3.5 magical little stars.

Lord save me from hard-headed men who believe they can't fall in love *eyeroll* Can we please be done with this trope? I was quite enjoying the second half until William decided to be an insufferable idiot who doesn't understand how emotions work.

This is such a hard book to review because I liked a lot of it but equally a lot was lackluster.

At the start of the book I really was not sure I was going to enjoy it because its very instalove (and to be honest the romance is lacking in substance the whole way through, it's one of the weakest parts of the book. Friends sure, in love? Eh.) William's character was the turning point for me though I really liked him and how he developed as a person. He had flaws but he acknowledges them and wants to grow as a person. He doesn't want to be an arrogant guy who believes himself above everyone else and expects their bowing and scraping all the time. He had a great moment of introspection the day after the wedding, they've both gone to do their work but he sees her and is immediately against what she was doing. He stopped and actually took the time to question his thoughts and decide how to react rather than blindly blundering into her business and causing conflict.

I also really liked his relationship with his brothers. And the Kit and Margaret drama was actually more interesting than William and Beatrice's relationship.

And therin lies the problem. The actual romance was the weakest and least interesting part of the book. The conflict just made me want the book to be over already, I didn't care and it was stupid - I rolled my eyes so much I was so fed up.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I will definitely be reading the next book bit this one sadly didn't live up to the expectations book 1 set.

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

I tried to finish this, I really did. I really thought that this would be the typical principled heroine vs pompous hero, but the Duke was actually pretty nice. In fact, he's my favorite character in this. As a result, Beatrice's tangents about how he's not doing enough when he's doing more than her to help with the issues she cares about, got old really fast.

In fact, I really cannot stand Lady Beatrice and maybe she gets better in the latter half of this novel. However, I've been trying to finish this book for a month or so and I just can't.

Maybe this was a it's-not-you-it's-me thing, but this wasn't the book for me.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! I really appreciate it!
Because I did not finish MUCH ADO ABOUT DUKES, I'm only posting my review here. Especially because this definitely could be just be a wrong book at the wrong time thing.

This is my first Eva Devon and it won't be my last, because I plan to go back and read the first in the series and will also watch for the next, which I hope is about the hero's brother Ben.
A Duke who never wants to fall in love has been entranced by a bluestocking, Beatrice (note the book title) . She is a women's rights activist (yes they existed in the 19th century, how do you think women finally got to vote).
Anyway, through several interesting plot turns, and some egging on by his brothers, the Duke learns to love, surprise! And they live adorably happy ever after. Thanks to net galley and the publisher, Entangled Publishing, for this eARC which I have reviewed honestly.

I thoroughly enjoyed “The Spinster and the Rake” book 1 of this series, and found the same storyline flow here with somewhat different circumstances. It is nice reading about strong women looking to revolutionize the ton even if it’s through the only means of the time, men. But there is a “pause” to the storyline as you reflect on the rights of women during this time and the class system people lived in. Despite that thought, characters aren’t overly deep even though they have traumatic pasts. The humor of the courtship helps keep them light and fun to get to know. All in all, it’s good, enjoyable read.

This was just totally unbelievable. It’s not totally clear what the time period was, but it seemed to be some time in the Regency period based on the fashion descriptions. But our heroine is handing out pamphlets on women’s rights to members of Parliament. I just don’t believe there was much of that sort of an attempt to lobby MPs for women’s rights at that time period. That started more mid-century and it was for rights such as the right to custody of one’s children after a divorce, not suffrage. I just found her an unbelievable heroine. And the anachronisms just kept piling up.

And the Duke was just too good to be true. He totally agrees with her political positions and also wants to help the poor.

They each are immediately attracted to each other in that way that only happens in romances. But the Duke has to work through his own psychological problems to decide he’s willing to fall in love again. I’m getting tired of characters who so clearly have fallen in love, but who keep trying to convince themselves that they should never fall in lover ever because of some sort of family trauma.

