Miss Poppy Summers is keeping her family’s fishing business afloat, but very last thing she expects to find tangled in her net is a wounded man who claims to be a duke! Andrew Keane, Duke of Hawking, is convinced he was attacked and left for dead. He bargains with Poppy to hide him on her beach while he sends word to his valet and formulates a plan to find the culprit.

This is the second book in the Rogues to Lovers series, which takes place in the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay. Book one's heroine, Hazel, and her niece-by-marriage, Kitty (who will be book three's heroine), are Poppy's friends and make appearances.

This was a sweet story of the trust that built between Poppy and Keane. Poppy doesn't trust aristocrats due to her past, while Keane is quickly drawn to Poppy's warmth, wit, and adventurous spirit. I liked how they got to know each other through Keane's questions and their quests to find the attacker. There were a few spots where the story felt like it was coming to a close, but then kept going. It almost felt like the reader got to the HEA two thirds of the way through and then got to experience the rest of the plot threads tying together.

Tropes: Class Difference, Working Heroine, Road Trip

Steam: 3

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #OneDukeDown #NetGalley

The beautiful cover immediately catches the eye, with Poppy and Keane in a field of poppies. Poppy Summers is a fisherwoman caring for her widowed father. To her surprise in her nets she finds an unconscious man. Her first thought is pirate, but no, he claims to be a Duke. Andrew Keane is the Duke of Hawking and he decides to hide out and convalesce in Poppy’s retreat shack. He knows he was attacked and thinks by playing dead for a few days he may be able to sleuth out his attacker.

With Poppy and his trusty valet they investigate a couple of potential enemies. While attending a ball and a horse race they get to spend time learning about each other. Keane is wonderful as he asks his allotted question a day to learn of Poppy and her interests. I find it funny that the book has them investigating freely without much fear of compromise. But Keane is adamant when he actually wants to court her that all must be done properly. The villain is easy to predict early and the mystery is a clever way from the author to have the MCs spend time together.

I love seeing Poppy’s confidence grow in her faith in Keane and his feelings for her. The heat between them is sizzling. This is the second in Bennett’s Rogue’s to Lovers series and I can’t wait for the next adventure.

A fun, quick read that’s full of steam. I enjoyed the characters, especially the determination of Poppy. It was great to revisit some old characters as well.

One Duke Down by Anna Bennett 
Rogues to Loves #2
Historical Romance
Publication Date: January 23, 2023

Poppy supports her family by fishing and selling her finds at a local market. One day her net catches more than she bargained for in the form of Keane, the Duke of Hawking. He doesn't recall much other than he know for certain someone has left him for dead. In exchange for money, she lets him recover from his head injury on her property and seeks out who assaulted him and why.

Not sure if maybe Poppy’s story was explored in the first novel, for which I have not read, but she is instantly prickly. To the point where one of the conditions in their bargain was that he wouldn’t ask her personal questions. If I was Keane that would be a red flag for me. How did she even know he would? Why would you think he would care about you enough to ask questions? Simply because he wanted to know your name? Your name is now considered personal?! That’s just manners because the alternative would be "hey you" or "you over there."

I read a few chapters of this book initially before putting it down to pick up something else. I just wasn’t vibing with the book but after giving it a week I picked it back up and I’m happy to report the book and I found our groove again. I think it's because Poppy finally started to let her guard down. So needless to say I enjoyed the middle and ending of this book a lot more than the beginning.

Initially the story focuses on the mystery of answering how Keane winds up on Poppy’s beach. As the two spend more time together the story starts to take a closer look at class divides, politics and family dynamics. 

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced reading copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, the location, the historical romance aspect. But that’s just it…. I only liked it. It was an easy read and gave you what you looked for-beautiful, strong heroine; a protective, attractive hero; a little bit of mystery; some steamy scenes. But it wasn’t amazing. Since it was a pretty quick read, I enjoyed it, but I don’t plan on reading anything else from this series

3.5 Stars. This is the second book in the Rogues to Lovers series by Anna Bennett. When Poppy finds a man in her fishing nets she becomes entangled in Duke Andrew Keane’s search for the person who tried to kill him resulting with him ending up in Poppy’s net. The pair travel between London and the seaside tracking leads and growing closer as they do so. Both have family members and friends with the means and motivation to try to hurt Keane so everyone is a suspect.

I read a lot of historical romances and know that they are historical fantasy and are not going to be historically accurate, but this one forced me to suspend my disbelief a lot given how often Poppy and Keane were able to run around together without consequences, and honestly it kind of took me out of the story. I also struggle with romances where the entire plot is solving a mystery. I don’t enjoy mysteries and it made it hard for me to care about the characters and their relationship because the mystery was the focus rather than their relationship. I did like both Poppy and Keane but just wanted more of them. I will continue this series and I am seriously obsessed with the cover for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a really fun regency romance. It is a great follow up “Girls Before Earls”, which I also enjoyed. I love that it is an unusual start for our couple and there was a genuine and sincerity about both main characters that truly stood out!
Our male protagonist arrives washed up on the beach badly battered and we are treated to a unique and romantic tale to solve whodunnit.
Our female protagonist is a fiery, smart, and independent spirit who has you rooting for her.
A very sweet and entertaining tale that I truly enjoyed!

