4/5 stars, honestly a great introduction to historical romance for me

Thank you to St.Martins Press for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Before this book, I had never read any book that was labeled as historical romance, though I had read historical fiction books with hints of romance in it. But historical romance is really such a unique genre, it has such specific tropes that this book was just scratching the surface of the possibilities. Since romance is new to me, and I had held my own perceptions of it before reading, I also held certain perceptions about this genre as well. While there was just a bit more I was hoping for from this book, I think it was a really great introduction and does genuinely make me want to check out more of this genre

The romance trope in this book was one of my favorites, which I definitely think helped my enjoyment of everything, the mixture of slight enemies to lovers as well as fake dating/marriage of convenience was lovely to see in such a setting. There was always loads of tension between the main characters, even if at times it felt a bit rushed when they were in close quarters with one another. If it had been a little longer I think there could've been more room for slower growth, which would have increased my enjoyment just a little bit.

In general, I enjoyed the main characters, but the main character did sometimes annoy me. She was the main source of miscommunication in my opinion. She was interesting and I do want to know if the rest of the series is going to focus on some of her other friends or the Duke's, but there were moments when she was a little bit annoying for me. Especially with the children, I understood they were living in "proper society" but completely not allowing them to play was a little bit too strict in my opinion, so I'm glad the Duke was trying to help with that.

[TW: infertility mentioned, death of parents mentioned, physical abuse]

I have been an Amelia Grey for years now and she NEVER disappoints. This book was no exception. I was hooked from the beginning reading the scene where the Duke struggles to come up with a proposal letter while hanging with his equally intoxicated friends. The way the love story u folds between the Duke and Fredericka and then the Duke and the children captured my heart all the way around!
I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 in the new trilogy.
* Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Amelia Grey for providing me an ARC. The above review and following rating are my own honest thoughts regardless of the ARC.*

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the free book in exchange for an honest review.

I am going to be honest, I really liked this book at the start but it became

Both characters just had one main thing about their past that they kept being fixated on that basically shaped most of their being and they felt too dimensional because of that. The MMC focused on an issue from his childhood and only that issue instead of focusing on different problems that have Illustrated the same idea he focused on one isolated incident throughout the entire book that made his character not great.

This is a story about a marriage of convenience, a Duke who marries a woman to help raise his orphaned nieces and nephews. Fredericka and Wyatt had some great moments of bickering over how to raise the children. A clean romance that has you falling in love with the characters. I loved this book. It was set in a different place, rather than the balls and being with the ton. More of a quiet romance between the two. It was entertaining, engaging, and romantic. A must read for the summer.

I wanted to like this first in a new series more, but the characters and plotlines made it hard. Fredericka needs a husband and Wyatt needs a wife. Starts out promising, but then...Fredericka is a highly annoying heroine who treats the three children she is in charge of terribly. She spends the whole book telling them to sit still and behave and not letting them be children. Then, she jumps down Wyatt's throat with everything he says, but truly he is not much better.

The custody case was ridiculous as was Fredericka's behavior in allowing her cousing to treat her so horribly and the fact that Wyatt as a duke could not just make that go away. Most disappointing is there is no satisfying resolution to the battle - no one gets their comeuppance. Wyatt just decides to do what he should have done in the first place! The whole thing about poetry in this book was odd as well - much of the pasts of our characters are discussed ad nauseum as asides, but they never communicate with each other except as an "oh by the way" as they declare their love at the very end and go off to win the children back.

The romance was hard to believe given how annoying those two were and the romance is very mild with little steam. I might give the other books a chance, but Wyatt's friends weren't the greatest characters either.

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

My first Amelia Grey book. I enjoyed myself while reading this book it was fun and a great start for a series. I will definately keep reading other books.

I wanted to like this book so bad. It definitely had it's good moments, but the general pacing and weird relationship dynamics really put a damper on all the potential I thought this story had. Fredericka was a little overbearing, but understandably so I didn't mind. Her dynamic with the Duke was weird to me. They had moments of infatuation and sexual tension but then it wouldn't go anywhere and there was an underlying coldness that happens when a relationship isn't well developed. I don't mind a general up and down in the getting to know you process, I think it's normal, but with all the other plot going on and balancing the children's scenes, it just felt like an insurmountable mountain to climb. In the end, I really struggled with the disjointed storyline and instalove feeling in the end.

I enjoyed reading Yours Truly, The Duke by Amelia Grey. The characters are wonderful! Happy Reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

Yours Truly, The Duke by Amelia Grey is a delightful historical romance novel that follows the story of the Duke of Wycliffe, who is looking for a wife to help him run his estate, and Miss Elizabeth Ashburton, a young woman who is determined to marry for love rather than convenience.

Amelia Grey does an excellent job of creating a vivid and engaging world, transporting readers back to Regency-era England. The characters are also well-developed, with the Duke being a particularly strong and charismatic protagonist who is both charming and vulnerable.

The plot is well-structured, with plenty of romantic tension and unexpected twists that keep readers engaged. The romance between the Duke and Miss Ashburton is also well-written, with a slow-burn build-up that is both satisfying and heart-warming.

Overall, Yours Truly, The Duke is an excellent read that is sure to appeal to fans of historical romance. The book is well-written, with a charming and engaging plot and strong characters that readers will love. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a delightful and romantic read.

