Lily Hartfield is a rebel with a cause. She feels it is her duty to help the young ladies of the ton navigate the ins and outs of flirting and getting to know the gentlemen that are seeking them out. The only problem is that she must do this anonymously as the consequences would be uninmaginable. Nash, The Earl of Stonebridge is out of sorts. He is angry all the time and it is beginning to ruin his relationship with his sister Delilah. On a stormy night, he comes to the rescue of what he assumes is a young lad. Only it is Lily. With no memory of who she is, she brings out the best in Nash. Like all good things, they must come to an end. Only does it? Delilah has a plan and Nash is all in. Love the ending!

I honestly thought this was going to be a run of the mill type of historical romance but Lily proved me wrong. She is one of those women who would take the bull by the horn and search their body later for signs of hurt. She is truly an unabashed young lady who knows what she wants. The Duke ain’t bad himself he has a foul temper but a kind heart, when he realizes his hot temper only makes things worst. These two fated characters were well balanced and when combined they brought this book to life with their tantalizing and delightful encounters culminating with a saucy ending.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Duke is But a Dream is the 2nd book in Anna Bennett’s The Debutante Diaries Series. It can be read as a stand-alone, however I enjoyed reading First Earl I See Tonight the first book in the series so recommend reading them both. While in disguise as a young boy Miss Lily Hartley bangs her head on a table and is knocked unconscious Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge comes to her rescue and gives her place to stay when she wakes up and can’t remember who she is. I found the story engaging and if you are looking for a book with lots of adventure then I think you will enjoy this one. To paraphrase one of the characters there is a tavern brawl, amnesia, love affair, brothel madam, secret identity, elopement, strong heroines and a tortured Duke … really what more could you want? Medium Steam. Publishing Date July 20, 2019. #NetGalley #TheDukeIsButADream #AnnaBradley #StMartinsPress #StMartinsPaperbacks #HistoricalRomanceBooks #Bookstagram

The duke is but a dream is a charming fun read. Lily writes an advice column for young girls, dresses like a boy to delivery it. One day Nash a handsome Duke figures out she’s a she. But by then Lily has no memory of well anything. You will route for these characters.

The Duke is But a Dream was an interesting and engaging read - I flew through it. I was interested in seeing what happened to the characters and the premise of the story. Will definitely read additional books in this series.

Delightful and fresh! Bennett does a good job setting up good characters in a plausible plot (if you ignore some of the more modern aspects of their behavior) who actually have real issues that they solve in a real way. I enjoyed reading this and will go back and find #1 to read!

Also suitable to read as a stand-alone despite its position as #2 in a series.

Anna Bennett has written a regency romance that pulls you into the story and has you cheering for the budding romance. Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge, is a self-declared “man who cannot love” because of heart-breaking events in his past. Lily Hartley is a young independent woman who secretly writes a column giving advice to the young debutantes of London, inspiring them to be more than an arm-piece for a young man of character who is in the market for a bride. When Nash steps in to defend a young lad who is being roughed up by patrons of a tavern, little does he know that he is setting himself up for a wild journey with the woman behind the disguise,.....Lily. The story moves forward thru many hurdles, including amnesia and stubbornness, as the two battle with their hearts. The book is a quick, enjoyable read that will not disappoint those who are captivated by this genre. I received an ARC of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest opinion, which this has been. #NetGalley, #TheDukeIsButADream, #AnnaBennett

What a sweet, endearing story with such lovely characters in it. I very much enjoyed reading The Duke Is But a Dream by Anna Bennett. I enjoy this author’s writing style and her way of making you feel like you are right there with the characters. I am looking forward to the next installment of this series.

The Duke Is But a Dream by Anna Bennett is a really fun read. I loved how Eric, the Duke of Stonebridge naturally felt protective of Lily. Their interactions were enjoyable to read about. The author did a good job of describing the conflict in the story and provided the resolution smoothly. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

3.5 STARS

I have not read the first book in the Debutante Diaries series, however that did not affect my reading of book 2.

