Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC!

This book was a like a huge hug for my soul, I absolutely adored it! It captivated me right from the beginning with the inner dialogue of William, the Duke of Blackheath, when he first sets eyes on Lady Beatrice Haven at his ball. Beatrice wants to change the world with her revolutionary ideas and had written letters to William hoping that he might help her with his influence as a Duke. William however sent some formal replies and never did anything more in Beatrice's eyes. During their first dance, Beatrice decides to confront William about her letters and quickly learns that she might be terribly wrong about the Duke.

William and Beatrice have both built some thick walls around their hearts and are both against getting married. Will because he does not want to fall in love and Beatrice because she will not marry unless it's a love like her parents were. Beatrice also needs her independence and does not wish for a future dependent on a man. So when these two both get to understanding each other better, the attraction between these like-minded beings gets tougher and tougher to ignore. In a moment of possible ruination for Beatrice, William steps in to save the day. But will this huge decision take everything Beatrice dreamt about away from her, and can William keep Beatrice from breaking through the walls of his heart?

This was my first time reading a book by Eva Devon and I am a fan! She tackles the concepts of feminism, equality, grief and much more in this book, while also building such a beautiful romance and friendship between the main characters. There were moments where my heart ached so much for William and Beatrice. She also included some spectacular supporting characters, Margaret, Beatrice's cousin, and Ben and Kit, William's brothers. Absolutely brilliant writing. I highly recommend giving this a read!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is the second book in the Never a Wallflower series, and it looks as though they are all standalone books.

This is the story of Lady Beatrice, and William, the Duke of Blackheath. Beatrice is a fiery bluestocking who is passionate about women's rights and independence. She has determined she will never marry, to maintain her independence, and trying to push for change to the status of women in England. Her cousin is engaged to the younger brother of the Duke of Blackheath and she has been trying to connect with him, through messages and pamphlets to push her message forward and has been frustrated by his terse messages, thinking he, as most men of power do to most women's concerns, is pushing her off. So she hopes to confront him in person when their families have a ball to celebrate the upcoming nuptials.

William is a powerful and busy Duke, who takes his responsibilities seriously. What people are not aware of is that he is greatly moved by Beatrice's passion and drive for her quest for improving women's rights. He is quite forward thinking in his beliefs, and is quite busy in his own endeavours as a Lord to bring about improvements. He is also driven to suppress his personal feelings and desires because of emotional trauma in his own past family life, and is determined not to allow love for a woman become a factor in his life as he has seen how it has lead to pain for others.

But Beatrice and her passion is something that he is undeniably attracted to, and she likewise feels a physical attraction to William, and as he supports and encourages her endeavours, she finds herself liking him as a person too. But they are both two people who are determined not to love and to stay unmarried.

Unfortunately, Beatrice finds one day that her plans for independence are no longer viable, as her fortune is lost because of poor investments by her guardian, and she must wed to secure her future. William, on finding this, unexpectedly offers to marry her, thinking it could be a good marriage of convenience. She is beautiful, smart, strong, well spoken and could be a great Duchess of Blackheath, and he could give her financial security and back her endeavours.

Of course the marriage of convenience is not as cut and dried, nor as convenient as he hoped, and messiness ensues, such as inconveniences such love and passion.

I loved the two main characters. Beatrice is smart, sassy, and strong. William projects ducal aloofness, but we are given frequent glimpses of his thoughts, which show him to be a man who appreciates strength and intelligence in women, and who is very loving of his family. I also quite like the secondary characters such as his brothers, especially his younger brother, and his relationships with them and how they show brotherly love. There is also the secondary relationship between Williams brother Kit, and Beatrice's cousin, which takes an interesting turn as well.

Like the first book in this series, the characters are not quite typical, and I quite like their depth and how they relate to each other. Very enjoyable story, with good dialogue and good characters.

4 stars out of 5.

A Duke set on not falling in love, because love is to much off an uncontrollable emotion.
A lady fighting for the rights off woman and independent in her own.
But life is unpredictable and out off friendship comes a marriage of convenience, comes love but not without great obstacles and personal battles.
A easy read, happy ending, with just enough hot encouters and strong beliefs to make me, a woman, sit up and be grateful.

