I was completely swept away by this book! It's a heartwarming love story wrapped in layers of mystery and intrigue that kept me turning pages late into the night. The characters are captivating, each one drawing you deeper into their world. I can’t wait to dive into the next installment of this addictive series!

#UnmaskingtheDuke #NetGalley

Another great story by Mary Lancaster. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The characters are perfectly created and I love how Lancaster always includes the perfect combination of passion and strife - making the characters work for their HEA and creating a great journey for the reader.

THE REVIEW
Kitty Renwick was saved from a horrible situation when she was just 4 years old and was raised as Mr. Renwick’s niece. She had a wonderful upbringing in Maida Pleasure Gardens with a wonderful family and friends.

Johnny Winter is a rake and a walking scandal but upon inheriting the Dukedom he is determined to be responsible. One task is to find the daughter of a distant cousin and right the injustice done to her. His search takes him to Maida Pleasure Gardens and to Kitty.

Johnny is convinced that Kitty is the girl he is looking for and when danger befalls her, he and her uncle insist she move in with him so she can be better protected. But being close proximity only makes their feelings for each other stronger.

With danger still lurking around the corner, Kitty and Johnny fall in love and even become engaged before everything falls apart!

Unmasking the Duke was a cute read. Although a slow burn with very little steam, the storyline was more than enough to keep me hooked. The romance was believable as well as the angst of Kitty trying to fit into Johnny’s world. This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but I am excited to go back and read the others in this Pleasure Garden world!

TROPES
Historical Romance, Regency Era, East End London, Country Life, Beta/Cinnamon Roll Hero, Rake Hero, Titled Hero, Protective Hero, Virgin Heroine, Class Difference, Heroine in Danger, Sudden Nobility/Rags to Riches, Four Star, Two Flames

Johnny thinks Kitty is hi long lost cousin. Since she was found as a baby, Kitty has been raised by a gentleman who skirts the law. This book had secrets, scandal and intrigue. While being very different than the norm, this book held my attention throughout.
Thank you Mary Lancaster, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

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

Raised by her uncle, Kitty Renwick has spent most of her life in Maida Gardens. She longs to spend time at the masquerade balls, but has been told she needs to stay on the sidelines. But when she meets the handsome Johnny Winter, she drawn to him in a way she's never been before. Johnny has quite the reputation for being a rake, but unexpectedly becoming Duke of Dearham has made him realise he has responsibilities, and one is finding a long-lost relation. Kitty seems to fit the description of the missing child, and so Johnny bring her to his household, with the rest of the extended family, but changing Kitty into the perfect society lady is not an easy task. Especially as neither of them can stop thinking of the other.

This was another quick and enjoyable read, but again, not too memorable. We've seen Kitty in previous books, so it was nice to see her have her own story. I liked the way she and Johnny met, and the way their relationship developed into a friendship first, though it was clear by the chemistry that they were bound to get together in the end. There were some unanswered questions left over from the book, but still an enjoyable book nonetheless.

Another Bridgerton-adjacent-feeling book. I really think my sister and one of my friends would love it so I will probably point them in this direction

Mystery, Love, and Scandal

Johnny went looking for his long-lost cousin. Was it Kitty? He thought so, but distant cousin or no, aristocratic origins or no, he loved her still. What did his investigation reveal? Was Kitty the daughter of a woman from his family who married someone of whom they did not approve? What about the attempt on Kitty’s life. Who intended her harm, and why? Love reformed the rakish duke, but would he defy society’s conventions and marry a woman who did not grow up in the ton? You will have to read this charming story to find the answer. I enjoyed this tale and would recommend it to those who like Regency romance with mystery and suspense.

Johnny Winter, duke of Dearham, is looking for a lost cousin who he thinks is Kitty Renwick. Kitty was raised by Ben Renwick who found her as a baby. All Kitty has known is what her uncle has taught her while he ran a place called Maida Pleasure Gardens, where his sons and her worked. She meet Johnny a year earlier and was intrigued with her. When she comes in danger from her uncle's enemy they send her to the duke's house where she is known as his cousin to keep her save. i loved this book. I just reviewed Unmasking the Duke by Mary Lancaster. #UnmaskingtheDuke #NetGalley
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I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Unmasking the Duke by Mary Lancaster (Book Four in the Pleasure Garden series) is another delightful, temporary escape from the real world.

Kitty Renwick is the adopted niece of Bill Renwick, one-time criminal ringleader now on his way to building a legitimate commercial enterprise, having begun with the creation of The Maida Gardens. (This is a pleasure park for rich and poor, titled and common, with family-oriented entertainments during the day and masked balls at night, where anonymity allows indiscretion.) Kitty has been raised as a part of Renwick’s family, and believes she is his blood relation, but in truth, no one knows who her real parents were.