A well written story of a marriage of convenience. It was captivating and a great escape read.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Family.....it's complicated.

Fredericka is struggling with her newish position as guardian for her dead sister's three children. She is trying so hard to make them be perfect little people she is not allowing them to be children. She has a barrel of guilt over her sister's death and that is coloring all of her decisions. She has no one to turn to for help or guidance. Well, she has a cousin, Jane, but they have always been at odds. Now with Jane trying to take the children the divide between her and Jane is growing at record speeds.

Wyatt, a Duke now for 10 years, is a 28 year old who is simply clueless. He has barrel of guilt from his past. Clueless about...people, what he wants from life, women, how to talk to and interact with women, how relationships work, and most importantly- how to be a husband.

It was frustrating seeing Fredericka and Wyatt interact. They each had their agendas and never worked together, ernestly, toward any goal. Wyat gave lip service to helping Fredericka in her struggle to keep the children. Fredericka was determined NOT to inconvenience or get in Wyatt's way. They barely interact and when they do there is usaully an arguement. Very frustrating. They don't talk TO each other, open up, share or view thier life as a partnership...regardless of it being a marriage of convenienve.

Wyatt's friends, also dukes, are funny, but each has their own peculiarities and they are also a bit clueless. Their interactions with Wyatt are some of the funniest in the story, but that's not saying much. It will be interesting to see how each of them handle their journey to a HEA.

The children are lovely. While they are struggling to find their new normal adter losing their parents, they cling to each other brilliantly. Their governess/nanny is not, in my opinion, a very capable woman. She seems to be napping or reading when she should be attending to the children.

The final confrontation before the grand gesture was wrenching for me, but I know it had to happen that way for the grand gesture and ultimate coming together to happen. The total lack of due-diligence on the part of the Lord Chancellor made me angry, especially when he was always spouting off abput the best for the children. In the end, Jane pleasantly surprised me and I hope the relationship can start over.

I was excited for this story and was left feeling...blah. I hope more dimension and depth are given to Hurst and Rick in their stories. I hope we will see Wyatt and Fredericka Get some time in the rest of the series and have some of the depth and dimension they deserve.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yours Truly, The Duke by Amelia Grey is a sweet, nice and clean Regency romance.
Fredericka and Wyatt agreed on a marriage of convenience, he in order to secure his inheritance, she to gain guardianship of her late sister’s children. But they got more than they were bargaining for, because they found love, family and trust. It’s a new beginning for them all.
Each chapter starts with poetry from The Lady’s Book of Flowers and Poetry (1859) which is a nice touch.

Heart racing, action packed and emotionally thrilling roller coaster adventure filled with exciting charters, witty banter, thrilling twists and undeniable passion. An edge of your seat adventure from beginning to end and so hard to put down.

This was terrible.

Aside from the lack of any sex scene (I was least expecting the romance that leads up to that moment, and got nothing), the characters suck. They are not interesting or good people. They are not even flawed in a way that can be deemed acceptable.

I do not foresee myself recommending titles by this author to my patrons who enjoy a good romance.

I liked the story and yet there were parts I didn't. The children were great but Wyatt and Fredericka always misunderstood each other. That part felt forced. The attraction between the two was very nicely woven in. There were tiny things mentioned through the story that could have been major parts of a plot, but they were just sporadically brought up and never investigated. (migraines and mistress) The ending didn't sit well with me at all. Besides the fact that Jane just came in constantly and never showed the respect due to a duchess, her ending actions wouldn't have been allowed. The idea of the story was really good, just some of the actions didn't make sense. Thank you for the advanced copy of the book to read!
(Dec 29, 2022)

I "truly" wanted to adore Yours Truly, the Duke and found myself captivated the first half of the novel. The attraction between the Duke and Fredericka was tense but his love for her was shining through. However; I had to DNF this book at seventy percent because I couldn't take the miscommunication and random plot twists that occurred. I look forward to trying another Amelia Grey novel however.

3 Need to Marry Stars
This takes the tried and true story of two people needing to marry, not for love but due to extenuating circumstances. Our gal has three children she is in charge of and loves dearly. Unfortunately, there is a childless relative that wants to take the children away from her. The only way to hold onto these children is to marry.

She finds a fella and he helps with her plan and off the story goes...except falling for each other was never the plan.

Cute marriage-of-convenience Regency romance. I enjoyed all the characters (most of the time), the storyline, and the romance. 3.75 stars

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This was a great historical story. It hits all the points necessary for a historical romance. I look forward to the next book in the series.

A lovely regency romance following the vein of the marriage of convenience trope. Three adorable children add mischief and fun. All that was missing was a cute little dog. Wyatt and Fredericka have chemistry right from the beginning but their interactions unpredictably alternate between flirting and arguing. However, they agree on the important thing; gaining custody of Fredericka's nieces and nephew.
I wasn't totally convinced by the custody storyline. Fredericka was the children's aunt whereas Jane was just a cousin. Also, I found it odd that a Duke's household wouldn't have maids, a housekeeper or a butler to notice a neglectful governess or when the children were doing something they ought not to.
However, it was a cute story and I liked watching Fredericka and Wyatt's relationship develop and flourish. This is a series I will look forward to reading more of as it's published.