Poppy Summers goes out in a little boat every day, catching and selling fish to support herself and her very ill father. Her brother seems to be useless, gambling in London rather than helping, but Poppy carries on. One day a man washes up on the beach. He's gorgeous, and she lets him live in her little hideaway, a shack where she goes to read and be by herself. She nurses him back to health and then helps him find the man who's trying to kill him (which is why he ended up being knocked in the head and thrown in the ocean in the first place.) As their relationship grows, the insurmountable barrier is that he's a duke (!) and she's just a poor (but beautiful, smart, and resourceful) fisherwoman. A nice romance with a mystery to solve.

I loved it! From the first page to the last One Duke Down will keep your attention from the moment you begin the journey with Poppy and Andrew Keane, the Duke of Hawking, until the very end. Anna Bennett weaves a story from beginning to end with threads family love, sizzling passion, angst, and suspense. She has given readers a book that is well-written and well-paced, filled it with great cast of characters that come off the pages and pull you into this emotional ride that keeps you involved until the very end, an enjoyable plot, witty banter and entertaining situations. With setting descriptions and action sequences that are wonderfully vivid that brings the story to life and brings this read together perfectly!

I was so thrilled when I found out this next book was going to be Poppy's and it did not disappoint! She's so fierce and completely her own independent person, I loved every second we got to be inside of her head. Even more so once she met a certain duke and some hilarious, steamy, action filled adventures occurred!

Keane doing everything he possibly can to figure Poppy out and figure out what he needs to do, to learn to be welcomed into her heart... Ahh! It was just so sweet and warmed my heart. Keane is definitely a character that I'll remember for awhile yet! He's just got that easy charm but fierce protectiveness but gentle too. A perfect fit for Poppy!

I definitely recommend this historical romance if you're looking for a new one to pick up!

As Poppy is out fishing in her rowboat she notices the body of a man on the beach. She pulls him to safety and treats his wound. When he regains consciousness, he tells her he's a Duke. After some disbelief Keane convinces her it's true. He'll pay her to bring him food while he lays low, letting whoever tried to murder him think he's dead. They quickly leave the beach setting, embarking on various adventures to rule out Keane's enemies. Here's the kicker. As I think the book is ending, 1. they're in love, 2. mystery is solved, 3. they're getting married, I see my Kindle has an hour+ left in the book. What? It's true! The story meanders along..... They go to London, a little excitement happens, an engagement ball....a few months later a wedding. Perfectly pleasant, but the book could have ended much earlier. I received an ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Light-hearted and charming, this is the most joyful romance I’ve read in a very long time. Poppy and Hawking fall in love so easily and naturally. It just makes sense that they come together and will be deliriously happy for the rest of their lives. And now I can’t wait to finish the series with Kitty’s story!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

An incredibly charming Regency romance with low angst and high heat! Poppy Summers has to work her family's fishing business alone to keep them afloat after her father falls ill and her brother skips off to the city to try making money there. One day she finds an unconscious man on her beach, tangled up in her nets -- one Andrew Keane, Duke of Hawking, who had been struck on the head and pushed off a dock by an unknown assailant. He entreats Poppy to help hide him away so that he can ferret out the culprit, and reluctantly she agrees to help him in exchange for enough money to amply provide for her family. Of course as they work together to solve the mystery of the assailant, romance ensues... and information is revealed that forces Poppy to choose where her loyalties lie.

I love that while it was pretty obvious from the earliest chapters who the actual assailant was, the deeper mystery of why Andrew was attacked turned out to be a very enjoyable and surprising denouement. I also loved that while this is the second book in a series, it reads perfectly well as a standalone -- although I enjoyed this one so much I've already put the first book on my Christmas wish list and will be eagerly awaiting more stories in this series. And the icing on the cake: the cover art clinch is one of the best I've ever seen.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Really enjoyed this one, even though I’d suspected earlier on than I’d like where the mystery was going. I definitely plan to explore more regencies from this author in the future!

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Spice Scale:
🌶️ - Now Kiss: Super tame, no allusions to sexy times
🌶️🌶️ - Fade to Black: Stuff happens, but offscreen
🌶️🌶️🌶️ - On-screen sexy times, limited description
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - On-screen sexy times, explicit description
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - 🚨🫣🤭🫠🍆💦🤤🤤🤤🚨

