This is an engaging, well-written story, but it's too dark and steamy for me. I wish the content warnings had been included in the book description. DNF.

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

Before I even began this book, I was aware of the author's dedication to her craft. I follow her on Instagram and she creates the most exciting content. She matches tropes to historical romances while educating her followers. She talks about the history of undergarments, cultural significance, and what life was really like in my favorite Victorian bodice rippers. I adore her account and I can see how much research she puts into her slideshows. I preferred her Instagram account to this book, but it was by no means terrible. It just happened to feature tropes that don't make me stand up and cheer. Second Chance Romance and Enemies to Lovers (aka Childish Bickering) won't make this reader break out my pompoms.

When The Duke Loved Me had some great elements, but I wasn't fully invested in the couple. The duke was such a chump who wasn't willing to commit. He didn't want his title and just wasted his daddy's money before he inherited his dukedom. It took a long time for him to accept responsibility and I can't support a lazy daisy hero. On the other hand, the heroine was all that and a bag of potato chips. She was a girl boss to the extreme and the hero didn't deserve her. They had some history together behind a Sims Woohoo Bush, but nothing to necessitate a Victorian pregnancy test.

When the Duke Loved Me didn't live up to my expectations, but I will still continue to support the author online. I love her Instagram page and learn something new with every post. I don't believe I will finish The Rake Chronicles, but I figured I'd give it a chance. The hero was a weenie to the max, but the heroine definitely wore the pants in the relationship. It was honestly just another evening at Weenie Hut Jr.'s When the Duke Loved Me.

I had high hopes for this book & it did not disappoint!

I've been following the author on Instagram for a while now and when I saw she wrote a book, I knew I had to read it. The plot is fun, if a bit out there, but that made it all the more interesting to read. It was also fast-paced which made this a quick read.

This is filled with tropes: enemies to lovers, forbidden love, road trip, etc. All the tropes were executed well. The romance can feel a tad like insta-love but I didn't mind since the characters had wonderful chemistry. Lloyd delivered on the spice! This was hot, hot, hot! So much steam is here, and I was not complaining. I would have liked a bit more of a connection between the main characters but I still enjoyed their romance.

I was actually quite impressed that this was Lloyd's first novel, it's that great! If you're looking for a spicy historical romance, look no further!

4.5 stars!

As much as I enjoyed this story, I admit that I didn't like the hero very much when we first meet him. He came off as a callous and irredeemable rake, and I hated the way he handled things with Catherine when they were discovered in the gardens. However as the story goes on and we slowly learn more about the hopeless situation that both John and Catherine find themselves entangled in, I really became enraptured in their tragic yet undeniable romance.

The characters were beautifully written and complex as they fought to overcome the betrayals of their past in order to achieve a modicum of happiness for their future. Lydia successfully created such an elaborate obstacle for John and Catherine to unravel, and I loved watching as they struggled in vain to deny their feelings for each other. There were some truly steamy scenes in this novel which only helped to solidify the connection between John and Catherine as they grow closer, and I cannot wait for the other Rake's stories🖤

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, hate-to-love-you, tortured hero, scorned heroine, forced proximity, secret pining, forbidden love, band of brothers, STEAMY🔥

Mistakes can have long lasting ramifications affecting even the next generation. Such scandal pushes them apart time and again even when their passionate attraction to each other is strong and constant. The main characters are strong, caring and unselfish as they strive to protect and improve their loved ones situation. There are wonderful loyal secondary characters as well that bode well for subsequent tales. This author is new to me and is now in my favorite authors list.

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

If you enjoy historical romances that involve a mystery or quest, this one will definitely be for you. We start with a garden tryst that ends badly when a duke’s heir and a country miss find out that the person they’re trysting with is a longtime family enemy due to prior scandal. We jump seven years later to find that John, the new duke, is stuck executing an arduous component of his father’s will in order to prevent further scandal to be heaped upon his sister’s reputation. He needs to find his father’s former lover and give her an annuity to fulfill the will and save his sister’s dowry. John needs the help of the woman’s niece, Catherine, who has also borne the brunt of the old family scandal and now lives in poverty with the family of a baronet. Over the course of the book, we learn that the old duke’s indiscretion was revealed loudly and caused a great deal of upheaval for both families involved. Catherine agrees to help John locate her aunt in exchange for money, but she has little hope of finding the woman who ran off and was never seen again. While John and Catherine try to stay serious and professional with each other, it’s clear that they are still attracted to each other, and wish that their family circumstances weren’t so complicated. I really enjoyed learning more about the past scandal as bits and pieces of history unfolded as these two try to locate her aunt. Everything tied together so well and was really interesting to uncover. And of course, the steamy romance between John and Catherine was exceptional.

