How To Deceive A Duke is the second book in the Rebels With A Cause series. It is a regency romance with a pair that has a complicated history. The two that complicates their history the most is that they are from two different classes. One is a Duke and the other is a working class girl with a passion for chemistry.

Edward Stirling is the Duke of Wildeforde. He has spent most of his life trying to protect his family and their legacy after his father died in the bed of his mistress. The only time she has even felt truly happy was when he was sneaking around with the one girl who ever caught his eye, Fiona McTavish. Fiona is a chemist and engineer. She is a rebel at heart and would never fit into the world of a proper lady. This is why Edward had to break her heart and reveal who he actually is and that he is promised to be married. Protecting his family and the future of their legacy is his top priority.

It has been five years since he broke up with her and they have managed to avoid each other. Except recently their paths have crossed when Edward's engagement is broken off and the woman he was supposed to marry is now involved with the man who is Fiona's business partner. Now that they are back in each others orbit, their chemistry is hard to resist. When Fiona is arrested for a crime that she did not commit, Edward can't resist coming to her aid. There is a catch however - now she must've with him until her trial. The close proximity just elevates their chemistry and it is wonderful. It does not take long to see that their feelings have never really gone away. It is still bubbling right up against the surface.

I loved Fiona. She's fierce and a bad ass chemist. She comes from a rough background and has pushed herself in order to succeed. She doesn't like to depend on anyone so reaching out to Edward is hard for her especially when she now has to reside with him. He broke her heart. Actually he broke his own heart too. Edward is pulled in so many directions due to his responsibilities, his family, and the pressure he puts on himself. His mother is pushing him to get married and is just a scornful woman. Her words are constantly playing in his mind as he is drawn closer to Fiona. He made me shake my head though as he continuously lacked faith in Fiona and her strength as a person. Yes Fiona is not a proper lady but she still has so much to offer

The ideals of society are repeatedly brought into question throughout the book. Fiona is trying to get a patent on her project that she believes will change the world of the working class. If she approaches the business deal as a lady, she is almost immediately turned down. Yet if she wears a shirt, breeches, shoes, and a wig so she looks male, people are more likely to be taken seriously. Her class and background also impact these business deals regardless if she was dressed as a male or female. She doesn't want Edward to put in a good word for her. She wants to do this independently. This made me admire Fiona even more; and I thought the chapters of hee trying to get a business deal were done well and fit the time period.

How To Deceive A Duke does follow the plot of the first How To Survive A Scandal with characters trying to break or change social expectations and the current social system. I do think it could be read as a solo story but there is quite a bit of interconnected characters and storylines. Past events are also referenced and do have an impact on the story moving forward. I was glad to continue with these characters and storylines and am looking forward to the next story which is going to involve Edward's sister Charlotte.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I really loved Samara's writing. She is a new to me, favorite historical romance author. Samara was a guest on the podcast and I loved our chat.

How to Deceive a Duke
Samara Parish
Tropes: Class Difference, Second Chance, Protector
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🔥🔥

How to Deceive a Duke is a pretty good read with well-developed characters filled with action, drama, and a whole lot of angst. The characters are so well written that you find yourself either rooting for them, chastising them, or straight up hating them…and believe me, there are two despicable characters in this book that I hated with passion!!!

Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde has done everything possible to help restore his family’s good name, right down to walking away from the woman he loves; however, five years later, when Fiona, the only woman he’s ever loved finds herself locked up for a crime she’s falsely accused of, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe from harm…including moving her into his home as a condition of her release.

Fiona McTavish is a common born woman who is extraordinarily brilliant. An engineer and scientist in her own right, Fiona is not only clever, but also independent, stubborn and above all else, self-sufficient. Desperate to sell her invention and finally buy a home of her own, Fiona sets out for London to pitch her idea. Unfortunately, no man will even entertain her because she is a woman. Not one to be discouraged, she devises a plan to ensure that she’ll be taken seriously. However, when calamity strikes and her project is jeopardized, not willing to seek help from Edward, Fiona decides to do the only thing that makes sense.

Admittedly, I found myself frustrated with our heroine as she continuously makes one bad decision after the next. There comes a time in the book where one asks, how can someone so smart make so many dumb choices. And every stupid choice puts her deeper into peril.

Despite her troubles, Edward continues to bail her out of trouble and they find themselves falling for one another again. But with so much history between them and Fiona’s growing legal troubles, the two wonder if the love they once had can survive another attempt.

Overall and fairly good book. My only criticism is that for a couple with such history, the book fell a bit flat for me in the passion department. The passion that is there however, is definitely hot!

Thank you Forever pub for sending me the first book and allowing me to read an ARC of the second. I liked the first book in this series and enjoyed this one as well. Solid historical fiction. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

A fun and quick historical romance following Fiona Mactavish a scientist and Edward Stirling a duke. Five years earlier these two had met and had quite the romance until positions pulled them apart. In this we have to see if they can overcome the odds stacked against them and find happily ever after.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I read and liked the first book in this series and did the same for this book. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. It's not anything outstanding, but a solid historical fiction in which the main characters are kept apart by their social classes. I will buy this for my library.

