I really enjoyed this book! It grabbed from page one. Lucy Cooper discovers a passed out and very naked man on her way to the Art Academy sets off a fantastic journey for the reader. The naked man is none other than a very restricted Duke of Weston, Anthony Philby. The sketches and scandelous painting she does of him almost brings ruin to his ordered life. His quest to find the artist leads him to Lucy. It is Lucy who leads him into a real, well lived and joyful life. I highly recommend this book and am excited to read more from this author.

Anthony's the rake not-quite-reformed, passed out naked in an alleyway. Lucy, a resourceful but poor young artist, takes her inspiration where she finds it. Unfortunately, the resulting portrait looks to cause some problems for the young duke. But maybe his reputation could be rehabilitated, if he helps rehabilitate her family's housing? A bargain's struck, but these two look to lose their hearts. This Victorian historical romance packs enough banter and heat to make for a very enjoyable read.

To be posted on Forever Young Adult, mini review on IG.

LET'S GET IT ON with The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell

First Impressions
I like the delicate blue and cream wallpaper background, but I’m not sure it’s right for THIS book. The contents are a little darker than the whimsical cartoon characters suggest.

What’s Your Type?
Opposites attract from the wrong side of the tracks, art, alcoholism, discussion of consent

Dating Profile
As a woman studying painting at the prestigious Royal Academy, Lucy Coover is constantly fighting for better access to the tools she needs to learn everything she can. She’s barred from classes where they draw the physical form because of nudity, so when she literally stumbles over a gorgeous, naked man lying in the middle of an alley, she’s…curious. She can’t get the lines out of her head, so she paints his nude form and sells the painting to a bored, rich housewife.

Anthony Philby, a newly-minted Duke and man suffering from second-son syndrome, isn’t supposed to be drinking if he wants to keep his dukedom, per his late controlling father’s will, but, well, the dude is majorly depressed and not coping. When he is almost shot over a supposed “affair” with someone he barely knows because she has his naked portrait hanging in her closet, he decides to track down this L Coover artist and give him a piece of his mind.

Meet Cute
Anthony tracks Lucy down at her school and eventually realizes she is who he’s looking for, and the meeting doesn’t go well. He’s annoyed and accuses her of being a prostitute (how else could she have seen his naked body?), she’s guilty and then outraged. I rolled my eyes a little when she impulsively kisses him for reasons, but stick it out.

The Lean
I felt the chemistry! Lucy and Anthony get to know each other over a series of meetings and conversations, which I always appreciate, and there’s a sense of “this can’t last” because of their differences in social stratospheres, as well as Anthony’s issues with alcohol and Lucy’s unwillingness to deal with it because she’s already had one gin-soaked man disappoint her.

Dirty Talk
Lucy is an artist, so of course you know there’s going to be some art-like language during the sexy bits:
“You wanted to see.” He grated the words. “Look. Look at me.”
She hadn’t realized her eyes had closed. She forced her lids up and looked into his face, his expression hard and concentrated. His gaze locked on hers as he flexed and thrust deeper still. He clasped her hand, fingers spreading hers as they twined. Even that sensation, her fingers stretching around his, mirrored this delicious stretching inside her. She gasped, gasped again. He was galloping her now, and she was surging to meet him. There was nowhere to go but out of her body, bursting the skin. There was no line, no form, just smears of color, of feeling. Black, green, ochre, red.

Ms. Perky's Prize for Purplest Prose
Lowell’s writing was refreshingly purple-free, and I actually ended up highlighting multiple passages because I enjoyed her turn-of-phrase or particular insight. Her love scenes were a nice mix of sweet and sexy.
She lifted herself onto her elbow as he turned down the gaslight. “Don’t turn off the lights,” she said with urgency.
His mouth crooked. She was mad to fear that he’d proceed in darkness. He’d dreamed of the blush that stained her breasts with seashell pink, dreamed of the freckles on her inner thighs. Fire was his accomplice.

