The beginning of this was a little slow, but the middle to end was truly interesting. I loved the reversal of a man’s body being ogled by the heroine instead of a woman’s body. I really liked the fact that this duke had to grow into the title and mindset of being a badass, instead of just starting out that way. I would encourage someone not new to romance but already a fan of historical fiction to read this, as it’s a great segway into the genre.

The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell is a captivating historical romance that is sure to take your breath away. The story is well-written with intriguing characters. It is a lovely meet-cute romance with some great banter and instant chemistry.

Wow! This book is so good! It is entertaining, full of twists and turns, heart-wrenching, romantic, witty, moving, and much more! Whenever I picked up "The Duke Undone", I was whisked back in time to the Victorian Era, and went on quite the journey with this story!

Firstly, how absolutely STUNNING is this cover! I was intrigued from the minute I saw it, and am so glad to have received an ARC of this book! It fits the book perfectly!

This is the first book I have read by Joanna Lowell, and I can't wait to read more, as her storytelling is spectacular! She truly knows how to make a time period, story, plot, setting, as well as characters jump right off the page, and, as the reader, I was hooked from the first page to the last.

Lucy is a talented, spunky, determined, and kind woman. One day, as she is walking, she stumbles upon, at first, who she believes to be a dead man. However, she soon realizes he is alive...and not wearing any clothes. She covers him up, and leaves... but can't seem to get the man out of her mind. As an artist, she decides to paint him. Never could she have imagined who it is she has actually stumbled upon, nor where these events will lead her.

Anthony, the Duke of Weston, had an extremely rough childhood, and has endured much tragedy in his life. Being a younger son, he was never expected to inherit the title, but, upon his brother's death, he has. However, he can only truly inherit everything if his reputation remains spotless until the age of 30. When a painting of him is sold, he is determined to find it and get rid of it. He also wants to find the artist and make sure nothing ever gets out about it. Never could he have imagined who the artist is, and, how meeting her will change his life.

Both Lucy and Anthony are dealing with their own struggles, as well as trying to help each other. I found myself so pulling for them to find peace and happiness together, and, at times, I did not know if they could, or would. I do not want to spoil anything specifically in this review, so, I will simply say, you will have to read this book to find out what happens.

If you enjoy historical romance, I highly recommend this book! It had me turning the pages late into the night to see what would happen. Some moments in this book are very heartbreaking, some had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath, and some brought a smile to my face. I truly found this book very unique in a lot of ways, and I can't wait to see what Ms. Lowell writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Please Note: The book deals with some extremely heavy topics that may be difficult to read and / or triggering for some readers. My messages are always open, and I can answer any questions regarding the content.

Beautiful writing for this author that I could not put the story down. The characters and setting were very well formed and enjoyable. The only down side I had was more to do with the story plot itself. At times I felt that the more realistic thing to do is just the opposite of what does happen. Yes, unrealistic things characters do is in all books but there are some moments that there really is no rational reason why you wouldn’t do something beside you just being crazy. Maybe, that is it that these characters are so crazy that I think they need professional help.

There is a LOT going on in this book. I enjoyed the central relationship, which was antagonistic, but for really good reasons, and I loved spending time in Lucy's artist brain. I also liked the way the themes of class, housing and gentrification were explored in the plot. I was less enamoured of the sudden swerve towards the gothic late in the book, and the opening scene left me a little uneasy in its handling of consent.
Overall, though, I think this was an ambitious book that did a lot of things well, and the things it did less well, it still did interestingly. My full review will appear on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books close to the publication date.

Let me just start my saying, this is one of my favorite covers of the year (maybe ever ?) It’s PERFECT. The story didn’t quite live up to the cover for me, but I did enjoy it! 3 stars for the story, 5 stars for the cover ;) Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

DNF at 30%

Thank you so much to Berkely and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC. I unfortunately had to DNF because it was vibing with me. I genuinely wanted to enjoy it because I’m such a fan of historical romance but this one let me wanting and I couldn’t push myself to continue with it. The premise seemed really fun! I really enjoyed Lucy talking about her art and how passionate she seemed! That was my favorite part, being able to read her process and just how much art was a part of her life.

