I loved this story! Give me a reformed rake falling in love and I am totally happy😍 This story goes one step further and mixes in a strong female mc - perfection!

I both read this book and then listened and I recommend the story either way. In regards to audiobook the narrator is perfect. Excellent cadence, perfect accents, and great clarity of speech. Totally brings the book to life and makes it an excellent option for audiobook lovers!

Full Story Review will be posted on Goodreads and Blog

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥 | Highly recommended

🎧🎤Thank you for the opportunity to review this audiobook. All opinions are freely given and unbiased. Review copy provided by producer, publisher, and author via netgalley 🦄

Much Ado About Dukes is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers/ marriage of convenience historical romance and I really enjoyed it. Lady Beatrice Haven and William Easton, the Duke of Blackheath were fantastic well developed characters and I loved that we got both their POV in the story. They had excellent chemistry and I loved the back and forth banter between them. These two challenged each other and really brought out the best in each other and it was interesting to see how their relationship played out after they both originally professed to never getting married.

Set in a time when women had no rights, I loved that the heroine is a woman's rights activist and our hero is smitten with her but refuses to acknowledge it because of his fear of love.

I loved the secondary characters. Both Will's brothers and Beatrice's cousin added so much to the story and I loved their relationship with the MC and how they related to each other. I also loved the secondary romance woven into this tale.
This novel was well-written, witty and emotional, with a couple short steamy scenes and great family dynamics. I loved it and would highly recommend it to lovers of historical romance.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story. Sasha Higgens did a fantastic job with the narration. Her voice was clear and understandable and she gave each character their own voice and intonation. She made this an enjoyable listening experience.

While it is book two of the Never a Wallflower series, this is a complete stand alone. There is no connection to the characters in book one.

Lady Beatrice has vowed to never marry- she is a true bluestocking fighting for women's rights. But once her circumstances change, she is left with few options other that to marry.
William, Duke of Blackheath, is a progressive. He sees the inequalities of the world and works to right them.
Since Beatrice must marry, she comes to the conclusion that William will be a good match, as they are philanthropically like minded. She demands a contract before the wedding, stating that he will help her fund her charitable interests. William has one demand- they cannot fall in love.

So, this was ok. It is just kind of one note. Women's rights, women's rights, women's rights. I am all for women's rights, but it becomes very tiresome when it is literally the entire plot. I found myself zoning out several times.

The narrator, Sasha Higgins, does an acceptable job. Nothing to rave or complain about.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance audiobook.

I had to DNF this title at 12%. I rarely DNF a title, but I couldn't listen to any more of this book.

I love historical romances, particularly ones with dukes;) They're like palate cleansers—a feisty female protagonist, a brooding duke (or lord, viscount, prince, etc.), and the unique circumstances of that time in history. But this book didn't fulfill its promise to the reader.

The first chapter consisted of a carriage ride to a soiree. Lady Beatrice's cousin was about to be engaged to Duke Blackheath's brother. Lady Beatrice, a proponent of women's rights, planned to use the party to speak to the duke about her cause. The entire carriage ride was Lady Beatrice railing on and on about how she was going to confront the duke, but of course, she would be proper, she would finally pin him down, but she would never do anything to upset her cousin, etc. I found her tiresome in the first chapter—lacking any artfulness or subtlety.

In chapter 2, we find out that the duke secretly admires Lady Beatrice. Then the entire second half of the chapter, we were treated to a play-by-play of his first time seeing her. I think the word 'magnificent' was used two or three times.

Fine, now can we move on? Oh no. The first half of the third chapter was another play-by-play, this time of Lady Beatrice's first impressions of the duke. 'Beautiful' was used three times in as many sentences. We found out that he 'positively towered,' had the 'thighs of a demigod,' and a voice with a 'delicious, tempting timbre.' Those are just a few highlights of a description so long that I started to zone out. I know I'm reading a romance book, but shouldn't the descriptions be tucked here and there throughout the first few chapters instead of creating word vomit on the page?

Then the second half of chapter 3, Lady Beatrice and the duke danced while having the most stilted, boring conversation full of overdramatized reactions and emotions. After that, it was over for me.

My last comment: The narrator might have been a big part of the problem. Her reading style was snooty, vapid (that's how it sounded to me), and like a high-pitched fifteen-year-old. Unfortunately, her voice was also used for the duke's with very little change.

