I really LOVED the first book in this series, My Fake Rake, and was super excited to read more about Rotherby, the rakish Duke (or Noel, as we come to know - and love him - as in this book). Also, it's a mistaken identities trope and something of a Cinderella story, and you know I'm a sucker for both, so I clearly needed this book in my life.

I didn't love Noel and Jess as a couple as much as Sebastian and Grace in the first book in this series. HOWEVER, My Fake Rake was one of my top 5 favorite books I read in 2019, so it's a VERY high bar. I love how driven Jess is, and how... NOEL Noel is. There's really not another word to describe it. Their chemistry is dynamic, and the slow burn of their heat growing is delicious.

I didn't really like their sort of fledgling dom/sub relationship, though kudos to them being kinky in Ye Olden Times I guess? I guess if you don't have the internet and modern culture to desensitize you, their sexual relationship was likely quite edgy for the times. It just fell kind of flat for me and I found myself skimming through the sex scenes to get back to the story. Maybe it was just that I'm not used to any kink in historicals? I spent entirely too long trying to figure out why it put me off a bit (besides repeated use of the word "quim," bleh) and I just can't pinpoint it. Anyway, the sex scenes didn't really work for me, but the ENTIRE REST OF THE BOOK DID.

Especially because with every mistaken identity trope, there's the reveal of who the person really is. Midnight eventually comes and Cinderella goes back to her rags and her reality. But imagine Cinderella had lied about who she was to the prince for days, and that he was more vulnerable and honest and himself with her than he ever was with anyone before, ever. And then suddenly there she is in rags with her carriage just a smashed pumpkin behind her. My heart, it breaks for them both, and Eva Leigh writes this inevitable crash and heartbreak after the fantasy SO wonderfully that it had me sobbing into my Kindle. (And let's be real, this is a romance so we know it's going to all end Happily Ever After anyway, so it's OK to cut loose and cry.)

Would I Like to the Duke is the second book in the Union of Rakes series, but can be read as a stand alone. Holloway and the others of the Union of Rakes make a bit of an appearance, and there are some very minor spoilers for the first book, My Fake Rake. One of the main characters for book three, Waiting for a Scot Like You is Lady Farris, whom I very much came to love in this book - I cant wait!!

To save her family’s small soap-making business, brazen farmer’s daughter Jessica McGale masquerades as society widow “Lady Whitfield” to infiltrate the ton and find investors. While Lady Whitfield is a hit amongst society, her business plans take a detour when she catches the eye of the handsome Duke of Rotherby, whose flirtations are too flattering not to act on.
It’s good to be Duke, but Noel is used to being surrounded by yes men all too willing to give him his way to curry his favor. Distrustful of most people, Noel lets himself go with the captivating and business-savvy Lady Whitfield, not realizing she holds a dirty secret. Jess has to figure out how to come clean while still keeping her soap company afloat.
On top of it all, The Union of Rakes series revolves around a motley crew of young men who met at detention at Eton a la The Breakfast Club. With nods to the 80’s flick Working Girl, Eva Leigh creates a bright and brazen heroine whose success you root for despite her scheme. Noel is as charming as any Regency buck, but his naughty mouth and eagerness to please set him apart from the plethora of dukes found in Romancelandia.
Fun and refreshing, with the same steamy sex scenes you require from an Eva Leigh book, Would I like to the Duke is another gem in her new series.

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

Jessica McGale is a hustler. She knows her family’s soap business would be an instant success, so when she travels to London as part of her lady’s companion duties (side hustle), she takes the opportunity to find a shop on the exclusive Bond Street to sell her soap.

Everybody loves the soap, but there’s one hitch: there was a fire on the farm, so they don’t have the means to fulfill orders and none of the shops are interested in investing in a business without the certainty of profiting from it.

Jessica hears about a Business Bazaar, wherein wealthy investors listen to pitches and then invest in promising products and ideas. Unfortunately, the bazaar is invitation-only; inventors can’t walk in off the street. So Jessica does what any rational person would do: she pretends to be a wealthy widow interested in investing and formulates a plan to drop subtle hints about McGale Soaps.

That’s where she meets Noel, the Duke of Rotherby, who is instantly smitten with the gorgeous young widow. But Jessica is here for a single purpose and doesn’t have time for romantic entanglements, especially since she’s lying to everyone about who she really is.

So, to answer the question posed by the title, yes—she would lie to the duke!