We Need To Talk
There is a lot to unpack in this book! Lowell covers a wealth of topics and does it all with a satisfying prose. I loved that the characters felt very real and messy, that there seemed to be a lot of research that went into the time period and the subjects of art and teaching, and I didn’t even mind the last quarter veering into dramaaaaa territory (if the villain had a mustache, it would be a-twirling).
But I do think this book won’t be for everyone, and it will completely depend on your story-telling preferences. There are three possible issues that I think could give some people pause: Anthony comes from major privilege but feels very powerless throughout most of the novel, and even though he says he’s not an alcoholic and can stop any time…he’s definitely dependent and depressed. It’s a bit “poor little rich boy” and I know some do not have any tolerance for that. I think he and Lucy had enough honest conversations and he had enough growth by the end that I am happy with them together. No human is perfect, right?
Some are going to have a major problem with the crux of the plot, in which Lucy paints Anthony’s nude form without his consent and sells the painting. Was that a shitty thing to do? Yes. But I think their ensuing discussions about consent cause her to realize what she did was wrong on multiple levels and she does apologize. That still won’t be enough for some, and if you can’t forgive her, then I get that and this won’t be the book for you.
Lastly, Anthony is another colonialist British character who “went off to war” and came back with a host of traumatic experiences. The characters don’t glorify colonialism and condemn the war, but I know some refuse to read anything that uses wars from this time period as part of any plot device, which, again, I completely understand.

Was It Good For You?
Hells yes. I was NOT expecting to fall in as deep as I did with this book, but it caught me by the heartstrings and painted me like one of its French girls.

What an absolutely unexpected delight! I loved everything about this book, and can't wait to read more from this author!

So I got caught up in so many other books that the publishing date for this book came and went. Then I was able to get the audiobook on Libby (Overdrive), and Mary Jane Wells’ narration is AMAZING.

There are a lot of complexities here, and it might turn off people who are looking for something moving at a simpler and faster pace. It’s not just about a duke trying to keep any scandals under wraps until his 30th birthday when he’s free of his father’s codicil—which a nude painting of him by an aspiring Shoreditch artist, inspired from her finding him naked and passed out drunk in an alleyway, doesn’t help. And yes, there are the usual issues of class and sexism and the yoke of ancestral responsibilities. But there’s also the story of trauma and how it clearly shapes Anthony and Lucy’s lives. The trauma of dysfunctional families, alcoholism, mental illness, and power dynamics—especially against women—that if not for Mary Jane Wells’ narration could’ve brought this book to a screeching halt for me. Anthony truly struggled with his demons, and it was refreshing to see someone know better than to give into them and yet he still did, anyway, longer than any plot arc would allow him to. It’s about Lucy not just fighting for her gender, but for her career, and her neighborhood, even when society says that as a low-born woman she just needs to put up with what life gives her. And when shocking, heartbreaking realizations continue to dawn on Anthony like crashing waves, it’s learning how to stay strong and keep loving in the face of what was robbed from him and his family. I think it’s worth the read.

The Duke Undone. By Joanna Lowell. 2021. Berkely (ARC eBook).

I thought The Duke Undone was fresh and well-written with engaging and nuanced characters. The Afghan War, asylums and housing reform lent a darker tone that was offset with art student shenanigans at the Royal Academy and Anthony and Lucy’s growing romance.

I love the cover for The Duke Undone! Unfortunately I did not feel interested in the characters and decided to DNF at 28%.

I DNFed this book partway through. I wasn't connecting with the characters. I will give this one another try at a later date. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I decided to DNF The Duke Undone at 20%. I really wanted to love the story, but sadly I wasn't connecting with the characters or the storyline. I decided to put down The Duke Undone for now and will try again at a later time.

I loved this book! It was so fresh and funny, a great addition to the historical romance genre! The characters and their motivations felt really realistic and I enjoyed watching them grow. It was the perfect blend of romance, intrigue, and humor!

