their close relatives didn't want to take them in. Their uncle Alistair, Lord Wiltmore steps up to take them in though he is impoverished himself. He is my favorite character in the books. I picture him looking something like Albert Einstein, except chubbier perhaps. He is one of those very, very intelligent people who are easily distracted and totally lost in their own thoughts. He is also sweet and loving to his nieces. Many ridicule him because he frequently uses the wrong word in his sentences -- for instance he says "we have received an instigation to a dinner party" rather than an 'invitation'. You'll love him -- it is worth reading the series just to smile at Uncle Alistair. The three sisters are unfairly dubbed 'The Wilting Wallflowers' and suffer through several years with no prospects. The older sister's story is in the first book of the series. While you can surely read this book as a stand-alone book, you will have a much better feel for the sisters and their circumstances, etc. if you read the first book.

To me, this book isn't as good as the first, but it is still a really fun read. While the book does contain a murder plot, it mostly focuses on the interactions between the hero and heroine. The murder is almost secondary until the end. I do have to say, the solution to the murderer left me a little flat. I know it was secondary to the romance, but something with a little more substance would have been good.

Elizabeth Lacey (Beth) is the sister of the heroine (Meg) of the first book in the series. Meg married and saved them all from the poor house, so now Beth feels restless and at loose ends. She very much likes to take care of things and people and isn't comfortable with the 'idle' life. So, when the opportunity to act as a companion to the Dowager Duchess of Blackshire arises, she jumps at it. Uncle Alistair and the Duchess are friends and Beth really likes the sweet lady.

Alexander Benjamin Savage, Duke of Blackshire's life is being threatened. There have already been two attempts on him and he's afraid for anybody near and dear to him. So, he returns to his London townhouse to get his grandmother to move to their country estate while he unearths the villain. Only, he finds his grandmother has a new companion who stands up to him and battles him toe-to-toe because she thinks he just wants to get rid of his grandmother so he can pursue his rakish lifestyle. I enjoyed the bickering between the two almost as much as I enjoyed watching the romance between them. I loved that he usually called her Siren rather than her name.

Bottom line -- this is light and fluffy and definitely not a serious read. If you are a stickler for things being totally accurate to the time period, it surely isn't -- they spend entirely too much time alone together without anyone questioning it -- it just sort of 'feels' modern to me. The murder attempts and murder are just unrealistic and feels trumped up to give Alex the opportunity to 'protect' his grandmother and Beth. It just sort of left you wondering WHY a powerful Duke wouldn't seek some help -- hire a Bow Street Runner, etc. All that said -- I loved the book and can't wait for the next one!

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

I DARED THE DUKE, the second in The Wayward Wallflowers series, gave me most of what I had hoped to see after reading the first installment in this historical romance though did mostly stick to the same formula as book one. The story, though, did feel stronger, for all that once again it was a mostly familiar series of events, and while this second installment did have a mystery/thriller element, it was much more enjoyably done. Even if the perpetrator and conclusion to it all left me underwhelmed.

Beth is the middle sister of the trio of Wallflowers and, as a favour to her uncle, ends up as a lady's companion to a dowager duchess. Her grandson, the Duke of Blackshire, is a notorious rake with yet another tragic past. Like the sisters, he, too, lost his parents at a young age; not to a carriage incident like the girls, but instead to a deadly fire that left hm scarred. I expected his angst over his scars to be a lot more present and the main baggage to his personal story but was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case. Additionally I quite liked the other facet to his persona that I won't spoil by revealing in this review. You might see it coming.. or maybe you won't.

Unlike the first story's sorta-second chance romance set up, the connection between Alex and Beth -- as well as the other sisters -- is a little different and I enjoyed that bit of conflict and turmoil. I wish the reveal had happened a little earlier so as not to be downplayed when other events came to a head, but alas it did keep it from being overblown and drawn out. I do have to give Bennett credit for that as these books are definitely light on angst and keep themselves rather firmly in the fluffy category.

The accidents and close calls that the Duke ends up dodging were thrilling and mysterious but after the reveal I'm left wondering.. how? Why? The ending prevents us from getting a lot of answers and once again I'm left rather adrift and a bit disappointed. Which makes for a lame segue into this next point but the author's love scenes are just.. okay. The build up of chemistry is definitely better than the culmination in my opinion.

That being said, this book did feel stronger and while Beth didn't really grab me or offer anything particularly compelling as a heroine -- in fact I enjoyed reading about the dowager duchess more than her companion -- I have pretty high hopes for the younger sister, Julie. I look forward to rounding out this series with her story and am very interested to see who Bennett pairs her with.

3 "kiss-ass grandmother" stars

I thought the novel is well-written. The writing flowed and it was easy to read.