First of all, can we talk about how Leigh has handed us Regency-era Shark Tank? This is one of the most original concepts I’ve ever seen in historical romance, and it’s amazing. I enjoyed seeing not only an eclectic collection of (period appropriate) innovations, but seeing the ensemble’s reaction to the pitches.

But of course, the Bazaar is merely the background for the romance: Noel likes being told what to do, which is a dynamic we don’t see enough of in historical romance, and needless to say, made the love scenes scorching hot.

Needless to say, it’s not a spoiler to tell you that Jessica and Noel get their happily ever after, but oh my gosh, the work it takes them to get there—such feelings!

I would absolutely recommend Would I Lie to the Duke. I should point out that this is the second book in the Union of Rakes series. This tight-knit group of gentlemen have been friends since their schooldays at Eton, and now they’re all settling down one by one. My Fake Rake, the first book, had some more interaction with the friend group than this book. I don’t see this as a detriment—rather, readers don’t necessarily have to read MFR in order to understand this book. However, fans of the series will appreciate when “the rakes” popped up from time to time. Also, if you haven’t read MFR, you totally should. Meanwhile, having finished this book, I am now eagerly awaiting (no pun intended) Waiting for a Scot Like You, the third book in the series.

I received a copy of this book from Avon/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished this book and I am sitting here utterly in awe. It has been quite a while since I have read a new Regency Historical Romance that has affected me so much. There were so many wonderful things to love about this story and the characters, but I have to say my absolute favorite part was the level of respect the characters showed each. Eva Leigh was able to show that it is completely normal to admit ones attraction to another person while simultaneously respecting their boundaries.

Jessica McGale, is the oldest daughter of a soap maker, who is doing everything that she can to keep the business afloat after a devastating fire destroyed a majority of their manufacturing abilities. Jess is a bright and determined young woman, so she creates an opportunity for herself to find investors by creating and playing as "Lady Whitfield", a recently windowed lady of the ton.

Noel, the Duke of Rotherby, is a self proclaimed rake and part time investor. He is immediately attracted to her intelligence and strength, wishing to be in her company as often and in any way possible, as long as she will allowit. He is not a man who trusts easily, but he finds himself revealing things to her that not even his friends, the Union of Rakes, are aware of.

From this set up it is pretty easy to see where the story is going to go, however, I completely enjoyed the unexpected turns this ride provided along the way. In all of the Regency/Historical Romance books I have ever read over the years, I have never seen this dynamic between the characters. The flirted with each other from their very first encounter, their mutual attraction was completely obvious but they still sought consent from one another for each action they took. This show of respect and desire for one anothet truly made the steamy scenes even more enjoyable for me as, "consent is my kink".

It might be early for me to say, but I truly believe Eva Leigh is going to be a new favorite author for me. This story brought me so much joy and contentment, that I have already purchased the first installment is this series, My Fake Rake, and plan to start reading it soon.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the free E-ARC in exchange of my honest review**

Okay, this was GOOD. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because the pacing was a bit too slow the whole time and I felt like the story focused too much on Jess’ business troubles and not enough on the romance.

However, everything else about this book was FANTASTIC. Both Jess and Noel were great characters, and their romance was SO sweet. The smut in this is also some of the best I have ever read in a historical romance. Seriously, it was HAWT. Also Noel being sexually submissive to Jess was EVERYTHING. He may be one of my favorite HR heroes EVER.

My first Eva Leigh book did not disappoint, and I HIGHLY recommend this one!! Can’t wait to read the other books in this series as they come out.

**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

Noel we meet in book one and already love him, I couldn't wait for him to get his HEA! Jess has come into town to make some money to help her family farm that also makes soap contacts and move into the London market. I love that Leigh has Jess a smarty money/finance lady and impressive Noel with her knowledge at their first meeting and throughout the book. This was such a fun story with Jess acting like a Lady and them going on field trips.

I also love the Union of Rakes and can't wait for more of this series because of them! They are so funny and add to these stories. I have really enjoyed Eva's writing for this series with not only smart, nerdy women but men that loved them for themselves. The chemistry in this one is perfect- you can feel it coming off the page! This one has a bit of steam and Jess gets to be in charge of some of it ;)

Overall, 4.5 stars and 4 steam

Thanks to Netgalley, Publishers, author for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review!

Jess McGale's family soap business needs an infusion of cash. She's been forced to find work as a lady's companion, but that's not going to stop her from pursuing every avenue to find investors, even if that means posing as a noblewoman to gain access to the Bazaar - aka Regency Shark Tank. And, of course, this puts her directly in the path of Noel, Duke of Rotherby, who is desperate for human connection in the form of someone who isn't afraid to challenge him and tell him what needs to be done.

