A hasty marriage of convenience....and poetry.

Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven, must marry in seven days, or forfeit his grandmother's inheritance to the London Society of Poetry, He is not willing to give up his bachelor life of carefree gambling, card games, mistresses and parties. So he decides to wed Fredericka.

Fredericka is only twenty, raising her sister's three children. She is doing the best she can. But her cousin Jane has petitioned the courts to take her nephew away so she can raise him. Fredricka agrees to wed Wyatt after one meeting.

I really liked this book. There's a lot of development going on with Wyatt. Fredricka is forthright and strong and challenges him at every step. Wyatt has his own issues with boarding school and poetry and we see him change from a scandalous rake to a husband and father. He becomes a better person through Fredricka.
Recommend.

Yours Truly, The Duke is the story of Fredericka and Wyatt, and both have reasons to marry and to do so quickly. Wyatt needs to marry to keep an inheritance, and Fredericka to keep custody of her orphaned nieces and nephew. I really like both Wyatt and Fredericka from the beginning. I also liked their interactions as they got to know each other more and was really loved when they finally admitting to their feelings. Amelia Grey did a good job bringing this story to life, and I really enjoyed Yours Truly, The Duke.

Get ready to fall in love with a new series by beloved historical romance author, Amelia Grey. Set to come out on March 28th, Yours Truly, The Duke is the first book in the Say I Do Series and if you love marriage of convenience with adorable kids, then you’re going to love this one!

This might be one of my favorite historical romance reads ever! I adored the new family element in this book and the way Fredericka and Wyatt realize their feelings for one another.

The marriage-of-convenience trope was so well-written in this book and I loved the way two people living their separate lives grew to change their lifestyles a bit to open up and accept the other. The children in this book were fabulous characters as well and the topics such as childhood custody, grieving family members, and dealing with past ghosts and trauma were all present and interwoven perfectly into the story.

While this book is on the mild side of steamy, we do get some action that would make any London Lady fan themselves.

Overall, I adored this series and cannot wait to read the rest of this series when it comes out and explore some of Grey’s backlist!

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

Yours Truly, The Duke by Amelia Grey is the first book in the Say I Do Series. The novel was a great read. The characters were so determined to maintain their singular life despite the fact they were married to each other. Both needed to be quickly married, while neither wanted to be married.

Fredricka Hale took in her sister’s three children after their parents were suddenly killed. However it is doubtful that she will be able to keep them without being married. THe Duke of Wyatthaven found out that if he did not marry immediately, he would lose his grandmother’s inheritance. Wyatt did not want his grandmother’s money to go to a parcel of poets, so he was determined to find a wife. Luckily Fredricka and Wyatt were suggested to each other and they decided to take the plunge with the agreement that they would maintain their separate lives. Until Fredricka couldn’t because of the threat of exposure, so she moved into London to him. Wyatt and Fredricka have opposite parenting styles and the children are mischievous.

Things began to heat up when cousin Jane showed up at the worst moment and the issue of guardianship came to a head. Wyatt needed to make some decisions to save all of them. Yours Truly, The Duke was a book with a decent storyline and some cheeky humor. Secrets kept from partners jumping to conclusions is a sure way to stop a relationship! Amelia Grey’s newest book Yours Truly, The Duke was a good read!

Great first book in this series! Fredericka is a strong woman ready to take on the joy of raising her sister's children after their mother and father die. Unfortunately the sisters cousin wants the children too, and not for the right reasons. The Duke needs to get married or he'll lose his grandmother's inheritance. Will they suit? I thought so! I loved the care and compassion Wyatt had with the kids and Fredericka, but there were certainly some misunderstandings on both sides. It took time for them to be worked out, but I like the was it was done. I hope the next in the series has a strong woman like Fredericka and an equally strong Duke to help her through any issues that arise.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Yours Truly, The Duke begins the Say I Do series with a marriage of convenience that would, indeed, be convenient for both the bride and the groom. Perhaps.

