the romance of a century. I really enjoyed this I love the royal aspect of it. the characters had great character development as well as chemistry.

Love this series and very much loved these two leads, especially as they fight the good fight to change the society they are in, while falling in love.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this one in the end because at first it felt sort of done before… let’s face it that’s true for a lot of Historical romance and it usually works.

I ended up really enjoying this one in the end. It was apparent from the beginning that the Duke suffers from depression. How he handles it and his determination never to fall in love was annoying, however I could see it being a real emotional response to depressive episode once I really thought about it.

Beatrice is a feminist activist and she has no room for anything else or any man. However the Duke proves to be on her side and the side of women, he just has a subtlety about him because he knows how his world works. They compliment each other well.

The audio is excellent and I loved Sasha Higgins!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my arc copies!!

Much Ado About Dukes was a cute romance between a Duke and a lady who both don’t want to marry. I loved Beatrice and how she fought so hard for women’s rights and didn’t let the Duke looked down on her ideals. I also loved how the Duke and Beatrice went from enemies to friends to lovers and how you saw the progression throughout the book. I also adored the siblings & cousin of the main couple and how the duke’s brothers were there for Beatrice when the Duke wasn’t.

This was my first Eva Devon's book. This is the second standalone novel in the Never a Wallflower Series, a Regency Romance. I loved it! William (Will) and Beatrice's slow burn romance is beautifully written, fast-paced, sweet, passionate, emotional, and heartwarming. William, the Duke of Blackheath, is very handsome, supportive, and caring. Beatrice is independent, smart, and strong. The supporting characters are interesting. I liked William's brother Kit, and Beatrice's cousin Maggie. Sasha Higgins has a beautiful voice, very pleasant to listen to. She did an excellent job with the narration. Looking forward for more in the series. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, a Dreamscape Media Audio production, for an honest review.

I recently became a big fan of regency romances, and was excited to read MUCH ADO ABOUT DUKES, which features a fiery and frustratingly strong-willed activist like Lady Beatrice Haven and the Duke of Blackheath, William Easton.

I appreciated the support of women's rights and choosing to feature a strong willed woman in Lady Beatrice, and will be excited to read more by this author.

The audiobook copy I listened to was narrated by Sasha Higgins, which I thought was a wonderful choice.

*many thanks to Entangled Publishing and Dreamscape Media for the gifted copy for review

Regency romance with a marriage of convenience trope? Yes please! What I love most about this trope is that the females are always so strong willed and the men hardly know what to do with themselves. Much Ado About Dukes fits this well. William Easton thinks love can go take a hike and Lady Beatrice's focus is on woman's rights. Definitely not on a specific frustratingly handsome and witty Duke.

Unfortunate circumstances throw these two together and it doesn't take long for the chemistry to deepen. I liked the touch on woman's rights during a period when they were nonexistent. Having a supportive partner, even when things were rough, was another nice touch to the bond between William and Beatrice.

The steam is on the minimal side, I found this to be more about the chemistry and goals of the characters. I would've preferred a little more comedic banter but in the end this plot offered more than just witty banter and felt more along the lines of a relevant historical fiction romance.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the gifted novel and introducing me to Eva Devon's work! All thoughts are my own.

“He loathed the fact that his nerves had been irritated at all. He usually thought of himself as a stoic individual unaffected by anything particularly difficult…Yet 𝘴𝘩𝘦…she unlocked something with him. It was most aggravating.”

As far as William Easton—the Duke of Blackheath—is concerned, love can go to the devil. Why would a man need passion when he has wealth, a stately home, and work to occupy his mind? But no one warned him that a fiery and frustratingly strong-willed activist like Lady Beatrice Haven could find a way to get under his skin...and that he might enjoy it.

Lady Beatrice is determined to never marry. Ever. She would much rather fight for the rights of women and provoke the darkly handsome Duke of Blackheath. But everything changes when Beatrice finds herself suddenly without fortune, a husband, or even a home. Now her future depends on the very man who sets her blood boiling.

Much Ado About Dukes is book 2 in the Never A Wallflower series. It works perfectly fine as a stand alone, though. This book was so fun and an absolute delight! These feisty women and stubborn Dukes have me devouring historical romances as of late.