Samara Parish's HOW TO DECEIVE A DUKE combines the opposites attract, second chance romance, and "woman in pants" tropes to create a sexy and fun Regency romance with a spirited, STEM-loving heroine.

Absolutely delicious from page one. A solid 5 star read, full of heart and wit and characters that make you want to cheer on their HEA. They're both bull-headed in their own way, and grow by the end. It was refreshing to read a story where the hero is in love with the heroine for the entire thing. Loved it!

I was excited to read about Fiona and Edward after enjoying the first book in the series, I love a woman in STEM, especially in a historical romance. Fiona was an exceptionally great character, I love that she did her own thing despite what's expected of her at the time. Edward was harder to love for me, though its honorable to worry about your family I felt he took it too far, beyond reason, and he let his mom control him too much. The miscommunication trope was also leaned on a little too heavily for me. Overall though a decent story and I look forward to book 3

I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley and the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

This is the second book in the Rebels with a Cause series. To be honest, I didn't finish the first one because...it was closed door. Sorry! But good news, this one isn't! From what I can see, a lot of Fiona and Edward's backstory is explained in the previous book.

Fiona McTavish is anything but a prim and proper lady She's a scientist, chemist, engineer, and wearer of pants (gasp!), She has a bit of history with Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, and needs his help to get paroled after she is arrested. The terms of the parole is that she needs to become the charge of Edward while she awaits her trial.

Edward is the prim and proper one in this book. He intends to do his best to live up to his title and live a respectable life. He and Fiona are like oil and water in their personalities. Therein lies the problem. Honestly at the start of this book you have no idea how these two, who are so different from each other, are going to find their HEA. They are both almost too much. But you know they do. There is a lot of angst, miscommunication and differences these two need to figure out. This book has a lot of excitement and social commentary, which I loved. As an aside, I loved the cover. Recommended!

Though this one took me a little while to fully get into, I was eventually swept away by the premise and had so much fun with this tinderbox of a heroine and the sparks she had with this wonderful hero. I would love to read the next one in this series!

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review..

While I loved the first book in this Rebel Without A Cause Series…..I just couldn’t get into this one. It was so slow and I had to DNF it around 36%. I really tried to enjoy it as I was excited for Fiona’s story, it just wasn’t enjoyable for me unfortunately.

3.5 ⭐️ // As a Bridgerton fan, How to Deceive a Duke intrigued me, and I was so happy to receive a copy of the book from NetGalley! Unlike Bridgerton, we see society from the lower class’ perspective along with the struggles of being a brillant lady in a community who doesn’t think highly of women.

Description: Five years ago, Fiona and Edward fell for each other and were planning their futures. Well… they were until Edward’s mother convinces him she wouldn’t be a suitable duchess, and then there’s the fact that she thought he was a commoner like herself. Concerned about Fiona’s safety, Edward leaves without saying goodbye, but it’s hard to forget the intelligent woman who saw him for who he is, rather than his title.

Over the years, Fiona has finalized her invention and is seeking a patent, but as a woman in society, she faces many challenges. While dressed as a man, she is charged with a crime, and the duke saves her from being sentenced to prison. However, the condition was she *cough* he would have to live with the duke. It doesn’t take many interactions for them to remember their feelings, but they both have reasons why they don’t think they can be together.

Read this book if …
❤️‍🩹You like second chance romances
🔬You want to create inventions
🏠Forced proximity is one of your favorite tropes
💕You’re a fan of regency romances
👒You’d rebel against society’s norms in the early 1800’s

Since I haven’t read the first book in the series, I’m excited to dive into Amelia’s story, and I cannot wait to read Charlotte’s book which is coming out in Fall 2022. She was one of my favorite characters!

TW: suicide, abandonment

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Second Chance romance between Edward, the Duke and Fiona. Five years ago they planned their future but life had other plans. After seeing how the people of the ton treated his cousin’s commoner wife and the dire consequences of same combined with his mother’s intent to ruin the life of any woman not suitable to be Duchess, Edward leaves Fiona without a word breaking both of their hearts.

Fiona spends all her time working on her invention and trying to obtain a patent. We love a brainy, strong willed woman. She faces many challenges in this man’s world but is determined to find success and be able to support herself.

She gets into trouble while dressed and acting as a man and continues the ruse throughout the book. This is the part of the book that fell flat for me. The back and forth between Finley and Fiona was exhausting and a bit unbelievable. This and the things she did to “protect” her father detracted a bit from the book for me.

The steam and open door romance was so well done. You really felt their connection. I liked seeing Amelia from How to Survive a Scandal!

I cannot wait read Charlotte’s book and hope we get to see more development from William as well.

Regency romance fans pick this one up!!

I didn't love this one. I am not a fan of miscommunication. I can understand to a degree why they hold things back from each other but if they had trusted each other just a smidge more this story would have been way shorter. I also hated her relationship with her Dad. It was only there for conflict. Granted I haven't had that type of relationship so I don't know how hard and complicated it can be but honestly, she was just too "forgiving" towards him and not enough towards the man she supposedly wants to marry.