In order to retain custody of her deceased sister’s children, Fredericka needs a husband… and as a Duke, well, Wyatt would fit her needs perfectly. On the other side, Wyatt must be married within a very short period of time in order to claim an inheritance left to him by his grandmother. The fact that his possible bride prefers the country life as opposed to being all up in his business in the city fits his needs just right. The additional fact that they each find the other attractive, and there might have been a few sparks between them bodes well for their future. At least, on the surface. The reality, however, becomes far different than either could have imagined. And it’s going to be a long, rocky road before their happily ever after ending is in sight.

I’m rather torn about Fredericka’s and Wyatt’s story. There were parts that I completely enjoyed. And there were aspects of this story that had me shaking my head in annoyance. I can say with absolute confidence that Jane is a complete bully and a vile villainess, even if she seemed to change towards the end. Frankly, I didn’t buy her turnaround, but that’s me.

I was surprised after the passionate kissing to discover a fade-to-black encounter. Not that every romance must have a bedroom scene with all the details possible, I understand that not every reader enjoys that… but I wasn’t expecting what we got. From the cover description, I expected a fiery, passionate couple… and what I found were two people who truly had a marriage of convenience and probably should have just stuck with the plan.

I could go into detail on the pros and cons that I found within this story, but to do so would involve spoilers. I believe each reader should decide for themselves if this is the romance of a lifetime or not. For the first time with this author’s work,(which I have read for years), I have to say that I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series. And it pains me to say that.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Overall, I enjoyed this historical romance. I always enjoy a marriage of convenience story and this one was fun. That said, there were a few times along the way that each of the main characters made me a little crazy. They both had their own issues about parenting that stemmed from their own scarred childhoods. It wasn't healthy. Their personal issues shouldn't have been brought into parenting Fredericka's nieces and nephew.

The romance was a slow burn but it was sweet and I really liked the two of them as a couple once they figured out their "baggage." As usual, there are a few misunderstandings along the way because of the lack of communication between the two people and once they actually take the time to talk, everything is wonderful - - or close to it.

I look forward to seeing what the author does with this series. Wyatt has two more friends that are also dukes so I assume there will be books for each of them as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

3.5

It was a wonderful premise that got this story started, a marriage of convenience. Wyatt needs to keep and inheritance and Fredericka wants to keep her sister’s children.

The story had some high and low points. I really wanted to like Fredericka but she had not seems as if she was happy. She is always upset and unable to make a true connection with Wyatt. Wyatt had a change during the book, he was a bachelor and he slowly changed into his role.

It was an enjoyable read, not the best but not the worst.

I've read many books by Amelia Grey and I can tell you without a doubt that this is by far my favorite.

I absolutely love how Fredericka and Wyatt pushed each others buttons but in the end, brought out the best in each other and complimented each so well.

The spice level is less than a lot of the books I've read by her, but I found that it totally worked with this book.

I can't wait for more books, hopefully with the other two dukes!

I love books that start with the MMC point of view, I have no explanation as to why. Marriage of convenience one of my favorite tropes, I fall in love with the characters as they fall in love with each other. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I felt the plot was unique, I haven’t read many historical romance novels other than a couple of Julia Quinn’s books. But reading this one didn’t make make refer back to JQ.

Yours Truly, The Duke is book one in the Say I Do series by Amelia Grey and I enjoyed this one enough to say that I will probably pick up the next one when it is released.

This book introduces us to Fredericka Hale who realizes in order to keep her dead sister's three children under her care, she needs to marry and marry fast as her cousin is pushing the court to give her custody. When the Duke of Wyatthaven proposes an arrangement she never expected, she can't say know. They agree that he will help her keep the children but they'll lead separate lives.

Wyatt has his own reasons for proposing to Fredericka. In order to get his inheritance, he has to marry within a week. When he finds out he will get to maintain his life as is and she is willing to stay in the country, he's satisfied the problem is solved but when something forces Fredericka and the children to show up on his doorstep, Wyatt realizes he needs to change (and wants to).