I am on a bit of a historical kick at the moment, and The Duke Is But A Dream was just the light, enjoyable read I was after.

Strong women, gruff men, amnesia, family secrets - this story had a bit of it all.

Lily and Nash's story has more hurdles to get over than an Olympic final, however they do it. I love that Lily goes after what she wants, she never waivers from her beliefs, and won't back down no matter what.

Nash - ugh, what is with all this "I don't do love" BS, dude? He is all kinds of swoonworthy and lovely and then BAM - nope, back that truck up lady!

I adored Sophie, Lily and Fiona. Their friendship is one that we could all aspire too.

The characters are wonderfully developed, the writing story was lovely and flowing, and even though I wasn't sure what historical period we were in, it didn't bother me in the least.

Now I need to go back and read Fiona's story and wait impatiently for Sophie's.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.
The second book in this series, I have not read the first. Lila is feeling lonely after her sister found her love. She becomes an advice columnist with her friend but of course this is frowned upon during this time period. Women couldn’t voice their opinions in this time so we end up with disguises, some amnesia, and love with a Duke thrown in. Grab your copy of this fun read.

Miss Lily Hartley, along with her sister and her best friend, is the writer behind their anonymous and wildly popular advice column, The Debutante's Revenge. To maintain that anonymity Lily dresses as a boy to deliver the completed columns to the paper, which works fine until her bid to enjoy a little freedom lands her in the midst of a tavern brawl.

When Eric Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge, sees a young boy facing three attackers, he steps in to help and is shocked to find that the boy is in fact a woman. When Lily is rendered unconscious in the melee, Nash views himself as partly responsible and brings her to his home to recover.

Unfortunately, when she wakes she has no memory of her family or even her own name, so Nash takes her in and tries to help her remember and find her family. But the more time he spends with Lily, the less he wants her to leave him and return to her life. The two grow extremely close, but after everything he's been through, Nash is convinced he can never love Lily the way she deserves. Too bad Lily has already lost her heart and risked her reputation, not to mention Nash's potential wrath when he learns she is the authoress behind the Debutante's Revenge.

Lily was a true romantic and Nash was gruff and terrified of his feelings, afraid love and devotion could only ever lead to disaster and believing himself incapable of deep emotion. He was really quite sad but Lily was his perfect foil. It was very sweet to see these two both find themselves and find their way to each other. The pacing was great; just when the amnesia started to go on a big long, it was brought to a conclusion and I found the ending quite satisfying. All in all, this was a great read and I look forward to the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining story. Lily is headstrong without being foolish, and she’s found her perfect match in Nash, who is emotionally damaged and needs someone to draw him out. The plot was plenty exciting but maybe too long. I would’ve enjoyed this as a thrilling novella instead of stretched to full novel length.

Oh, this had all the trope goodness—amnesia and a road trip and a female dressed as a boy—wrapped into one book. And, it was fantastic.

Lily, dressed in disguise bumps her head and loses her memory. The handsome Duke, Nash, feels responsible for her injury so he brings her home with him. Their story was wonderful and so much fun.

Highly recommended for those amnesia trope lovers.

This is a light and entertaining romance. The amnesia is quite a delicate topic, but the storyline is written in a witty way.

Ash is a grumpy Duke who doesn't allow anyone to get too close because the thought of losing them is too painful. He has suffered enough through the loss of close ones.

Lily has lost her memory. After a knock on the head, she doesn't remember who she is.

When Ash steps in to help Lily while she is being bullied by some unsavoury characters in a place where she shouldn't be. He is surprised that underneath her disguise, there is a beautiful young lady. Since he doesn't know her identity, he decides to take her home, hoping that she'll remember who she is.

Unfortunately, her memory doesn't return as quickly as they hoped and during their time together, they grow attached to one another. There is a definite attraction between them, but Lily could be anyone from anywhere. When she remembers, she might have to walk out the door and the bond that they have developed could disappear with it. Will she regain her memories?