Our heroine, Lady Beatrice, is your classic historical romance bluestocking and ardent women's rights activist. For that reason, and because she believes nothing less than a great love like the kind her late parents shared will do for her, she's sworn off marriage. She's also opposed to her beloved cousin Margaret's engagement to the younger brother of the vexing Duke of Blackheath, a very powerful figure in Parliament to whom she's sent multiple pamphlets and letters to further her activism but has never received any replies from. Little does Beatrice know, William, the Duke, has read everything she's sent him and admires her greatly from afar. So much so, that the duke fears that he's in danger of breaking his own oath to never fall in love. Sparks fly when they meet in person, both frustrating and thrilling them in equal measure. Neither of them had planned for such a distraction.

A drastic change in fortune suddenly has Beatrice forced to find a rich husband, and fast. The duke, in a delightfully spontaneous moment, offers marriage. He tells himself it's just to save a good woman from financial ruin, which he couldn't bear, and it's not because he has feelings for her. Definitely not that. Being a logical woman, Beatrice accepts without much fuss, telling herself that sure, they can totally get married and just be friends. The two jump into their marriage of convenience with gusto.

Almost too much gusto, in fact. While I greatly enjoyed the first act of these two bantering and furiously trying to resist their attraction, particularly the duke's point of view, the book slowed down for me as they settled into marriage. The conflict dried up fast as they became comfortable friends with benefits (except for the part where they're definitely already in love and don't know it yet). I don't typically go for activist heroines in historicals but when I do, I expect it to create more problems for the romance than what I saw here. It was fine that the duke was supportive of her cause, but the book veered into saccharine territory when he was down with handing out pamphlets on the steps of Parliament and attending feminist society meetings. It's less the fact that he did those things and more that he didn't face any social consequences of his own, even if he is a duke. It was all just going their way a little too easily.

Beatrice and William getting along so well and so quickly hampered the third act obstacle, when a trauma from William's past (and the heart of his issues with love) clashes with Beatrice's decision to support Margaret in a crisis. One argument about other people and suddenly their marriage looks like it's over. I thought that considering their reactions to this fight, Beatrice and William should've been having similar arguments earlier on, and their last confrontation ought to have been the culmination of an issue they'd been trying to bottle up for a while. The way this argument happens, they don't even seem that angry or passionate. I don't know, just as a climax I thought it needed work.

I'd recommend this book to anyone whose "marriage of convenience" and "enemies to friends to lovers" tastes lean towards fluff. It's a sweet and quick read, and like I said the first act is aces. I only would have liked to have seen the moment the duke read Beatrice's first letters, so we could see his attraction from the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first introduction to the author and I must say she completely drew me in.
I really liked Beatrice, and I loved how she was independent-as much as a lady can be for the era this book was written in. Beatrice dislikes Dukes, and as much as she wanted to dislike William Easton she found herself attracted to him.
My favorite scene was when they were getting to know each other on the dance floor, and their boxing lessons.
I couldn't help but to love both characters. They both have issues but more so for William. I enjoyed seeing how Beatrice helped him resolve those issues.

The narrator, Sasha Higgins did a wonderful performance portraying all of the characters. I was able to discern which characters were speaking. The tones and inflections used were great.

Special thanks to Entangled for my gifted copy and many thanks to NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

William and Beatrice story evolved from nemesis to friends to lovers, In this marriage of convenience that became a true love story, William and Beatrice HEA was sweet but filled past trauma issues based on loss. I enjoyed the detail for the writer in expressing Williams emotions. The interaction of the families was well-done and added to the story. I really enjoyed this book.

The audiobook was a delight.

✨Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book!✨

I dearly loved the first book in this series and I did love the hero in this book.

William was a wonderfully refreshing character and I loved that he wanted to use his station as a Duke to help others, women included. I also loved just how smitten he was with Beatrice, even if the stubborn man took his sweet time admitting it! 😂

Now, let’s talk a bit about Beatrice. I’m sorry to say I didn’t quite connect with her. She just fell kind of flat for me. I love the *concept* of a heroine like Beatrice, but it came across as very ham-fisted at times. Like, I get it. She’s a badass when it comes to fighting for women’s rights, but is there anything more to her? She felt one-dimensional to me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My biggest issue, though, was that there just wasn’t much chemistry between the two main characters. When Beatrice suddenly decided she was in love with William, I just didn’t buy it. It was very much “tell” and not “show.”

