I first met Poppy Summers in Girls Before Earls, as the young protégé of Miss Hazel Lively and very much liked her from the beginning. She wasn’t born of royalty or any nobility, just common folk, and she tried her very hardest to keep her father’s house and business running, even though it should have been work her brother did. She doesn’t mind though, until the day one of her nets hauls up a man.

Andrew, the Duke of Hawking, can’t get Poppy to believe he’s an Earl to save his life. Literally! The whole reason he was in Bellehaven Bay is because someone back in London has been trying to kill him. It looks like someone almost succeeded.

The chemistry between Poppy and Andrew was undeniable, and it was fun being along for the ride as she is nursing him back to health. And then nursing him other ways…

The mystery part of who it was that’s been trying to kill Andrew was a little over the top for me, although it was highly entertaining to go along as Andrew, Poppy and his valet Diggs, investigate who the suspects could be. There was one scene that had me rolling my eyes, but again, it was funny even though it shouldn’t have been, poor Andrew!

I loved the banter between Andrew and Poppy, he was very much a “he falls first” guy and I smiled big at their happy ending. I’m excited to read Kitty’s story next!

Although I hadn't read the rest of the series (I know I don't have to) I really enjoyed it. I'm going to pick up the rest of the series. I'm glad I've found a new regency author that I love. I absolutely loved Poppy, she was just so well rounded and a firecracker.

One of my go-to historical romance authors and I was once again not disappointed. I absolutely loved this sweet and hot love story full of feelings, tension and steamy scenes. I can't recommend it enough.

dnf @ 41%


I really liked how sweet & earnest this book was! But the pseudo-historical situation kinda threw me off -- the setting isn't very clear, and the social mores don't really line up with the early 19th-century situation I'm guessing the author was going for. I think it would have been a delightful low fantasy!! But as was, it took me out of the story in a kinda frustrating way.

Def would love to try another book from this author! & if the setting stuff doesn't bother you, then I definitely recommend.

Miss Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family’s fishing business afloat. Her poor widowed father has fallen ill, and her brother has moved to London, leaving her precious little time to pursue her dreams. So, she spends mornings in her rowboat, casting her nets. Andrew Keane is the Duke of Hawking, and he came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to escape his life in London. Someone wants to kill him, and he intends to find out who. He implores Poppy to tend to his injuries and hide him on her beach, reasoning it will be easier to find his attacker if that man assumes Keane is already dead. Under Poppy’s care, Keane regains his strength―and a sense of purpose. As they work together to solve the puzzle of his would-be murderer, they realize that together they can have a fairytale ending.
This was a really good suspenseful historical romance. I enjoyed the main characters; they were well suited to each other. This author took the best things I like about a historical romance and combined it with the best things I love about mysteries. The only drawback was I felt it was too wordy which made the story drag a bit. Otherwise, I thought it was great. I definitely will read other stories from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the honor of reading this advanced reader's copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Withholding my review on review sites due to the SMP marketing boycott.

While I liked the characters and the story, this man fell so hard for her and I love that, I felt like the last third of the book dragged on a bit too long.

One Duke Down was a cute, light historical romance with plenty of steam. When fisherman's daughter Poppy Summers saves the Duke of Hawking from drowning, sparks quickly fly.

This was a quick read with banter and a touch of adventure. While there are a couple of parts that seemed a tad unbelievable, Poppy and Keane were likable characters. It was easy to root for them to find their HEA against the odds. I look forward to the final book in the series. Thank you to the publisher for my ecopy of this book.

One Duke Down was a fantastic read with a romance between two people from entirely different worlds.

Miss Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family's fishing business running while her father is ill and her brother is in London. Each morning she goes out in her rowboat, casting her nets until one day she goes out and finds an unconscious man tangled in them. Andrew Keane, the Duke of Hawking, is having the hardest time convincing his beautiful rescuer that he's actually a duke and that someone is trying to kill him. After finally convincing her of his identity, Poppy agrees to shelter Keane for a hefty sum. As they work together to find the person that's trying to kill Keane, the attraction between them grows. Torn between the world she's always known and the one she's dreamed of, Poppy will have to make a choice if she wants a shot at happily-ever-after.

Poppy's character caught my attention in Girls Before Earls so I was excited to get her story in this book. I love her loyalty to her family and I think it's admirable how she cares for her father and keeps his business running. I do think she has a hard time taking things for herself and I liked seeing her grow to be more willing to express her wants as the book went on. Keane was an interesting character and I wondered why someone would be trying to kill him. I loved how quickly he fell for Poppy and that he was open about wanting a real relationship with her right away. Their relationship isn't without complication based on their vastly different lives but I liked seeing them work through those issues. Plus the two have amazing chemistry and the steamy scenes are fantastic so I was very happy with their romance.

