Book 1 in a new series.
What I liked about this book was the relationship between the 3 sisters. Their love and support for one another they a very trying time. Their coming together to find a solution (starting their own business), even though it may not be a popular choice.
This story was about Diana,the middle sister. She forms a relationship with one of her clients, the Duke of Greenwood. Both consider themselves ineligible for marriage. So they dance around their relationship.
And that's what I don't like about this book. The selfish, narcissistic parents who don't care how their conduct effects their children. And the secrets , that lead to lack of communication.
But all in all I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. I'm looking forward to reading Eliza's story.
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

A GOOD CONCEPT LET DOWN BY SUBSTANDART CHARACTERS

I was excited for this book. Jeffries has entertained me in the past, so I went into this one expecting to be entertained once again. Sadly, a cast of cliché and confusing characters let me down. The concept of three women owning a business in Regency England had potential. But the characters ruined in for me.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Concept: I was instantly attracted to the concept of three sisters starting their own party business after a family scandal leaves them undesirable on the marriage market in Regency England. I liked the empowerment of them being able to turn their scandal into a flourishing business which allowed them to live independently. It was a strong concept.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Diana: Our female MC was an enigma to me. I simply didn't understand her. While is is continuously described as a very prim, proper and somewhat uptight woman, she makes some very questionable decisions that jarred violently with the earlier description. I felt like her character was so at odds with herself that I did not buy it for one second. She didn't feel real.

Geoffrey: Our male MC was a gigantic historical romance cliché. One that I am growing sick of. He made decisions about other people's happiness without consulting them first. But worst of all - he allowed his dead father to dictate his own happiness for an insanely small and petty reason. Yawn. I've seen that way too often in historical romance. It's not attractive to me.

Time confusion: In the beginning of our story there was a small historical 'blunder' of sorts, that I felt was beneath Jeffries. The prologue takes place in 1807 and here the conversation at a ball falls upon... Queen Elizabeth the First. That's how she is referred to. Even though she would not, at this point in time, be Elizabeth the First yet. Elizabeth the second didn't become queen until almost 150 years later, in 1952. How could she have been known as the first when she was, as of yet, the only Queen Elizabeth. I would think it far more likely, that she would have been referred to as Good Queen Bess or simply Queen Elizabeth.

Sabrina Jeffries never disappoints! This was the first in a new series. Geoffrey is the new Duke of Grenwood. He hires Elegant Occasions, run by Lady Diana and her two sisters to make his sister ready for her first season as well as plan the debut ball.

It was a good balance of business and romance with new history that I’d never learned before like chalking a ballroom floor which sounds really cool. These two butt heads with the stubborn streaks but it’s definitely more flirting banter. Only complaint was that the ending felt very rushed but it wasn’t enough to diminish the charm of the rest of the book.

It was a delight to read and a solid start to the new Designing Debutantes series. Cannot wait for Verity’s book even if it’s last!

The new Duke of Grenwood needs help to transform his sister into the catch of the season. He hires Diana and her sisters to see that it happens.
Immediately sparks fly between Geoffrey and Diana but both are fearful of scandal so they try to quell their desires.
I liked this story and look forward to see what happens with the future characters but the pacing of this story threw me off.
The characters would give in to temptation and it would follow with an odd argument to cause them to avoid each other. Then, bam, it was forgotten and it was back to hot and heavy until another odd misunderstanding or argument occurred. By the end of the story it wad becoming a bit tedious.
A good story but it should have stuck up one main hurdle between the main characters.

A story of sister love and relationships, living through family scandals and finding love and strength. I also enjoy the witty exchanges between the different characters but specially between the two protagonists. Looking forward to the next in series.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

I liked it...

Geoffrey and Diana complemented each other well. Both were likable and even lovable characters - each having had difficulties in their lives. The story sets up a good path for the upcoming books in the series.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

<spoiler>
What kept nagging me was - the two MCs not shown spending more time with each other. Some stolen moments (just few phrases here and there in the passing maybe) and more glimpses of them falling for each other would have been welcome.

I did have many questions and I constantly kept researching on few aspects (would have loved to see some form of afterword/ author's notes - maybe it's there in the final version).

All said I still enjoyed reading it. Definitely looking forward to An Earl for Eliza and probably "A Viscount for Verity" 😁😁. I love alliterations too 🤩🤩

</spoiler>

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the eARC galley of A DUKE FOR DIANA. This is a historical Regency Romance novel.

The characters are wonderful. This is about sisters surviving a family scandal and starting their own business as party planners for the ton of English society.

