This is a traditional marriage of convenience story -- each side needs something. He needs a legacy that will be lost unless he marries ASAP; she needs the power of a dukedom to protect her sister's children from a relative trying to adopt them out from under. What makes this a great read is the sweet unraveling of the story, complete with three wonderful children and a hero and heroine whose falling-in-love tale has all the feels. Fredericka Hale and the Duke of Wyatthaven didn't mean to end up besotted, but they do, and so do we. A great start to a new series from a writer who never fails to deliver. (I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions mine.)

I am a fan of Amelia Grey’s books and was looking forward to this one. A marriage of convenience trope, when done well, can be fun and entertaining. Although there were great aspects of this story, and some readers will love the story, some of it didn’t hit the mark for me.

The Duke of Wyatthaven, or Wyatt, has no desire to marry but he will, to keep his grandmother’s fortune from going to the poetry society. And he must marry quickly – he has 7 days to accomplish this task! Fredericka Hale has been raising her deceased sister’s children and quickly needs a husband to keep her cousin from taking them in a custody battle. A marriage of convenience is easily the answer for them. Wyatt asks his friends to help him write a proposal letter for Fredericka. What ensues is quite entertaining, as is the final letter.

Some of the best scenes are Wyatt’s interactions with the children. Wyatt’s playfulness was a great foil to Fredericka’s strict rules and regulations for the children. I was laughing out loud when the children were mimicking the card playing adults. It was a shame Fredericka couldn’t see at least a little of the humor in the situation. The misunderstandings between Fredericka and Wyatt became a bit tiresome after a while.

I didn’t like the custody battle aspect of the story. Jane was a horrid character, and I found her lack of respect for Fredericka and her position as a duchess to be unbelievable. Why didn’t Wyatt use his power as a duke to squash Jane like the insect she was? How do you redeem a character who is that nasty?

Overall, the story had great promise. Like Ms. Grey’s other books, the writing style flowed well. This may not have been one of my favorite books, but I am looking forward to the others in the series. Thank you to Ms. Grey, St. Martin’s Publishing, and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy. I voluntarily read the book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 They Both Benefit from Marriage Stars!

What a wonderful introduction to Amelia Grey’s writing with this first book in her new Say I Do series. This book combines some of the tropes I love; marriage of convenience, single parent and witty banter between the H/h.

Frederika as the guardian of her nieces and nephews is in a bit of a pickle as her cousin has decided to fight her for custody of them and I’m in full agreement with Frederika that these children belong with her… there may be a lot of rules, but, they’re very much loved and cared for. The solution to her problem is a husband and quickly… but who would be willing to take on her and nieces and nephew? Well, a Duke that’s in dire need of a wife. Enter Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven. He needs a wife to protect his inheritance so it seems they’re both on the same page… marriage to protect what’s most important to each of them.

Well, as you can imagine it’s not as black and white as that because those pesky feelings start to get involved. Both between Wyatt and Frederika, but also, most surprisingly to Wyatt, Charles, Elise and Bella too. I loved how they connected with each other. Their building closeness was beautiful to see. What can’t be denied, is that while Wyatt is falling in love with these children, he’s also wildly attracted to their Aunt.

Unlike other historical romances I’ve read, the heat in this book is relatively light, which is just fine with me. I loved the build up but leaving a lot of it to our imagination. The more I read this book the more I loved. How Ms. Grey built up the relationship between our H/h and how their marriage of convenience became so much more than just a sham which neither of them expected!

What it all comes down to is that I absolutely loved this book and I’m on board to not only read the next book but I’m also going to read Ms. Grey’s other books, because now I’m hooked!

