Give the Devil His Duke by Anna Bradley
Drop Dead Dukes #1

Who knew that pink could become the favorite color of a duke? Or that a woman who said no instead of yes would intrigue him? Or that his plans to redeem the family name would happen…but not quite as he planned?

What I liked:
* Lady Francesca “Franny” Stanhope: only child of a mother ruined under questionable circumstances and father who was a duke till killed in a duel to avenge his wife, loving daughter, abandoned by relatives, living poorly in the country, offered a season by Mrs. Crump, has a plan to save her mother
* Giles Drew, duke of Basingstoke: hedonist, well thought of, rather full of himself, good friend, loves his mother and three sisters, a bit clueless, surprised more than once by Franny, grew a great deal in the story, liked him more at the end than beginning of the story
* Mrs. Crump and the pink dresses
* The plot, pacing, setting, and conclusion
* Meeting Dukes Montford and Gratham who will probably star in the next two books of the series
* Franny’s spirited personality, strength, and willingness to achieve her goals…would love to have her as a friend
* Watching the relationship develop between Giles and Franny
* Giles mother and sisters
* Knowing that there will be two more books to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to
* Knowing that sometimes relatives can be as evil as Giles father and Franny’s uncle and aunt

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB DOESN'T FIT THE STORY.
4 1/2*STARS*
Giles, the Duke of Basingstoke, has already asked Lady Susannah Stanhope's father for her hand. The young lady caught on the fence surrounding the Stanhope house seems different. Granted he had a little too much to drink and he's only seen Lady Susannah once. The young lady he sees at the ball in a prink dress, he describes as a muddy radish, is a distraction. She looks a lot like Lady Susannah. Lady Francesca Stanhope's uncle refuses to see her. Living in poverty, she is determined to negotiate for money for her ill mother and a chance to talk to her cousin. She won't take no for an answer, even if she has to use blackmail. Meanwhile, the golden haired duke keeps the gossip rags in print as his attention is focused more on her than her cousin. A charming duke works his way through his arrogance to capture the lady he really wants.
At times funny and sad, it's a very entertaining enemies to lovers romance. 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I liked Francesca, but Giles - not so much! He’s introduced first completely drunk and then the next scene while having a foursome…yes a foursome. It doesn’t get much better as he does not act very hero like. Eventually, Francesca and her mom are avenged for how they are treated, but Giles’ behavior is all over the place and detracts from the romance.

I’m interested in seeing how his friends’ stories play out, so this was not my favorite, but I want to read the next one.

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

What a lovely story Giles and Francesca. They were enemies to lovers. They found happiness even with all the family dynamics that occurred that ripped their families apart. They learn to forgive and love each other. They cast of characters was great also.

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

I'm not sure what the Dukes questionable bedroom antics have to do with the story. He's a bit sleezy at first but it didn't get out & is not why he chased a wife. He needs to quell a scandal but it's an old one, his Fathers. Father was a real SOB, left ruin in his wake before he kindly kicked the bucket. One of his most horrid acts was chasing a married woman, who told him to jump off a bridge, and then dueling with her husband, killing him. His daughter is in London to see her cousin & try to get money from her Uncle, the new Earl Stanhope. Giles is set to marry her cousin but he meets Francesca and that's it for him, he can't marry another lady. It's interesting reading and Lady Francesca giving a Duke the cut or just plain sass is fun. Book 2 is another of the Duke friends, there's 3 of them altogether. I'm hoping it's a fun as this one.

#GiveTheDevilHisDuke #DropDeadDukes #AnnaBradley #Netgalley #ZebraBooks #KensingtonBooks #historicalromance #romance.

I loved Give the Devil His Duke! It was funny, charming and cute. I loved the evolution of Giles' character an how he went from a careless young man to a very caring partner. And I really appreciated how independent and assertive Francesca was.
The first half of the book was very humorous and the second half was more romantic and cute. I really enjoyed this novel and can barely wait for the next installment in the series.

ooooh the ultimate prim heroine and a reformed rake. I love that this book doesn't shy away from the rake actually behaving like a rake and the slow (but hot) burn between Giles and Franny is so good and drawn out and earned!

Forgive my review, But this is my first I've written in a while, so it's not that fluid, but I think I deliver the essentials.

I always love discovering new authors, especially ones that are on par with my favorites like Kerrigan Byrne and Julie Ann Long... Anna Bradley did not disappoint in the slightest!

The first in Bradley's Drop Dead Duke series finds outcast Francesca Stanhope and the Duke of Basingstoke; Giles Drew in peculiar situations that the morning paper finds all too interesting. Leave it to gossip to stir up trouble! Or romance in this case. The scandal sheets are rife with what is going on between the two even though Giles is engaged to Francesca's cousin (and the cousin is a total twist I don't think anyone saw coming)! The undercurrent's between the two are sweet...not too spicy. I don't even think there's any physical contact between the two until more than halfway through the book! Which is to say if I stayed reading even with that fact, then this book must have been unputdownable! I don't even recall them having full-on sex! This is just perfect because I skip over the sex scenes anyway...it's like watching people doing it! Not for me. Anyway, they only went down on each other and then by the epilogue, she was pregnant! LOVED it!!

