Engaging, entertaining and passionate romance. Johnny and Kitty bring an energy to this story that kept me turning the pages. Kitty unmasks her Duke and they find in each other friendship and an endearing love for the future.

Unmasking the Duke is another fabulous in the Maida Pleasure Gardens series. Ms. Lancaster’s description of the people, events and settings make you feel as though you wish you could be part of the fictional stories. Anything and everything happen to those fortunate enough to be a part of Maida!

Kitty is Bill Renwick’s ‘adopted’ niece who joined his ‘family’ while a baby in a most unconventional way. Bill has been a bit of a ‘bad’ character at times in previous books in the series, but has several redeeming qualities. It seems Kitty might just be a distant relation to Johnny, the Duke of Dearham, a very unprepossessing duke who was lost to the family years earlier. Their search to prove whether or not she is the lost baby of a distant cousin who was turned out for being pregnant, brings them closer together than either of them imagined. There are some who want them separated for their own purposes. Others who want them together for their own purposes. Most importantly, is that Kitty and Johnny fall in love and want to be together. They begin to see the other as a real person, not the persona provided to the world.

The question of is she or isn’t she is left almost to the end once the ‘villain’ who is trying to kill Kitty has been brought down. We are given a sweet, romantic ending that will make you sigh at their HEA.

There is so much more that could happen in Maida Gardens that I hope to see the series continue at length!

He’s a rakish duke on a mission to right a wrong his grandparents did over 20 years ago, while she’s looking for something to fill her loneliness. They meet at a masked ball at her family owned and operated Maida Gardens. The masks allow their hearts to discover what their minds will struggle to accept – that love is blind to where one is born and raised. When Kitty’s life is placed in danger, Johnny takes her in, giving their growing feels the chance to become more than desire and infatuation.

I really enjoyed this story. I usually prefer my regency romances to be about the upper classes, but this one fascinated me. The deeper I got into the book the more I wanted to finish it to see how all the story lines would wrap up. The main characters fascinated me. Kitty is strong, independent and very loyal, while Johnny is heroic, strong and determined. Both are lonely and find that missing piece in their love and each other. They are relatable – maybe because of their loneliness and insecurities – which is also why I loved them. This book has piqued my curiosity to want to check out the other books in the series (this being the first and only one I’ve read so far).

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. These are my opinions.
Kitty is the adopted niece of Bill Renshaw, who owns the Maida Pleasure Gardens. She goes to her favorite spot at the gardens and runs into Johnny Winter, The Duke of Dearham. There is an immediate attraction between them. There is speculation that she is a long-lost distant cousin of his, and after her life is threatened, he takes her to live at his townhouse with his sister and her family. There is mystery and intrigue throughout the book. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance.

Johnny Winter has become the Duke of Dearham; the question is-will his character change as he takes control of his family and estates? Recognized for drifting from scandal to scandal, even a dual, how will he react now that he has the full weight of the Dukedom on his shoulders? Needing time to himself, he wanders into the Maida Pleasure Gardens in Seven Dials. That is when he first discovers a beautiful young lady with a winning smile. His heart is lost but he does nothing about his feelings. Kitty is the adopted child of the notorious Bill Renwick who owns the Gardens and lives a little too close to the edge of the law. But Kitty’s own story is full of surprises and mystery. What a wonderful and interesting plot develops as Johnny and Kitty dance around the feeling of love and desire. This was indeed a pleasure to read.