I really enjoyed The Duke Undone and can't wait to read more by Joanna Lowell! This book had me interested as soon as I opened the first page. From the moment Lucy first crosses paths with Anthony (and that was definitely a great way to introduce both characters) I couldn't wait to see what happened for her and get to know her better!

I loved Anthony...even though he trusted the wrong people. He knew not to but he still did and it created a lot of problems for him but in the end, with Lucy (or the thought of Lucy) pushing him he was able to see what was going on and what he needed to do to truly step into his role as Duke and take ownership of his decisions / actions.

I loved the secondary characters, Kate, Lucy's aunt, etc. and thought they all added to the story. There is a pretty obvious villain and despite that, I thought the story was well done. The characters are well developed, there are plenty of parts with the romancy bits included, and there's even a bit of a mystery around what happened to Anthony's sister.

Overall, I liked this one and will be definitely checking out more by Lowell in the future! Give this one a read if you are looking for a new historical romance to pick up. It's a standalone too...although I could definitely see the possibility of more stories with this cast of characters if the publisher chose to do so. I'm curious to learn more about Gwen's story for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!

I really enjoyed this story and liked that while it had some similar sentiments of other historical romance it stood out to me because of the complexity of the characters, especially Lucy and it had a very refreshing take.

The Duke Undone follows Lucy Coover who is an Art student at the Royal Academy and Anthony, The Duke of Weston. When Lucy discovers a man in the nude in the alley in her East End of London community, she assumed him to be a commoner but does the decent thing and covers him up and gets help before rushing off to school. Lucy ends up painting a portrait of the nude man because the image of him occupies her mind.

Anthony is walking a fine line and is almost age 30 and craving the independence that his inheritance will bring. One more scandal and he loses the independence he can almost taste. He finds out in the best way (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you) that a nude portrait of him exist and the funniest part is he has no idea when and how this was done. In his bid to find the artist he meets Lucy. Him and Lucy ends up striking up a friendship, a very surprising one given their very different social status.

I loved the characters, both the main characters and the secondary characters. I thought they were well developed and had some dept. Lucy was unlike any female main character I have experienced in an historical romance. She was bold, confident and lively. He acts of heroism just made her more lovable.

I enjoyed the different story lines including the politics of that era. The story line including Anthony’s sister Effie was especially engaging and kept me wanting to get to the end to find out more.

Their love story also kept me engages because it was so hard fought and had so many moments where it just felt impossible. I also enjoyed their banter and chemistry.
This was fantastic writing and I highly recommend it. This was my first from this author and will definitely read more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for an ARC.

I’ve been reading a ton of historical romance this year - with Bridgerton popularizing the genre, it’s been super fun exploring new authors and stories set in the past. Naturally, when I got the opportunity to read The Duke Undone, I jumped on it. It’s pretty uncommon for a meet cute to involve the hero passed out, naked and drunk, so boy was I intrigued.

From a storytelling point of view, I really enjoyed the plot and pacing for the first two thirds of The Duke Undone. The story was super unique and I loved the meet-cute and the early chemistry between Lucy and the Duke. I also really enjoyed the housing crisis subplot - it was fascinating and created a lot of intrigue in the story. Unfortunately, the last third of the book was a little off to me. It felt a bit rushed, plot wise. I think the book would have benefited from a bit more time to wrap up the story in a more complete way. Particularly, the ending to the housing subplot felt rushed/forced.

Lucy was a confident artist who was willing to seize any opportunity that was thrown her way - including an impromptu anatomy lesson by way of a passed out, naked, drunk Duke in a back alley. Enter: Anthony, a reluctant Duke whose life is being controlled by the people appointed by his father. Right off the bat, they had excellent chemistry together - though I found as the book progressed their relationship was a little inconsistent. They had their cute moments, but they also felt a little too different to end up together at times.