All in all, I found everyone in this book except the Duke’s younger brothers to be rather tiresome.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This book really brings out the unequal rights of men and women in the early 1800’s. The heroine is an heiress who strongly believes in women is rights. The hero is a duke who realizes some of the inequality but still doesn’t know the full ramifications of it. He slowly learns that love is important. There is a secondary love story about his brother and her cousin. It was an enjoyable read with good editing. I received an ARC for an honest review.

William was definitely my favorite character in this book. He raised his younger brothers, and they have a pretty great relationship. William does his best to take care of everyone and believes in women's rights.

Beatrice was less likable to me. She is championing women's rights. Handing out pamphlets, having meetings, really doing anything possible to change the way women are seen in society. And for some reason, she has decided that she dislikes William, for no other reason than that he is a duke and represents everything she is trying to change. She has no idea about his policies or what he believes, she just arbitrarily hates him. Also, she is so strong in her opinions that her cousin has to ask her to not make a scene at a party because apparently, she does that quite frequently.

I loved that every time Beatrice started to argue something with William he was just like "Yes, I agree" or "Your right" and it completely takes the wind out of her sails. I did like how their marriage started as a partnership, and eventually grew to love.

All in all this book was just okay for me, but as I loved the first book, I'll definitely be picking up the next book Eva Devon writes.

It was an enjoyable read and the characters were likable. Lady Beatrice is very passionate about women's rights but her voice alone is not enough to make changes. Partnering with a duke seemed practical but after being dismissed she took matter into her own hands. I would have liked to see her reaching out to all the dukes and then settle on one but overall the storyline had potential and it was an okay read.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of "Much Ado About Dukes" from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is the first book I am reading by Eva Devon. I enjoyed her writing. Lady Beatrice Haven, an activist for human rights, especially those of women and the lower class has been trying to contact William Leonidis Maximillian Easton, Duke of Blackheath, for the longest time, but in vain. The Duke never knew of the formidable letters she had written him as his secretary had thought them useless. However, the Duke is fascinated by Beatrice's passion for a cause that he actually also believes in. Circumstances cause them not only to meet, but fall into a marriage of convenience. In this story,  we learn to love, learn about love, what love means and the many things we do for love. An interesting story.

The banter in “Much Ado About Dukes” is literally *chefs kiss* some of the best I’ve read in a long time! A man who doesn’t believe in love and a woman who is determined to never wed - you know how this is going to go! But can a marriage of convenience change their minds and show them love isn’t something to be hated or feared? A witty, enchanting read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and publisher, Entangled Publishing, LLC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Publishing: August 23, 2022
Series: Never a Wallflower #2
Pages: 336

Eva Devon, a refreshing author in this, the only second book I’ve read by her, has made a mark on this reader. “Much Ado About Dukes” is a standalone novel that is quite the entertaining and enjoyable Shakespearean story that takes the tropes of enemies-to-friends-friends-to-lovers to another level. Not to mention throwing in a marriage of convenience.

Lady Beatrice is an activist for women’s rights and William, the Duke of Blackheath has only time for the House of Lords. Both are determined to never marry. She is content with her rights for women, and he his wealth, home, and work. Beatrice life unfortunately changes due to the bad investments decisions made by her uncle…investments that included her money. She is now left penniless, no dowery, no place to live and not even a husband to protect her. She tells Will of her disastrous circumstances and is now solely depending on the very man that irks her extremely. An unlikely friendship begins, and William helps Beatrice in her cause…proposing a marriage of convenience until she can get on her feet. A friendship that started out with unbridled banter and heated exchanges turns into passion, the one thing that doesn’t exist between the two but simmers in their blood all the same.

I truly enjoyed the whit and fun behind this story. This was indeed a well-written story, although the plot was somewhat mediocre. In any case, it kept me glued from start to finish. However, as relationship go, I think the relational interactions between the main characters was a lot quicker than I’d anticipated. The author’s character development of Will and Bea was moderately nice and brought to light their true personalities and not what was impressed on the surface. Although they did not plan to marry out of love, in the end, love blossomed between the two. There was steamy, heat and desire and it was nice to bring that out after the wedding and not something jumped into prior to that occasion.