A Wonderful Heart Warming Romance

He’d never forgotten her even though their families were enemies, she was his one weakness and fantasy all rolled into one.

John, the new Duke of Edington needed Catherine’s help but could they both resist the temptation of being together?

The love and emotions could be felt throughout the storyline with the secondary characters giving that added extra to complete a beautiful well written love story that was easy to read. Add in some hot, steamy, spicy moments and an unexpected twist, perfect, just perfect!

I really enjoyed this author’s style of writing and will definitely been looking to read more from this series.

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

This is my book that I submitted as a test! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXZXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rating: 3,75/5
Spice: 3/5

Lydia Lloyds debut novel When the duke loved me is a feast of tropes!

This has so many elements that I love in my historical romances and that is also where my biggest issue of this book lay. Let’s get the elephant in the room out right away before I talk about the rest of this lovely story.

Family thrown in scandal and the mmc got away with it because he’s the heir to a duke: check.
Fmc getting pretty much ruined by the scandal and now has no money: check.
Mmc and fmc both disguised and kissing and getting caught when true identities are revealed: check.
Mutual pining: check.
The group of ‘rake’ friends: check.
A road trip: check.
Only one room: check.

I mean don’t get me wrong I love all of these tropes, but in this instance it felt somehow disconnected. There was a lot of tell and not much showing. It felt like there was a list of tropes that had to be crossed off and the way they were crossed off was like ‘let’s throw it in because Romance Reasons!’
Unfortunately using ‘romance reasons’ only works so many times and it felt like it was overused.
I think this book probably would’ve really benefitted from another round of editing regarding this.

Now that we got that out of the way let’s go onwards to when we are in the middle of the story and it finally felt as if the book was on its way and it was getting in a flow.

The sexual tension between Catherine and John was SO GOOD. I was so here for it! And I mean.. John just having to get himself off before going into the roadtrip was the best (and hottest!) thing ever. Especially when he finds himself still in a tight (*winkwink*) spot right after.

The letter from Ariel to John! Gosh this just had me. I wanted to melt on the spot. And then John letting Catherine read his reply to the note?! I mean.. that was the moment I was totally gone for John. Even though he does act like a dumbdumb a couple of times and he really needs Catherine to be the voice of reason here.

The communication between John and Catherine was something I very much enjoyed after they finally get to Edington house. They actually talked to each other about what was bothering them and they also trusted each other! I love when this kind of thing happens in romance.

The only thing at the end that left me a bit disappointed was how we didn’t get to see a lot of Henrietta in the last part of the book and I was waiting for that to happen. It did make sense though! This is John and Cathy’s story, not Henrietta’s.

Overall I enjoyed this debut a lot after a little bit of a rocky start and I can’t wait to read what comes next! Especially Tremberly has gotten me curious!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tule Publishing for providing an ARC.

REVIEW- WHEN THE DUKE LOVED ME BY LYDIA LLOYD
This book was so beautiful, fast-paced, and easy to read! I read it in just one sitting. The characters and storylines were perfect. I really loved the relationship between Catherine and John, they were so hot and so in love from the beginning. I liked that the 'Ton' didn't make much of an appearance because they can be so annoying. The main characters were amazing, and so were the side characters especially Lady Wetherby, Ariel, and Henrietta. I liked this book and I'm sure you will too.

Miss Catherine Forster and Lord John Breminster shared a near-tryst at a party, before finding out that they are family enemies tied together by scandal. Years later, when John inherits the dukedom of Eddington, there is a provision in the will that causes turmoil and has John seeking Catherine out. She agrees to aid him - for a price - but neither can hide from temptation for long.