I received and ARC through Netgalley. Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lucy has grown up in a family of artists. Her parents, though deceased now, made careers of sketching. Lucy lives with her great-aunt, who was a clothing designer. Lucy herself is a painter. She has the opportunity to attend classes at the Royal Academy alongside other talented women.

Anthony's life has been extremely difficult. Born the second son of a duke, Anthony has served in Afghanistan, and returned a hero. But beneath those accolades runs the ugly truth. His father despised his mother and in turn both Anthony and his sister. Trauma has changed Anthony. And though is father has passed, he has placed restrictions on Anthony to ensure he cannot access his inheritance until his 30th birthday. And only then if there are no scandals attached to his name, and he follows along.

And so the story begins with Lucy walking an east end alley and coming upon a naked man passed out in the alley. At first she thinks him to be deceased, but upon closer inspection, she discovers he is still very much alive. She does the decent thing and covers him with her shawl before leaving. She feels compelled to paint him, this unknown man.

Financial responsibilities force Lucy to sell the painting to a noblewoman, who's husband informs Anthony of the painting. He decides to burn it and find out who created this painting. He and Lucy decide to help each other. She will look for his missing sister, and he will help her keep her house from being demolished.

This book does not shield us from the hardships of life, in particular alcoholism and mental illness. Lucy's father was an alcoholic, and Anthony seems to be as well (he drinks until passing out several times in this book). Additionally he always seems to be drinking or thinking about drinking no matter the time of day nor the company he keeps. I didn't feel like the solution to this was given in this book - he just magically stopped drinking because of love?? We get a glimpse of asylums. People could be locked up for just about anything, and was an easy place to get rid of those troublesome relations. It is implied that women are sterilized as part of improving their mental health. Volcanic rage ensued when I read that.

And though the middle part of this book dragged a bit, I really enjoyed the premise, and some of the side characters. I look forward to reading more about Kate and Carin in upcoming books.

'The Duke Undone' isn't reinventing the wheel, but it's a fun, sexy read that has a few intriguing twists. The premise brings its touch of scandal right away: Lucy, an aspiring artist struggling to make it in an art world where women are barely allowed in the door, stumbles across a handsome, nude man sprawled out in the street. When she commits his figure to memory and uses it as the basis for a commission to a wealthy patron, she accidentally kicks off a scandal: he's actually Anthony, the Duke of Weston, a frustrated young duke whose life is severely limited by the terms of his late father's will.

All the elements of a historical romance are there: parental angst, a (predictable) villain posing as a friend, attempts at arranged marriages, class struggles, and lots of hate-flirting. Lucy is a wonderful heroine, but it takes some time to warm up to Anthony - part of that is because he has to be stagnant and struggling for the sake of the plot, but it does mean it takes longer to really fall for him, which gets really frustrating both for the plot and for the romance arc. Still, it's a fun enough read!

This was an enjoyable read.

I loved the angle that the heroine is a visual artist at a time when that was not a common pursuit for women, and there were certainly lots of entertaining twists and turns.

That being said, I was a bit underwhelmed-- lots of the happenings of the plot seemed a bit TOO convenient, and the book felt a bit long.

I'll be interested to hear what other fans of historical romance have to say about this novel.

Something about the writing style felt very stilted to me, and made me uncomfortable. Maybe it's the way she used this man to get what she wanted-I think we need to move past this trope because if the roles were reversed gender-wise, it would absolutely not be okay and would never have gotten published. The look at women artists was definitely the best part about this book. Sometimes well researched topics make for better historical novels than they do for historical romances. I think this is one of those cases.

I gave up at 75%—but that’s enough to take credit, IMO. Frankly, I can’t believe I got that far. This was kind of a mess. At times, I am not sure that the book knew what it was supposed to be. Was it a light romance? A more serious story? Was there a mystery here or not? I don’t know. The author did not have a clear vision and I really felt the characters were not very likable. The writing was often quite confusing to me, and the story just didn’t flow well. The light hearted cover led me to expect something fun—this was not fun.