This was a wonderful story, although a bit rushed to get to the ending. Very nice historical romance with all things Shakespeare in the mix. Absolutely delightful…Highly recommend the read.

Read an ARC.

I absolutely adored the premise and the overall writing, it felt plausible and authentic. A lot of genuine moments from the Duke (proud, stoic, with glimpses into his deeper self) and the Lady (self-aware, direct, with glimpses into her motivations).

Where I struggled with this book was some of the longer passages of dialogue and overall scenes. While period pieces can focus so much on the sense of a single touch, I struggled to find the chemistry with these two. The same rug is referenced multiple times and I'm not sure if there were any other furnishings in the room. The rug had about as much personality as some of the secondary characters.

I do love that it is capable of standing alone but I wished for a little more introduction and build up for each of the main pair individually before thrusting them together. I would have also really enjoyed a little more background or interaction with the secondary characters beyond their cursory titles of "beloved cousin", "harried uncle", or "impish brother".

Initially felt as if I read 2 books. The first 1/3 was actually standard fare. Even though the writing itself was excellent, the plot was kind of ho-hum.

THEN, things got exciting. I finished the rest in one night & have revisited it several times throughout the day. I realized much of the early book was deliberately setting the stage for how Will & Bea's relationship develops in REAL time after a certain event. How looks & first impressions aren't always fix & firm as you get to know someone. Devon writes expertly about arranged marriages/marriages of convenience in a dynamic setting with fleshed-out supporting characters. But what really blew me away was the subtle way she incorporated the differences between the sexes, constantly reminding us just how limited women were in their choices/options. How every step of the way, Bea showed her Duke why she was so committed to women's sufferage, without being annoying. She even set the foundation for most successful relationships, in how partners support each other and encourage growth; where first comes friendship followed by committment & love.

Decades ago, I began reading romance to learn about relationships, sex & dating. I soon picked-up on the ever increasing absurdity of plotlines. Most were fantasy and not remotely real. We've gone from desiring merely rich men, to millionaires to billionaires & now trillionaires. BDSM has become a hot topic since 50 Shades. In a day & age where many writers are over-the-top, alpha-this-&-beta-that or have 'panty-melting' sex in the first chapter, this was such a warm hug for me. Just beautiful!

I was thrilled to realize there are authors who have the story-telling talent & writing skills to develop a realistic plot that shows the reader how to grow friendship, partnership & love. I've always enjoyed Devon's books, but this one resonated. It is the kind of book that screams "Romance" of the Best Kind~

The books in the series are pretty much stand alone; so I don't feel guilting going back to book #1 now & I have pre-ordered book #3 as Devon continues to be a 'heavy hitter' delivering great stories w/a contemporary touch. I'm just bummed I have to wait until Feb for The Duke's Secret Cinderella to be released. I could use another hug~

Two fiery and independent people agree on their political aspirations, but William wants nothing to do with passion or love. Beatrice needs the duke's support for her political endeavors so continues to seek him out. They are thrown together when his brother wants to marry her cousin and they strike up a friendship. When she finds her uncle has lost all her money, he proposes a marriage of convenience. I loved these two very supportive friends and partners.

I think the romance blooms really fast. From the beginning of the book, they are already attracted to each other. But, what makes the story long is they keep denying it. It is kind of annoying, but also adorable.

I don't know if I would have gotten more out of this book if I were more familiar with Shakespeare's plays, but there did seem to be quite a few references to at least Much Ado About Nothing. Though in this case, the idea of being in "love" wasn't "nothing" since Will, the Duke of Blackheath, had vowed not to marry and not to fall in love because he was still reeling from his mother's leaving the family and having to raise his younger brothers.

