Jared Malcolm Lippincott never expected to become the Sixth Duke of Wyndmere but his elder brother led a life of debauchery & paid the ultimate price. Jared has managed to has restored the family fortune after all he loves working on the dukedoms estates. Now he needs to restore the family name but an unknown enemy will stop at nothing to ruin him. Lady Persephone does not wish to marry, cleverly donning the guise of a bespectacled bluestocking to discourage offers of marriage. Fate has other plans the night she literary falls into the duke’s arms, captivated by the sparkle in his brilliant blue eyes. Society is all agog speculating if the two are more than just strangers.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & also the start of a new series. There was much I liked about the book especially when the pace quickened in the second half. I loved both Jared & Persephone & thoroughly enjoyed their journey to their HEA. I also liked the secondary characters & there are some who I’d love to have their own story. Whilst the book was well written it did get bogged down in etiquette & I’m not sure if all the tea trays were a little tongue in cheek? There were also quite a few Americanisms which could have easily have been changed. Overall an enjoyable read which did hold my interest all the way through
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Ill-prepared to take on the duties of the Dukedom, Jared Lippincott has his hands full trying to restore the damage done by his dissolute brother, who sowed devastation and shame on the family name. Rescuing his siblings from debtors' prison was one thing, but restoring their good standing in society takes discipline and careful planning. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with Jared, as he still has to face the fallout of the havoc wrecked by his brother. Bumping into the bluestocking Lady Persephone, who hides behind clothing of an unfortunate colour and wearing spectacles that she can barely see through, Jared finds himself intrigued and when Persephone is swept up into his problems, there is only one recourse. This novel has a good plot and is generally free of typos and other errors, however, it is extremely verbose, sometimes leaving the reader behind in the long-winded and repetitive passages. The last quarter of this romance is worth waiting for, and the novel does come to a positive conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

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This book was pleasing to read with great characters.

I found the beginning a little slow for my tastes, but it not boring, and it didn’t put me off.

The storyline really picks up around the halfway mark for me and from then on I was hooked.
I enjoyed the story and the interesting characters that had some wonderful personalities.

I can see the others getting their own stories soon , and I will definitely read those.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

I would agree with other reviewers that this story reads as a Jane Austen novel, but it is a Jane Austen novel without the wit. I liked the heroine Persephone for most of the book, but I did not really like the hero, Jared. There was little to no romance between the two characters and they seemed to get married for practical reasons and not love. This would make sense if both had not repeatedly professed that they were not interested in marriage. The readers are also supposed to believe that after a few brief encounters and one day of marriage that the characters are suddenly in love. Lust, maybe, but not love. Besides the lack of love element, I was bored through much of the book. There were many parts that I skipped or skimmed. If you’re looking for a glimpse of Victorian/Regency society with a dash of romance, this is your book.. But if you’re looking for a book with a developed romance that is central to the book, I would recommend skipping this read.

Dragonblade books can be hit-and-miss. This one was a miss for me. It's a Regency Disneyland book, with pretty costumes and a fantastical story that bears no resemblance to reality. This is not historical romance. It's an author playing dress-up. DNF.

I wanted to like this book, but just couldn't get through it. I stopped reading at 33%. Most annoying was the fact that almost every scene had Jared Malcolm Lippincott, the Sixth Duke of Wyndmere, complaining that everyone should stop calling his "Your Grace." After the first few times, that got so old. Then there was the 3 females in the book all with names beginning with P. I had a hard time keeping everyone separated. I really hate giving bad reviews and I usually love this publisher's books, but this one was a miss for me.

I felt like there was an interesting book here trying to get out. It was just buried under too much repetition and social etiquette.
This is one of those reviews that’s a nightmare to write. Because I have such mixed feelings on this.

Firstly I liked the idea behind this and for the most part I liked the characters. I wanted them to end up together which means they kept me invested that much.

I just felt too much time and space was given to social etiquette. I know it plays a large part in the events of this book. And for that matter a huge part of life in the ton but ultimately this is a romance and I got bored. It’s not a text book and therefore it needed to flow more.

Also I was fed up of hearing how much Jared Malcolm Lippincott, the Sixth Duke of Wyndmere hated being the Sixth Duke of Wyndmere.

The first half was relatively slow paced and that’s fine it’s setting the scene. But then the second half felt like a race to finish. I don’t want to make this a spoiler review. So I’ll just say what I felt should have been the most romantic moment in the book. Was definitely spoilt by other circumstances. It didn’t need to happen on the same day.

There’s potential here it just, in my opinion needs cutting in places and sharpening up. The pacing needs adjusting as well with more pages given to the later chapters.

I’m giving 3* which is generous but I did enjoy parts of this and I strongly feel it wouldn’t take too much to sort it.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley