This one was better than Love Is a Rogue, in my opinion. I think the MCs have more interesting backstories than their predecessors and better chemistry. I'd recommend to historical romance lovers.

When her father's heir unexpectedly dies, only child Lady Henrietta frog-marches her reluctant father to the marriage mart, telling him in no uncertain terms that he must wed and do his duty so that they may keep their estates in the family. Enter Ash Ellis, an underworld prince who claims to be the legitimate heir to the dukedom. While Henriette protests, her father is only too happy to welcome Ash to the family, and be freed from the need to marry and beget more offspring.
To preserve her family's vineyards, her pride and joy, Henrietta agrees to a marriage of convenience with Ash, who seems bound and determined to sabotage all she has worked for. Henrietta knows that she can make her wine a success, if people would give English wine half a chance. Ash is determined to turn the estate towards profit, and keep his managing wife in her own sphere. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
I loved Henrietta. Despite her naïveté, she is fairly sensible and the reader can really sympathize with her. She and Ash are both compelling protagonists, and even as they are at odds, their chemistry is off the charts. I'm personally a sucker for the lost heir trope, and this is also a bunch of other fun ones, like enemies-to-lovers and marriage of convenience. I think that a lot of the time we see young women taking charge of their lives in historicals it can come across as a bit far-fetched, but I love what I see here. Henrietta knows she can succeed, and always takes the best path to getting what she wants. Ash is obviously deceptive in his dealings with the ton, but not in a way which makes him distasteful. I really like him, and he definitely comes across as worthy by the end of the story.

Hetty and Ash have an instant spark, and it leaves both of them spinning. until she realizes who he is. After Hetty finds out Ash's true motives, she grabs life by the balls to try and make it do her bidding. How often does everything go as planned in a good book though? I will also say I fell in love with Lucifer, she is the epitome of every cat!

This novel checks alot of boxes in the Regency Romance trope department; insta-lust, enemies to lovers, and marriage of convenience all wrapped into an evenly paced and engaging romance. A quick, page turning read with plenty of chemistry, banter, tension, and steam

This was so very unlikely. A duke doesn’t have an heir and doesn’t want to marry. Suddenly Ash Ellis, a dissolute gambler, shows up and claims to be his heir. The duke is thrilled that he doesn’t have to do anything. Then he decides that his daughter, Hetty, should marry Ash. Hetty has mostly retreated from society so she can concentrate on growing grape vines on the family estate to make wine. But she also has very close friends in London and she knows exactly what modern fashion is when she decides to help Ash update his wardrobe. It just didn’t match up with the description of her as this person who has been isolated tending her vines for the past several years.

And then there is the insta-lust between Hetty and Ash. Later on we can see that each are strong, attractive characters, but I’m tired of couples meeting and immediately feeling shivers and emotions just from each other’s physical appearance.

And it was a bit irritating that after the villain who has been threatening Ash is captured, we never hear what happened to him. It’s as if the author just lost interest in winding up that plot point.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Ash is a con man. We are told he is a con man, so the whole book we are wondering how is he going to get out of this one. Henrietta is just trying to save her Vineyards. She'll do what she must in order to protect them. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Lady Henrietta (Hetty) Prince dances with and kisses a stranger at a ball. After the ball the man introduces himself to her father as the long lost heir to his Dukedom. The father is thrilled to have an heir but insists he marry Hetty so she doesn't lose her family home. This sets up a fun, silly insta attraction/enemies to lovers trope. Hetty is a bluestocking with an interest in winemaking which is an unusual choice for a historical romance. Ash runs a gaming den and may or may not be who he claims to be.

Both main characters are strong and willing to speak their minds. Hetty is so brazen she searches Ashes rooms before their marriage. The book gets downright slap stick near end but I still enjoyed the adventure. This is second is a series, (I've read the first one), but can easily reads a stand alone. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The switch from enemies to lovers was a little too abrupt for me, personally. I wish it had been more gradual (and therefore more believable). Nevertheless, an enjoyable read!

This was interesting book to read. I liked that the book was a page turner. The story made the book easy to read, however some of the wording or verbiage was to flamboyant. Keeping the wording simple to the point helps the reader enjoy the book more, without reading a word that they have to determine the meaning. I appreciate that the writer supplied the readers a very entertaining book filled with excitement and secrets to divulge.
All the characters were wonderful and charming. I also would like to say thank you to the author for writing the age range for the heroine as twenty four or older. The book is definitely a romantic read that’s gives the readers a happy ending.

4.5 Stars. It’s been a while since I’ve read an Avon book and like all Avon books, The Devil’s Own Duke was slightly bonkers but an overall delight. I had to look back and found that I have read Lenora Bell’s Disgraceful Dukes series and own the first book in this series but I have not read it. The hero and heroine from the first book in the series do appear in this book but you don’t need to read the first book to enjoy this one.

I really liked both Hetty and Ash and loved them as a couple from their meet-cute. Their reaction was a fun combination of enemies to lovers and instant attraction. I loved Hetty’s independence and her girl gang of fellow feminists. The girl’s got gumption from her refusal to trust Ash leading to her breaking into his rooms to her realization that keeping her enemy (Ash) close is better than the alternative. Ash is alpha perfection. He has all the hallmarks of a wonderful romance hero (he’s grumpy and secret softie for both children and cats). The pair had heat and it was just fun to read all their interactions.

I did enjoy the sub-plot with the wine making. It was a very fun “occupation” for Hetty and rather unique in a historical romance. It even made me do some googling about British sparkling wines. I do think that some of the subplot things were jus ta bit ridiculous and the ending of the book did cross into bonkers territory, but overall the book was an extremely fun read.

I am looking forward to see where this series goes next. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Devil's Own Duke hits all the spots you need for a Regency Romance. And that was sort of a problem. It just hit the marks without really adding anything new, enticing, or exciting.
Forced into a marriage of convenience, Hetty agrees to marry Ash (is every single Duke or heir in Romancelandia named Ash?!) in hopes of saving her beloved vineyard. Ash marries Hetty in hopes of making an easy transition to rich guy after discovering he's a distance cousin and heir to Hetty's daddy's title. He also has plans to burn the the vineyard to the ground and open a stud farm for horses.
The two marry promising to just produce a little baby heir and live their lives separately. Except sexy times ensue and they start to grow on one another.
I mean, the book was fine. It was a nice sweet little bon-bon of a book but nothing new. I enjoy Lenora Bell's books a lot but this is not the first one I would recommend.

Lenora Bell writes engaging stories with strong, independent heroines, both of which I enjoyed very much. I was afraid the story would have a Big Secret that would loam over everything and mostly Hetty didn’t believe Ash and provided a reason for their animosity. The enemies to lovers vibe between Hetty and Ash was fun to read with the unique spin of Hetty being involved in wine making. Towards the end though it got a bit silly and over the top for me. I enjoyed the first book in the series a lot more.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh, how I love a good regency romance! She is the daughter wanting nothing more than to tend her grapes and make good wines. He will do whatever it takes to get the title and station he needs. Together they formulate a plan that will inevitably enable them both to achieve their goals. Neither predicted how much they would enjoy this ruse. Lenora Bell has given us a fun and sexy romp into regency romance!

This is one of the BEST books I have read in a while! I loved everything about it and I know you will too!! A perfect enemies to lovers trope with characters you will fall in love with —- yes, even the rogues will sweep you off your feet!!

This is the second book in author Lenora Bell’s Wallflowers -v- Rogues series and although I have not read book one, Love is a Rogue, I will be reading it very soon! In fact I will likely be adding all of this authors books to my TBR list and making her an auto-buy!! 😀

This story features Lady Henrietta Prince “Hetty” who is the self-proclaimed spinster daughter of the Duke of Granville, and a mysterious rogue Ash Ellis, who waltzes into Hetty’s life. Ash is tall, dark, and handsome cloaked in intrigue and self-assured —- he is everything Hetty has avoided and she knows he is trouble. Hetty has avoided marriage this long and she sees no reason to change now. Her goals are to get her father to remarry and sire a male heir for the dukedom so she can maintain her freedom and independence, and devote her life to the family vineyards. Let’s just say her father has different plans and when Ash presents him with a choice rather than remarrying, he jumps in with both feet leaving Hetty to the rogue.

Ash has plans. Big plans. He has worked his way up from nothing and now he will gamble it all. He is used to living life one mark to the next all with the goal of leveling the playing field.

“He had to take what he wanted. No one was going to hand him anything on a silver platter. Life was something to be conquered, a game to win, and he was good at winning.”

He thrived on danger… “Danger meant he knew that he was alive, that his heart was still pumping. He wasn’t like the law-abiding citizens in their stone houses behind iron gates, their only aspiration a grave plot with a marble headstone. A crypt if they were lucky. Watched over by a stone angel. Sleep through life and then Rest in Peace. No thank you. He lived on the knife’s edge of life. Pursuing bigger and better prizes.” However, this time he is not counting on the danger of falling in love.

