Historical romance always does it for me🥰 my first book by Michelle McLean and it will not be my last! Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite romance tropes and it always hits the best in historical romance. The duke and Arabella had incredible banter and their love scenes were right up my alley. This was sweet and spicy and bubbling with chemistry!

To save her sister from not having a good prospect at marriage, Arabella takes it upon herself to propose a fake marriage to the Duke of Whittsley in order to restore her family reputation. He needs an heir and she needs status so they create a list of rules for their marriage.
I found this to be such a sweet story and very well written. It has funny moments and overall, a budding romance between two unlikely yet kindred souls. I like how it was a slow burn but the attraction was always there even though they both tried to deny it. They really come to care for one another. Arabella is witty and is written in a way that will charm you. Silas acts the tough guy but has a heart of gold.
There were a few things that were left hanging like the fact that Arabella wore glasses at first and then never again. The sister Anne is mentioned alot but not given any chance to speak for herself. There's not really much angst, there is another woman but this comes out more like a misunderstanding of a secret rather than the big thing it's played off to be. There is not much depth, it is pretty predictable.
But if you just want a cute story with some witty banter then this will do nicely. I still gave it 5 stars as I did enjoy it and think overall it is a great read.
I received an advanced copy for free but my review is freely given.

This is a great, laugh-out-loud palate cleanser that just keeps you smiling. Arabella Bromley doesn't want to get married, but wants to restore her family's reputation. So, she devises a plan to encourage The Duke of Whittsley (Silas), who also doesn't want to get married, to marry her. They agree to a marriage of convenience with 10 rules to follow. There was tons of fun banter and good chemistry between them, which helped me devour the book in two days. They clearly adored each other, and had a really fun romance.

McLean’s writing is always straight to the point, and gets right in there where you want to be. There are no hoops of flowery writing dragging you to the finish line. I think because of this, there was a lot of tell and not show. For example, we are told that Silas is unruly and Arabella is bookish, but don’t see it in their actions. In that way the characters lack depth, but I still loved them because McLean has a way of keeping you interested despite this. There is also a miscommunication trope, which is my least favorite, but I can overlook it because the error was resolved very quickly.

Overall, I recommend everybody reads this. Thank you Michelle McLean, Netgalley, and Entangled Publishing for access to the ARC of this book

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke was fabulous reading. Silas and Arabella held so much chemistry that leapt of the pages! The created rules were a hoot, and their chemistry mixed with these 'rules' made for some enjoyable reading. Arabella and Silas were a complete standout and a joy to read about in this story..
Another wonderful ebook from author Michelle McLean
Review copy received from the Publisher via Netgalley

I thought this was a cute book. I generally read contemporary romance but thought I'd give historical a try. I liked how sassy the FMC was. I liked how that even though she was a bookworm she couldnt be taken and had her own back and that of her friends and family. I thought the mystery person was a bit over contrived but overall I thought the story was cute and the attraction between the couple was sweet.

Last month I read Four Weddings and A Duke and I needed to get my hands on more books from Michelle McLean. Although I did enjoy the first book more, her signature sweetness was thankfully still present. Both books featured shy bookish heroines who were willing to enter holy matrimony with handsome dukes for the sake of the greater good. It's a bit silly they seemed so reluctant because their future husbands are wealthy, gorgeous, and precipitously close to falling head over heels for their brides. However you need to justify it, that ring is going on that fictional finger. 10 Rules for Marrying A Duke had a cute premise but the pacing issues made my head spin.

The main premise of the novel and callback to the title was the 10 rules established by the couple for their arranged marriage to succeed. From what I can recall, there were rules about frequent hanky panky to encourage the likelihood of producing a ducal heir and always having the light on in the bedroom for a game of nighttime Twister. I'm using dumb euphemisms, but you get the point. I wish the list was properly outlined on the page instead of the characters just referencing it by the respective number. I'm not going to remember that! The list is shown on the final page, but it's been amended after they're in love and the rules no longer apply. The time jumps boggled my mind and I couldn't keep up. Months passed by without explanation and I wanted to read more of their wooing. There were some instances where I would have preferred more focus and there were other sections that had too much focus. I thought this couple was sweet, but I could have used more tender courtship instead of a race securing the duke's heir.

10 Rules for Marrying a Duke had a cute beginning but was let down by eponymous rules. I wish they were more clearly defined instead of just referenced by the number. It was a fun concept, but it could have been taken even further. It's the one time I'll ask for a visual representation in a novel. I wanted the author to practically bang them over my head with a cartoon frying pan. I'll still continue reading this author because those candy characters keep pulling me back with their perpetual sweetness. If I had to follow 10 Rules for Marrying a Duke, I'd request he put it in a slideshow presentation before I agreed to his matrimonial terms.

This book gave me great Bridgerton vibes. I love the marriage of convenience stories. I loved the instant chemistry between the two main characters. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

(4.5/5 stars rounded up)

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean is a charming historical romance featuring a marriage of convenience with some steam. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at eight hours and is narrated by Clare Staniforth.

Arabella Bromley would rather curl up with a book than go to a ball, but then her older sister ran away with a man below her station. She brews up a scheme and propositions the rakish Duke of Whittsley: she'll provide him the heir he desperately needs if he helps save the reputation of her family.

I've previously read some historical cowboy romances by this author, which I enjoyed. I started this book during a road trip; it was my turn to drive, and my partner said he didn't mind me listening to an audiobook in a genre he doesn't typically read because he planned to take a nap. But then he got INVESTED.