The audiobook is absolutely fantastic! The narrator just nails the feisty spirit of Lady Beatrice and she had me smiling and laughing out loud while listening. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, Entangled Publishing, and the author for the #gifted copy and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an adorable story about finding love in the most unlikely of places under strenuous circumstances. Beatrice, aptly named after William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, is a strong headed, knows what she wants and will do anything to get it bluestocking. William Easton, aptly named after William Shakespeare himself, is the Duke of Blackheath, determined to never love, but is happy to support and eager to learn about women's rights, or lack thereof. They are a perfect pair, that work through many challenges with lots of banter, mingle with sexual tension.

This was an adorable, quick read of a historical romance. If you enjoy strong main characters pushing at barriers and thresholds, then this one is for you!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Dreamscape_Media for my audiobook!

Much Ado About Dukes is a regency romance about a perfect-fit pair of social justice warriors determined to live non-traditional lifestyles in stuffy old England.

This was my first Eva Devon book, and overall I enjoyed the characters, especially the sensitive and thoughtful Duke of Blackheath, and really liked the storyline. The heroine, Beatrice, wasn't an entirely likable character and I was a bit baffled at her appeal to the Duke. The glasses-wearing librarian that I am loved that she wore glasses herself, but her relentlessness regarding the situation toward drawing every conversation to her agenda was a bit off-putting. The very open and honest communication between Will and Beatrice regarding their marriage that carried over into their conversations during their steamy encounters was swoony. I would definitely read more Eva Devon.

Superb narration!

I really enjoyed this book, which is the second in the series. I'd enjoyed book one, so was happy to receive the audio version of this one for review. There's a nice tension between the two characters, William and Beatrice - a man who knows he needs to marry but isn't interested in love, and an independent woman determined to never marry but finding herself in dire straits when she finds that her inheritance is gone. We know where they'll end up - it is a romance after all - but it's the journey that's important. And watching William learn to trust his feelings, and Beatrice learn to trust William, is an enjoyable journey to watch. The books in this series are standalones, but I did enjoy many of the secondary characters in both books and hope they'll get more page time in future books from Eva Devon.
The narration was good - I'm not sure I'd heard anything from this narrator before, and I'm not sure how it would've been at 1.0 speed, but I always speed audiobooks up a bit to help me focus, and I'd listen to more by Sasha Higgins.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

My review of the book itself is below, but in regards to the narrator specifically: this was pretty middle of the road for me. Not the best narrator I've ever listened to, but I didn't have any issues with her either. It was overall a pleasant listening experience.

I will say right off the bat, the main thing that didn't work for me was the author's style, so other folks may enjoy this way more than I did! I'd definitely recommend giving it a try if you're interested in the premise, because if the style works for you, this could be a really fun read. But I really struggled with it; it felt like she was trying to write in an older style, but it just felt over the top and stilted.

I also don't typically enjoy when a heroine's entire personality is her activism? Like yes, we get it, women's rights. Absolutely. I've got nothing against that plotline in a historical. But it gets real old real quick when that's the only thing she ever talks about, which is doubly frustrating when you're already getting the same argument repeated over and over between the main characters. And on top of that, most of their bickering initially just...didn't make sense? It was set up as if we were meant to believe they were enemies/rivals, but they were literally on the same side. There was no reason for them to be fighting.

Last thing: the third act and resolution really killed me, but not in a good way. I think the whole *hero who believes love is Bad* thing can work in some situations, but here it was more frustrating than compelling. And then the resolution is a public grand gesture, which I will openly admit is not a flaw of the book it's just something I have personal beef with.

I want to say as I wrap this up that it wasn't a wholly unenjoyable reading experience, and I will certainly be giving the author's other work a try, this just wasn't the one for me. Perhaps without the initial framing of Much Ado About Nothing I would've liked it more, but that combined with the style and the repetitive arguments was too much.

CW: Grief, abandonment, misogyny, sexual content

When you mix a Shakespeare retelling with a historical romance, what do you get? A well mapped love story that leaves you feeling warm and cozy.