Overall, The Duke Undone was a fun and fresh new Victorian era romance - a unique meet cute, a headstrong heroine, and a ton of art. I would love to see an adaptation of this (cough, cough, Netflix). If you enjoy historical romance or you’re looking to try the genre out, this might be the book for you. 3/5

Hmmm, this one is a bit of a struggle to review. I fell in love with the cover art and I laughed out loud at the blurb. The idea of their meet cute was adorable and hilarious. For a first try, a debut, this isn’t bad! It’s a bit madcap and shenanigan laden, but my biggest issue is that the hero just isn’t really like able to me. Really Lucy deserved better than she got here.

I love, love, LOVE the cover of the book - it is 100% my style. With that said, I’m still not sure I’m a fan of historical romance. This did have a twist on a classic romance with a little bit of a mystery. I wasn’t a super fan of “The Duke,” but he grew on me. I liked Lucy! I think you’d really enjoy this if you like a historical romance - I’m just still on the fence with them.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

I think the cute, artsy covers have confused me at this point, I just do not know what to expect when I open a book anymore. Joanna Lowell is a new to me author so that was no help either. The Duke Undone is waaaaaay more angsty (like whoa) and filled with dark themes than I expected. This isn’t a bad thing, but between the alcoholism, PTSD, dyslexia, family members being locked away against their will in insane asylums, possible poisonings, and gaslighting/theft by a trusted family friend I started to get a little overwhelmed.

I do want to say that I enjoyed this author’s voice. I really loved the heroine, Lucy, who is a no-nonsense, practical artist, and really enjoyed getting to know her. The hero, Anthony, was charming, and I did like him and the heroine together. But I will be honest when I say that I spent half this book shaking my head in exasperation. Anthony must abide by certain provisions to his father’s will to gain financial independence at his 30th birthday, which is like A MONTH AWAY. One of which is that he stops drinking and keeps from being embroiled in any scandals. Yet, he continuously sneaks out, with the help of his valet, gets roaring drunk, and then climbs up to his bedroom window to sleep it off. He even has alcohol stashed in his greenhouse. Supposedly his butler is in league with the villainous family friend who is currently overseeing the family fortune, yet Anthony never gets caught. I just….

Lucy, whose dad was an alcoholic and ruined her mother’s life, isn’t about to fall in love with someone who drinks to oblivion, yet she does. I mean even the way she meets him and what drew them together was her happening upon him naked, passed out in the street after a night of debauchery. She even thinks he is dead when she first comes upon him. But when I say Anthony is charming, I mean it. I don’t blame her for falling for this guy. His backstory is tragic all the way around, but he still retains his kindness and empathy. He’s funny and he recognizes her talent. He listens to her. Their romance is quite twisty and turny, especially since it’s super hard for her to trust him. Despite all the things that should keep them apart, they have this tremendous chemistry that keeps pulling them back together again.

There is so much going on in this book it’s impossible to give a concise review, but I will say that I did like this couple’s HEA. I do like how this author wrapped up the many, many plot threads. I do hope that readers get updates on this couple as the series progresses and I do plan on continuing on with the series.

DNF at 35%

I was really excited about this book, it was on my highly anticipated reads of 2021. The intro drew me in and had me hooked, I won't deny that. But after that intro this book felt like it screeched to a halt and went from a run to a walk. The Hero kind of sucks. There's this weird instant attraction that takes place early on where the characters start making out after yelling at each other, and it didn't feel like there was enough of a build up for those two to start kissing in public (especially in those times and when both of their situations relied so heavily on discretion). Unfortunately I couldn't get invested in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lowell, and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely light, upbeat, and very flirty! This is the start of a new series, and I have a feeling that those who love this book will be really happy about that! First of all, I absolutely love the cover! It's stunning! Secondly, if you are a fan of the Bridgerton series as of lately, I think this will be right up your alley! It was a little cheesy for me, but then again...I'm all for intense emotions whether good or bad. I just felt like this had a lot going on (alcohol, PTSD, emotional abuse, etc.) just to say that it included it. I'm probably not the best reader for this novel, but I can see where a lot of people are really going to love this one!