This was his first historical romance and first romance read in general. There was great banter and chemistry between our lead characters here. We laughed out loud quite a bit, and he said "that was a really good line" several times. He also told me this would make a good rom-com movie.

There's some miscommunication in here, which is not one of my favorite tropes. He kept muttering "most of these issues would be solve if they just TALKED TO EACH OTHER." Now he understands my pain.

I typically enjoy romances as "brain candy." This totally fit the bill and overall I really enjoyed it! I really identified with Arabella. As a reader who enjoys delving into books to escape from real life, I felt very seen here.

Tropes: bluestocking, marriage of convenience, miscommunication, Victorian

A cute, light and fast-reading historical novel. It has the trope of marriage of convenience and a HEA

After loving How To Lose A Highlander , Michelle Mclean has easily become an author I look forward to reading again and again. And Ten Rules did not disappoint! The bickering among Silas and Arabella was funny, I could imagined every scenes that played when the banter happened. The first half of the book had me laughing out loud. Ten Rules for Marring a Duke by Michelle McLean was a wonderful book to read if you're searching for a romance comedy book. This book was well-written and nicely paced, it had wonderful characters, suspenseful secrets, sweet love scenes, great supportive secondary characters, dash of heartache which make a few tears fall, and finally, a sweet happy ending. I would love to read another story, perhaps about Eliza in the near future.

Okay I really wanted to love this one, but it fell a little bit flat. I just kind of thought it was a bit cheesy for my taste.

This book was just ok for me. I never felt the chemistry. It started out over the top but I thought it had innovation to not being a typical historical romance. However, the middle of the book dragged on and by the end I wasn't that interested.

It was definitely a fun read. I love the interaction between our characters. The banter was cute. Cute story that was nice to follow.

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

When Arabella's sister runs off with a man below their station, Arabella is forced to repair the family's reputation, and so plans to marry in order to do so. Turning to the Duke of Whittsley, she gives him a proposition - marry and she'll bear his sons, and in return, he'll restore the family. But, there are rules for their bargain, and a year in which to succeed. And as the year progresses, both soon find that they might be falling in love, once and for all.

A true marriage of convenience is a joy to read, and this one was fantastic. Both Arabella and Silas were upfront with their needs and wants before the marriage, and went into it without any misconceptions. I liked how quick a read this book was, as well as being one you could switch off too. It was a great romantic read for a cold winters afternoon.

This was a short but sweet romp. Fairly formulaic although the dukes secret and Arabella’s anxiety added for some nice twists. Their banter at the beginning was what sold me, they reached to each other so well.

THE REVIEW
Arabella is desperate to restore her family’s name in society after her oldest sister ran away with the stable boy! She has no interest in marriage and has always planned on living as a spinster surrounded by her books. But her younger sister is desperate to be married and have a family, so Arabella has come up with a plan. She decides to make a bargain with the most eligible bachelor in London the Duke of …….!

Silas is enjoying his bachelor status and has no plans to change that! But when Arabella shows up at his door proposing a partnership of sorts, he is intrigued by her and her crazy idea! Arabella and Silas come up with 10 rules for their marriage of convenience, but mostly that he will help restore her family name and find a husband for her sister and Arabella will give him an heir. After they accomplish those goals, she will abscond to the country and he can return to his independence.

But neither one of them planned on enjoying marriage or falling in love! This was such a cute book and I loved the premise. I do not, however, like the miscommunication trope. It grates on my nerves and I just want to strangle the MCs! If I can get past that annoyance, their banter was so so good and funny! Silas is a jokester and tends to make light of himself, but Arabella doesn’t let him and he starts to mature and grow in their relationship. Watching them develop as a couple and as individuals, embracing their marriage and adulthood together was the sweetest thing I’ve read in a long time!

TROPES
Historical Romance, Regency Era, Season/Marriage Mart, Ton Society, Beta/Cinnamon Hero, Titled Hero, Bookworm Heroine, Shy Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Wallflower Heroine, Fake Relationship, Marriage of Convenience/Arranged Marriage, Miscommunication Issues, Secrets & Lies, Five Star, Three Steam

Arabella Bromley has a quirky master plan to restore her family’s position in society and see her sister find a love match. She just needs to find a Duke to marry, provide him with a needed heir, and then give him his much desired freedom. She happens to know this would suit Silas Spencer, Duke of Whittsley, perfectly.
Yes, reality needs to be completely suspended, but the hilarity of the negotiations and seeing a friendship and romance blossom, more than makes up for it.
Silas and Ari were somewhat of opposites but it made for a perfect match!

This was the sweetest of cinnamon roll romances and I just couldn't get enough. This is a marriage of convenience tale that turns into the sweetest (and sexiest) of romances. There is a bit of miscommunication at the end (which I deplore), but I'll let it pass this time as it works with the rules of this relationship. I just love how these two are in the marriage to help out their families, but end up falling for each other so hard. So beautiful, loved it!

So, this was my first read by this author.
I can say I was very pleasantly surprised by how great the writing and the banter was. There's something great about historical romances and what's even greater is the author behind them. Michelle writes beautiful prose and delightful scenes, where one just loses himself in the book.
I'm not very much into marriage of convenience but Arabella's story convinced me!
Highly recommend!

Vert cure romance! Everything you want from a regency romance!!! Great protagonist and love interest. It was the perfect summer beach read!