I was able to listen to the audiobook for this as an early reviewer, and the narrator brought so much life into these characters. While there was only one narrator, I felt they did a lovely job of bringing both Will and Beatrice to life.

Beatrice spends the story making it clear how much she values both independence and love, choosing not to settle for anything less. I felt that her character had a very strong sense of self, along with growth in admitting when he first thoughts and impressions may have been wrong, while standing her ground as a string advocate for women.

I found Will's character slightly more confusing as he seemed to fit into the trope of the guy falling first while also being firmly in the 'I'm never going to call in love' camp. The juxtaposition between these two positions made his character slightly less believable, but I thoroughly enjoyed his growth throughout the series.

If you enjoy strong female leads, retellings, humor, and a marriage of convenience, then this is probably a book you would enjoy. Hearing it through the audiobook was highly enjoyable and only added to my experience, so I would recommend listening to it if you have the chance.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

I hate to say it but I had to DNF this book. The problem might be more with me then the book. I realize I don't like historical romance books when the heroine has a "cause." For me it takes away from the romance.

Much Ado About Dukes
by Eva Devon
Narrated by Sasha Higgins


I received a digital copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author but my second recent audiobook with this narrator. Strangely both audiobooks featured independently minded blue stockings who ‘don’t need a man’ but end up marrying a Duke 🤷‍♀️ However it doesn’t change them they just do more good with their social capital.

Despite these similarities honestly I love this theme and am in no way bothered by some repeat plot points. This one in particular had a very unique introspective moment that I won’t spoil but it really brought home how fragile a woman’s independence was back then and the necessity of pragmatism.

Our hero is an emotionally wounded oldest sibling who’s essentially raised his younger brothers and is a natural caretaker and wants to be able to control everything around him so that he can protect everyone. You don’t always have to be so brave Duke. Let her in. What is it about repressed emotions and vulnerability that is so attractive in a big strong powerful man? No really I’m asking, I have no idea but it checks a box for me every time. Swoon. He doesn’t want to be hurt by love but what he really needs is the love of a good woman. Sign me up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. There were many thought provoking moments, some good steam and romance and plenty of heartwarming humor. If you’re a fan of this genre it’s a definite winner.
5/5

It has been said that, very often, the Romance genre can be seen as a commentary on what is going on with society at the time. This book is a great example of that. Beatrice sees herself as a wholly independent woman. Mostly alone with just her cousin and uncle, she has dedicated her life to supporting women's rights. She is adamant that she never wants to marry. Which is great for Will, Duke of Blackheath. While he finds the constant letters that Beatrice writes his office fiery and intriguing, love is not for him. When Beatrice finds herself in a bit of trouble, the two enter into a marriage of convenience.

There is talk right now about the patriarchy and how we wish that men could be more supportive, better listeners, and not just speak out but take action. This book shows that boldly. Beatrice changes Will and his views and actions quite quickly. It's almost too quick to be believable but definitely would be the dream for many. Will not only accepts Beatrice for who she is and what she believes in, he goes further by handing out pamphlets himself and actively working to help with her organization. I enjoyed the friendship they formed but the chemistry just didn't quite hit for me. Everything was just ever so slightly forced to be believed in such a short time. That being said, I really liked this book and if you can accept that Will truly changes that much that quickly, you will love this romance. Beatrice stays true to herself which I found refreshing. I thought the small Shakespeare references were cute but you do not need to be a fan to love this read.

The audio is really well done. In a time when so many books have two narrators, Sasha Higgins does a great job of differentiating between Will and Beatrice without being grating. I really think she captured them and it made the reading experience so much better for it!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me the ALC of Eva Devon's Much Ado About Dukes. This historical romance is perfect for fans of Shakespeare and Bridgerton. Lady Beatrice is a staunch advocate for women's rights in a world run by men. William, Duke of Blackheath, believes in love but also thinks nothing good can from it. He saw what love did to his mother, and he wants no part of it. When he learns that Beatrice has lost her fortune, he impulsively proposes a marriage of convenience--one safe from the ravages of love. Beatrice agrees, but sometimes even the hardest hearts are no match for the strongest of emotions.

