This was a great adventure storyline that shows how strong women can be under any circumstances. Anna's way of writing strong yet relatable characters was refreshing.

I had never read the author before but look forward to her next book. I enjoyed the characters, Nash and Caroline, and their interactions, both in and out of the bedroom. Both were strong and independent. The story line was easy to follow and moved at a natural pace and the ending was well timed and did not feel rushed. Great book to enjoy on a lazy summer day.

The Duke is But a Dream by Anna Bennett 3 stars
This is Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge and Miss Lily Hartley’s love story; second in the Debutante Diaries Series, a standalone, happily ever after, no cheating, historical romance with plenty of sizzle.
Although the story itself is well written, I didn’t feel the connection between Nash and Lily. Lily’s actions throughout her memory loss just didn’t seem real. The speed at which the sensual scenes appear don’t resonate well, there was no sexual or romantic tension beforehand. He was a hypocrite in regards to his sister and with Lily, quite incongruous behavior for a duke (also for a young maiden from that time).
A bit of a mystery was thrown in to add a modicum of interest to the story.
I received a copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

At the beginning I thought this story was going to be predictable, however it took a completely different turn very quickly. Throughout the book there were interesting twists and what would seem to be the usual outcome was not quite what was occurred. Very nicely written with good characterization, curl up and settle in for a good read.

Lily Hartley is out delivering her latest copy for The Debutante’s Revenge in disguise as a chimney sweep as no one must know who pens these scandalous articles. As her parents and sister are out of town, she feels she can dally and finds herself in a rough tavern. Things get dangerous as she is accosted by some ruffians out to rob the ‘boy’ but is saved by Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge who is also craving some time away from his cares. In the process Lily is injured resulting in amnesia. Nash decides to care for her until the puzzle of her origin is solved. Enjoyable with an intriguing storyline. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I read the first of the series, but it can also be read as a standalone.
I loved the first book and the second did not disappoint as well. Lovely characters and a heartwarming romance make this a perfect read for readers of romance.

Bennett gives her readers a fabulous read with Lily and Nash's story. This was one of the best stories with amnesia and mistaken identity that I have read. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Smart, entertaining historical

The Duke is but a Dream the second book in Anna Bennett’s Debutante’s Diaries series was an enjoyable read which can be read as a stand alone. The chemistry between Lily/Caroline and Nash the Duke of Stonebridge was memorable. The twist and turns the plot took really kept my interest to the very end. I thought the secondary characters added greatly to my enjoyment of the book and look forward to the next book book in the series.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

This was so much better than the first one!! I absolutely loved Nash and Lily!! I really enjoy the amnesia trope so I had high hopes going into this one. I also loved that Lily was a writer and I really appreciated how dedicated she was and how strong. I loved her relationship with Nash and all the steamy scenes had me fanning myself. SO MUCH CHEMISTRY! And Nash is SO SO SWOONY! I loved him and I loved how sweet he was to Lily!! He is such a good guy and of course he has that bit of broodiness to him but that just made me love him even more.. I really enjoyed their development as the novel progressed. The ending made my heart melt! It was a bit predictable and it felt like something I had read before actually but I still had a huge smile on my face and it left me with all the butterflies. This is such a fun beach read to get swept away in! Thank you to the publisher for sending this book my way! Definitely pick this up if you’re in the mood for something light, romantic, and swoon worthy!

I enjoyed this version of the lost memory trope. I find that normally in the romance genre it is the man who looses his memory, placing the woman in a caregiver role.

I enjoyed the story, even though I've read other novels with the same trope. I did like the characters and found them accessible. The sex scenes were not overly described, but were just enough. I would recommend this to the historical romance reader.

A solid 3 for me...
This one is a tried and true plotline. Boy meets girl, girl gets amnesia, boy and girl fall in love after much dragging of the heels. The characters felt a little one dimensional, and sometimes their actions completely defy logic (Lily/Caroline is recovering from a concussion and amnesia, but she tries to lure the hero into a scandalous embrace as quickly as possible). Still, a nice way to spend a few afternoons if you want some light reading.