I was so pumped to get early access to this ARC, and am excited to share with y’all all the things I loved about it! Fans of Bringing Down the Duke, 10 Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake and Waiting for a Scot Like You, capital L LOVE Eva Devon’s Much Ado About Dukes.

As always huge thanks to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for the advance copy, thoughts below are my own.

Where to start with this ABSOLUTELY delightful historical romance? Well, first there is Beatrice who is a force to be reckoned with. She is fighting the fight for the disenfranchised, the enslaved, the poor, and the ones without voices. She has been passionately writing the Duke of Blackheath, imploring him to not only use his voice, but actually get up and DO something. But he’s been cagey, if not dismissive. So when her cousin is about to be engaged to the Duke’s younger brother she sees her chance: she will make him notice her and the causes she holds dear to her heart.

Right away I was, thinking: ok, oh lord another lengthy and exhausting enemies to lovers Bluestocking meets rakishly arrogant Duke. And FRIENDS, am I here to tell you what a DELICIOUS surprise this book is. So, beyond the initial clown behaviour from William, we find out mans is OBSESSED with Beatrice. Her thinking, her philosophies and her passion for change. Not only has he read everything she’s writing but he KEEPS reading it over and over, as a source of comfort. So when he sees her for the first time, he is literally jaw-on-the-floor shocked by her loveliness.

A quick waltz later, its clear that both Will and Beatrice are well matched in wit, passion and connection. These two lil babies become such good partners, which to me was such a refreshing take on this type of historical romance. The love scenes are lush and are written in such a sex-positive way that again was SUCH a refreshing change of pace from some of HR’s I’ve recently read. And William, he was self-reflective, continually-humbled and eager to work through the discomfort her feedback often times brings up in him. She was so brave, and vulnerable with him, when she confronted him and finally told him she loved him.

I did like the 3rd act tension, it totally worked with the storylines, and plotting and felt like a natural break to help Will work through the trauma his past has continually brought up for him. The grand-gesture was so sincere, that I was ready to throw hands if Beatrice decided to be a little stubborn, but fear not all ends up well.

Much Ado About Dukes was a freaking delight. Grab it wherever you get your books when it lands in stores and online August 23rd 2022.

Lady Beatrice is a bluestocking devoted passionately to her cause of women’s and civil rights. The next step on the agenda is gaining an ally in the Duke of Blackheath. Through many sent letters, she’s found herself no closer to gaining him as an ally. That is, until they finally meet at a ball and things get rolling.

William, the Duke of Blackheath is what some would call stoic; or perhaps staid is the right word. Either way, his focus is solely on fulfilling his duties to utmost perfection and managing not to fall in love. For all his efforts, his plans are threatened upon meeting the fiery Lady Beatrice. When Beatrice unexpectedly loses her fortune, she and William find themselves striking an unusual alliance…in marriage.

Heavy negro spiritual sigh.

Now, I wouldn’t say that I disliked or even hated the character of Beatrice but I did find her exasperating. I couldn’t understand her motivations.

Beatrice despises the duke because he won’t join her cause in the way she’d like and responds to her entreaties to join with what she considers to be shallow social niceties. She continually looked for things to feed and justify her dislike of him and was continually dumbfounded when William proved to be shockingly intelligent, sensible, and kind. She even goes as far as to feel relieved when William, unbeknownst to himself, gives her an opportunity to argue.

I kept on wondering, why him. Beatrice felt hyper-fixated on the duke even before they met. William, however, I
For a woman who is written as a passionate trailblazer, I expected that she’d know when it was time to move on and find someone else who aligned with her goals. Beatrice didn’t come across as an intelligent woman who was seeking rights for all. Sometimes, she came across as a stubborn woman who wanted to argue simply to prove a point. Perhaps it’s the fact that we didn’t get to see her much in action. I understand this is a romance novel but a little background on Beatrice and her work would have been nice.