The chemistry between Hetty & Ash is scorching hot – their game of cat and mouse leads to some intense action in the marriage bed. Let’s just say that Hetty makes the transition from spinster to seductress with amazing talent!

Now the only question is will their chemistry and new found love be enough for these two when the truth is revealed and all the bets are called?

Sometimes even the best lose especially when they fall for their mark!!

Lady Henrietta is hosting a matchmaking ball for her widowed father. If he dies without having a son, Hetty will lose her inheritance--and the vineyards that are her passion and her livelihood. But as her father is dragging his feet about selecting a bride before midnight, a man appears with a remarkable claim: he's the long-lost heir to the family title and fortune, through a distant family branch. Hetty's father is only too eager to accept this handsome stranger's assertion, and happily agrees to marry Hetty off to him in the process. Without consulting her about whether she'd like to marry Ash.

Of course, street-born gambler Ash isn't who he claims to be. (Or is he?) He and Hetty strike a bargain to allow her autonomy in the family wine business, but their marriage will be in name only. Even if there might be something more between them.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I was expecting a bit more from The Devil's Own Duke and found myself struggling to connect with the story from the very start. I felt like I needed a better introduction to these characters, but instead, it seemed like I was put in the middle of a scene that required more backstory.

I loved this, it was my first by the author and I just loved Hetty and her independent nature. I can’t wait to read more.. Ash and Hetty are couple goals, they are too sweet together. Give me more please.

What can I say about The Devil’s Own Duke. I completely devoured this book. To see the conflict and gradually building relationship of Ash and Hetty was enthralling. I think they perfectly complimented each other. I felt their connection.
It is another great book by Lenora Bella.

THE DEVIL'S OWN DUKE - Lenora Bell
Wallflowers vs Rogues - Book 2
Avon
ASIN: B08RDTW9C5
ISBN-10: 0-06299-346-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-06299-346-5
September 28, 2021
Regency Romance

England

Lady Henrietta (Hetty) Prince is a twenty-four-year-old spinster who at the story's start is encouraging her father, the Duke of Granville, to go downstairs and join the ball in their London townhouse. Tonight, he is to choose a new duchess. Once in the ballroom, Hetty meets an extremely handsome uninvited guest, Ash Ellis, who asks her to waltz with him. She learns Ash is also known as the Devil's Own Scoundrel and is the owner of The Devil's Staircase, a gaming hell.

Though beautiful and a duke's daughter, this is only the second ball Hetty has attended. Her mother died seven years ago shortly after Hetty's debut ball. She has remained a reclusive spinster ever since. Due to an unfortunate circumstance, all her father's heirs have died. He needs to marry to produce an heir, or with his death, the estate will go to the crown, the tenants will be disregarded, and Hetty will be left destitute. Plus, all her hard work in developing the vineyard her mother started at Rosehill Park will be wasted. She does all her work in her father's name as no one believes a woman of her status is capable of such work. Her vines produce a wonderful sparkling white wine, although few in England believe its soil can produce a good wine, which is another bias she must overcome.

While giving little away about himself, and although his life has been very hard, Ash knows everything is about to change. He has a witness and documents to prove he is the Granville heir from a generation back. Hetty is suspicious of Ash's claim. Ash doesn't trust anyone, can be devious to achieve his goals, and doesn't believe himself capable of love. While both Hetty and Ash feel a strong mutual attraction, neither trusts the other. Both are strong, independent, hard workers. He proposes a solution to their problem—a marriage deal. He gets the status he wants, and she keeps her estate.

Besides the drama between the couple, which includes many sensual encounters, Ash learns an old enemy believed dead may be back, one who wants revenge. It might be safer for Hetty if he separates from her. The convoluted pasts of these two newly-married strangers make a compelling story in THE DEVIL'S OWN DUKE.

I love Lenora Bell. In this book, we see the return of some old favs! We continue the Wallflowers vs Rogues series, with cameos from 2 heroes from the School for Dukes series. Cross over = Love it!!!
This is the love story of Hetty and Ash. This one was a hot mess, and I was not sure how it would play out to the HEA, I was not disappointed. She is in our Boadicea club from book 1 of the series. I am feeling now that I should go back and re-read the first book. Anyways... she is an English-French heroine on course to fight for success in the wine world. He is a con man/dark-history-having hero who's climbed up from the gutter to success.... on a mission to snare a dukedom. Oh.... a delicious love story awaits you! I am already ready for book 3 in this series... I hope. I want to know what happens with the 3rd Duke... things are up and down hill for him from here. Great book... check out both series to have a complete picture.