The Duke Undone has a unique meeting - the heroine finds the hero naked and potentially dead in an alleyway. Ultimately, it turns out he's passed out drunk and has been robbed. Lucy looks her fill before leaving him covered with her shawl so she can learn about anatomy, something she isn’t allowed to learn in art classes because she’s a woman.
I did appreciate the heroine in this book but just struggled with the duke. Anthony is struggling with PTSD from his time as a soldier, he is hiding his drinking because he’s not supposed to be doing it under the strict eyes of his guardian, Yardley, before he receives his inheritance on his 30th birthday. It is just so frustrating to see someone with immense privilege throw it all away. He doesn’t try to get the help he needs, or really to find his sister on his own, or help his tenants, who are starving, and their children are starving due to the rents. He just stays under Yardley’s thumb and in the third act this takes an even more frustrating turn before Lucy’s actions lead him to a backbone. Ultimately, it was not a satisfying book. I did like the writing but the pacing for Anthony to just DO something did not work. It ended on a hopeful note but readers don’t get to see how the relationship will ultimately work. I think the historical element will really work for some readers but the romance falls short.

A solid historical romance that stands out from the rest with an interesting art world and working class lens. The book made me laugh out loud, too.

Yes! Grab a copy of this book if you are looking for a fun romantic comedy. I could only put this book down when I had to go to work, otherwise I would have finished it in a day. Grab a copy and put it in your pool bag when you head out this weekend. Definitely something you will want to take with you. #NetGalley

Lucy is an aspiring artist studying at the Royal Academy. One night she meets a drunk, naked and unconscious gorgeous man. She keeps her hands off him but helps herself to an eyeful of artistic inspiration and paints a masterpiece of him in the nude. The Duke of Weston is shocked when he sees a portrait of himself in FULL detail. Before anyone else can see it, he steals the portrait and goes to the Royal Academy to hunt down its artist and is gobsmacked when it’s a young pretty woman who he doesn’t remember ever meeting. Soon the Duke and Lucy find that their paths are intertwined. Even though it would be smarter to go their separate ways, attraction and circumstances keep pushing them together.
This was an interesting plot and I like both characters. They had a very realistic emotional arc. It was fun to watch them defeat the villains and find their happily ever after.

Finally, some characters who are dealing with real world difficulties. He’s a duke struggling with the trauma of war and a dysfunctional family and she’s a starving artist trying to make it in a profession dominated by men. In the end they both save each other, but also themselves. I was happy to see that these characters were dealing with things we deal with today, but since it took place in Victorian England it didn’t feel as in your face as it could have. I was disappointed that it took Anthony so long to come to his senses, but then I suppose that is more realistic than most. Overall it was a fun read, just the right amounts of “heavy” content and heartwarming romance.

A very fun historical fiction romance with romance, humor, and a lot of intrigue. That meet cute plus mistaken identity? Adorable.

The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell bears many similarities to some of my old Amanda Quick and Elizabeth Hoyt favorites. Quirky, artistic heroine from a lower/middle class background? Check. Grumpy and/or dissolute duke, rebelling against a severe, controlling father? Check. Villain plotting against the couple and a dangerous climax? Check. This book hits a lot of sweet spots for me, and Lowell's skillful prose is truly outstanding.

Lucy Coover is an artist from not-quite-but-almost the slums of London. Taking her regular shortcut through a seedy alley, she stumbles on the naked, unconscious body of Anthony, the Duke of Weston. She covers him up and pays a young rag-picker to watch over him, but not before committing his figure to memory. Female art students aren't allowed to study anatomy from the human body, so this is Lucy's big chance. She tells a few falsehoods in order to gain a wealthy woman's commission and paint a large-scale portrait of Anthony. Only problem is, the woman's husband recognizes him in the picture. Anthony HAS to find the artist and stop any and all scandals, or else he won't gain control of his inheritance.

Anyway, that's basically just the first few chapters. This book is plot-heavy, what I think they used to call "high concept." The romance is still central to the story, but there's a lost sister, a neighborhood eviction, alcoholism, betrayal, government corruption, and more. Lowell keeps things moving, however, and again, I'd just like to point out that, frankly, it's a joy to read such good writing, such lovely language. Lucy and Anthony are winning and sympathetic protagonists.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley, opinions my own. Highly recommended.