The Duke Is But a Dream features a delightful romance and is a fantastic continuation of the Debutante Diaries series.

Miss Lily Hartley is the anonymous author behind The Debutante’s Revenge, an advice column for young ladies that the ton considers scandalous. One night while on her way home after delivering her next column Lily is forced to seek shelter in a tavern to avoid a storm. When a fight breaks out in the tavern Lily, disguised as a boy, is knocked unconscious and rescued by the Duke of Stonebridge. But upon awakening, Lily has no idea who she is or how she came to be in the tavern. As Lily spends time recovering in Nash’s home, the attraction between her and Nash grows stronger every day and soon the pair are at risk of losing their hearts.

Lily is a very clever young woman who believes other young ladies should better prepare themselves for what happens when looking for a match. In the ton’s eyes, Lily’s ideas are considered scandalous or radical as they encourage young women to take control over their own love lives, hence the need for anonymity. I liked getting to see how much the columns meant to Lily and how she simply wanted to help others with her advice.

Nash lost his twin sister and his father in a carriage accident several years prior to the start of the book which is something that still greatly affects him. Nash was very close with his sister and he blames himself for her death. Due to his guilt, Nash is very controlling when it comes to his younger sister which causes some tension between them. While I did understand where Nash was coming from, his overprotectiveness did get frustrating at times.

Lily and Nash’s relationship was wonderful from the start and I found myself really enjoying it despite amnesia storylines not being my favorite. Lily was able to open up and be herself without any of society’s constraints as she had no memory of how a lady was expected to behave. With Nash, she’s able to be open and honest and I loved how playful and sarcastic she could be. The story takes place over a very short amount of time, but I had no issues buying into their relationship as their circumstances made the rapidness of their relationship make sense. Lily and Nash have amazing chemistry and when their relationship progresses physically, it’s very well done.

Overall The Duke Is But a Dream was a very enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

I received an advanced copy of this book. This is the second book in this series. I read this book as a stand-alone, however, and didn’t feel lost. In this book, Lily is the mastermind behind the advice column for young ladies in London. However, she and her sisters write it anonymously. To keep her identity secret, she delivers the column dressed as a boy. It’s all well and good until she has dinner one night in a pub and ends up in a bar fight and loses her memory! She ends up in the home of a handsome man and becomes friends with his sister. Sparks fly with him as she tries to recover her memory, it will that get in the way of their romance? This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it!

Anna Bennett is a new author for me and she did not disappoint. I read it as a stand alone and the author provided enough back story so that was not an issue.

Lily Hartley was adopted by the wealthy Hartley family when she was left on their doorstep as an infant with a single bootie and a note that her name was Lily. She didn't find out this until her step mother carelessly mentioned when she was 9. She adores her parents and sister Fiona. She secretly pens THE DEBUTANTE'S REVENGE a once a week article in the London Hearsay. Fiona is an artist who contributes an illustration. It is a very popular column. Fiona is a newlywed. When their parent decide to go on a trip, Fiona and Lily plan on a girls' week, while Fiona's husband, Gray is in Scotland. But he surprises her by wanting her to come with him. Lily urges her to go and feeling a bit adventures, decides while she is out in disguise delivering the column to the paper, to stop in a Pub, a place a society girl could never be seen in, to get some material to write about. However, she is stopped by 3 large bullies, trying to steal her bag. That is when brooding Nash, Duke of Stonebridge steps in to help, but accidentally ends up pushing her into a table, her cap falls off revealing she is a woman and she in unconscious. Feeling responsible, he takes her to his mansion. However, when she finally awakes, she has amnesia.

Five years ago, Nash became the duke after the suddenly death of their father and his twin sister. He feels guilty about the situation and has kept his younger sister, Delilah, 5 years his junior cloistered in their country estate. But now that she is 18 and ready to come out, he has reluctantly come to London with her. However, for himself, after losing his beloved twin sister, Emily, he has built a wall around his heart, claiming that he is incapable of loving a woman.

Nash and his sister Delilah are charmed by their temporary guest. Apparently in that society, if it became known that she was living there unchaperoned it would cause a scandal for both women, so when her memory doesn't return they have to find another way to determine her identity. Delilah encourages their patient to think of a temporary name and she comes up with Caroline. Her kindness and plucky spirit liven the mood of the household and she tries to make Nash understand his sister. Naturally, since this is a romance, they fall for each other, but until she knows who she is and he gets over this idea that he he is incapable of love, there is no future for them.

The author weaves a charming tale with lush descriptions of the surroundings and rich character developments, so that the reader can not only picture what each person looks like, but what they are made of.

Miss Lily Hartley is the anonymous mastermind behind the ton’s latest obsession a titillating advice column for ladies on the marriage mart. She dresses up like a boy and goes to a tavern to see how the other half lives when she unwittingly lands in the middle of an ugly tavern brawl and knocked out and unconscious. Dressed a boy she’s rescued by the Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge. Eric sees a helpless lad receive a nasty blow to the head only to discover its Lily dressed as a boy with no memory of who she is. He takes her in and try to find her family, before he falls for her. I loved this emotional story with its twist and turns as these two grow closer and closer to one another. An excellent story and one I voluntarily read and reviewed.

