I enjoyed reading this historical romance. Edward is torn between his political/familial duties and his attraction to Fiona. I loved Fiona and her strength throughout and her career choices. It's a slow start, but when it picks up it really picks up. You'll be flipping page after page to see where the story will take you.

I was worried that this second installment from Samara Parish was going to be a little slow. But I texted a friend about halfway in and said OMG when this turns, it TURNS. Samara brought the action and the tension and the longing to How to Deceive a Duke. It was a page turning ride that was a sophomore win instead of a slump. The steam was fantastic. The family relationships were spot on. I almost wish that I had skimmed through the first book before picking it up, but it wasn't necessary. This is all the things we love in historical romance.

This was a thoroughly delightful romance with some of my very favorite tropes. Edward feels forced to live his life with strict propriety. Fiona is as unconventional, stubborn, and self-reliant as they come. She's also the love of his life.

Fiona regularly dresses in breeches, dons the disguise of a fictional brother while trying to sell her invention, charms Edward's family in both guises, and is a wonderful heroine.

Seeing Edward gradually dropping all his rules and strict propriety for Fiona as he falls even deeper in love with her was wonderful. I absolutely adored the 'grand gesture' -- definitely my favorite I've ever read.

I enjoyed every moment of reading it -- sweet, swoony, and altogether charming.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an e-arc for review.

Fiona McTavish is many things, but society lady is not one of them. Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, will do anything to restore his family’s name, even making personal sacrifices to his heart. But when Fiona needs his help getting released from prison, a condition of her bail is staying at his home until trial. Edward and Fiona need to decide what's worth protecting, their reputations or their hearts.

This is the second book in the Rebels with a Cause series. It stands alone fairly well, but the history between Edward and Fiona is hinted at in the first one. There are also references to events and characters from the first book.

Samara Parish follows up a strong debut novel with a story that is even more engaging! It manages to be driven by an inventive plot, without sacrificing the relationship. Fiona is arrested for an accident, but the situation escalates due to political unrest, family history, and Fiona's invention. Edward is walking a tightrope of feelings for Fiona and ducal expectations. I liked that the characters motivations and emotions were clear throughout the story. Edward and Fiona are battling unresolved issues, brewing gossip, mounting charges, and their own personal demons. I also really enjoyed Edward's siblings and look forward to the next book!

Tropes: Class Difference, Working Heroine, Bluestocking, Disguised/Mistaken Identity, Protector

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #HowToDeceiveADuke #NetGalley

This book was so wonderfully surprising. The plot exceeded my expectations. I love how political it got and how invested I was by the very end. Fi was the best. To avoid spoilers I'm not going to say too much but the steps she takes to realize her dreams...loved it. So much. Especially her interactions with William. (aside: I have some gripes about how things played out in the end with William and desperately hope he gets his own book)
Ed was fantastic. On the surface he was just...the worst. Insufferable and arrogant and stereotypical. And then underneath you got to see all the ways his circumstance shaped him and it truly humanized his actions and reactions--even if I did want to shake him on more than several occasions.
Again, I find that I'm adding another name to my "read everything by this author forever" list.

I think I would have liked this book if the hero had been a Lord or Baron with an estate and not a Duke.
The story is a common class woman falls in love with a duke. And the duke's mother wants him to marry a young lady who would save the family from scandal. The duke and the heroine have a brief love affair and he has to break things off with her. Neither are happy with the other. Five years later, a footman arrives at his house and tells the Duke the woman is in jail for being at a protest. He hurrys to jail and finds her dressed as a man and in a common jail with a man about to attack her. He drags her out of there and tries to instill "sense" into her. He fell in love with her because she is a strong intelligent woman. She is in London because she has perfected a 'scrach on sand paper match' but she was in jail so she has to change her name and dress as a man so that the scandal doesn't affect her patent application for the match. The duke has had 5 years to forget her. But the "perfectly respectable young lady" that his mother chose for him to marry, ran off in a love match and therefore there is even more scandal to try to rise above.
Like I said, I don't think a duke and a common woman would ever work out. Maybe a Lord or Baron, who would actually meet with the working class. But it is an entertaining story. There is character development. The story is well written and descriptive. I give it 4 stars and read with an open mind.