Johnny Winters, the duke of Dearham, is a reforming rake. After the death of his father, Johnny has tried to behave more respectably, even taking upon himself the task of tracking down the daughter of a long-lost cousin who was disowned for marrying against his great-grandmother’s wishes. (She was the duchess at the time and has long since died.) He has enlisted the help of Ludovic Dunne, his solicitor who is also a respected sleuth. It appears that Kitty may be the missing girl.

The mystery unfolds amidst dangerous plots against Bill Renwick, Kitty, and a sideplot involving a mysterious princess/spy, who had once been Johnny’s lover.

Kitty and Johnny fall for one another, but the deck is obviously stacked heavily against them. Thankfully, since this is Romance, obstacles are there to be overcome.

This is an enjoyable series, light on steam and heavier on character development. The plot is improbable but who cares? There is at least one more book in the series, and I’m looking forward to it!

This is Book 4 in the Pleasure Garden series. I have only had the opportunity to read one of the books in this series and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to pick this one up. I was not disappointed! It is easily read as a standalone, so not having read some of the previous ones caused no hindrance to my enjoyment at all. The story pulled me in from the very start and held my interest throughout. All through his adult life, Johnny has been connected to one scandal or another. But now that he has inherited the dukedom, he must assume his role and take responsibility. His responsibilities lead him to Kitty and the Maida Pleasure Garden. Kitty met Johnny previously and when he comes back, she is instantly drawn to him. Kitty and Johnny are both faced with a mystery that could change their lives. Along with the mystery comes danger, intrigue, and suspense. The story really had me captivated and glued till the end. The characters were wonderful and I liked the way they worked together to ultimately find the truth. A great addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Bill Renwick has found a something that he can't pass up or delegate to others..... a little girl with sorrowful eyes.
Kitty has grown thinking that she is a niece to Bill Renwick The truth changes her ouook on life.
Johnny can just about sweet talk his way through just about anything until he meets his match.....Kitty.
They will figuer out the puzzle one way or another , together or alone.
I found this book very likeable from the first page. It kept me engaged to the very end. The are a few scenes which I skipped through but they weren't to long and knowing that these happened added to the emotional state of the characters.
I recieved a free copy so that I might tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book.

Thank you NetGalley for a very enjoyable read. The Duke of Dearham Visits Maida Gardens and has been attracted to Kitty, Bill Renwick's niece. Kitty is not really related to Bill. He saved her when she was very young. she has worked for him and lived with him ever since.
The duke is looking for the daughter of a distant cousin who may just be Kitty. When she is in danger he convinces Bill to let her stay at his home where he can protect her. They fall in love. There are those occasions that get in the way of their love. Can they find happiness?

Unmasking the Duke by Mary Lancaster is another of the Maida Gardens' Pleasure Gardens series. It may be the best of the bunch. Kitty Renwick was the niece of Bill Renwick the owner of the Maida Pleasure Gardens. She had a good life; she had to work, but she was well taken care of and loved her uncle and her cousins. John Winter, the Duke of Dearham was not a frequent visitor to the gardens but Kitty always noticed him. He had a wonderful smile and he sent tingles through her when he touched her or ever, when he smiled at her. Then he told her he thought she was his cousin. He offered proof. It wasn't enough. When she was locked in the barn and it was set on fire, her father was worried enough to let her go stay in Dearham's home where she could be protected. His family wasn't thrilled but they came to love her. Johnny told a convoluted story about her origins.

Kitty was educated, although not able to perform any of the tasks well educated members of the ton could: playing the piano, embroidering, foreign languages. She was pleasant and helpful, a good think because his sister had two sets of twins: three years and newborn. Johnny was a rake of the first water. Everyone knew it. He had gotten more subtle when he became the duke, but nothing really changed. She never believed she was his cousin, but it was a mystery and it was one she could solve. Turns out, he already had. She trusted him despite his reputation. This was a good story with an interesting plot and excellent characters. I like it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Unmasking the Duke by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #dragonblade #unmaskingtheduke #marylancaster

Another wonderful book from Mary Lancaster, this series has been a joy. This is the fourth of five, all set around the Maida Pleasure Gardens, we have caught brief glances of Kitty, the adoptive daughter of Bill Renwick, the proprietor of the gardens, and powerful figure in the working class community of London. He rescued Kitty as a baby from a violent criminal, and has brought her up as his daughter. Kitty was involved in one of the denouments of the previous book, where she met and was smitten, from a distance with the charming and aristocratic rogue Johnny Winter. They meet again at the gardens, where Kitty has sneaked out to dance, and Johnnny, now the Duke of Dearham, sees a bit too much of the slightly shady goings on behind the scenes. Kitty is foced to assist her family in dealing with Johnny, but this time, they both feel the pull of a completely impossible attraction. In addition, Jonny is on the hunt for his long lost cousin, and has reason to believe Kitty is the girl he seeks. When an attempt is made on Kitty's life, she is soon corralled into moving in with Johnny and hius family to keep her safe. As she comes to see how different his life is to hers, Kitty is convinced she isnt good enough for him, and that she is definietly not a relation either. Can Johnny convince her that they are perfect together, and get a well deserved HEA.