This regency second chance romance throws together a duke crafted from a pristine reputation and flawless arrogance and an inventor engineered from brash foolhardiness and determined ingenuity. The best part was seeing Fiona dress in men's clothes to navigate spaces where she isn't allowed on behalf of her business interests. The subterfuge paired with the subversiveness was a delicious combination. I also liked Fiona's burgeoning friendships with the duke's siblings but was less enamored with the romance. It's a classic "controlling man meets uncontrollable woman," fueling an obvious antagonism that is also somehow attraction. I was frustrated by unnecessary recklessness and lies that came between them, but at least I give them credit for genuine personal growth at the end.

Beyond the lackluster romance, it's the politics that sink this one for me, as is often the case. The duke is a "moderate," a descriptor that dating profiles have taught me to react to with complete and utter despair for the person in question and for humanity at large. At one point our duke remarks, "Protests and pitchforks cause a lot of harm for limited gain." And then he gets to be "haunted" because he was endangered by a protest once, as if his status doesn't endanger people daily where he doesn't have to see it. I understand the concern about mob behavior. A certain recent insurrection attempt comes to mind. I think where I struggle is that painting in broad strokes about the dangers of protest removes any nuance from the conversation around power, privilege, and collective action. It's also irresponsible to suggest that a historical venue for the plot removes the need for deeper thought. The contemporary lens of both the author and readers can't help but draw up recent corollaries and applications as we read. Finally, the duke ponders that "centuries of tradition shouldn't be overturned because of one unusual female" to suggest that Fiona's example of facing unfair barriers to her business success doesn't indicate a broken system but rather her own exceptionalism to seek what other women don't. Boohiss.

This is a truly fun and interesting historical romance with a bit of family drama mixed in. The characters and the plot are thoroughly enjoyable and I found it moved quickly. I particularly loved the banter between the main characters. Fiona is a wonderfully clever and independent protagonist and I found myself rooting for her all the way. Thank you for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

As the return of our favorite regency romance television program is set to play, I chose to read How to Deceive a Duke. Despite descriptions otherwise, I could only envision a devilishly handsome gentleman floating across my imagination. Of course, this made it all that much easier when Fiona is released from prison and must live with the Duke. Left with a life choice of heart or reputation, which will the Duke choose?

Yes, yes, and more yes. I loved the movie that played out in my head. Samara did a fabulous job with descriptions and her plot. I loved it all.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeford, has always been a stickler for the rules, especially following the death of his father and the scandal that ensued. He has to do everything to help his siblings, and the only time he ever felt 'normal' was with Fiona McTavish, who thought he was a normal gentleman she could grow old with. But when he broke her heart, and she had to recover, and managed quite well by working with Benedict Asterly, she decided she never wanted anything to do with the duke. However, Fiona is soon arrested, and will only be released by relying on the word of a peer, and having to stay with him. Living in the same home as Edward is bringing back old feelings, and when they both start falling, and falling hard, will they be able to overcome class differences and the machinations of a dowager duchess, to be together?

I was really looking forward to this book, as when we met both Edward and Fiona in book 1, it was clear that there was a history there, and they were bound to have a romance at some point. And there story was so much more than I expected it to be. I loved them both, and though they were different sorts of people, they had strong morals and beliefs, and were tested regularly by their family members. Because of their characters, it wasn't easy for them to forgive each other, and cope with their feelings in a sensible manner - at least at first. Soon, though, they started to communicate with each other (which was a big issue for them), and interacted with each other more and more, it was clear to see they were falling hard, and soon it would be too late to stop themselves from becoming broken-hearted again. I loved the ways in which they tried to get around propriety, and the glare of the ton, and am so glad they were able to overcome it all. This series is getting better and better with every instalment, and I'm really looking forward to more books from Samara!

How to Deceive a Duke is the second book in the Rebels with a Cause series. I have the first book in the series but I was too impatient 😂
and read this one first and I think it did fine as a standalone.

Fiona is not your traditional regency-era lady. She is a successful chemist from Scotland who is determined to find a distributor for her newest invention so she can support herself and never rely on a man for anything again. Unfortunately she finds herself in trouble with the law and the only person who can save her is Edward. Also unfortunately, she had a magical two weeks Edward five years ago. He promised to marry her then he left her a note telling her he was a duke and that he couldn’t marry her. Needless to say, he’s the last person she wants to ask for help.

Edward has lived his entire adult life trying to improve his family’s name and keep his siblings sheltered from the scandal his father brought with his infidelity. Things are finally going well until he finds out Fiona is in trouble. He bails her out of jail under the condition that she has to live with him until her trial. He’s never gotten over his desire to be with her, but he knows they can’t be together.

I really liked that this wasn’t just a typical historical romance between a duke and a spunky commoner. Fiona had her own intriguing adventurous storyline in her pursuit of a distributor for her matches and it made the story that much more enjoyable. I also really loved Edward’s siblings and how they quickly became found family for Fiona. The banter was great between all of them as well. Fun read!

Thank you to Forever, Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy for review!