I've read a zillion such novels but this is a new author to me. And wow! Now I'm going to have to purchase all of her books to read! But great H/h especially H. And great, HOT sex scenes. We LIKE steamy scenes. If you want "sweet" there are plenty of those on amazon--find one you like and use the related books section to find more. But if you want steamy, well, start here! Well done, author!

I went back and forth on my feelings about this book. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Second in the series--and I didn't read the first one--there may be a few things that would be better understood if you read this book after reading the first one. That said, it works just fine as a standalone.

Five years ago, Fiona (a commoner) and Edward (a duke, though Fi didn't know it) met by happenstance and fell in love. However, when Edward approached his mother to let her know that he would not be marrying someone that met her expectations for a perfect duchess, his mother issued not-so-vague threats to Fiona's safety. Terrified for Fiona's life, and broke things off with her via letter.

Fiona, a commoner with a knack for invention, was devastated, but went on to throw herself into her business. Determined to make it on her own, she goes to London to secure a patent on her newest invention, flint matches. As a female, she can't get anyone to give her the time of day, so she dons men's attire and begins to go around as Finley. One thing leads to another, and she soon finds herself in prison with the charge of disorderly conduct. Edward comes to her rescue, and she's required to live in his house--as Finley--as part of her parole. Chaos ensues. Edward and Fiona grow close again and fall more in love than ever before, but some truths remain: She is still a headstrong commoner, and he is still a duke. Which one, if either, will change in order for them to have a future together?

I was at turns in love with both characters and annoyed by them. Fiona is frequently too headstrong for her own good, and Edward is too stubborn. Fiona lies to Ed a fair amount, and while I understand her reasons, I never like it when there are untruths between the main characters. For his part, Edward has a penchant for making stupid comments. He's saved, however, by the fact that he realizes his stupidity soon after he makes it. Overall, I found myself rooting for them.

The story is improved significantly by a strong cast of supporting characters. Edward's siblings, Charlotte and William, are fun and feisty, and I was glad to learn that Charlotte story comes next. I'm also rooting for William to do a little growing up so that we can enjoy his story in the future.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

Edward met Fiona when he was in the countryside and never told her of his aristocratic family. When Fiona, a chemist, goes to England to try to sell her new invention, matchsticks, she realizes she must do so as a man. She gets into trouble and is forced to turn to Edward for help. Having given her up once before due to duty, Edward is not about to have that happen again. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for my honest review.

In How to Deceive a Duke we have star-crossed lovers in Fiona McTavish, a brilliant chemist, and Edward Stirling, the Duke of Wildeforde. Because of her hardships, Fiona is passionate about her invention, a revolutionary match, that will bring easily accessible energy to the masses, whereas Edward is passionate about his family and his duty. This is a second-chance romance, as when they first met, Edward hid his true background from Fiona, and misled her. Then, Edward--swayed extremely by the ton story of a similarly "mismatched" couple--decides they cannot be.

Well.

I didn't really enjoy this second outing by Ms. Parish, while I did enjoy her debut. The couple does not really talk, and there was a repetitive, trite refrain that Edward kept hearing when thinking of how Fiona would not survive in his world. Um, she walked hundreds of miles to rejoin her father, but somehow she doesn't have the fortitute to survive some nasty gossip or a few cut directs? Granted, he doesn't know the story, but Fiona's character seems to come through pretty clearly. Then there is Fiona who is typically feisty, and a subplot where she is dressing like a man in Edward's household, and his younger sister is attracted to her/him...and so yeah, this not my cup of tea at all. It is written well, and so three stars in case it is some one else's cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Fiona McTavish is an engineer, a chemist, a rebel—and no one’s idea of a proper lady. She prefers breeches to ballrooms, but her new invention—matches—will surely turn as many heads. There’s just a little matter of her being arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. And the only person she can turn to for help is the man who broke her heart years ago.
Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, will do anything to restore his family’s name and put his father’s scandalous death behind them. But when Fiona needs his help getting released from prison, he can’t deny her—even though it means she must live with him as a condition of her freedom. With the desire between them rekindling as fast as the gossip about their arrangement is spreading among the ton, Edward will have to choose what matters most to him—his reputation or his heart
This is an amazing story. Filled with falsely accused accounts of assault official to treason this tale covers it all.
The author has a vivid imagination.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Y’all I LOVE regency romance novels, to the point that I honestly dream of being one of the damsels that a rake decides to fall in love with one day. Well that is what happens in this book with Fiona McTavish. Years prior she met a man, Edward and fell in love with him and then he disappears from her life after calling off their endgame not for almost 5 years. Why?