The characters are witty and entertaining. I loved how women support women in this novel. They work together.

Highly recommended for fans of Regency Romance and brave women.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all thoughts expressed are my own. 3 and 1/3 stars out of 5.
A Duke for Diana is the first in a new series that features 3 sisters who find themselves outcast from society after their mother ran away with her lover. After their father remarries, the sisters go into business and support themselves by helping plan parties and help new members of society. One such client is the new Duke of Grenwood, Geoffrey Brookhouse, his mother, and his younger sister. Growing up estranged from his father's side of the family, Geoffrey is surprised when he ends up the with a title he wasn't raised to inherit. Sparks fly from the beginning between Diana and Geoffrey; he doesn't see the value in the work that Diana and her sister but decides to let her try to help launch his sister as he is desperate to get her married off to the right sort of man in case a family secret ever becomes public. As Diana and her sisters work their magic on Geoffrey's sister and help ease her entry into society, he slowly realizes that Diana is the woman for him, if only he could ensure that the dark family secret will stay secret. Diana can't understand Geoffrey's insistence in getting his sister married off as quickly as possible nor his insistence on pushing her away once they realize their mutual attraction. I really enjoyed this title and look forward to future titles in the series.

This is the first book in a promising new regency romance by Sabrina Jeffries. After her parent's scandalous divorce ruins any prospects for Diana and her younger sister, the two girls, along with their already married older sister, decide to start Elegant Occasions - a party planning service for the ton. When Geoffrey enlists their services for his sister, Rosabel, he meets Diana and our story goes from there.

Geoffrey is a gruff character, unused to the ways of the ton since his dukedom was thrust upon him entirely unexpectedly. Honestly, I kind of liked his disdain for the ton while also appreciating his ability to modify his opinions when necessary. Diana was strong and independent, and though the gossip surrounding her family did affect her, I liked her attitude in regards to moving forward and forging her own place in society.

In terms of their relationship... I did and didn't like it. It had it's moments where I thought they were the sweetest match ever and then there were times when I felt less invested. The marriage issue was sort of hard to follow... they wanted to get married, but he didn't, then she didn't but he did... but also didn't at the same time... it was a little annoying to be honest. I actually loved Geoffrey's sister Rosabel! She was fun and I actually really enjoyed her parts!

Overall, the plot of the book is pretty good, and the main characters on their own were good, but I wasn't in love with the romance. I'm happy about how things turned out, and it wasn't a bad read by any means, just not one of my favorites. That being said, I will continue the series to see what becomes of Diana's sisters!

A Duke for Diana is the first book in a new series Designing Debutantes by Sabrina Jeffries. The series is written around a group of three sisters who, through no fault of their own, are shunned by High Society. The ladies decide that they do not want to be wallflowers, governesses or ladies companions. They come up with the idea of helping people steer through the rules and structures needed to survive in their old world with a business called Elegant Occasions. Each sister has a skill that helps the business. Together they are able to move forward.

Diana has the “eye” for dresses, colors and helping a person be properly dressed. She has helped people plan parties and plan events to attend. That is her skill in the business. So when the Duke of Grenwood comes calling and demands that they take his sister Rosie and help her through her debut, the women are ready. Too bad, Diana is smitten with the Duke and he seems to be with her! Diana is trying to help him be - well more couth, and he just wants things to be right for Rosie.

A Duke for Diana has a strong female lead who is willing to forge her own trail. I liked the dynamics of the sisters. I liked the whole story! Sabrina Jeffries is a fun historical romance author. I enjoyed reading A Duke for Diana.

Sabrina is a go-to author for me. I love all of her books (yes, I have read them all). One thing I love is the dialog and interaction between the main characters. That is what I get with this book and I laughed out loud at some of the banter. The premise is very good – a group of sisters open a business to help debutantes and others debut into society. I thought Geoffrey was a fantastic character – he didn’t quite fit in and was a bit awkward. There was a part of the book that I thought dragged a bit but overall I loved this story. Cannot wait for the other sisters’ stories.