What an absolute wonderful read.. This was such a heart wrenching love story, without giving away an spoilers, our main lady has some major hurdles to live and feel her way through. But, the one thing she never strays from is her love for him. The dashing grumpy Lord who rescue's her in so many ways.. I really enjoyed the book and I will be looking for ward to the others in this series

This is my first book by this author and she writes very well. I really enjoyed the premise of Lily losing her memory and Nash taking her in. It’s a great setup to bring them together. Personally I’m not a fan of the bodice ripping moments of romance novels and there’s quite a lot of that here. I feel like the author rushed the physical intimacy instead of allowing the romance to build between the characters. My favorite part of regency novels is more Austen like great dialogue and characters but I felt that was lacking here. I prefer regency novels more like those by Julia Quinn and Eloisa James. This novel was missing the charm and humor and smoldering characters that makes those novels stand out. I thought the novel slowed down towards the end after the author put up too many plot contrivances to keep them apart. I also found myself missing more of the description and interaction with the Ton that can make regency novels so entertaining. I’ve also read better versions of debutant writes secret newsletter than this one. Overall it was a fine read but not great.

Suspend disbelief!
If this had nothing to do with a duke, it might work. He is over protective of his sister so it made no sense that he would allow her to meet and associate with a random stranger dressed inappropriately. His constant biblical profanity was out of time or was it? The time period is hazy. So many things happen that are against the rules (and the characters don't really care).
The heroine, besides being an author of a salacious column, is also adopted and an heiress. Read that again.
The amnesia was mostly believable and so was the violence in the bar. The circumstances leading to her being by herself so she could be at the duke's house for over a week were well done.

If you don't care about historical accuracy in behavior or speech, this is entertaining with a hea.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley.

I requested this book to read and review The Duke is But a Dream by Anna Bennett. This is the first book I have read by this author. But cant wait to read more of her stories. I loved the time period for this. It's gives you an idea of what women went through. But also shows the reader that women were still trying to empower women in any time period. I love the characters Nash, Caroline/Lilly and Delilah. And there was other but you will have to read this book to find out the rest! This has romance, mystery, history and some self help in it. This book is a great read for any adult reader. Once you get started you won't want to put it down!!

This book contains several of my favorites—a heroine who is an author/journalist, a grumpy, redeemable hero, and lots of plot development through female friendships and sisterhood. It contains some genuine crazy-sauce elements, like a mysterious origin story, not one, but TWO trips to Gretna Greene, and amnesia! Unfortunately, it also contains one of my least favorite tropes. Nash “can’t possibly love anyone,” least of all Lily, because he’s emotionally stunted (like every other English male in the peerage during the Romance Novel Era).

I say Romance Novel Era, because it’s not exactly clear which historical time period this is set in. If that’s something that annoys you, this might not be a book for you. However, the characters are beautifully developed, the relationship is built in a believable, genuine way, and I am really looking forward to the other characters’ books.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

The Duke is But a Dream is a fun, if slightly cheesy, story and quick read. Excellently written and hopelessly romantic. I would recommend this to readers who have read Regency Romance before, aren't afraid of a little steamy writing, and are looking for something to lose themselves in for an afternoon.

I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a review.

DNF I wanted to like this story as I had others by the same author, but I found the "insta" chemistry very unbelievable. It drives me crazy that an author wants us to believe that a woman with amnesia (in regency times no less) will be throwing herself at her host with little to no concern about how she ended up this way. I can suspend belief while reading, but this kind of storyline makes me nuts!

Lily is the younger sister of Fiona, the heroine from book one of the Debutant Diaries. Fiona and her now husband, Gray, fought off a blackmailer with a secret about Lily’s birth mother. Lily has known from a young age she was adopted, but never knew who her real mother is.

In the second installment of this series, we find Lily in a bit of a jam. She is the authoress of the Debutante Diaries in a local newspaper. When she delivers her latest column to the paper disguised as a chimney sweep, she shelters in a rough pub when caught in a storm. After an ale and some Shepard’s Pie, she attempts to leave but gets accosted by some louts.

Enter Eric Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge. He attempts to save the lad, but discovers she’s not a lad at all after she knocks herself out when she smacks her head on a table. No one knows who she is so Nash takes her home. When she awakens, she has no memory of who she is.

I am a sucker for an amnesia story. Every author’s take is different. I love how Bennett deals with things that are familiar to Lily. She gets a tingly feeling in the back of her brain. I would describe it as having a word or phrase on the tip of your tongue that you just can’t get out.

While Lily is living with a dashing duke, she also finds a life-long friend in Nash’s sister, Delilah. While Nash and Lily are slowly exploring intimacy, Lily finds another sister in Delilah. After Nash and Delilah lost Nash’s twin sister and their father five years earlier, Lily is a bright ray of sunshine in their dark live. I love how in helping Lily heal her memory, she also helps to heal a family that has experienced such a devastating loss.

Now that the Hartley sisters have found love, hopefully it is time for their friend, Sophie, to find her happily ever after. I would also love a story for Delilah! She hit some rough bumps in this story and she deserves a handsome rogue of her own.

I received The Duke Is But a Dream for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.