Well, Edward or actually the Duke of Wildeforde, had to decide between love and maintaining the family name and marrying someone of the ton. Ultimately when he meets Fiona again years later the sparks are reignited and the passion returns. But, will it end with a happy ending or will it end terribly again?

Y’all this book kept me wanting to believe in their love through out the book. The smut wasn’t present until 50% through but there was one serious sexy scene. Once that point happened the book picked up but the first part of the book was needed to make sense. I loved the book and will be looking forward to the next book in the series that comes out next year.

Thank you to Forever Publishing, NetGalley and Samara Parish for giving me the chance to review this book.

Fiona McTavish is an independent woman who didn't have much security in her childhood, so she is determined to support herself working as a chemist after creating match sticks and bringing them to London to sell. She is middle-class in that she is working and her language would not be considered refined.

The Duke of Wildeforde, Edward Stirling, has been working to restore his family name after his father caused a scandal. Five years ago, the couple fell in love when Edward visited Fiona's hometown, but she never knew he was the Duke until it ended. Edward broke it off their relationship, as he feared how awful the ton would treat Fiona.

When they meet again five years later, Fiona gets in trouble with the law during a protest in London and they are thrown together.

I enjoyed this book, as I like a second-chance trop. Fiona is highly likeable and the Edward's character grows on me as the book progressed. The part where Fiona posed as a man got a bit lengthy and I feel like some plot devices could have been shortened. This book is the second in the series, but you don't need to read the first to catch onto everyone and how they know each other.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

How to Deceive a Duke is another historical fiction book with a progressive female lead. I love these so much. I also love chemistry so I was cheering for Fiona McTavish the whole way. Edward Stirling, is a Duke that isn't opposed to progressive women. He just doesn't want to further sully the family name after his father did when he died! He's worked hard to clear the family name. But what you ask is more important, the family name or the heart?!

As a stand alone book, I'd rate this a 2 out of 4. It can be read without the first one, but knowing the entire backstory was helpful to clear up a few situations that were vague in this book. They weren't necessarily needed for the plot, but aided in enjoyment and clearer understanding.

How to Deceive a Duke was definitely more enjoyable than the first in the series. So don't stop at the first one! Read this one too. Both characters are deeper and more complex. There are more twists and turns. My biggest criticism of the book that is not a very good stand alone book and I had a hard time recommending the first book, but I really enjoyed this book.

I do see the possibility of a third with the Duke's sister and her quest to find her true love too!

A very nice follow-up to the author’s first book, How to Survive a Scandal. Two secondary characters from that book, Fiona and Edward, are the main characters here, and second chance romance/forced proximity/heroine dressing as a man are the big tropes. I love how smart Fiona is - she’s actually rather genius - and I also love that Edward never holds her back in regards to her experiments and inventions. He certainly wants to protect her from many things, but he doesn’t disregard her intelligence. As other reviewers have mentioned, Edward’s younger siblings, William and Charlotte, are truly the standout characters. Charlotte’s story is up next, but given William’s fate at the end of this book, I can only imagine how tragic and emotional his book will be.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I liked this book more than I’d anticipated. Fiona was a strong woman, millions of years ahead of her time. What I enjoyed about her was that even though she was pretty independent and wanted to make a name for herself, she was not afraid to love. She was smarter than any of the men she dealt with and knew exactly what she wanted. Fiona was hilarious in her own terms, especially when she teamed up with William.

William was a secondary character, just as enjoyable. He was the Lord of Mischief in this story and I loved every second of it. There’s got to be a story written about him or else (lol). His camaraderie and playful attitude was everything. Seriously, he was my favorite character in this story and this isn't even about him. He did need to mature, but I guess the decision that's made on his behalf will help him be the man he’s meant to be and if a story is written about him, I'm sure it will be fabulous.