When Lady Disdain meets Lord Boorish …

When I first read the blurb, I first thought it would be a kind of Pygmalion revisit with a side plot.
It has definitely a taste of it, but it was much more.
Both heroes have their inner scars not from their own making, and while Diana moved forward, Geoffrey is holding back, scared of what could be.
Diana while she had some doubts at the beginning, found with her sisters a way out of their predicament, refusing to let her circumstances dictate her life.
Yet her hidden wounds make her wonder if she is lacking in some way, if in fact she was spared a bleak future in preventing her to marry.
Geoffrey never expected to have his life disrupted as much as it has been in being handed a dukedom he never anticipated as he was happy with the present course of his existence.
Yet he lives in sort of a limbo, anticipating some doom to befall on him. It is rather late in the story that his conundrum is explained, so he appears as quite pig-headed on the path his relationship with Diana is to follow, wanting more but deciding for them both which road to enter or not.
So the main impediment to their romance is Geoffrey’s desire to trust or not Diana with his secret.

After, while the romance part was easygoing, pursuing a classic path, their bantering and bickering was amusing, I also enjoyed to learn more about the ton’s rules, practices and customs, an entertaining educational read which has seen me googling words, usages I did not know.

The side characters were also intriguing and had me wanting to know more about them. And while Geoffrey’s sister has her romance fading out in the background of her brother’s own love story, I wonder if it could become a kind of short tale.
4 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes (an amusing instructional first love scene)

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Geoffrey Brookhouse, civil engineer and the new Duke of Grenwood, has a secret that he is desperate to hide, fearing it will ruin his family. He is determined to see his sister Rosy wed and hires Elegant Occasions to help her debut into London society. Yet when he meets Lady Diana Harper, he begins to wonder about whether he may have a different future than the one he thought. Diana having been shunned from society because of her parents very public divorce, never wants to marry but finds in Geoffrey a man, who makes her rethink everything.

I really enjoyed the character of Diana, as well as her two sisters, Eliza and Verity, who in their independence, makes Rosy feel species. Together her and Geoffrey make a great couple, who in their own way, go against the expectations of society, to pursue happiness.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Duke For Diana is the first in a new series from Sabrina Jefferies Designing Debutantes following a trio of intrepid sisters who are taking their futures into their own hands.

I was definitely intrigued by the premise of the story – as it felt a little different from most I’ve encountered in the genre. The combined varying backgrounds and experiences of the Harper sisters and the Duke made for an interesting twist. One of the things I enjoy in a HR is when an author takes the time to do the research and weaves in some tidbits about the period, especially ones I haven’t encountered before. Jefferies definitely added this to her book and I really enjoyed these – bits about the wardrobe, dress at court, and chalk drawings.

The idea behind what the sisters came from and were doing for themselves in setting up their own household and business was lovely. I thought the storyline flowed along pretty well, and enjoyed the story overall. There was some lag for me in the romance element between our two mains – I just wanted a bit more something to it. However, the story was satisfying and I’ll definitely pick up the next in the series too.

The author did an excellent job of setting up the backgrounds and characters for this new series. The series features three sisters, Eliza, Diana, and Verity, whose scandalous parents have caused them to be ostracized from society. Luckily one of the sisters, Eliza, was already married when the scandal hit, but the other two were just entering society and lost all chances at finding an appropriate marriage. Rather than letting their heads hang in shame, the ladies decided they’d blaze their own trail by starting an event planning business – Elegant Occasions. Each of the sisters had a unique talent to bring to the business, which made each event they planned very unique and special. Now, I have to admit I have my doubts about whether this would have been something three society ladies could start and make successful during the Regency period, but I’m willing to suspend my questioning nature and accept it as doable.

Geoffrey Brookhouse is a very successful civil engineer in New Market. He’s traveled the world designing and building bridges, canals, etc. He’s been running his grandfather’s Ironworks company, Stockdon and Son, for a number of years. He’s very intelligent, driven, plainspoken, and hardworking. What is a man like that supposed to do when he inherits a dukedom never expected and certainly doesn’t want? He’s going to launch his young sister into a ton who doesn’t want them and he’s going to see that she gets the future she deserves. Since he has no clue how to do any of that, he hires Elegant Occasions to assure Rosy’s success.

Lady Diana Harper has never seen or met anyone like the duke who has just come to hire her and her sisters. He curses in polite society; he is unfashionably dressed; he actually speaks of (GASP) money. Diana thinks they may have more trouble launching the duke than the sister because he is totally unrepentant about who he is. He is attractive though – and she can’t stop stealing glances at him.

There are a number of humorous moments along the way to their HEA – and Rosy adds delightful moments with her charm and beauty. However, I think it says a lot about the story when I was more interested in the scandalous parent's background story than I was in the romance between the two lead characters. Geoffrey and Diana were more like cardboard cutouts than fully fleshed, relatable characters. I found both the characters and the romance to be on the dull side and I kept waiting for something interesting or exciting to happen. Even the chase to Gretna Green was ho-hum.