Bradley even teases secondary characters' future books in the end which I cannot WAIT to read. I am highly anticipating book #2.

In this funny and clever romance, Giles is a high-maintenance Duke. The Golden One. The ton nicknamed him Helios, the Sun God. Mud would never dare dirty his immaculate clothing, every lady would want to dance with him, his reputation is pristine. Or is it? Francesca is in London to confront her uncle who banished her and her mother after a scandal a decade ago to live in poverty in the country. You see, Giles' father assaulted Francesca's mother and then killed her father in the subsequent duel. His father's reputation was just fine. It was Francesca's mother who was blamed by society and shunned. We meet Giles as he's drunkenly leaving Francesca's uncles' house. They've just signed a marriage contract for him to marry her cousin. He thinks if he marries into the family the past scandal will finally be over. They have a comical first meeting (Francesca is stuck on a fence.) Francesca is argumentative, impertinent, and stubborn. Her mother's friend has offered to sponsor her Season. All she has to wear is a series of hideous pink dresses! But she'll do anything to make peace with her uncle to help her mother. Blackmail, gossip, scandal, and a little groveling make for a fun time. Maybe Giles is marrying the wrong cousin?

I really liked this book. I picked it up and could not put it down. I liked Francesca and Giles. There was a lot of chemistry there. The only issue I had with the book was that the backstory was never completed. I wanted to know more about Francesca and her mother's relationship with the earl.

I kind of had mixed feelings about this one but the things I liked greatly outweighed the ones I didn't. I found it very easy to like Francesca because she was straight up fierce! As for Giles, it was a process. I often felt I should like him more...but just didn't. Still, the story is quite engaging and entertaining. There's lots of drama, emotions and a few tempting twists to keep you happily turning those pages.

Give the Devil His Duke begins the Drop Dead Dukes series with a complicated family history for Giles and Francesca. Scandals from the past (and present) add to those complications. In trying to right a wrong, Giles will stumble along the way as his plan goes way off course when his intended bride elopes with her true love. Now it’s up to Giles to fix a very bad impression he gave to the one woman who he really could spend a lifetime with… and that is not going to be easy at all.

Franny and her mother have been living in destitute conditions ever since her father’s death and her uncle coming into the title. One pompous, cruel man blames the wrong person over a scandal and his brother’s death. Franny has come to London, been offered a season by a family friend, and wants nothing to do with finding a husband but to beg her uncle to provide better for her mother, who is now in ill health. Unfortunately, what Franny wants and what she gets are two far different things.

Give the Devil His Duke is well-written, emotionally engaging, and at times, chuckle-worthy. It’s a good book. There are some scenes that simply didn’t fit (for me) and definitely guided my opinion of Giles. Yes, he redeemed himself and explained away my hesitation, but by that time, I really didn’t care much for him. I did adore Franny; she’s such a stubborn, feisty lady and definitely could handle Giles in her own way. I enjoy seeing beneath the surface of a character beyond what they show to the world at large. And Franchesca is far more than her “prim and proper” surface. Together, eventually, she and Giles fit together well. It will just take a bit of time to get beyond what is being tossed their way as roadblocks.

Will I continue the series? I’m really not sure; that depends on the synopsis of the next book.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Give the Devil His Duke by Anna Bradley is the First book in the Drop Dead Dukes. This is the story of Francesca Stanhope "Franny" and Giles Drew, the Duke of Basingstoke. Giles knows he has to marry and that his time is up so he things that Susannah Stanhope would be a good choice. But he happens upon Francesca in a predicament and finds himself attracted to her but he assume she is Susannah. Francesca is the poor cousin who has come to confront her Uncle. Francesca ends up meeting the Duke. Enjoyed this book.

Giles, Duke of Basingstoke, finds his golden reputation tarnished when a scandal sheet reports that he was overheard comparing impoverished Lady Francesca's ballgown to a root vegetable. It's well known that his father ruined her parents, so his ungenerous comment seems petty and cruel. His attempt to make amends leads to an unconventional courtship. But is his interest in Francesca driven only by concern for his family's reputation—or by love?

This steamy, slow-burn romance is wildly entertaining. Giles is very…well, ducal, but he's also caring and willing to grow. Francesca is rebellious but affectionate. The chemistry between them is combustible. This is a long book but it never drags. I can't wait for the next books in the series!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Not the book for a romance reading slump. Feeling a not great kind of way about the Duke from the beginning, Giles is indeed the epitome of aristocracy - he's bored and more than a little off-putting in the way he behaves. He finds no excitement in his foursome (of which there wasn't much on the page, so I get it) and lobs unthinking insults in public. His sudden flip on the scandal created by one such insult means he throws one girl over for her cousin. This conflict felt like tiptoeing through a laser field trying to figure out his logic.