Fredericka is a strong willed woman who is unexpectedly responsible for her 3 nieces and nephews after a terrible tragedy. Wyatt is a Duke who must wed by the end of the week to keep his inheritance. Together, can they help each other?
This had SOO much potential that unfortunately fell short for me. I have been drawn to books that have a more original plotline, and I was drawn in by the storyline as Fredericka being a caretaker. The author did a great job of making the kids likeable and keeping them at the front of the plotline while also not over dominating it with talk of kids. I enjoyed each of the children's' personalities and enjoyed their presence in the story, however, I wish I could say the same for the other 2 main characters. Wyatt had the potential to be likeable, however, time and time again the author felt the need to bog down his personality with impulsive garbage coming out of his mouth and it seemed like he went from being a bachelor with no plans to settle down to being a settled down, in love, married man with 3 kids with the turn of a page. There was no build up, nothing. You just turned the page and he was a changed man all of a sudden.
Fredericka was quite the unlikeable heroine of the story. While her intentions were sweet, the author made her very unlikeable by making her extremely rigid, tense, never in good humor and all around a drag to be around. There was no build up of romance to the characters together, and in fact, about 3/4 of the way through the book, all they had done was kiss a few times and I had to reread the cover to make sure this was supposed to be a Romance novel, because it was almost non existent. I would be curious to read the next book in the series, but with the amount of options there are out there, this would be a pass for me.

Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Amelia Grey for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This did not in any way affect the contents of my review.

YOURS TRULY, THE DUKE by Amelia Grey is a heartwarming regency romance about learning to trust your heart. In this book, Fredericka Hale and Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven, marry a few days after meeting each other, for convenience. Wyatt must marry to secure his inheritance, and Fredericka needs to be married to ensure her late sister’s children stay with her and not with her cousin. The two aim to live apart and not have a real marriage, but of course they cannot stop themselves from their growing attraction.

I enjoyed this book! I liked how the circumstances of Wyatt’s and Fredericka’s marriage and their own lives made for an interesting story. Their feelings for each other seemed to grow naturally, and I often found myself laughing during the book. I think that the growth both of the main characters showed throughout the story was wonderful. I am looking forward to the next book in this series!

I really liked this story. I loved the characters too. Wyatt is desperate. He needs a wife now or he will lose an inheritance from his grandmother. He doesn't really need it, but he will not let it go to the people his grandmother designated. Fredericka needs a husband because her cousin is trying to take her nieces and nephew from her. Jane is unable to have children and wants Fredericka's nieces and nephew. Fredericka will not give them up willingly. She has had them for the past year and is going to do everything in her power to keep them. When Wyatt proposes a marriage of convenience, she takes the chance. She usually doesn't make rash decisions, but she is running out of time. Wyatt thought they would live apart until he needs an heir, but circumstances change, and they are forced to make adjustments. Will they ever have a real marriage? They are both dealing with old hurts and have to come to terms with everything before they can go on together. Will they be able to keep the children?

Yours Truly, The Duke is a Marriage of Convenience tale, with the addition of a bitter family conflict involving custody of three small children. Both the main characters are scared by their childhoods and, as a result, have communication issues and extremely rigid behavior. This leads to a very angst-filled story, which I, personally don't care for, but if you love angst, there is plenty there to enjoy. I didn't dislike the book, it just isn't what I enjoy most in a historical romance. . 3-1/2 Stars

I received an ARC for free but left my review voluntarily.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I was ready for some pure escapism, so I chose the new Regency Romance by Amelia Grey, Yours Truly, The Duke. This is a marriage-of-convenience story and a quick, entertaining read.

Wyatt (the Duke of Wyatthaven) is a wealthy, handsome, powerful duke who carries some guilt from his past. When he was boy at Eton, with all the privileges of being a duke’s son, he did nothing to help his fellow students, some of whom were being physically abused by one of the teachers (who taught poetry.) He is only 28 and has no desire to settle down. However, his grandmother died a year earlier and left a codicil to her will that is to be read one year after her death. The codicil gives him one week to marry or a valuable property of hers will be left not to him but to a poetry society. (She loved poetry. This was not a punishment/cruelty to Wyatt.) Still, weird. Why the year wait before announcing this? Why the one week’s notice? At any rate, Wyatt sets to the task. His attorney knows just the woman, Miss Fredericka Hale.