This was a very enjoyable, light, fun and engaging summer read that was highly entertaining from beginning to end. Really enjoyed all the interesting charters, witty banter and intriguing twists and turns. Great reading.

This one was cute, a bit slow, but had good characters. The plot was interesting and something I haven’t seen much of--the whole loss of memory thing--which added to the conflict. The passion was good. I am not sure what exactly made it seem to move along slowly, but I did struggle to keep with it from time to time. I did enjoy returning to the Debutante’s Revenge group of women and definitely want more from the series, but I want to say I liked book 1 more than I liked book 2. I can't put my finger on why this one was a bit of a struggle to read, if you have read it yet, what are your thoughts? Am I crazy about it seemed a bit slow?  Would love other's thoughts on this one.  I do look forward to continuing with the series so this definitely was an enjoyable read, just not my favorite.

The storyline is very unique. Lily Hartley, a young woman with the knowledge of her sister and friend, is the writer of The Debutante’s Revenge, a rather risqué advisory column in the newspaper. Amusingly, Lily has never been in love, but she can imagine how it should make a young woman feel. She imagines her dream man, then advises women to seek him out by his qualities and how he makes her feel. The column is highly read and appreciated among young ladies and is totally frowned upon by the stronger sex and mothers.

With her family away for a couple of weeks, she decides to take several weeks of column over to the Hearsay newspaper office and do something fun to enjoy her freedom. As usual she’s disguised as a delivery boy; on her way home she happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But once I’ve said that, perhaps she was in the right place at a very right time! She was caught up in a pub brawl and suffered a very hard blow to the head. The kind of blow which creates amnesia and needs immediate attention. In walks hero Eric Nash.

Once Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, realizes a young boy knocked to the floor and unconscious was a she and not a he, and feeling responsible for getting him/her injured, scoops her off the floor and takes her home before anyone could identify her.

Nash wasn’t much into parties, he’d just come back into London after being away for many years. He realized it wasn’t fair to Delilah, his sister. She needed to see society, go to balls and think about marrying. Nash’s problem was he couldn’t let go of his protective streak which grew stronger after his father and twin died.

His visit to the pub that night only adds to his worries. He brings a young woman into his household without a chaperon. And apparently, a name. He couldn’t let anyone know she was there for fear of her reputation. He wasn’t sure if she hailed from the ton or working class.

When Lily wakes she’s confused. She remembers nothing of her life, let alone the pub brawl. I’ve got to give the girl credit. She sure has pluck!

One thing Lily did know. She is attracted to Nash. In this void, a friendship and trust forms between the two, and something deeper begins to emerge. You will definitely be caught up in this sweet romance! Delilah and Lily get along splendidly. As Lily is relearning who she is, Nash is swept into her vibrant personality.

Author Anna Bennett creates a fun situation, ensuring the reader lots of smiles and chuckles. This is a sweet story, a page-turner riddled with mirth. Nash learns to love without fear and possessiveness, Delilah learns the meaning of real love the hard way, and Lily finds her prince charming. You, dear reader, will have hours of entertainment.

This book was adorable.

Lily is hilarious - spunky, and herself. Forgetting who she is doesn't change who she is - that was priceless.

Nash is sweet behind an overly developed sense of responsibility.

Watching these two come together, and stand up for themselves - and each other - was a great deal of fun!

Lily and Eric’s love story crosses all the t’s and dots all the i’s in a truly romantic story. I highly recommend this books to all book lovers of the romance genre.

What a great fun book to read! This is the first book that I’ve read by Anna Bennett but I’m sure it won’t be the last. Her characters and so much fun to read and I love her strong female characters! Thanks for a great read!

A definite buy book.
Okay , do not bury me with horrible messages.. but........
I liked this book. It is one that I escaped into and smiled, and smiled some more. I just relaxed and let it carry me away into a make believe world and a different time. I judged it only by the enjoyment it gives me and not the historical accuracy. It was fiction. But enjoyable fiction for myself. I loved the way this author lets her imagination go while she writes. I like the characters and I enjoyed the plot and the way it unfolds. I was given this arc in return for an honest review. All opinions written here are my own. Regards, Anna

The Duke is But a Dream caught my eye because the protagonist, Lily, writes a regular advice column called “The Debutante Diaries” that has captivated all of London. When she gets into a scuffle dressed as a boy, Lily is hurt and has amnesia, and a duke comes to her rescue.

For the most part, I enjoyed this! It was well-paced and kept me wanting to find out what happened at the end, but ultimately it felt timeless in the sense that I couldn’t tell you in what era in the past this book was set. I read historical romance for those details, but this seemed to gloss a lot of those historical placement markers and favored a more modern approach to language and behavior. I hadn’t realized this was the second in a series either, and I might check out the first one from the library to see if the first sets up that historical placement a little more because I know series in general rely on that first book to set up everything while the rest follow on the hopes that the reader recalls the setting of the first!