It was interesting to me how Beatrice lamented over having no skills. For a woman who continually complained about the privileges of men, why did she never take the time to learn some skills from the far less fortunate women she spent time with? I will give her credit. Beatrice had all the talking points but as the reader, I never got to see them in action. Because of this, I couldn’t take Beatrice seriously sometimes. Understanding your privilege is a start but I wanted to see action.

Beatrice, however, is not portrayed as naïve. She knows she’s privileged and she wants her life to stay that way. There are no delusions about her life and her desires. While Beatrice is another “acquired taste” character, she at least knows who she is and what she wants.

I really did not see the “ducal arrogance” Beatrice swore William had in the beginning. At least she recognized that he was well-meaning but her desire to constantly see the worst in him grew tiring for me.

I will say that the relationship between Beatrice and William was a true partnership. We get to see them work together and talk through their plans. It was nice to see a couple in a romance novel actually communicate for once. I wouldn't categorize this as an enemies to lovers since they are enemies for all of two seconds.

It was a good book but the characters made it a bit hard to love.

Lady Beatrice Haven is a typical bluestocking who doesn’t ever want to get married. Thanks to the small fortune her parents left her, Beatrice is able to focus her energy in making pamphlets and speeches for the Ladies’ League of Rights. William, the Duke of Blackheath, has witnessed the pain love can cause and has therefore sworn never to fall in love. After having written William many letters asking him to support her causes and only getting a few polite responses from him, Beatrice loathes the duke. When Beatrice loses her fortune William offers to marry her, shocking both of them.

I was really excited to read this book as it had two of my favourite tropes, enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience, however I found it to be disappointing. The story was very predictable, their relationship felt unbelievable and I just couldn’t connect with the main characters at all. I did like the relationship between William and his brothers, and would be interested in a book with his youngest brother, Ben, as the main character. This was my first time reading Eva Devon, and although this is the second book in her Never a Wallflower series, I think it’s fine as a standalone.

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

Genre: historical romance

Synopsis: Lady Beatrice is an independent woman who likes her freedom and fighting for women rights. Until she has no other choice but to marry the Duke.

I love a good historical romance. However, I did not enjoy this one so much. First, I haven’t read the 1st book in the series and was very confused at first by all the names. Second, after hearing (a lot) about how Lady Beatrice has the money and freedom to do what she wants, I knew she was going to lose both. And of course she did. Very predictable. I also could never root for her character. She was very hostile to a Duke she has never met. And then their relationship was very odd.

All in all, not really for me.

This is not the first Eva Devon book I have read. This is really a stand alone as I don't think any of the characters from the previous novel were in this story.

Let me start with what I enjoyed. The characters were fun and developed enough to be individual. I really liked that William and Beatrice had things in common. Their shared love of Shakespeare added a nice touch to the story. Their initial impression of the other was so wrong but they both readjusted and seemed open to different views (up to a point. Beatrice is not easily swayed). I also liked the development of the relationship between them. It felt real and the love wasn't an instant love. I also liked that this book touched on an issue of the time, women's rights, even if it was mostly a way to help create our characters.

What did not work for me was the editing. I've seen this in other Eva Devon books but it bothered me in this one. Our first sex scene was building and then there was a time shift that didn't make since. We went from it being breakfast time to their being moonlight in the bedroom in the time it took to walk up the stairs. What? It just took me right out of the story. This is such an easy fix and should have been caught. There was something else like this later on and it also bothered me.

This would have been a solid 3/4 star read for me, but when something like this jolts you out of the story it is not as enjoyable to read. I hope this can be fixed as this is an advanced copy. As it stands I'd be hesitant to recommend it unless the person was familiar with the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is another hit from Eva Devon!

William, Duke of Blackheath, is thrown together with Lady Beatrice because of the upcoming marriage of his brother and her cousin. Lady Beatrice is a strong supporter of womens rights who has sworn never to marry yet finds herself in instalust for Will (and vice versa) at their first meeting.

Slowly these two begin to realize there is more beneath the surface and develop a friendship- while also still wanting to rip each other’s clothes off!