I thought Grey did a great job of developing the characters, both individually as well as their relationship together. Of course you have the cousin as a protagonist but as the story progresses, I liked how Grey addressed the relationship of the cousins instead of just defaulting to the "they are a villain to be a villain" purpose.

If you're looking for a new historical romance series, I recommend checking this one out. I'll be picking up the next one.

3.5 stars
Fredericka is working her way through a list of gentlemen she's considering as husband material so that her cousin can't take away her sisters children that she's been carrying for since she died a year ago, though she isn't having much luck.
Wyatt has been shafted by his grandmother's will and now has one week to marry or he loses his inheritance when his solicitor tells him about Fredericka. They have a very abrupt marriage of convenience to save his inheritance and her children but while his problem is solved instantly hers takes up the rest of the story.
I found that this is more about the children than about the couple and the couple was very antagonistic to each other, more her than him, but despite this it was an interesting story I just wanted more from the couple than what I got.

Title: Yours Truly, The Duke
Author: Amelia Grey
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Fredericka Hale needs a husband, and fast. She’s been caring for her deceased sister’s three young children, and now a childless cousin has petitioned the court for custody. Fredericka is powerless to stop her, but having a husband might sway the ruling. The last thing Fredericka wants is a hurried-up marriage to a man she doesn’t know—much less love, but she’ll do it for the children. So when the handsome Duke of Wyatthaven shows up with a proposal, she accepts. He'll help her, and in return, they’ll lead separate lives. But distance cannot keep them from their powerful attraction.

At the top of his game in London, the Duke of Wyatthaven has no interest in marriage. However, if Wyatt doesn’t marry by week’s end, he’ll lose a sizable inheritance from his grandmother. When Wyatt’s solicitor finds Miss Fredericka Hale, Wyatt considers this little hiccup solved. Miss Hale is lovely, and intelligent. Most importantly, she prefers country life to London, so he’s free to continue his life as usual. But when circumstances force Fredericka and the children to show up at the duke’s door, Wyatt can’t deny he’s always been under her spell. Will the duke give up his bachelor lifestyle and give into the fiery passion growing between them?

This was such a fun read! Fredericka was a lot of fun to get to know, and so was Wyatt. I loved how their relationship grew—and how they both learned from each other. I wanted to punch Fredericka’s cousin in the nose several times, but fortunately Fredericka had more self-control that I do. I definitely want to read more in this series!

Amelia Grey is an award-winning author. Yours Truly, the Duke is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Not the worst historical romance I’ve read but also not the best. The children were the best part of the book. Fredericka was a bit annoying with the way she acted. The communication between the two main characters wasn’t great but I guess that can somewhat be explained by it not being necessarily “proper” to speak about certain things in that time period.

An entertaining novel but I don’t know if I’ll continue with the series.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Duke of Wyatthaven swoops into Miss Fredericka Hale's drawing room in the nick of time, preventing her from making a huge mistake by marrying the last man on her list of potential husbands. She needs a husband fast because her cousin is trying to take away her deceased sister's children. Wyatt needs a wife swiftly due to a ridiculous codicil in his grandmother's will from twenty years ago. I truly enjoyed this book, both characters had reason's for not getting married or at least not falling in love and the idea of living separately is a dream come true. However, after a visit from her horrid cousin sends her racing in the night to London, Fredericka finds her husband dancing with a young woman in the middle of a ball, Then, he opens his big mouth and says horrible sounding things to her in front of everyone. Nothing like a scandal or two to start off their marriage. Now, in the Duke's defense, he has a knack for saying things the wrong way even though usually doesn't mean them that way. This story was perfectly timed and natural feeling for the progression of feelings or realization of them. You get to see the characters work things out for themselves. The children were realistic with their fears after losing their parents, but the Duke was so great with the children, I adored those scenes. While Fredericka was like a schoolmaster although it was clear she was dealing with fear as her cousin was still torturing her and fighting for the children. There was a section dealing with this near the end of the book, that I found outrageous and unbelievable and really annoyed me, but I didn't want to remove a star for one scene, especially since it was a vehicle for how the book ended, which was wonderful. (I was seriously yelling at the book though.)