Will comes upon Beatrice, a woman who is dedicated to helping women and who has been a bother to him with her views until he begins to appreciate her cause, her energy and herself. Beatrice's cousin is engaged to Will's brother, so they try to get along for the couple, but end up needing to stay together for purely logical reasons, Will insists. Will and Beatrice get married and he keeps trying to stay "friends" with her rather than falling in love.

The ending few chapters is kind of drawn out about whether Will will allow himself to be in love, which kind of drags on. Then the troubles between his brother and her cousin are solved in another chapter, and finally they end up together and in love. I liked the characters, and really enjoyed the beginning of the book up until the drama with Kit and Margaret (the other couple) so I think I would have preferred a different ending or different way for Will to be forced into admitting his feelings. Overall I enjoyed the book and even though it is part of a series I think it could easily have been read as a standalone. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Much Ado About Dukes was a funny and entertaining read. I look forward to reading more in this series. Despite not reading the first book, I was able to follow along this book (can be read as a standalone). The pros of this book: 1) marriage of convenience troupe! I love a good contract marriage, but it’s especially good when the female lead and male lead are basically in love with each other already. 2) Additionally, this book was a refreshing take on a feminist female lead. Usually, I find feminist historical romances make the female lead so annoying and proud. This was not the case! Beatrice knew when to admit her wrongs and when to not give in. 3) William being half in love with Beatrice before the start of the book. William is not your typical grumpy duke that finally falls in love with the heroine. He is his own hero and is so tenderhearted. Definitely one of the best parts of this book.

Now onto the cons…the story seemed to rush in the end and resolve itself so quickly. I would have loved to see more character growth that happens as a reasonable pace, but also, I’m a sucker for angst. To each their own! This does not detract from the enjoyable read. I highly recommend picking this book up if you like characters who behave with logic and funny interludes from the brothers of the duke.

A big thank you to Eva Devon and Entangled Publishing for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

***Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC**

While this is the second in a series of books, I read this one on its own and it 100% holds up without needing to be familiar with the first book. I knew I was going to enjoy this book from the title alone, as Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite bits of Shakespeare. So the fact that it is not only the title, but a central theme to the enemies to friends to lovers sequence was just wonderful. The story follows some familiar tropes to the genre which for me is exactly what I tend to be looking for in anything remotely Regency related. I found both of the Main Characters to be enjoyable in not only their own interactions but how they stood out on their own. Even the side characters were fun as they moved the story along and helped to push the two MCs together in their own ways.

Overall a very lovely book and I am going to for sure be checking out the rest of the series.

A highly recommended read. This Regency romance revolves around Lady Beatrice, a woman’s rights activist and William, the Duke of Blackheath, a member of the House of Lords, their unlikely friendship and William’s help with Beatrice’s causes. When unfortunate circumstances occur in Beatrice’s life, William offers a marriage of convenience, requiring only that they agree not to fall in love. It was a joy to follow their relationship through all its ups and downs. I loved the way that William’s brothers and Beatrice’s cousin were written as strong supporting characters and hope that they are featured in upcoming books to this series.

This story has it all: frenemies to lovers; marriage of convenience; fear of commitment; strong female character; believable plot; great supporting characters; and happily ever after.

This was my first time reading a book by Eva Devon and she gained a fan. I will be reading the first book in this series and look forward to the next. If you are a fan of Regency romance and strong female leads, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Much Ado About Dukes is the second in Eva Devon’s Never a Wallflower Series. I have not read the first in the series, but I didn’t feel left out of any part of the story in book two by not having read book one.

This book is all about a marriage of convenience that blooms into something more. I usually really like this trope, but this time it didn’t really work for me. I didn’t feel like there was much of a connection between Beatrice and Will—it passionate or genuine or really very engaging. I just… couldn’t get myself to really care about their story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I’d like to thank NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Much Ado About Dukes was an okay love story with a little bit of spice and a happily ever after. It’s a 3/5 for me.