The pacing was also slow, especially the first half. I started to enjoy it more as the book went on, but the initial setup of the premise felt like it took FOREVER.

Also, the grand gesture at the end was kind of cute, but I wish he had done something a bit more private, rather than put Beatrice on the spot very publicly. I don’t know, that’s just kind of cringe worthy to me. 😬

Having said all that, I had a fun time watching these two characters struggle to work through their issues and make their marriage work. I love a good marriage of convenience when two unlikely people are forced to figure out how to build a life together. 🥰

I also loved the boxing scenes (William teaches Beatrice to box!) and the gift he got her at the end. It was perfect for her and very thoughtful. 🥰

I’m absolutely going to continue this series, even if this one didn’t completely work for me.

Beatrice is a delight. She's not afraid to speak her mind and does so often. Determined not to marry, why would she want to lose her fortune and freedom to become some man's property? She is an activist for women's and children's rights. Reading the news sheets every day, she enjoys cursing at the writers who were clearly mistaken in their interpretation of events. She has never met William Easton, the Duke of Blackheath, but she knows he's a toad. All Dukes upheld laws that withheld hers and other's rights. She's been sending him letters and pamphlets about her cause and has only received a few arrogant replies. Now his younger brother is going to marry her cousin Margaret. He'll be in the family! William has issues. His mother abandoned the family for another man she loved and he never saw her again. He feels responsible for his two younger brothers. Love? it's an emotion he's going to stay away from. He admires Beatrice, but that's it. Until he discovers her Uncle lost Beatrice's fortune and she's destitute. He finds himself blurting out a proposal! The ever practical Beatrice has a decision to make. A Duchess or poverty? Hmmm. He's insufferable but she can't let her charities down. Maybe William isn't so bad after all. Sasha Higgins's narration brings Beatrice to vibrant life and gives William masculine charm. Cousin Margaret was a little too perky and high-pitched to listen to for long but luckily she wasn't the focus of the book. I recommend listening to this audio version.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher to the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Beatrice is an orphaned bluestocking suffragette whose lives work has been furthering causes for womens rights while openly despising Dukes, including the Duke of Blackheath, and all they represent. She has no desire to marry simply to marry but also felt like she would not be able to marry without a love similar to what her parents shared. Due to a series of events outside of her control, she has to confront the desire to remain unmarried when her livelihood is in jeopardy.

While I liked this story for the most part, something about it didn't quite resonate with me. I genuinely could not have cared less for any of these characters with a few exceptions. I did round it up to 4-stars because there were shades of a Bridgerton-esque sibling relationship between the brothers that was endearing.

Excellent, absolutely love this!!! This is the type of romance that will keep you up all night reading. In depth and captivating characters, absolutely love Bertrice for her forthrightness and boldness. Very steady pace and not a dull moment to be had. Very well written, marriage of convenience such a delightful and tears of joy journey getting to know them and feeling their emotion as their hearts melt with newfound love. Narrator Sasha Higgins did an excellent job especially with adding the emotion to the words.

As a lover of Shakespeare, I was immediately drawn to this book. The charming nods to Much Ado About Nothing were placed lovingly and did not overwhelm the plot. Beatrice and Will pair so well together and their story is absolutely lovely. I was sucked in by their banter and won over by Will's determination to help Beatrice's causes and their growing love. Will's relationships with his brothers is a shining point in this book and I hope Ben finds love in his own story. This is honestly one of my favorite books this year and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from Devon.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for thiS ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Much Ado About Dukes is a delightful historical romance. I loved Beatrice’s fierce stance on womens’ rights and the romance she had with the insufferable Duke. This felt as though fans of Lizzie/Darcy dynamics would enjoy it. I would say this gave me Evie Dunmore vibes, with a bit less intensity. Overall a very fun read!

I found the narration to be great! A few historical romances I’ve encountered lately have had distracting narrators, but this voice sucked me into the plot right away.