I'm an Eva Leigh fan. And this book is a delight. It's cheeky in its modern references - the series is loosely based on 80's movies after all. And those cheeky references are very funny. Jess is walking a line - she's lying (see title), but also being more honest and herself than she's ever been. The "I need to tell him, but I can't tell him now" was navigated well.

The heat level is very high. There's this one scene, in a larder, that just, oof. It was high heat but also doing amazing emotional work. This duke, and you'll know this if you follow Eva on twitter, is submissive. I found that dynamic between him and Jess *chef's kiss.* It made sense for both of them and upped the heat.

The book also does some work setting up the next two (I assume) books, and I am eager for them.

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

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

If you are looking for a fun and sexy historical romance with a brilliant, dominant heroine and a rakish but sexually submissive hero, you should definitely check out Would I Live to the Duke! I had a really good time with this one and I like the way the author plays with power dynamics. This is the second in a series loosely inspired by 80's teen movies, and you will certainly see a few tongue-in-cheek references to modernity. Including a very silly business idea that is the regency era equivalent of Twitter.

Jessica McGale's family soap-making business is in trouble and she is determined to do whatever she must to find investors. Even if it means posing as a Lady widow to gain entrance to a business-related event. And even if it means maintaining the ruse, despite her growing attraction to Noel, a notorious duke.

I loved Jessica as a heroine. She is smart, determined, and is dedicated to the people she loves. What's cool about this book as opposed to many other historicals, is the author lets her be dominant in the bedroom, recognizing that there were so few ways for women during that time to have any kind of power. Noel may be the man AND the one with the money and position, but he is (in the words of the author) dirty-talking and sexually submissive. Note that the steamier scenes involve a fairly light version of consensual power play. It's refreshing to see the role reversal when so often we get dominant heroes. In addition, I really liked their relationship development. It's sweet and vulnerable, despite some necessary lies that create understandable conflict. This is definitely one worth checking out. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I first read Eva Leigh with the first in this series, My Fake Rake. Since then I can't get enough of her books and she's become one of my favorite historical romance writers. I was thrilled to be able to read this second book in the series and it did not disappoint. A good hearted duke trying to do the right thing meets a woman disguised as a lady to save her family's business. He isn't used to a strong woman with a savvy business mind and her strong will, and she is surprised to find a caring heart under his lofty title. Their flirtations and tension sizzle off the page as I kept waiting for them to finally give in and get together. I really liked having a heroine with her own business and seeing her siblings interact with her, though hidden identity is not usually a troupe I enjoy. I loved the duke and his band of loyal friends. the taste of what his friends might find in future books leaves me eagerly awaiting the next in this series.

Jess McGale's family is having a rough go of it with their soap business and as head of the family, it's her job to make it blossom. The Duke of Rotherby plays and works hard but hides that last bit to everyone but his friends. A chance encounter on Bond Street has him thinking of her long after until he meets her again as " Lady Whitfield" at a secretly- and very lucrative- Bazaar for rich investors.
You desperately want them to act on their attraction to each other and Eva Leigh is a master at witty dialogue and hot scenes. If these two were the businesswoman Barbie and Ken that I played within the 80s I would have them smashing face after a third way into the book.

Eva Leigh's Union of the Rakes series continues in Would I Lie to the Duke, which features Noel, the Duke of Rotherby and Jessica McGale. Jess is desperate to save her family business, so she masquerades as an aristocratic widow to gain entrance to an investors event to try to gain funding. There, she meets Noel, who is jaded with having sycophants follow him around all the time. Jess' no-nonsense attitude is a breath of fresh air and he is instantly drawn to her sharp intellect. Jess is also attracted to him, but knows that while she is deceiving him they can never have anything real together.



After reading the first book in this series, My Fake Rake, I was very eager to read Rotherby's story. This book was good, but also very unexpected. Jess and Noel were both very well-written, and the story moved quickly. Leigh added a lot of subtle nods to current trends (the Bazaar was very reminiscent of Shark Tank, and one of the prospective businesses was a communications organization making use of sparrows - called "Chirp") which was amusing.



Overall I would recommend this book, and am looking forward to the next book in the series. The group of gentleman - the Union of the Rakes - is such a great idea, and I love reading about how this group of men from very different walks of life are so supportive of each other over such a long time.



Thank you to Avon/HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review!



