Don’t Judge a Duke by His Cover by Emily E.K. Murdoch
Dukes in Danger 1

Hoydenish young woman of the ton meets Duke masquerading as a boxer while working undercover to catch a treasonous murderer…should be interesting and filled with intrigue but…sadly…not.

Julia Dryden pushes her brother to take her to a boxing ring in a questionable area of town, distracts one of the boxers to the point he is knocked out, and she feels compelled to check to see if she is okay. She tells her brother to leave her and go home…and he does. I kept reading to see what would happen, see if she would have a chaperone, see if she did anything ladylike at all and…again…suspended belief to keep skimming the story.

The romance between Lawrence the boxing duke undercover and Julia the independent naïve hoyden who ran free through London was SLOW. The mystery and search for the traitor was more a matter of waiting for the man to appear, and the class issues were overcome by some with greater ease than probable.

This is a romance with a happy ending that did not draw me in, make me feel invested, or care about the outcome…and that made me sad.

I think that some will enjoy this story, but it did not work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars

I liked the character's in this story but it didn't live up to my expectations otherwise. The mystery didn't involve any real solving in that that just hung around until a character reappeared and didn't do anything to resolve the matter otherwise. Julia's behaviour was not believable for a character from the era. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

He was undercover when they first laid eyes on each other. It’s a story of loving a person for who they are as people rather than their rank and riches. It is also about trust as a requirement for a strong relationship. A positively enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

I was happy to see a new series from Emily EK Murdoch, but this book did not quite meet my expectations. The book tells the story of a duke who has gone undercover as a boxer to try and track down the man who killed his brother and the feisty woman who comes from the Ton - though not the Duke's circle in the Ton - and captures his attention and eventually his heart.

Lawrence and Julia's romance is super slow-burn and while there is some insta-lust, would be better described as friends to lovers. I didn't mind any of the characters, but the plot happenings seemed incongruous and impossible for the time period. Julia constantly wanders around London on her own, even while her mother is hoping she will make an aristocratic match. She attends multiple boxing matches without anyone saying a word or bothering her. She almost never goes to ton events, despite having a mother Julia describes as being overbearing. Lawrence remarks in his mind about Julia's lack of chaperone multiple times, yet the issue is never addressed in the narrative.

The plot point around Lawrence's brother's murder wrapped up in a very anti-climactic way. It made the whole undercover expedition seem a little pointless. Overall, I give the book 3 stars. I like Ms. Murdoch's writing and would still read more from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for an ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

While I was hooked with the premise of this book, (I liked the idea of a lady falling in love outside her class) I was very disappointed with the result. I spent most of the time reading with incredulity! Julia tags along with her brother to a boxing hall near the docks of the Thames, where they meet Lawrence. Yet for months after, when Julia goes by herself to the boxing den about twice per week, she goes unaccompanied and dressed as a member of the ton. She is not accosted by either beggars or robbers or molesters! And no one notices?!?! She doesn’t try to disguise herself as a lady’s maid or stable boy. I was disappointed there wasn’t any sleuthing for the villain. And finding and apprehending of the villain was so anti-climatic, I almost missed it. Most of the story revolved around the slow courting dance between Lawrence and Julia as they get to know each other.
Overall, a disappointing read for me.

4.5 stars

The start of a new series. The hero is undercover as a boxer, looking for the man who killed his brother, the previous Duke. The heroine is fiesty and wants to go an see a boxing match. She manipulates her younger brother into taking her.. Donald is dismissive of Lawrence, the boxer and you know that when Lawrence says we aren't the same rank in society, Donald/Jules think they are above Lawrence whilst he realises that they are much below him. Lawrence likes the fact that Julia likes him for being the man he is and is willing to risk all by marrying a boxer. Julia's mother is a bit of a snob and has threatened Julia with finding her a husband if she doesn't find one herself. I thought the under cover bit dragged on a bit too long and there was a sudden rush at the end, It requires a lot of suspension of belief as Julia should have twigged Lawrence's vocabulary (incongrous?) wasn't the normal speech, neither were his table manners. Overall a good start to the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this book but there were too many parts that were weak.
Lawrence has gone undercover as a street boxer in order to find the man that killed his brother. Nobody can know that he is a duke.
Julia's mother has demanded she marry by Easter but she would rather be unconventional l. Convincing her brother to take her to a boxing match.
I did like the relationship between Lawrence and Julia. There was instalust but they do spend a lot of time together and become friends.
That was my first problem, Julia never had a chaperone , she just wandered around London when she wanted, skipped invitations etc.
Lawrence lies to her for way too long. I feel like the truth should have come out much sooner so she could help with finding the killer.
The investigation was barely that, there was no real attempt to find the killer. And the way he found him was pathetic and dull.
This should have been a better book.
2.5 stars and I think I am dont with this author.