This was a sweet little regency romance! We have Beatrice who is an orphan living with her uncle and cousin and is very concerned with women in the world and never wants to Mary she wants to be in control of her own life and she knows if she marries she will lose that. and she just feels like she is different from everyone else her age, with being more concerned with politics especially for women than finding a husband. Her cousin Margaret is marching a dukes bother, and through him she meets the Duke. Named will after Shakespeare! And at first he is nervous to met her! But when they do meet, he can’t help but feel like he is with his person and she feels the same about him but still can’t give up the notion that she doesn’t want to marry and will promised he would never merry, after watching his parents it’s something he never wants. But than Beatrice finds her self in a predicament where she has to be married and he offers. But she makes him promise he can’t control her, and thought they learn that love many is for them! This novel is about feminist women in 1800s, with a marriage of convenience and a few spicy parts but for the part a sweet blue stocking regency romance!

This was great! Eva Devon writes fun, steamy historical romances with modern sensibilities. Much Ado About Dukes is a self-aware take on Much Ado About Nothing, with a firebrand women's rights activist as our heroine and a sympathetic duke haunted by his past.

This takes on toxic masculinity and the nuances of how women are and were treated as less than- and it's quite explicit that this is the project of the book. So if you don't like activism in your romance, this might not be for you, but I found it to be delightful.

I will say, there's not much hatred between the main characters, and whatever antagonism exists dissipates pretty quickly. So if you're looking for that element as part of a retelling you might not find it. But I enjoyed how both characters needed to grow emotionally and become more self-aware, in order to become great partners for each other. And the hero is absolutely SMITTEN but refuses to see it because he's afraid of love. But he supports everything she does and it's adorable. Definitely worth the read! The audio narration is a bit mixed- it's great for the female perspective, but the narrator doesn't do men as well and adding a second narrator might have made this stronger. That said, I still enjoyed it. I received an audio copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to hear this story. However, I wasn’t able to enjoy it. The narrator spoke fast and made everything seem like one big sentence. Her voice was good she just didn’t pause, and emotion and so on to the reading. I made it about half way through the audiobook before I gave up. The story is good but the narration for me was not it. This rating is only based on the narration and not the story itself as I couldn’t finish the book.

I highly enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and relatable. I loved watching them go from enemies to friends to lovers. The growth made sense for them and the story. The story is easy to consume and the climax and resolution are very fitting for the characters. The secondary characters added warmth and at times humor to the story.

I love epilogues and wish this one had been more about the main couple than it was. There was a plot minor plot point that didn’t get explained, at least not in a way that registered with me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it, especially if you like the enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and friends to lover trope. This even has an emotionally scared hero by a past event.

I listened to this on audio and found the narrator easy to follow and understand.

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

I loved discovering new authors and Eva Devon knows how to grab a reader right on the first pages. This was 2nd in series, but I didn’t even know it, can be a standalone. The Duke of Blackheath, William is the oldest of three brothers, he has protected and sheltered them from the tender age of 6 when his mother abandoned them for love. This has hardened his heart against love.
Lady Beatrice is a blue stocking and not wanting marriage, marriage is the way to lose the few women rights one has. But her cousin Maggie is in love and soon to marry the Duke of Blackheath younger brother, Kit. Oh how that man vexes her! All her correspondence ignored and then finally a very brief response. How will she endure the family togethers with the Duke there.? But than a Turn oder fate has the two getting married. A agreement is made between the two, no love! Will they abide by that rule?
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #MuchAdoaboutDukes #DreamscapeMedia

Much Ado About Dukes, was an okay read I didn't feel any chemistry between William Easton the Duke ofblackheads. It's a 3 🌟🌟🌟 star read for me.

Thanks Netgalley for a arc copy of this book for a honest review


Happy Reading Lisa 📚

Lady Beatrice is a bluestocking who is dedicated to pamphlet writing and public speaking to further her cause while despising Dukes and all they represent. She has no desire to marry believing the love her parents had an impossibility for her. Will, the Duke of Blackheath, has no desire for love or passion, but has secretly admired Beatrice for a while.

When Beatrice finds her financially independent spibsterhood dreams ruined, Will offers her marriage in name only. Because they definitely won't fall in love.

Shakespeare quotes and themes thrown around, marital duties happen, the Duke grovels and they get their happily ever after.

The premise of an om the nose bluestocking and the Duke who helps her hand out pamphlets is a hard sell for me. Its very, very difficult for this premise to dwell in subtleties and nuance without being over the top. And that's exactly what happened here.

This is a pleasant book, but not outstanding, and lacking grit and tooth for a feminist historical that will work for me.

The narration was good, a solid audiobook performance.