I liked that the first few chapters dealt with Will’s depression but I would’ve liked to have seen more about that, especially Beatrice finding out and how she would’ve helped him.

There was great banter between these two and I enjoyed that Will supported Beatrice’s work - and deferred to her and did not try to take over. They really operated as a partnership which I liked a lot.

I highlighted almost all of the interactions with Will and his brothers. Will, Kit and Ben were so relatable and funny and just had a really authentic vibe as brothers.

I’ve read book 1 and 2 and will eagerly anticipate book 3!

Beatrice Haven is fighting for women's rights and abolition. She is straightforward and blunt with her praise and criticism. If you've read other historical romances, characters like Beatrice are often set up against men who basically thrive and luxuriate in the patriarchy. However, it's clear from the first time we meet Beatrice and her romantic counterpart - William, Duke of Blackheath that he isn't what she expects. William is thoughtful and admires her tenacity and passion. He shares her beliefs, but while he does his best, he doesn't take the step of actually asking the people he wants to support what they actually need.

The relationship between the sibling-like characters, definitely act as a juxtaposition of what truly valuing and cherishing family really looks like. Beatrice and her cousin, Margaret, are close and often confide in each other. <spoiler> Beatrice's belief that women need to know the truth leads her to tell Margaret about her father's financial distress. </spoiler> William and his brothers, Christopher and Ben, show the misguided protection that can sometimes happen between siblings. William so badly wants to protect his brothers, that he tries to make decisions and fix things - even when he isn't asked to or it isn't even necessary.

I was a bit annoyed with the relationship between Christopher and Margaret. It felt a bit like their relationship was sacrificed in an effort to move along the relationship between William and Beatrice.

There were several lines that I just adored.

<blockquote><i>I am tired of being honey for men to feed upon. </i>- Beatrice</blockquote>

<blockquote><i>'It is strange," he mused with a touch of horror. 'I think so little about what ladies are not allowed to do that I do appreciate these moments with you. You show me what I need to see, and that allows me to do better.'

'I'm glad you think so,' she said, stunned again. Where was the arrogant duke who had not even wished to meet her? 'When we first met, I was fairly certain you hated those moments.'

'I do hate them, " he said. "They make me feel uncomfortable. But that doesn't mean they're not valuable to me. I am so used to being right that it's very difficult to be told when I'm wrong. Still, I do not need to be right all the time. Such a thing is impossible anyway.'</blockquote></i>


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book! All opinions are honest and my own.

Lady Beatrice Haven is fighting for women’s rights and abolition. Her impassioned letters to William Easton, Duke of Blackheath and MP, championing the cause haven’t gotten a response. He’s refused to meet her, but while she’s angry with him, he’s been intrigued by her through her pamphlets. Will actually admires her, but has sworn to avoid anything or anyone who provokes his feelings.

And then when they meet when his brother is about to marry her cousin and it’s insta-lust on both sides.

She never wants to marry and
lose her independence and he wants to avoid marriage as long as possible since it that ruined his parents’ lives. That changes when Beatrice’s fortune is lost and they agree to marry to save her from penury.

Will is the kind and patient one while Lady Beatrice is arrogant and single-minded. He’s dealing with abandonment issues and depression and she needs to stop being so prejudiced. The inciting action doesn’t happen until halfway into the story. By the time they “have” to marry, they were already friends.

Don’t expect accurate regency language and setting. The theatre lights even dimmed at one point. Sigh.

The Much Ado About Nothing tie-ins were cute. I loved Will’s brothers and the accurate portrayal of a woman’s situation at this time. This has a lot of introspection that slowed things down. I wish some of the paragraphs of introspection had been balanced by more conversations between the main characters.
3.5 stars I received an arc from NetGalley

A great read! Fun fast and witty. Love the main characters Will and Beatrice. They have great dialogue together!! A must read!

I loved the couple, especially Beatrice, who is worthy of her namesake. She’s an independent woman who cares deeply for others. Will is desperately in need of some TLC! Seeing them come together is delightful.