The Lady and the Fighter:
We meet Lawrence (who is really a duke undercover for the crown) boxing his way to find another boxer who is a traitor and murdered his brother.
While being pummel badly in the ring he makes shocking eye contact with a young lady engrossed in watching him and this fun and exciting romance story takes off from there. The strong pull of desire between Lawrence and Julia is all consuming.
Julia an upper-class lady who should not be seen in this apart of town. Society would call scandalous behavior and could ruin her reputation.
I truly enjoyed the story even though Julias behavior seems fairly preposterous.
The characters were delightful and full of spark with lots of flirting and desirous kissing which leads to a very happy ending and a lovely heartfelt confession.
The story points out how difficult living under societies class rules can hinder one's feelings.
Mature level. 1+ out of 5

A Great Series Starter!

I’ve been looking forward to a new series from Emily and found this first book in the series a lovely read. I loved the take on the story around boxing with a Duke in disguise and Julia who was quite an independent person.

Attraction flares for both of them when they first see each other but Lawrence doesn’t need any distractions from the mission of finding his brother’s killer. Julia wanted a little freedom from the rules of the ton and being at the boxing ring with her brother was a start.

A fun regency romp of a story which is entertaining but not to be taken too seriously with a HEA! I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this story! A quick read, everything here worked for me, and was exactly what I didn’t know that I needed to read ❤️

This is a quick and fun historical romance. I love the idea of a woman falling in love with a boxer who is a duke working undercover to solve his brother’s murder. It was a unique and interesting premise.

Julia has an independent streak, and she often ventures around without a chaperone. She very much rejects the rules of society and avoids the constant pressure from her mother to marry and marry well. Julia says what she thinks and goes where she wants, which is how she meets Lawrence at the boxing ring.

Lawrence’s focus wavers when he meets Julia, and their love story has total insta-love vibes. I love how quickly they connect and how drawn to each other they are. For much of the story, Julia doesn’t know Lawrence is a Duke, and she falls in love with him when she thinks he is a boxer. There’s one scene where he comments that he has nothing to offer her, and Julia’s response is just perfect. They have great chemistry, and their love story is one you want to root for.

I feel like the investigation into his brother’s murder falls by the wayside. I wish the story had delved into that a bit more. It would have been great to have more of a backstory, or more development when it came to Lawrence’s sister. I also wish the secondary characters were developed more, especially Julia’s brother, mother, and Lawrence’s coach.

Overall, I liked the story. It is fun and entertaining, and there’s a little drama and suspense. I think it would appeal to readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers romance, insta-love, undercover missions, and HEAs. Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book All thoughts are my own.

I do not like when I try new authors that others love and think “what am I missing”. That happened with this story. Here is my take away - it was so slow and boring. I am not the biggest fan of friends to lovers but the friendship in this just took too long. Not that this isn’t someone else’s cup of tea because it very well might be. I did like that Julia fell in love with the boxer Lawrence and not the duke Lawrence.

Kicking against the goads, Miss Julia Dryden is frustrated with the rules of society and the daily dictates of her ambitious mother. She, therefore, persuades her reluctant brother to take her to a boxing match and finds herself entranced by the tall boxer who seems in command of the ring. Until he isn't. When Lawrence comes to after a disastrous match, he finds a society beauty gazing down on him, and so begins his slide into romance and love. As an agent of the Crown, and undercover at that, Lawrence finds it increasingly difficult to resist the persistent Miss Dryden. I expected the novel to have some suspense and a certain amount of sleuthing to discover the whereabouts of the traitor who murdered Lawrence's brother, but the only suspense lay in trying to keep his cover under Julia's constant probing. The novel is witty and entertaining, it is a standalone and does come to a happy conclusion. I received a copy of this romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I was surprisingly enthralled with the characters in this book. I picked it up and read it straight through.

I really enjoyed the rough and tumble undercover gig that Lawrence had. He pulled off the humble boxer living off of very little quite well. The characters just felt "real" to me. Julia went places ladies just didn't go and said whatever she thought. I loved the romantic that was about true feelings for eachother instead of letting rank get in the way. I liked the bonding over boxing that happened.

My favorite part was Julia's boxing lesson. It was very simplistic yet very romantic. I think she made need some future lessons since she isn't afraid of being in dangerous situations.

This series started off super strong! I hope that is just a good sample of what is to come.

Thank you to Dragonblade and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

Lawrence, Duke of Penshaw, is currently undercover as a boxer so he can catch his brothers’ killer. What he didn’t expect was Miss Julia Dryden, a most out of place distraction.

There a few things that you have to suspend your disbelief for in this period romance. That the upperclass Julia is frequently wandering the east end alone, no chaperone or maid (highly unlikely). That during the season she’s able to go so frequently alone. That she, an upperclass woman would spend time with someone so below her, as someone from the UK class is still an issue now so this is a huge suspension of disbelief. Especially when she is seen by many walking with him. That the Duke would blend in and even best all these scrappy boxers. So much of the story, the romance, is spent by the boxing ring too, it just seems so preposterous. I found it hard to see past all these issues, they brought me out of the story.

Lawrence, a duke, is working undercover for the crown. He is a boxer. Julia goes to watch with her brother and sparks fly between her and Lawrence. Not being able to tell her who he really is torments Lawrence. Will they ever be able to marry? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.