The plot surrounding who was trying to kill Keane was interesting. As for the circumstances, he was hit on the back of the head and then dumped in the ocean to drown. After Poppy rescues him and he persuades her to help him, he already has a list of a few potential suspects. Each person on the list has reason to want him dead so the pair, along with Keane's valet Diggs, set out to find out the whereabouts of each person on the night Keane was attacked. I really enjoyed the group's investigation and their methods for eliminating suspects. The perpetrator ended up being someone I didn't expect and I was surprised at their reasoning for trying to kill Keane. I liked the way the author wrapped things up and thought the plot was well done.

Overall One Duke Down was an amazing book and I'm looking forward to reading Kitty's story soon in It Takes a Rake.

I really liked the cover, I tried to like the story but.... nope. I mean , the smexy scenes were great, but everything else was super far-fetched, over the top or just plain put in the book for no reason whatsoever (or maybe it needed to be a certain number of pages). If you can suspend all disbelief and relinquish all knowledge about the period, I suppose it could work. Not badly written, just ... meh.

A super charming, simple, cute love story that is perfect for historical romance readers!

Poppy and the Duke had chemistry, and the storyline was fun to read through. I would recommend this particularly to people new to the genre as it was a delightful introduction.

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

This is an amazing book. This love story really made me very happy and giddy at the same time. If you love a good romance, this is the book for you especially if it’s for historical romances. I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for her next book.

I am obsessed with this cover!! Their smiles!! However I did not really like this book that much. I rounded up to a three star bc some of the moments were really cute and I loved the premise, but really this is more like a 2.5 star read. I wanted to DNF it multiple times, but I kept hoping it would get a bit better. Unfortunately it just did not work for me.

It was cute, but honestly kind of forgettable. I saw someone say it was low angst and it really is, but I needed some sort of tension to find this interesting. Keane and Poppy were cute together, but I found their chemistry to go from 0 - 100 whenever they were having a romantic moment. It came out of nowhere and didn't feel natural to me. Towards the end of the book I liked more of their moments, but the build up didn't work for me.

The pacing was also a bit off for me. I felt like the book should've been over at like 80% because of how much story we had covered. I didn't hate the plot, it's cute that they were solving a mystery together but it wasn't interesting enough to entertain me. There is no third act break up which was fine, but the ending conflict was not that interesting to me in the slightest.

Overall I just didn't vibe with this one, but if you're interested in a low angst historical with some soft moments you might like it!

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to mevia NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story anddidn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you intothese characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

This was super light and fluffy. If you're looking for a sweet historical romance with not a lot of tension or angst, then I'd recommend picking this up.

I think it was just a little too sweet for me. I wanted some more tension or conflict between them because I just didn't feel much chemistry. The hero is totally obsessed with the heroine so if that's a trope you love, he is down bad and lets her know it.

Overall this was a fun and light read, but I wanted a little more to get me to care to finish it. I got to about 30 percent in and then just didn't care to pick it up again for months.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While not wholly remarkable, I did find this book to be a sweet read. The insta attraction to Poppy on the part of Andrew did bother me a bit (I prefer a bit more love/hate when it comes to my romances), the plot/writing were solid enough to keep me engaged.

I appreciate the fact that Poppy was a strong heroine, and valued her independence. It was refreshing to see a hero relying more on the heroine rather than the other way around!

Overall, a nice light read by Anna Bennett!

My first read by this author and it was a good and breezy read. Am I going to re-read it immediately? Probably not, but it's a very rare historical romance that makes me want to do that. I was inspired to read some of the other works by this author, which is a good sign when you jump into a series and try to read it as a standalone.

I received an ARC and views are my own.

This is the second book in the Rogue's to Lovers series and can easily be read as a standalone. Poppy is helping out with the family fishing business and trying to keep it afloat. While she is out in her rowboat one day, she finds an injured man, claiming to be a duke. Andrew, Duke of Hawking, is convinced someone is trying to kill him and implores Poppy to help him and hide him on her beach while he sends for help. While the Duke recooperates, sparks fly between them and they grow closer.
The story was well-written with strong, well-defined characters. It has everything from humor and intrigue to romance and drama. The caught my attention from the beginning and kept my interest till the end. The fun and witty banter between Andrew and Poppy was a delight to read. I enjoyed this installment and look forward to continuing the series.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This was a good book by a solid historical romance author. I would read this author again. I would also recommend this book to others.

This is book two in the Rogue to Lovers series, and like everything else I've read by Anna Bennett, it was simply delightful. One Duke Down had a bit more drama and angst than her books usually do. I felt instantly drawn into this story.

I just loved Poppy. She was such a breath of fresh air as a character in a historical romance. The chemistry between her and Andrew was wonderful. Andrew Keane, the Duke of Hastings also wasn't your typical stodgy Duke either. The two of them were so beautiful and loving together.

I have enjoyed both of the first two books in this series and can't wait for the next one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Just lovely. No third-act breakup, lots of steam and adventure.
I don't give it 5 stars because I often found myself wondering at some unnecesary scenes that only drag the pace and fill up pages. Other than that, an enjoyable read.