This book, "The Duke Is But a Dream", by Anna Bennett, was one that you sit down to read for pure pleasure. It was a story of a young woman who loses her memory and ends up residing in the home of Eric Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge, while she tries to heal and recover her memory. While there the attraction between herself and Eric is undeniable and so begins a romance. The main character, Lily, is a beautiful, confident woman with strong views, while Eric struggles with demons from his past. In essence their time together is a healing time for both of them. If you enjoy a good regency romance, then you will greatly enjoy this book! (I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.)

This is a great story, the characters Lily and Eric are wonderful together, loved it.

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Imagine dressing as a chimney sweep and walking the streets of London. Well Miss Lily Hartley did just that so she could deliver her latest column in "The Debutante's Revenge" to the paper. What she didn't expect was to end up unconscious when she went into a Tavern ( yes she was having an adventure!) and ended up being knocked out unconscious and waking up at a Duke's house not knowing her name.
Eric, Duke of Stonebridge had been in that Tavern and saw the blow knock her out. Of course he then finds out it is not a lad at all but a beautiful woman! He takes her home and calls the doctor and he and his sister learn she cannot remember her name.
Let the adventure begin! I adored this story and could not read it fast enough. A man who has put up strong barriers around his heart and a woman who truly wants love and experience all there is in life. A truly fated meeting. Will Lily remember her name and will Eric let go of his emotions and let his feelings for her be known? Don't miss this second story in the Debutante Diaries. I cannot wait for the next one!!

I haven't read a historical romance in a while so I was excited when I was offered the chance to read The Duke is but a Dream.
I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were interesting, there was heat and heart, and an amnesia plotline (which I also haven't read in a while).
I would happily read another book by this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or remuneration.

This was an enjoyable read. The author did a good job with her characters. Nash is the Duke of Stonebridge and when he decides to go to a pub he has no idea that his life is about to change. Lily is the author of a article in the news paper that is the talk of the ton. When she delivers her article to the paper she goes dressed as a boy. When she was done delivering her article she decides to be adventurous and goes into a pub to eat and to observe the people. However things go wrong when she is approached by some patrons to take her money. When another patron steps in to protect her she hurt and Nash discovers she is a she not a he. Since no one knows who she is Nash takes her to his home to have his Dr. take care of her and when she comes to she has no idea who she is. During her recovery while staying at Nash’s they cannot stop the attraction for one another.

This was a good read. I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

2.5 stars
I don't read many historical romances, but the amnesia plot of this one caught my interest. The story does require a tremendous suspension of disbelief, but I expected some of that just from reading the blurb. What I didn't expect was how eye-rollingly over the top it would turn out to be. It's mostly fluff, and there's nothing wrong with that except it had so much potential to be something more. We have the gruff but redeemable hero, and a strong-willed heroine trying to break free of the bonds of the time period even if she has to do it in secret. But here's the problem, we're never given exactly what time period that is. Judging by several things in the story, I'm assuming sometime in the 1800s, but then some character actions would be better suited to something more current. The amnesia angle that drew me to the book in the first place was interesting, but I don't buy everything that happened in the two weeks that Lily didn't know who she was. Even that fact that she was allowed to stay with the Duke and his sister gave me pause, let alone everything else that happened. Then there's the Duke. I love a redeemable grouch, but the whole too emotionally broken to love anyone has been done and done again. Add to that the sheer amount of personal growth Nash went through in just two weeks, and I give you yet another eye roll. Yes, this pair fell madly in love in two weeks - two weeks that Lily didn't even know who she was or where she came from. And that led to another problem for me. Going on my assumption of setting, Lily's background pushed it over the edge for me. I'll leave those details out to avoid spoilers, but it seems pretty far-fetched. As it turned out, Lily's secret life as a columnist was the most interesting part of this one for me with the rest amounting to a fluffy, instalove story. The book is well-written, and the premise is good, I just really hoped for something more.

It took me some time to get through this one. I’ve never read anything by this author before and I didn’t know this was the second book, but man did it drag in some parts. I pushed through reading it because it’s been forever since I’ve read anything in this genre. For me personally, it was just meh.

For the first little bit of this book, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed watching Lily take a measure of control of her world. I enjoyed the bar fight that brought these two people together. Heck, I even enjoyed the way Nash's sister Delilah welcomed Lily into the family even knowing that the mere fact that she was staying there could bring ruin on the entire family.

What I did not enjoy? Was the way that even without knowing who or what she was, Lily willingly engaged in sexual situations that no well-bred young virgin of the time period should even know about. However, not only did she engage in them, but Nash allowed it to happen (up to an including him potentially impregnating her) when he didn't even know if she was married or not.

All of this just added up to characters that didn't fit whatever time period this novel was supposed to take place in (which was never specified), and a story that while it was okay, did not keep me glued to the pages. And while I do honestly believe this story will appeal to some people, this one could have been better for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.