Lady Francesca Stanhope comes to London to confront her uncle about the shabby way he has treated her and her mother since her father died ten years ago. While waiting for the opportunity to talk to her uncle, she is sponsored by Lady Crump. She is not fashionable, and is teased and laughed at by other young ladies, as well of the Duke of Bassingstoke. Giles wants to redeem the family’s reputation after a horrid scandal created by his father. That scandal is the reason Francesca and her mother are ostracized. It seems that any interaction between Giles and Francesca is fodder for gossip in the scandal sheets, and they are soon the center of another scandal. When her cousin jilts him and elopes, Giles proposes to Francesca. It doesn’t matter that he is attracted to her, he needs this to quell the scandal. Things become unpleasant when Francesca discovers his reason for marrying her. Is their marriage ruined? Who continues to feed stories to the scandal sheets about them? This is a wonderful beginning for the Drop Dead Dukes series. The story is interesting and the main characters are strong. There is some tension, some twists and surprises, and a mystery. The romance can definitely be defined a slow-burn. Even though they didn’t get off to the best start, there is a happy ending.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

4.5 stars
This is a fun, entertaining, good read. Giles and Francesca are interesting, entertaining, relatable characters. Their meet cute is unique and fitting for this couple. I enjoyed these characters and their time on page. Their romance is sweet and has swoon worthy moments. This story and characters captured my attention from the start and held it until the very end. I enjoyed the secondary characters and what they added to the fabric of the story. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

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

This is a jam packed start to a new series by the excellent Anna Bradley.

The Duke, Giles' family and the Stanhopes have a chequered history, with his father responsible for Francesca and her mother living in relative poverty after the death of her father and poor treatment from her uncle and family. Giles is a rake and enjoys his life, but also feels he has a responsibility to repair the rift between his family and the stanhopes, so is about to be betrothed to Francesca's cousin Susannah.

Francesca has ventured to London to try and get some more money from her uncle to help with her mother's failing health, and is being chaperoned by the kind Lady Crump, who has donated her niece Dorothea's wardrobe to the indigent Francesca, who has to endure rose pink dresses with her red hair.

Giles insults her in her hearing by comparing her to a radish in her striking pink outfit, and this hits the scandal sheets, when he tries to make amends by dancing with her at the next event he is stunned by her rejection, which also becomes fodder for the papers. eventually, they are compromised into marriage, where the indomitable Francesca continues to hold Giles to account.

Really enjoyed this one.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

London - 1817

Giles Drew, the Duke of Basinstoke, does his best to please his mother and younger sisters. He knows he will soon need to wed and has an informal understanding with Lady Susannah Stanhope.

Lady Francesca Stanhope, 21, is a cousin to Susannah. Her mother had been ruined by Giles’s father thus sending her and Francesca to poverty in Hertfordshire. Now, Francesca has been invited by an older woman to stay with her for a season in London. The only dresses are those that belonged to another woman and they are all in pink.

At a ball, Giles is overheard saying that Francesca looks like a radish in her dress. This causes a scandal and Giles must now atone for his comments.

The story follows Giles and Francesca as he tries to get her forgiveness and her wanting nothing to do with him. Oh, but mischief is afoot and well-laid plans are about to blow up.

This is a delightful romp which gave me lots of laughs. There is a drunk scene in this book that is hilarious. I loved most of the characters but there are a couple “meanies.” I loved how the author perfectly wrapped up the little side stories. I’m hoping we are going to see some more books following-on from this story. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Give The Devil His Duke is the first book in the Drop Dead Duke series and it was absolutely everything I want out of a historical regency romance. Colorful characters, an action packed and entertaining plot filled with humor, snarky banter, mystery and excitement. This stunning Duke will steal your heart as he tries to do what’s right not only for his family but for Francesca as well. But hold on to your seat as this spirited, strong, as well as beautiful, Lady Francesca will have you cheering her on as she puts the Duke in his place. But most importantly, the romantic and scorching heat between these two is off the charts!

Lady Francesca Stanhope at the age of twenty-one, had just returned to London after ten long years, living with her mother in a small cottage in Ashwell, Herefordshire, since being shunned and blamed by their family for a scandal.
Lady Crump a loyal friend to Francesca’s mother Lady Maria Stanhope was sponsoring Lady Francesca for a season. But Lady Francesca was not in London to dance, or capture a husband, but to try to remain invisible, until she could talk with her Uncle Edward and hopefully obtain some money that would help her mother’s worsening health issues.

Giles Drew the Eighth Duke of Basingstoke, is everything a proper aristocrat ought to be.
At least in the eyes of the ton, he’s charming, honorable, a man without vice, and a paragon of the highest principles. But to try to repair his family’s position after his father’s destructive behavior, he decides to marry Susannah Stanhope. But when a notorious scandal sheet publish details of his questionable behavior. Only one bride can salvage his reputation. Beautiful and penniless Lady Francesca. But will Giles make the right decision?

“How could I tell you, Francesca, that when I saw you in the garden that night, with those blue eyes and all that dark hair tumbling about your shoulders, I thought by some magical stroke of luck, I’d secured the hand of the most beautiful lady in London?”

So entertaining with snarky banter, and Francesca frequently putting Giles in his place had me constantly smiling. And when the scheming, selfish, egotistical relatives who were so mean spirited, received their due from the town I was dancing in my seat. This is such a fantastic start to this new series. You will not want to put this down. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.