This is not a book I’d read a second time, but it set up the series so nicely that I’ll definitely try the next book in the series to see where it goes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rather than succumb to a family scandal, Diana and her sisters have struck out in a successful business venture. Along comes a new duke, who doesn’t know what he’s getting into. Cue the “tutoring in society” plotline, which can be stale but the author manages to make it lighthearted enough that you genuinely believe the authors are trying to adapt to society instead of judging it and viewing themselves as above it.

I’ve read a few books by this author, and for me they’re usually a hit or miss on my taste scale. This one was pretty good, but I did feel the “big secret” was a little too drawn out, without much payoff. I also think the characters were a little too blatantly modern-minded; the female independence and enlightened male attitude were a little too heavy-handed; the preachiness detracted from the storyline for me.

Will definitely read the next in the series though.

This was a perfect “take me out of the real world” read!

Diana was such a strong, independent, fun and at times a bit quirky, heroine. I loved that she was able to step away from society’s conventions even as she made a place for herself among the ton. Her engagements with Geoffrey were so much fun.

Geoffrey was a big, burly, hero with a bit of grumpiness to round him out into the type of hero I adore. Especially when it’s apparent he is attracted to Diana. The moments when she was correcting him for his boorish ways, especially reading it from his point of view, were so cute.

The chemistry between Geoffrey and Diana sizzled from the first moment they met and things between them continued to sizzle even as their relationship grew. The conflict felt real and added some angst but nothing too heavy.

There were several scenes where this author showed her knowledge of what certain events and situations required. While this can sometimes bog the story down, that was not the case here. It was all included in a way that kept me intrigued and happily following along. I loved it all.

Diana and her sisters started their own party-planning business after their family became involved in a scandal that made them unmarriageable. Meanwhile, Geoffrey unexpectedly inherited the dukedom shortly after his father’s death. He’s a civil engineer with no experience in society. When his little sister Rosy is ready to have her debut, he hires Diana and her sisters to plan it for them.

Diana and Geoffrey instantly butt heads and… Wow, while I am here for a good enemies to lovers dynamic, I could not stand either of them. Geoffrey is judgmental and the type to make decisions for everyone in his life. Diana is a “shrew” character in the worst way. I kept reading because the steamy moments were enjoyably done, up until the first full love scene, which was incredibly clinical. I only pushed to the end because I was around 85% through by the time I was fully committed to throwing my Kindle across the room in a fit of rage. Diana and Geoffrey get in a post-coital argument that involves page after page of just dialogue.

There’s other things that made this an unenjoyable read for me, too. Rosy thinks she’s fat, and Diana insists that she’s not fat and simply needs to wear flattering clothing. It’s true that good clothing can do a lot for one’s self-esteem and body image, but it felt like the author was implying it’s okay to be curvy but bad to be actually fat - which, rude and reductive much? There’s also some background information that makes Geoffrey consider putting off marriage that is so convoluted and frankly boring. The author spends pages explaining it and pages explaining it away once Geoffrey decides to wed. It was so dry, and was supposed to be emotional as it revolved around (content warning) the suicide of his father. But I found myself not caring at all about it while the characters were teary-eyed about the entire thing.

I genuinely hated this read. It was torturous. I’ll rate it 2 stars simply because something kept pushing me to finish it. What that something was, I’m not so sure.

Thanks to Kensington Books, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am a rabid fan of this author's work, and this new novel did not disappoint. Diana is one of three sisters who, because of their parent's divorce and the ensuing scandal, have been somewhat ostracised from society. They all rely on their various skills to start a business of sorts - Diana is a bit of a fashionista and the descriptions of the clothes she wears and dresses people in are divine.

Diana and Geoffrey's romance sparks very quickly and I have to say I was a bit taken aback by the speed with which their attraction develops. No messing around with these two! Or rather, quite a bit of messing around actually.

I loved the characters and the detail.

I'm looking forward to the next one.

From the first page to the last you will spellbound by A Duke for Diana. It unfolds beautifully as Lady Diana and Geoffrey Brookhouse, who has unexpectedly inherited the dukedom of Grenwood, find that they both must fight their insecurities and memories of the past as they travel on a journey filled with drama, hope, passion, and finding the secret to a happy ever after. Sabrina Jeffries has given readers a book that is well-written, filled it with a great cast of characters that will hold your attention as their individual personalities become more than just part of the tale they come off the pages and pull you in, the book flowed well from one thing to another without being forced and with a strong plot that bring this read together perfectly.