Charlotte was just as amazing and I can't wait to read her story. This takes me to Edward, our hero the Duke. I understood every action he took and the reasons behind them. What I just couldn't get behind on was the way he reacted after all was said and done. It was so out of character for him to act the way he did and throw caution to the wind. In my opinion, his reaction to Fiona’s decision was a bit overdone and maybe even off-putting for such a likable character.

Overall, this was one of my favorites historical romances this year.

Fiona is a chemist and intelligent, and just about the furthest thing from a genteel lady that you can find. Edward is the Duke of Wildeforde, who’s been restoring the family name and living by a rather strict code. Five years ago, they met and fell in love, but Edward broke off their relationship because he didn’t feel Fiona could survive in his world. When they meet again after Fiona lands herself in some trouble during protests, while also trying to patent her design for matches, things become a bit of a whirlwind from there.

I really, really wanted to like this book, especially because I did overall enjoy the first book. But I really just wanted to smack Fiona and Edward both in the head multiple times for being stupidly stubborn and purposely not communicating well. And I can’t get behind the fact that so many people believed she was a man when Fiona was dressed as Finley? Edwards siblings William and Charlotte were absolutely the best part of the book for me, so I was a bit annoyed at how much he threw his siblings under a bus at the end for Fiona.

The next book is Charlotte’s and I’ll read it because I really liked Charlotte and I hope she gets a better romance than what this book had. And I hope William gets to grow up a bit and gets his own story at some point.

2.5 rounded up to 3, because the Stirling siblings saved this book.

3.5 stars. Scientist and inventor Fiona had her heart broken five years ago, and now the duke who rejected her might be the only chance she has of escaping a treason charge. When she’s picked up at a protest that turned violent, Edward manages to spring her from custody—but only by promising to keep her under his roof until trial.

This had its moments, but I was frequently frustrated with both of them. Fiona in particular keeps important information to herself, making life more difficult for everyone. And the plot line where she’s dressed as a man and pretending to be her own brother in order to be taken seriously by investors…it was needlessly complicated.

The end sets up the next book nicely, and I’m hoping the protagonist won’t make me want to scream at her on the page quite so much. No offense, Fiona.

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

Review: Fiona is literally the fiery heroine we love to see. This book was so interesting and I found the relationship between her and Edward interesting and so captivating. Their former relationship, and cancelled engagement sets them up for such an interesting dynamic. The added dynamic of the Fiona/Finley twist gives our heroine more freedom than normal for a historical novel, and the dynamic of Ed and the Duke also adds another level to their dynamics together.

I liked this story a lot more than I thought I would, but there were definitely some parts that were extra confusing since Edward's father's scandal is referred to a ton of times, but it's never explained in full in this book.

Synopsis: Fiona McTavish is an engineer, a chemist, a rebel—and no one’s idea of a proper lady. She prefers breeches to ballrooms, but her new invention—matches—will surely turn as many heads. There’s just a little matter of her being arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. And the only person she can turn to for help is the man who broke her heart years ago.

Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, will do anything to restore his family’s name and put his father’s scandalous death behind them. But when Fiona needs his help getting released from prison, he can’t deny her—even though it means she must live with him as a condition of her freedom. With the desire between them rekindling as fast as the gossip about their arrangement is spreading among the ton, Edward will have to choose what matters most to him—his reputation or his heart.

Fiona McTavish is an independent woman. She's got a personality as fiery as her hair, and she is passionate about pursuing her dreams. Unfortunately that isn't prized in the ton society, except by one man - Duke Edward Stirling. But he broke Fiona's heart 5 years ago, so she isn't inclined to want to associate with him. But one poorly thrown tomato is going to throw the two of them together in a way that no one could predict!

This was an enjoyable read! It got a little slow in the middle as Fi was trying various methods of finding distributors. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't see the denouement coming though I did see a few plot points coming from far off. I found the ending for one character in particular surprising (William), though it might be that the author is planning a separate story for him. I hope so, because the Stirling siblings were one of my favorite parts of the story, and fun to read from the different POVs in the book.

All in all a fun romance read!

Rating 3.5 / 5 stars, rounded up to 4. My thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!