This is the first book by Joanna and it definitely won't be the last. She will pull you in from the first page to the last. Loved that she wrote about things not often found in romance novels. She keeps it just spicy enough for those who like to read hot romance too. Totally enjoyed this book

In a romance meet-up for the ages, an artist paints a nude based on an unconscious man in an alley and that painting leads him to her art studio. Awkwardness, anger, and a mutual deal is struck. Can a dissipated man fighting the nightmares of his past and an artist in need of financial assistance find their way to love? I was excited to get back my historical romance mojo with this new to me author and start of series.
Review

Lucy Coover lives and breathes her art, but in Victorian Era London, she doesn’t have a chance at seeing a real male body. So, imagine her excitement to come across a fine specimen of the male form passed out cold in an East End alley. She does the right thing, but can’t get the image out of her mind so she does the unthinkable and paints him and then sells the painting pretending to be a man. The money will help her family keep a roof over their heads a little longer and the experience will help her art so she can succeed at it for a career. What could be the harm?
Meanwhile Anthony Phillby, the new duke, from a notorious family and rather rakish on his own part can’t afford a scandal right now based on the demands of his father’s will. He needs his inheritance to set straight what his older brother and father ruined so has to make it until age thirty which is coming up soon without a scandal- and he is being watched. He desperately needs to find his sister who has disappeared. Years in the army, years in a highly dysfunctional family, his mother’s suicide and wars abroad wear on him and leave him dependent on alcohol. If he can keep this infernal nude painting that is obviously him from getting talked about and stop the artist from wrecking more havoc in his life…
Apparently, they can come to a mutual understanding. He’ll financially assist Lucy and help with the housing situation for the poor. Lucy will help him search for Effie. The search for Effie turns out more dangerous than imagined as do the troubles swirling around his new ascension to the dukedom so they draw closer together and forge an unexpected connection that goes beyond attraction.

The Duke Undone was something of a surprise to someone like me who had read mostly old school historical romance. Some of the newer authors are really taking off the rose-tinted glasses when it comes to this genre and giving their characters and situations some serious flaws. The story has a gritty quality and it raises the steam level right from the start. Anthony isn’t just a rake in name only nor was his brother and other family. Anthony’s crutch in dealing with it all is drink and unfortunately, Lucy is well aware of what alcoholism will do to a man and those around him since she grew up with an alcoholic father. This is one of the conflicts between them. The book explores so much- in fact, it might have taken on too much so that it was hard to focus on it all.

The book talks of poor housing issues, women and their struggle with the Royal Academy of Art, alcoholism, insane asylums (shudder), PTSD and war, family issues, suicide, class differences, and more.
The author definitely knows her way with a pen. Her descriptions of setting, filling in backdrop and characters was all with depth and emotion. I agonized a little over the romance conflict between this pair who truly struggled separately and together. It is romance so I knew there would be a resolution, but I had no idea how it would come about because Anthony was such a mess and Lucy had her own struggles that didn’t play well together.

There is a villain who will do what it takes to make them fail and, at first, they don’t even realize the danger. Lucy drove me nuts at times. Not because of what she thought and felt, but her action choices weren’t always the best. She did increase the tension in both the romance and suspense part of the conflict as a result. But, I actually didn’t mind, for once, because I felt it balanced out against Anthony’s flaws.

All in all, this was a wonderful start. I saw that there will be a series for some of the side characters and I’m glad. They were as fascinating as the main pair and I’d like to see them get their stories. So, this spicy, tempestuous Historical Romance got a little darker and grittier, but there was depth and complexity. I would definitely recommend it to those who like this style for the genre.

I rec’d an eARC of this book from Berkley Romance to read in exchange for an honest review.