Fredericka also needs to marry. She took in her young nephew and two nieces after the tragic death of her sister and brother-in-law a year earlier. She loves them and is determined to bring them up in a way that would make her sister proud. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a lot of extra money and she doesn’t have a husband. This wasn’t a problem until her cousin Jane, married to a viscount and unable to have children of her own, decided she would claim Fredericka’s sisters’ kids. Now, Fredericka needs a husband desperately. (Only a husband would be able to lay claim to the children in court.) A duke would serve the purpose very well.

They are wed. The deal is, he gets his inheritance and he’ll make sure she keeps the children, but nothing else in their lives will change. Of course, everything changes.

The two have an intense chemistry. They bicker a lot and misunderstand each other almost intentionally. Nevertheless, they are plainspoken with one another and generally reasonable. The threat of losing the children is very real. Wyatt learns that just being a duke doesn’t mean everything will go his way. He has to put in effort. Fredericka learns she doesn’t have to be so uptight about the children’s upbringing. And they fall in love.

This is an interesting start to a new series. We meet Wyatt’s two closest friends (also dukes) who I expect will feature in the next books. This is a series to watch!

Frederika needs a husband to keep her sister’s children and The Duke of Wyatthaven needs a wife to keep his inheritance. This should be a match made in heaven. She’s supposed to stay in the country and he in the city but when she and the children show up in London things don’t go quite as expected for either party. The simmering passion between them becomes full blown and eventually they realize they are made for each other. Historical with a bit of a modern twist. A good read.

I love historical romances. And I’m a big fan of Amelia Grey. So I was quite interested in reading this. Two people who need a marriage of convenience for very different reasons, and let’s just say, it doesn’t always go smoothly. But where there’s a will (and heart) there’s a way

1.5 stars

Fredericka Hale is in trouble. She has custody of her late sister’s three children, but her custody is in jeopardy.
Her cousin Jane wants the kids. Fredericka needs to get married in order to ensure that Jane doesn’t win the children in court. Enter, the Duke of Wyatthaven, AKA, Wyatt. He’s gorgeous. He’s charming. And he needs to marry YESTERDAY if he wants his inheritance. This marriage of convenience is the perfect solution to their problems!

I fell in love with the first 30% of this book. It was beautifully written. I found myself highlighting quite a few lines of text. I adored the way the two characters, so different (he’s charming and laid-back while she’s super straight-laced), enchanted each other. Their first REAL kiss in the gorgeous English countryside...perfection! I also found the three gentlemen, all of whom will have their own book in the “Say I Do” series, adorable. Hurst and Rick, one lovesick, the other cynical, were fun to watch. I loved their comraderie.

And then…we get to the 31st percent and beyond…. I feel like the majority of this book is comprised of adults bickering with each other. Fredericka becomes offended by virtually everything Wyatt says, frequently twisting what he said and interpreting things in the worst possible way. I don’t really understand how he even put up with her. Their chemistry was good, however. They’re obviously attracted to one another, despite the fact that they can’t get along whenever they’re having a conversation. I normally don’t care if the love scenes are behind closed doors or not, but I actually found it problematic that the author chose to conceal their love scenes because their physical love was pretty much all they had going for them as a couple.

There were also many scenes with mean girl Jane, which I found to be very tedious. Ironically, I found myself siding with this awful character towards the end of the book when she decided to take the children away after seeing them unattended, smoking and drinking. WHAT?!? Wyatt gets his way in the end by being quite underhanded. I had a hard time liking any of these characters, or believing that anyone grew as a person. Yes, there were some beautiful moments, but not enough to save this book for me.

I'd like to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions presented are my own.