I absolutely devoured this book! I needed more and I got more with this one. The push and the pull, the whirlwind of emotions and over all just everything about this book was good!.

I loved this book. Writing was excellent and the characters memorable. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the two for its wit and intelligence. I have definitely added Eva Devon to my list of favorite authors. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC and all my opinions are unsolicited and my own.

Much Ado about Dukes is the second book in the Never a Wallflower series by Eva Devon. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I started reading at bedtime and found myself reading the entire book in one sitting. Though after finishing, I couldn't help but be left feeling indifferent.

The heroine of the story, Beatrice, was kind of grating. From the very first page she was harboring hatred for the duke (someone she'd never even met) and I couldn't really work out why. He on the other hand was entirely gone for her because he read a pamphlet she wrote. The moment they meet at a ball it was insta-love. I just had such a hard time with the chemistry between the two. I can appreciate why other's may have loved it more than me. I think if I would have liked the connection between the two better I would have enjoyed the plot more. One aspect that I found endearing was the relationship Will has with his brothers. The sense of comradery brought a sense of levity to the book that I think it needed. I'm really hoping that Ben will get a book of his own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Engtangled Publishing Amara for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #entagledpublishing #muchadoaboutdukes

“There was only one word for her. Magnificent”
“Lady Beatrice, you shall drive me mad”
“My Lady Disdain … How fascinating”
This book was SO GOOD!!! Five out of five stars is just not enough to describe how much I loved it !!!
Now mind this is the second book in the “Never a Wallflower” series, where being a spinster is not so bad, but each book has its own story so you can easily read this one without the other … but if they’re this good, I’d highly suggest you to!!!
A grumpy-sunshine romance between an independent woman and an insufferable duke, who made a duke out of not falling in love with anyone because of some terrible past experiences he had, forced together in a marriage of convenience !!!
But all of a sudden their attraction is too much to hide … and sparks fly !!!!
I absolutely loved reading this book!! I loved the characters, I loved the plot and the themes the story dealt with !!!
It was so entertaining and if felt impossible to just let go !!!
The banter, the inner monologue when they think “why am I this attracted to this person? This doesn’t make any sense” just did it for me!!
I can’t wait for it to be out !!!
“She was a temptation to his mind, his soul, his body”
“Please, let us not be fools”
“I dearly love that you love to read”

Give me a good Shakespeare reference and I am putty in the authors hands. This was incredibly well done and witty and the Shakespeare references were phenomenal and I loved it.

I can always count on Eva Devon to provide an entertaining read and Much Ado About Dukes is very entertaining. Two independent, stubborn, passionate people are thrown together and you know something has to give. Lady Beatrice is a force to be reckoned with. She has her pamphletd, her causes, her women's rights and her fortune. William Eaton, the Duke of Blackheath, is serious about his work in the house of lords and, although, he has read Beatrice's pamphlets he hasn't responded the way she has wanted. That is about to change! As Lady Beatrice stomps across the ballroom with the Duke of Blackheath in her sites, she is determined to get his help with women's rights. But she got more than she bargained for! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend it.

I received an advanced reader copy but the opinions expressed are solely my own.

I didn't know I needed a feminist historical romance in my life, but here it is! Beatrice is such a strong-willed and intelligent character, she didn't take crap from anyone. Often with book characters that are fighting for women's rights, I find that it's hard for them to find a balance between educating people around them and being expected to explain everything. This isn't the case here and I was so glad for it. While William seems open to her ideas from the beginning and believing in her fight, it also becomes apparent very quickly that he is overlooking a lot of basic issues. But instead of Beatrice having to endlessly lecture him and having to convince him of her point of view, he does do a lot pro-actively after getting that initial kick in the butt at their first meeting (truly the bar for men is on the floor...).
William's issues with intimacy lend another layer of complication to their relationship, but the inevitable blow-up and resolution of this storyline feels organic and was paced very well. Overall I really enjoyed Beatrice and William's give and take marriage-of-convenience lovestory so much and can only recommend it, not just to lovers of historical romance.

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