Miss Poppy Summers, a simple twenty-three-year-old fisherman’s daughter, is used to finding odd things and unwanted objects tangled in her fishing nets. When she manages to snare a half-naked handsome man, Poppy doesn’t want this guy on her beach. Poppy attempts to wake the man by pouring water on him and nearly drowning him. The elusive man turns out to be Andrew Keane, Duke of Hawking or rather Keane who grabs Poppy’s wrist yet, she isn’t frightened and holds a knife to his neck. When Poppy asks who he is, Keane tells her who he is and that he is a duke. Poppy doesn’t believe him yet goes along with it. Keane knows that someone is after him because that is why he ended up on the beach. Keane decides to enlist Poppy to help him as long as she could hide him. As Keane gets to know who Poppy truly, he is slowly falling for her. Poppy knows the adventures that she takes with Keane are just that and could never be hers even if she loves him.
This is just a totally refreshingly different take on mistaken identity, wrong side of the tracks romance and mystery all thrown together! The story might have a lot to it with plot twists galore, however, never seems jumbled or confusing. From each harrowing trip to the next it takes the audience along to quite easily. The writing is top notch with nary a mistake at all too. Visually the imagery of the places along with the characters just literally shimmer with life and seem so real. Poppy the captivating, spitfire heroine is truly a joy! Who wouldn’t want to go on treacherous journeys with her and laugh about how scared we are yet had fun doing so. Even taking tea would be dangerous but amusing too. Keane just was the perfect swoon-worthy book boyfriend. Yes, it would be enjoyable to hide him, even I would like to do that. So, I couldn’t help but fall for him too. Ms. Anna Bennett definitely wrote a wonderfully unique Regency historical romance that is well worth the read!

So so charming! First of all, look at that cover! The colors! His smile!! HIS SMILE!! I could stare at it all day. I don’t have anything bad to say about this book. There was no third act break up, which is super rare, and a murder plot that I enjoyed. I loved this so much.

This was a very refreshing low angst romance! I was enthralled the entire time reading. I just love finding truly romantic stories and that’s exactly what I got. Definitely recommend for the low angst lovers!

Poppy works hard to support her family and their fishing business but gets the surprise of her life when she sees a near dead man on her beach. Shes’s shocked even further when he claims to be a Duke. Andrew Keane , the Duke of Hawking, was floundering through life until he meets Poppy, but something about her strikes a cord. He enlists her help in discovering who is out to kill him, leading them on a series of adventures that have them falling for each other. This is not your typical “Cinderella”-like story with a poor girl, rich boy troupe. Poppy is strong, physically and mentally, and in the beginning especially she’s the lead “investigator” into the near death incident. Also, Keane has a soft side, with a nobleness that one may not expect, leading to a balanced relationship as he supports her strength, while silently supporting her. The book also diverges from your typical historical romance with quite a bit of steaminess between the two leads and lots of humor that’s nice and refreshing. Those familiar with these Bellehaven Bay Belles, will be happy to see familiar faces, but there’s a bunch of new charming characters, yes I’m talking about you Diggs. 5 stars and a nice quick read. I voluntarily read and reviewed an arc copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Anna Bennett is always a win for me. When I need to reset, when I need something to kick start reading again, when I need a little comfort - she is there. I am really enjoying this series set in a seaside town that is giving me Sanditon vibes like no other. When Poppy goes to work in place of her father as a fisherman, she never expects to find a duke in her nets. Why was he injured on the beach? Who is out to get him? How come she can't resist him even though he stands for everything she opposes?

While they work through they mystery of his injury, their proximity leads to heat and tension that pays off in the best ways. I loved getting to see other characters from the first book. I enjoyed her family and his people as well. I am very excited for what comes next in this series.

One Duke Down reminds me of some of my favorite older romances. A heroine hiding away in a small town, a sweet small town romance, combined with dazzling seascapes bring this love story to life.

One sunny day, Miss Poppy Summers catches a man in her fishing net. An extremely handsome man with long hair. This might be a boon to any other young lady, but Poppy is frankly confused as to how this guy ended up stuck on her line in the middle of the ocean. While her brother spends most of his time in London chasing pipe dreams of success, she’s one to mind her own business and to do whatever she can to keep the family’s fishing business together and tend to her ailing father’s aches and pains while she does so. Nonetheless, she takes her mystery catch back to her seaside home in Bellehaven Bay.

Andrew Keane – known by his surname – happens to be the fellow Poppy fished out of the drink. He’s the Duke of Hawking, and he ended up in the water following a murder attempt on his life. He offers Poppy a lot of money to lie about his death so he can figure out who tried to kill him, something she does reluctantly, even though she’s not sure he’s a duke as he says he is. But as she helps him recover and they investigate the crime together with the help of his loyal valet Diggs, they come to admire, like and love each other. But can they find Keane’s enemy – and when they do, will he bear a connection to Poppy?

This one is quite out of the ordinary, and it plays and twists tropes with complete skill. You will not expect the answer to its mystery in a billion years, and in the end you’ll be surprised.

What’s not surprising is how resourceful Poppy is, and how grumpy Keane is. I really liked the romance between these two, which is crafted carefully, growing from from admiration, attraction and commonality. But I really did wish that Keane had a deeper background to speak of; it seems as though he’s emerged as if from a dream to make Poppy happy, which is well enough but he really ought to have had more friends.

I deeply loved the small costal English fishing town that Bennett gives us, and the people who inhabit it all make sense to the locale. One Duke Down is a worthy romance that’s perfectly tender and sweet.

Buy it at: Amazon or your local bookshop
Visit our Amazon Storefront