Talk about a marriage of convenience. Both Fredericka and Wyatt need to marry, she to protect her right to raise her deceased sister’s children and he to make sure he gets his grandmother’s inheritance but they are night and day different in personalities so how will this ever work? This historical romance has almost a modern feel, in both the subject matter (custody of the children), but also both lead character’s attitudes. Fredericka is no wilting flower, even though her childhood experiences cause her to have a bit of PTSD and while tough and gruff Wyatt certainly has a very playful side for being a Duke, although my impression of him at the beginning wasn’t the best (stuffed shirt anyone?). There is quite a bit of instant attraction, although it’s more of a slow build up, a bit of sadness (they are working on getting custody of the kids), but lots of humor as the shenanigans that the kids get into will leave you in hysterics. This seems to be the start of a new series about the dukes (fingers crossed anyway) and is a nice quick read. 4.5 stars . I was have to read and review an arc copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, clever and kept me reading. I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

A Duke who needs to marry to preserve his inheritance and a woman who needs to marry so that she can continue to care for her late sister's 3 kids. Sounds like a perfect match. It might be if they can work out their parenting differences. Another problem has very good reasons for disliking the poetry that she loves. Everything gets resolved.

3 Stars

The Duke of Wyatthaven has just learned that he has seven days to marry or lose four square blocks of prime London real estate to the London Society of Poetry. He really isn’t ready to be a husband, but with no choice in the matter he quickly sends a letter to Miss Fredericka Hale sight unseen, who also needs to marry in order to keep her sisters children. Since her cousin Jane now wants them after finding out she is barren.

Upon arrival The Duke of Wyatthaven finds Miss Hale with her own agenda in regards to a husband and she isn’t even expecting him. No she is busy interviewing men she already knows for the job of her husband.

But when these two meet they both experience a strange and immediate connection. Miss Fredericka Hale can’t believe her eyes and ears that the commanding and dashing rake that she has read all about in the pink pages, living a devil- may-care life is here to propose to her.

While the Duke is taken back by her beauty and intelligence. He quickly strikes a deal of a wedding of convenience between the two. She will stay in the country with the children, while he returns to London after their marriage, making sure no one can take the children away from her while he will continue on with his normal life. Sure in time it may become a real marriage when he is ready for an heir but that is in the future.

But when her selfish cousin Jane continues to try to get the children, the new Duchess takes the children to London for the Dukes help. Once there the heat and the memories of the passionate kisses on their wedding day, makes it harder and harder to stay away from each other.

This story was overflowing with delicious, expectant sensations of pleasure,and romance that will have your heart pounding in your chest and hearts in your eyes. Loved it, I am eagerly waiting for the rest in this series!!

Received and early copy and this is my honest review.

Barbara’s rating: 2.7 of 5 Stars

I was looking forward to reading this book because I loved the scenario as it was spelled out in the book blurb. The writing itself was good and the story flowed nicely, but the characters – OMGoodness – there was not one single character in the book that I liked. Well, I liked the kids. 😊 The characters all seemed one-dimensional to me and I failed to see the attraction they found for each other. I am so sorry it all fell flat for me because I really wanted to love this story.

Frederica Hale was orphaned when she was very young and she and her sister Angela were sent to be raised by a cousin’s family. About a year ago, Angela and her husband passed away and Frederica now has the raising of their three children. She’s bound and determined to do everything she can to raise her nieces and nephew to be proper adults. Then, she learns that her cousin Jane is filing for official guardianship of the children. Jane, with a doting husband, who can be granted legal guardianship stands a very good chance of winning custody – unless Frederica finds a husband – fast.

Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven, suddenly finds himself in need of a wife – and he only has a week to find and marry her. What he needs to find is a woman who wants to continue her life in the country and who will allow him to continue his life in London. No changes for either of their lives other than having said the vows.

Both characters are guilt-ridden with things from their past and they both let that rule their current lives. I can understand that, but it just got so very, very, very tiresome and what was even worse was the constant – and I do mean constant – miscommunication, misunderstandings, and bickering between both lead characters. He’d say something – perhaps not just exactly correctly – and she’d twist it to mean something entirely different. I truly could not see what the attraction was for either of them. Another thing that really rang the bell was that he had a mistress – but he hadn’t dismissed her when he married. He told Frederica he hadn’t seen his mistress since he had met Frederica – but – he hadn’t dismissed her either.

For me, this author is usually hit or miss and this was a huge miss. That really makes me sad because I truly wanted to love the story and just couldn’t. I didn’t even care for Rick and Hurst who will be featured in the other books in the series, so I’m not sure I’ll read them. Of course, maybe if I do read them I’ll learn something about Frederica and Wyatt that will make me like them and their story better.