All the strands of this book are beautifully handled by Mary, Johnny and Kitty are pitch perfect characters, Johnny aristcratic and educated, but not arrogabt or high in the instep, welcoming towards Kitty and her friends and found family. Also brave enough to admit and act on his feelings. Kitty, graceful, practical and honorable, as well as clear sighted enough not to have her head turned by wealth and status.

Gorgeous story and impeccable pacing, also a really nice length. I lov Mary's work so much, that when she writes a shorter story hey are over too quickly for my liking.

Highly recommended.

I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Over the weekend I flew through the first three books in Mary Lancaster's Pleasure Garden series ... and fell in love repeatedly with the main characters and more than a few of the secondary and background characters. The fifth book is apparently the last in the series so it is unlikely that I'll get to see Happily Ever Afters for all of those I've been hoping for ... but the fourth book, Unmasking the Duke, at least gives me a coupling that I didn't even know that I wanted with characters I've been reading about since the very first book.

Kitty Renwick is the adopted niece of Bill Renwick -- the owner of the Maida Pleasure Garden from which we get the series name. She works for her uncle but only during the day because he does not want her tarnished by the types of things that often happen at the garden after dark. She's intelligent and loyal and quite sheltered but she often sneaks out to the garden on ball nights. It is on one of these nights that she encounters Johnny Winter -- the man she has not been able to get out of her mind since the two of them crossed paths in the first book, Unmasking the Hero.

John Winter (aka Johnny ... aka Fish ... aka the Duke of Dearham ...) is a known rake who has rarely taken anything seriously. He is trying to change his ways and right some family wrongs now that he has inherited the dukedom. To do so he enlists the aid of a solicitor/investigator/friend/hero of Unmasking Sin, Ludovic Dunne.

[Are you beginning to understand why I say read them in order???]

They are searching for a distant cousin who was cut-off from the family years ago by Johnny's now-deceased grandmother. He is lead to believe that Kitty may be the one. She is inclined to not want any part of it. The Renwicks are all she has ever had and cared about. She doesn't think that she would fit in with even the household staff much less the family. She doesn't think that she would even want to.
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"Your Grace's world and ours do not mix," she said dryly.
"They do here at the Gardens," he pointed out. "Why not elsewhere?"
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When Kitty is put into danger, it is decided that the safest place for her is with the Duke and his family ... at least until the threat is taken care of. The family is aware that Johnny believes Kitty might be "one of them" so they agree to keep her safe and treat her well and, just maybe, teach her about how to be a member of Society. It is all overwhelming, to say the least. Of course, the most overwhelming part is being in such close proximity to Johnny almost constantly.

And one thing leads to another, which leads to several more, which leads to ....

Read. The. Book.

(All of them. In order.)

I am new to this series but this didn't affect my enjoyment of this lovely, warm book by Mary Lancaster. There is a big cast of characters and it definitely made me want to go and read some of their stories.

Johnny and Kitty are very sweet and I appreciated that the story was not based on a lot of needless angst and rather took you on a journey of their getting to know each other, with some drama and intrigue sprinkled along the way.

I love a good historical romance and this has got to be my newest favorite. The mystery of who is trying to kill the female lead kept me guessing the whole book. I was completely surprised by the ending. I really thought she was his cousin the whole read, even though it was a disturbing thought. But that was a real thing back then!

Unmasking the Duke brings about the amazing plot of friends to lovers. Johnny’s character is wonderful. His need to better himself for his title while falling for Kitty is truly spectacular. This book is able to engage you in the storyline while still bringing to life the blooming love between the two main characters. It is a semi-slow burn love story which allows you to get a better glimpse into the lives and feelings of the characters. It’s truly fantastic and is highly recommend for all lovers of regency romance.

Love this series. the story grabs you from the start and the characters you want to root for.. Lots of twists and turns in this mystery with a happy ending.

She had seen him over a year ago and could not forget how handsome he was....
Now here he was in her world at Maiden Pleasure Garden, owned by her uncle, who had raised her and treated her like a daughter.

He was a duke on a mission. He had finally found her and just knew she was the one he had been searching for all this time!

Mystery, intrigue, a villain, intend on harm, and a growing attraction that will not be denied! Mary's writing is so seamless, bringing forth a story that always steals my imagination with delight!

This series has been so enjoyable, but I think this may be my favorite. Wait, did I say that about the last one? Well, when you are reading this author's work, it is hard to pick a favorite!