I really enjoyed the characters, even though William is astonishingly dense at times. The nods to Shakespeare were entertaining (I majored in English and still treasure my gigantic Complete Works of Shakespeare), but the last third of the book dragged on a bit too long, in my opinion. I feel like the level of angst was a bit too high at times, and they could have arrived at their happily ever after a little sooner.

Despite my several (mild) complaints, I look forward to more books by Eva as she continues the Never a Wallflower series!

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine

Should I read in order?
This is the second book in the Never a Wallflower series by Devon, but I found it totally fine to pick up alone. I am not sure how/if the two books are related.

Basic plot:
Lady Beatrice, who has sworn off marriage, has been trying to get the Duke of Blackheath to do the right thing and fight harder for women’s rights with parliament. Now that his brother is marrying her cousin, she wants to use her family connections to corner him and motivate him.

Give this a try if you want:
- A touch of...adversaries to lovers feel – they aren’t really enemies, they agree on things but spunky personalities clash and Beatrice rather loves badgering him
- Duke hero that is active in parliament and attempts to make changes for equal rights
- Bluestocking heroine (view spoiler)
- Low to mid steam – 2 full scenes and some kisses
- I believe this is Regency though I couldn’t find a date. The heroine mentions the comfort of the clothing and compares to older style clothing that sounds like earlier Georgian period.
- Marriage of convenience/necessity (view spoiler)
- Most of the focus around the couple and joining forces for women’s rights (no mystery/villain focus)
- Soldier hero


My thoughts:
I ended up liking a lot about this story! Sometimes I can dislike the stories that really focus on the suffragette battles because the romance has gotten lost for me on a few of them. But I thought this has a nice balance. It really gave the characters more depth and passion and I felt like I was more invested in their happiness.

I like that things were pointed out that we know are problematic now – just the fact of being a duke at all has some serious negative marks in Williams corner. But smaller things like the fact Beatrice stopped using sugar in her tea because she knows it contributes to abuse. The biggest thing I loved here, though, was the fact that the hero was ON BOARD from the beginning. He is enamored with Beatrice’s passion for women’s rights and he is ready for this battle in parliament. Sure, he’s a man in a man’s world and obviously still has some ignorance he needs shaken out of him. And Beatrice is the perfect one to educate him. I felt like he actually listened to her, the problems women faced, and was willing to make change. It was refreshing she didn’t have to spend the entire book educating him on his privilege.

Beatrice believes she will never marry. Her parents had a loving marriage and she will only marry for true love. William’s parents did not have a good marriage and his mother left his father and abandoned her own children so he vows to never love. I did struggle a bit with the hero thinking he can control love and if he falls in love or not – it’s been a common theme in romance I’ve read and I guess I’ve just read too much of it to get behind that plot dilemma here.

So, overall I thought there were some really sweet scenes and I really enjoyed them together. This was my first Eva Devon and I would definitely like to try more from her. I enjoyed the side characters in this one, especially Beatrice’s cousin and William’s brother, whose engagement is what brought them together in the first place.

I did listen to the ARC audiobook on netgalley narrated by Sasha Higgens. At 1x speed, it was great, but I had some echoing issues with it when I sped it up. It was a bit distracting. Her voice rather reminded me of Galadriel from Lord of the Rings when she goes ethereal talking about the ring of power. I’m not sure what was happening with it.

What an engaging tale!

Much Ado About Dukes is my first novel by Eva Devon, and I'm glad to have stumbled upon this fine writer! The story is funny and sweet, with wonderful characters, and super steamy romance.

Lady Beatrice is a force to be reckoned with (I adore a spirited suffragette), and Will is just as appealing as he could possibly be.

The audio version is beautifully narrated by Sasha Higgins, who clearly finds every ounce of humor and romance that Eva Devon has written into the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Lady Beatrice is a women’s rights activist. William is an influential duke who has been ghosting her letters.

When Beatrice is forced to marry, the duke offers himself up, but they both agree that they’ll never love one another.

This is a pretty average book for the genre. I’ve definitely seen this trope before. An easy read if you’re looking for a new feminist Victorian romance.