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

In ‘Yours Truly, The Duke’ we meet Fredericka Hale. A short time ago her sister and brother in law where killed in an accident, and now Fredericka is taking care of her sisters kids. Fredericka loves them with her whole heart and is determined to make sure she will be the one to take care of them. Unfortunately to make sure this happens, a husband is what she needs. Luckily the Duke of Wyatthaven is in need of a wife to make sure he doesn’t lose a huge part of his grandmothers inheritance. Both Fredericka and Wyatt don’t want to be married, so being married to each other sounds perfect.. They both don’t want anything out of the marriage.

But you can imagine things soon change. To make sure Fredericka keeps custody of the kids, she needs to show London her marriage is the real deal. And the more time Fredericka and Wyatt spend together, the more they start to like each other. Soon they are in a complicated situation. But the most important part is, they both don’t hate pretending they are in a love filled marriage.

‘Yours Truly, The Duke’ was a book that pulled me in right from the start. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and found myself wanting to keep on reading. Fredericka’s character was my favorite. Although she lived in a time where marriage was the only thing that could save her, she was a tough lady that didn’t need anyone to take care of herself. I loved how determined and brave she was, and how she made sure right from the start that Wyatt knew she wasn’t in this marriage for more than the safety of the kids.

Wyatt’s character was definitely charming. And I enjoyed reading how enchanted he became with Fredericka. The romance part in this book was very mellow, but it fitted the story. I did wish there was a bit more romance in this book to be honest. The main characters seemed to spend more time a part from each other, than they did together. I think I would have loved this book a lot more if the characters spend more time together. And the moments they didn’t spend together, well those moments where a bit slow to me.

I enjoyed the writing, and I loved the friendship between Wyatt and the other dukes. And I’m definitely curious about the other dukes after reading this one. ‘Yours Truly, The Duke’ was my first historical romance novel in a while, and it was a nice one for sure. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more books in this series

I really enjoyed this book by one of my favorite authors. Ms Grey writes lovely and witty books that appeal to everyone who adores historical romance. She is the top darling in research and descriptions of how folks lived during regency times. Also, this is the first book in a new series called "Say I Do" and you know that this will be a winner in my opinion.
The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. I loved this from first chapter and never let go.
Fredericka Hale is a lady who has been taking care of her late sister's children and she adores them. Her cousin has decided to petition the courts to let her have care of the little ones. Fredericka believes that her cousin is spiteful in dealing with her, but is powerless to stop her. The only way she can keep custody is to find a man willing to marry her fast.
Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven has a stipulation in the inheritance from his grandmother. He must marry within a week of lose his money. Gee, what's a guy to do, but get his solicitor to find him a candidate for marriage. When one is found, Wyatt is glad and finds that he can continue his life in London without any interference. Especially since this is a marriage of convenience.
But things get complicated when his wife with kids show up, and things get very interesting.
As fate tries the patience of Wyatt when dealing with a woman he starts to think of a happy ever after. Fredericka feels the same and dreams of a true love that will last a lifetime.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

**Thank you to Amelia Grey, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of Yours Truly, The Duke in exchange for an honest review~**
I really enjoyed this book! This is a wonderful marriage of convenience historical romance. The plot was fun without being predictable. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom as they went through their hardships together. I also really appreciated that the children in this book were realistic. It really improved the reading of this book to have good supporting characters. I look forward to reading more books from Amelia Grey!

This story was a bit of a mixed bag for me, the base story of a Duke needing a wife and our heroine needing a husband so she could take care of her deceased sister's 3 children was good but the way the characters were written made you frustrated too many times with our heroine and our Duke for things unsaid that could have solved a lot of problems. Then add in the sister/cousin that you really got to hate and then had a bit of a Jekyll/Hyde pulled on you by the end of the book when people like me who are revenge junkies felt totally cheated with the sweeter ending. All things considered, I did enjoy reading it and it held my attention but it did fall short of any chance of a 5 Star rating from me. Since this is book 1 of a new series maybe the next story will be an improvement