The story has a contemporary feel in the way that the duke and Elizabeth interacted and spoke to each other. It would seem that in serving the role of a companion, the heroine would have showed some amount of deference to the duke, especially since she would have grown up with knowledge of the peerage and rules of behavior would have been drilled into her. I found it a little hard to connect to the heroine. I found it easier to connect to the duke and his desire to protect his grandmother and Elizabeth.

The hero and heroine do share some great dialogue where they reveal their feelings. I really liked the ending of this story and felt the author did a great job of revealing the characters' love for each other.

I Dared the Duke by Anna Bennett is fun, regency escape, best enjoyed on a cold Saturday afternoon, with a glass of wine! Although, the first book in the series had more depth and emotional development, this was steamier, bantery goodness. The author's style is reminiscent of Julia Quinn, with her sharp wit and multitude of tender moments. I very much enjoyed it and can't wait for the next one - I hope it's Julia's turn :)

A quick and lighthearted romance read for anyone who likes an easy-flowing tale with a handsome, anguished hero and a stubborn, quick-witted heroine.

Beth Lacey has joined the Duke of Blackshire's grandmother as a companion, never expecting to have to spend excessive amounts of time with the supposed fake. However, Alex is trying to remove his grandmother to the country in the face of several coincidental near-death experiences. However, Beth is no shrinking violet and refuses to allow Alex ignore the grandmother who adores him anymore.

While lacking in historical accuracy, I Dared the Duke was fascinating in that it had a heroine who was both independent and stubborn but also surprisingly open to pursuing her own desires. The plot line was interesting enough and moved quickly, and while nothing particularly stood out about this romance compared to others set in this time period, it was a nice read.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book.

Every now and again I like to indulge in some light hearted historical romance. You know, the type of book that makes every girl who reads it wish she grew up in the regency era. This book satisfied that need to indulge. The writing and the plot are easy to follow (I finished it in one day if that says anything). The characters have just enough development for a book like this and while it was slightly predictable there was a nice twist at the end.

If you're a fan of Judith McNaught and Julie Quinn then you'll enjoy Anna Bennett's stories. I haven't read the first book in this series but I actually didn't have to in order to follow the storyline but I can assure you I'll be reading the first in this series the next time I need a light read.

This book was sweet and predictable. If you are a fan of historicals with some heat added in, this is the book for you. Both H and h were likable as were the secondary characters.

Alexander Savage, the Duke of Blackshire comes home to find that his Grandmother has gained a companion.

The young lady is Elizabeth Lacey, one of the three young sisters the Duke had dubbed the Wilted Wallflowers.

His Grandmother enjoys Beth's company very much. But, Alex must get both women out of his house as quickly as possible. Someone is trying to kill him and he does not want to endanger his beloved Grandmother, nor her companion.

Beth is someone who feels compelled to help others. When she believed the Dowager Duchess needed her, she immediately came to help. She is enjoying being a companion and because of her family's reduced financial circumstances, she believes her expectations are limited. She knows very little of the Duke, but she believes him to be the man society says that he is.

Beth and Alex become sparring partners. She has a quick wit. He finds her a challenge because she believes he is not truly devoted to his Grandmother and she hopes to encourage him. He is not able to best her in a discussion, and they have many discussions.

Beth is a caring and intelligent young woman. She is loyal and affectionate and wants to protect the people around her.

Alex is not the man society believes him to be. He is a man whose past has prevented him from becoming close to many people. He allows the ton to believe the worst of him, because he doesn't really care what others think.

Both of these people are generous and kind hearted and very strong characters who love their families.

There are not very many secondary characters. Mostly we see the Dowager Duchess and Alex's best friend. Everyone else seems to be more of a place holder. Beth's sisters make brief appearances. One was the heroine in the first book in the series, and the other will be the heroine in the next book in the series.

Although this is part of a series, it is easy to follow the action and it works as a stand alone read. Ms Bennett has done a very good job of creating characters who hold the reader's interest.

I enjoyed this book very much. But, I did feel that the ending and disclosure of the villain seemed to be rather hurried without a lot of explanation or illustration.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

This was a sweet little story of a handsome Duke and his wallflower. He has a reputation as a notorious rake, though it's undeserved. She and her sisters were labeled wallflowers by him several years ago, though they don't know he gave them the name. She is in his home as an unpaid companion to his grandmother, and someone is trying to murder him. They are attracted to one another pretty quickly, and passion ensues. But he is worried for both her and his beloved grandmother. As he and his best friend search for the person trying to kill him, she has become far more. This was a fairly fun, quick read, with lots of fun and passion. Well written and interesting characters. Enjoyed the story, which is part of a series but stands well alone.