Charmingly wicked, Johnny Winter has spent his adulthood drifting from scandal to scandal. However, inheriting the dukedom of Dearham has him considering his responsibilities, one of which is to right the wrong done to a distant cousin twenty years ago. His search takes him to Maida Pleasure Gardens, where he is distracted by an unusual and intriguing beauty. The first time Kitty saw the gentleman with the bone-melting smile, she lost her heart. When, more than a year later, she finally dances with him, the moment is spoiled by having to tie him up at gunpoint. For Kitty is the niece of the infamous Bill Renwick, who owns Maida Gardens and lives too close to the edges of the law. And Johnny has seen too much. So begins an impossible attraction – made all the more dangerous by the duke’s belief that she is his long-lost relation. Torn between the only family she knows and her longing for the duke, Kitty’s quandary is taken out of her hands by an attempt on her life.
This is the fourth book in the series & is easily read on its own. I loved that Johnny has his HEA, we met him in ‘Unmasked by her Lover', which was his twin sisters' story & an added bonus is that we catch up with them too. Kitty has featured briefly in the previous books in the series because afterall she works at the pleasure gardens. I loved the chemistry between Johnny & Kitty, their banter is also entertaining. I loved Johnny who appears to be the carefree rake but there’s a lot more to him. I also loved how protective he is of Kitty. Kitty copes so well with everything that's thrown at her & never forgets where she comes from. A very well written engrossing read, once I’d started it I found it very hard to put down - a lovely addition to the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Once again The Maida Gardens works it's magic between the niece of the owner and a duke during a masquerade party. John Winter, Duke of Dearham, has paid to have Ludovic Dunne find his lost cousin's daughter. All clues lead to the niece of Bill Renwick, the owner of The Gardens. Kitty Renwick fell for the Duke the year before, but seeing him now and experiencing his kiss makes her feelings more real. When someone wants her dead, Johnny takes her away to his home for protection. He can't forget the kiss and realizes he needs her in his life. Only a secret is revealed that could destroy their dream of being together. I love this series!!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Finally, Kitty's story comes to life! Having met her in previous books in this series as the niece of Bill Renwick, owner of the Maida Pleasure Gardens, she has played a role in bringing down perpetrators of crimes, served the gentry, and carried messages. Along the way she has encountered the Duke of Dearham and was enchanted by his smile and courteous acts. When he once again arrives at the Pleasure Gardens, she is drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Johnny, as he is known to his friends, is on a mission to right a wrong and his search leads him to the owner of the Maida Pleasure Gardens. With all the evidence leading to Kitty, emotions and misgivings are aroused. However, the flame that cannot be extinguished is the one that burns brightly between Kitty and Johnny, who despite the suspect evidence thrown at him, is wise enough to recognize a truth when it is presented to him. I loved both the main characters, who despite the circumstances recognized the need to follow their hearts and cut through the subterfuge and attempts to destroy them. This romance is a standalone and comes to a very satisfying conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The quickest way to tell how much a book moves me is the tears. Few books can make cry, but boy did I ever! The love story of lowly girl from Seven Dials and a rake of a Duke, was exciting, moving and simply delightful. Kitty was always a little bolder while still being innocent and somewhat naive. So when the Duke, a man she had been infatuated with for over a year comes to believe she is a long last relative, she can’t help but be reluctant. Despite growing feelings and obvious attraction, the is she/isn’t she of this story had me going back and forth like a ping-pong ball. Every time you thought you had the right of it, some clue made you doubt, right up til the end. Truly masterful writing by Mary Lancaster to keep us so invested in the story that even we didn’t know what truth we wanted. By the end I was sobbing along in Kitty’s despair and triumph. It was nice to revisit the characters we had loved in past books as well, like that feeling of contentment in coming home. A simply beautiful story of a girl from the wrong side of tracks finding her place in society!

Johnny, a rake, inherits a dukedom and decides to tame his ways. He searches for a long lost cousin who he believes is Kitty. Kitty was adopted by her criminal family when she was a baby. When someone tries to kill Kitty, Johnny steps in and brings her to his country estate. There they realize they are both more than they seem. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

5 stars

Like most of Mary's books an Excellent story. We've met Johnny before in previous books but this book can e read as a standalone but why wouldn't you want to read the whole series.

Kitty is the Bill's neice. Bill is the owner of the pleasure garden.. She helps out but Bill is very protective of her. Johnny is looking for a second cousin and has Ludovic (previous character) try and track down cousin Margaret. Ludovic finds the house and so even though Johnny has met Kitty and found her fascinating he realises she could be part of his family.

I suspected the twist but it certainly didn't stop my enjoyment.

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

Johnny Winter, Duke of Dearham, appears to be a carefree rake, but there's a lot more to him than most people know. For one, he's determined to right a terrible wrong committed against his Cousin Margaret by his grandparents. Margaret is gone, but Johnny is searching for her daughter. He's beginning to think Kitty Renwick is that long-lost distant cousin, but can he keep his attraction to her under wraps until he solves the mystery? Kitty has been enamored with Johnny for over a year since he first appeared at Maida Pleasure Gardens, long before she knew his true identity. When he tells her his suspicions, she doesn't believe it's possible, but a small flame of hope ignites that it could be true. Can they solve the mystery and achieve their own HEA?

I really liked Johnny's easy-going personality. His reputation as a rake has not endeared him to the ton, but his charm won over even his harshest critics. Problem is, no one really takes him seriously, but when he tackles the mystery of finding his cousin, even his family sees a different side of him. Kitty is a good girl who is kind to her family and friends. Even when her life is turned upside down, she never forgets where she came from. There was another intriguing mystery running throughout the book and it added an interesting element to the story. The plot moves along well and there's a big twist at the end that was quite surprising. I have enjoyed this series and am looking forward to the next book.

Johnny Winter, Duke of Dearham is searching for long lost cousin, to repair an injustice. The clues have led him to a very interesting place. Our hero is a very down to earth man who is just as comfortable in the company of farmers and tradesmen as he is the Lords and Ladies of Society.

Kitty Renwick works in Maida Gardens for her uncle. This is a place of entertainment, with music, jugglers and masquerade balls. Her very protective uncle only allows her to work the day times because the evening crowd are not all respectable. That of course makes her want to be there. Our heroine is an honest, intelligent and kind young woman who loves her family.

This is a fascinating historical romance filled with fun, lovely characters and a mystery to solve. We have met some of our characters in previous books, but if you haven't read them it won't stop you enjoying this one. I have read all the books in this series and I want to step back in time to go to Maida Gardens it seems like a really exciting place.

I loved it.

4.5*
An unusual duke, a birth mystery, villainy and characters who are delightful, all linked to the Maida Pleasure Garden. An enjoyable and recommended book with a sheltered young miss of humble origins (or is she?) and a Duke seeking to right a wrong. Whilst one in a series this book can be read as a standalone.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.