Ash is overprotective of his sister, Delilah, because he fears that history might repeat itself. He is kind and caring even when he acts like he is a total control freak. His love and affection for Delilah is obvious, I struggled a little with his feelings for Lily. Lily is independent, but I find the way that she bonds with Ash and Delilah a little easy, considering that she doesn't really know who she is. Except for that aspect of the story, I found it entertaining.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

I lost myself in this book with characters who were relatable, likeable, and real, and romance that was irresistibly sweet, innocent, brave, and at times, heartbreaking. My emotions were all over the place as Anna Bennett masterfully orchestrated events and deftly described the feelings of the characters in words that were poetic and honest, gradually and surreptitiously pulling my heart from my chest and leaving it exposed. And I couldn't bring myself to protect it because I somehow knew that the joy that would come after would make the heartbreak worthwhile. Truly, I was spellbound and utterly in thrall to the relationship building between Nash and Lily.

When an author endeavors to portray intimate moments in a way that is both sensual and spiritual, this book should be her guide. There is nothing robotic, detached, or overly erotic in these scenes. Far from obligatory sex, the kind that one might feel is needed to gain readership, the intimacy between Nash and Lily is precisely that — intimate. It's a window into the deep feelings they have for one another and the courage it takes to be vulnerable.

I cannot overstate how much I loved this book, and especially how much I adored these characters. It's one I would be happy to read again and again. *sigh*

This was a well-written, entertaining book. Miss Lily Hartley writes an advice column anonymously. She wears a disguise to deliver her column to the paper. She finds herself in the middle of a tavern brawl and Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge rescues her. She is injured and loses his memory and the duke brings her to his house to recover. I enjoyed this book and would read more books by this author.

Lily Hartley writes an advice column in the London Hearsay called The Debutante’s Revenge. Her happily married sister, Fiona, sketches pictures for her column and her friend Sophia also helps with the column. Realizing her sister and parents are out of town, she decides to dress as a boy to explore places she normally couldn’t go. As it started to rain, she entered a tavern. At first, she was fine, until a pub fight broke out and she lost her hat and is unconscious.

Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, took her home and called a doctor. Though she doesn’t remember who she is, his sister, Delilah, loves having a new friend. They decide to call her Caroline. The girls become fast friends, and Lily/Caroline is very attracted to Stonebridge. He scorns love and blames himself for the death of his twin and father.

He placed an ad in the paper looking for someone who might know her. Eventually they did discover her birth mother and how she was adopted. She is relieved to know her name is Lily and she is remembering things. A lot is going on with Delilah, Lily and Nash. Lily loves him, but that is not enough. You’ll have to read this book to know how things turnout for everyone. I found it a very enjoyable read.

I'm learning that, unfortunately for The Duke Is But a Dream, using amnesia as a plot device is a no-go for me.

This book was fluffy. And I don't mean that in a bad way. I like fluffy romances, but I need a bit more substance even in a fluffy story and that's where this one was lacking. The heroine (Lily) does something rash and ends up with amnesia, and ends up in the house of a duke who rescues her and has no idea who she is. Which I could have gotten behind if not for the fact that Lily was just left alone in her house for like 2 weeks and no one even noticed her absence? I don't know, it just read as very far-fetched to me. 

Then it's followed up by the stone-hearted duke coming to her rescue and that whole romance was questionable considering she literally can't remember who she is. First, did it have to be a duke? Because it just didn't really fit well. Second, I can't get behind romances where one person doesn't even know who they are. This isn't the first time I've read an amnesia-based historical romance but I think it will be my last.

The romance was just. . . unbelievable. I think they were supposed to have chemistry, some insta-lust thing going but it didn't really read right? And then suddenly they're in love? It was just Not Working for me. 

Honestly, I don't think the time period mattered for this story with how the characters behaved. Nor did the characters, really. They became placeholders for their titles. Overall I wasn't impressed and don't expect I'll continue this series after 2 disappointing reads.

This is a fanciful amnesia romance. There’s a duke who’s afraid of love, a spirited and inexperienced debutante who writes an advice column, a tavern, a brawl, a smile and a knock to the head. And so starts a journey met you with a pretty satisfying HEA.

I recommend it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.