SPOILERS

The intimacy in this book is a dom/sub relationship, which is very tastefully done but was very unexpected. It serves the plot and makes sense in context, but all of their encounters follow this pattern. I would have enjoyed them having at least one encounter that was sweet? However that is just my opinion. I do think that there should be a content warning, however, in case someone did not want to read that type of relationship.

Leigh's Union of the Rakes series follows a group of misfit best friends who met in school in a Breakfast Club-esque detention scenario and who are now grown up and living in different stratas of London society; each book utilizes tropes inspired by 80's movies. It's a really fun idea for a historical romance series, and one that necessarily leads to a lot of hijinks. Would I Lie to the Duke follows highborn Ash, the Molly Ringwald of the friend group, and love interest Jess, a small business owner whose family soap-making company was recently devastated by a fire. Jess is working as a lady's maid while attempting to find investors to help get her company back on track when she stumbles into a risky but potentially lucrative scheme: disguise herself as a member of the nobility and infiltrate an exclusive annual investment conference--one that Ash is also attending--and persuade the elite investors that her business is one worth sponsoring. 

I really loved the chemistry between Jess and Ash--even though she's a commoner and he's a duke, there's never a sense of entitlement or uncomfortable power dynamics due to Jess's strong personality and the way they come to interact with one another. Structuring the plot around business and investing was something I hadn't seen previously in a historical romance, and I thought it was an interesting way to do things. What I didn't love was the deception inherent in Jess and Ash's dynamic and how long it took for Jess's deception to be revealed; I found it frustrating and it kept me from being able to completely root for them as a couple. I do think this is a very fun series, and I plan to pick up the next book when it's released.

I received an eARC of Would I Lie to the Duke from the publisher courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great! From awesome heroine Jess to a swoon plot that will make you melt like an ice cream.
I liked the plot of the story, some twists in the book made it feel spicy and of course some laughs were a bonus. This book was an air of fresh breath for me. I would recommend it to all those who love and want to read historical romance at its best.

Swoon worthy for sure! A great romantic novel! I had such a blast reading this and I absolutely adored the characters. I loved how much of a strong a business savvy lady Jess was and I mean, the determination on that girl was amazing! Her banter and moments with Noel were adorable. This was such a fun read and was a perfect addition to the series. ( I read the previous story and loved it too! You can read these separately or altogether but it's so worth reading the series!). I definitely recommend this for any romance lovers out there!

Another enjoyable HEA from Eva Leigh. I was hesitant at first because I get frustrated when not being open and honest causes the tension in the plot. But, I do think this was handled well. It makes it easier when the person with a hidden past is doing it for their family. Lots of fun, sexy scenes. I recommend!

I enjoyed the characters and their story. Interesting premise and strong characters. Will be looking for more to read by this author for sure.

Jessica McGale becomes the head of her household when her parents die in a fire. The fire also damages their small business, McGale & McGale soaps. She is working as a companion when she encounters Noel, the charismatic Duke of Rotherby. Jessica pretends to be a lady in order to infiltrate this week long Bazaar where wealthy aristocrats discover new businesses as potential investments. Noel has finally found someone that makes him feel normal. Will Jessica be able to reveal the truth about her identity and still have Noel's admiration?

The chemistry between Noel and Jessica was great. Jessica had such a fiery personality, and it really suited Noel. I liked seeing how the pressure of being a duke has impacted Noel. The intimate moments in this book were spicier than I expected. I am looking forward to reading the next book about Duncan McCameron, Waiting for a Scot Like You. This book is perfect for fans of Joanna Shupe.

Total honesty, I’m usually not a big fan of a romance where one of the characters is lying to the other. However…the title of this book is literally Would I Lie to the Duke…clearly somebody is gonna be lying. But…it’s Eva Leigh. Like I was going to *not* read this book? Not likely!

And it was delightful. Witty and sexy and it made me want to go smell all the sweet smelling soaps. I felt less of a connection to Noel but I really loved Jess’s ambition and her devotion to her family. And the couple has quality chemistry. I’m really enjoying this ode to the 80s series and I am looking forward to the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I'm loving this series and I cannot wait for McCameron's story next! Jess is a whip-smart heroine and as much as I loved Noel from book 1, he is even better in book 2.

What a delightful read! It's rare to find a historical romance that acknowledges the unpopular fact that most people were not nobility. I really enjoyed reading about Jess's wild gamble to save her family business. Noel was charming and the secondary characters were great. At this time in our history, it's nice to have an author add just a touch of realism to the fantasy.