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing this book. All opinions are my own alone.

Yours Truly, The Duke is a delightful romance novel that captivated me with its charming storyline. The slow-burning romance between the protagonists is further enhanced by the amusing antics of the children and the eccentric behavior of Wyatt's friends, who are afraid of marriage. This book is a must-read for fans of the marriage-of-convenience trope, as it will leave you feeling satisfied and content.

I normally really enjoy Amelia Grey, so I was excited to dive into an ARC of Yours Truly, The Duke, the start of a new trilogy from Ms. Grey. Unfortunately, this book was not (in my opinion) up to Ms. Grey's normal storytelling talents. The story here is of MMC Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven, who has just learned he needs to marry in order to prevent his grandmother's estate from going to the *gasp* poets. FMC Fredericka Hale is his ideal solution - she needs a husband to help her retain custody of her three nieces and nephews, but she will remain in the country with the children, leaving him to go on as he always has. Or so he thinks. In reality, Fredericka and her children end up in London with Wyatt, where, as the couple gets to know each other, love begins.

I love a good marriage of convenience trope. But Wyatt's fixation of having a wife who he never has to see until he needs an heir, and his willingness to act on this almost to the end of the book, made him extremely unlikeable as a hero. Fredericka is nice enough as a heroine, but her parenting style was intense, and her inability to take feedback on that point - even if Wyatt didn't really do a bang up job of delivering - made her also unlikeable to me. The romance portion of the book is very slow to start and I never really got caught up in them being in love. As I said before, Wyatt's self-absorption lasts almost till the end of the book. making it a little hard to see him as being head over heels.

All of that said, I would give the next entry in the series a read, especially knowing that Ms. Grey is normally better than this particular book. 2 stars for this one, though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

Wyatt doesn’t want to marry but must post haste to gain an inheritance. Fredericka wants to retain custody of her sister’s children and needs to find a husband.
I love marriage of convenience plots. Wyatt won me over even if he was a cad.
Fredericka was stern with the children but she adores them.
The scene with the kids acting up which causes a major kerfluffle I found hilarious.
The one person I didn’t like was Jane, even at the end.

This was my first full length novel by Ms. Grey with the exception of reading her short story that was included in Kissing Under the Mistletoe.

I’m sad to say this book was a total miss for me, which is sad because I had such high hopes for this story, and for finding another historical romance author to read.

I truly didn’t care for Fredericka or Wyatt at all. Marriage of convenience stories can be very good if they are done in the right way, where the reader is rooting for the fake relationship to turn real, sooner rather than later. But I found myself not caring if they ever took their relationship there, all I cared about was that the kids were stable and safe and in a good household. They really were the best part of the story.

Wyatt didn’t win any points with me from the beginning, and while I was rooting for Fredericka to get to keep the children, I didn’t care at all about her character or if she and Wyatt found love. Jane was just deplorable, and it astounded me that Wyatt was trying to get Fredericka to reconcile with her. No, just no.

I am going to find another book to read by Ms. Grey to see how I like it before I make any decisions on whether to continue or not, and I just don’t want to give up on her books just yet.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

*Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC.*

Yours Truly, The Duke is the first novel in a new trilogy by Amelia Grey. The historical romance tells the story of a marriage of convenience between Fredericka Hale and Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven. While I often love a “marriage of convenience” plot, I ended up feeling like this one was just ok for me. Some of the characters seemed flat - Fredericka’s niece and nephew felt like plot devices, and Wyatt’s friends, who presumably will feature in the next books, did nothing to make me excited to read their stories.