This is the first book in the Rake Chronicles, a debut series from Lydia Lloyd. It was pretty solid for a debut novel but had a very trope-heavy start. I had mixed feeling about the characters, especially John who felt very hot and cold throughout the first half of the story. Thankfully, Catherine does call him on it, which I appreciated. I enjoyed the moments with John's friends at the inn, and I think the flow of the story moved much better in the second half. 3.5 stars.

Tropes: Family Feud/Forbidden Love, Mistaken Identity, Second Chance, Road Trip, Only One Bed, Fake Relationship

Steam: 5

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

John Breminster, Duke of Eddington, wanted nothing to do with Miss Catherine Forster, and certainly not to ask for her help. After everything that her Aunt Mary had done to destroy his family, he could hardly admit that a codicil in his father's will would force him to ask for Catherine's help in finding Mary. The meeting with Catherine did not go well as they both remembered that night seven years ago when they each had assumed a fake identity at a ball and shared a moment of passion in the garden, only to find out each other's true identity. John had recoiled from her and walked away.

Catherine never forgot that night in the garden, and she only agreed to help John find her aunt for a princely sum. The money wasn't for her sole use. It would help her adopted family regain some of their dignity and help with future expenses. Of course, that meant she must travel with John and try to find the location of her aunt, or John's sister Henrietta stood to lose her substantial dowry.

All of the circumstances that bring John and Catherine together seem a bit far-fetched, but as I read further, the will became the driving force in the book. Both of them, as it turns out, had never forgotten their shared passion of that night seven years ago. I liked Catherine. She suffered a lot in her young life, especially during her first Season, which was an utter disaster because the scandal about her aunt and the old duke was still on everyone's lips. John, on the other hand, was mostly distant and aloof. It took a while for me to warm up to him.

There is a lot of angst in the book, but I was surprised at the opening chapter when Catherine was willing to have a tryst with John in the garden. That seemed a little out of character for a well-bred young lady. Also a few situations, especially the one with the modiste, I believe would never happen in Regency England, but for the sake of the plot moving forward, was used in the book. The secondary characters added charm to the book, especially John's friends, which I can see, each having their own book. This is a very good first novel for this author, and her writing flows nicely. As she writes more in the series, I hope that she will stay true to the period and Societal norms of the times.

This is a dramatic and entertaining story. The characters are strong and interesting, and a little heartbreaking. They'll keep you on the edge of your seat. I very much enjoyed reading it.

What a delightful book! A little trope-y but not surprising from a debut author. I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

Scandals from the past have haunted both Catherine and John for years, and forced them to put aside any attraction they might feel for each other. Which was easy until a stipulation in John's father's will sends them on a journey together to find answers.

This debut novel by Lydia Lloyd is wonderful, with enough twists to keep the story moving. While the plot evolves you are treated to entertaining dialogue and the lovely building of steam. This is an open door romance where both POV are explored and giving their due.

3.75 rounded up. When I started this, I didn't realize it was a debut. I've read several "first books" in the HR genre recently, and the writing style here was strong and confident enough that I was sure I'd read something previously by this author. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.

Although the author provides trigger warnings at the beginning, I didn't find anything upsetting (other than occasional frustrations with the MMC, described below). Everything is handled with good taste. The heat level is a 2-3, with open-door sex but nothing outlandishly racy.

Instead of rehashing plot and describing my reactions, I've decided to break down my review into pro's and con's to make it easier for the reader to decided whether this book is for them.

Pro's:
--Again, the writing style is smooth and confident.
--Dialog is pretty true to the time period.
--Catherine, the MFC, is for the most part mature, very likable, and down-to-earth. You sympathize with her situation throughout the book.
--I enjoyed Catherine's relationships with Lady Wethersby and Ariel and later with Henrietta, the sister of the MMC, John.. Their exchanges had humor along with warmth and seemed fully natural, with none of the overdone sweetness or silliness that occasionally creeps into Regency romances.
--The plot has an interesting twist toward the end. I had strong reservations about the set-up involving the will, but you can understand a bit more as that part of the storyline unfolds. I ended up feeling surprisingly sorry for John's dad.
--Good grovel from John toward the end.
--Nicely done epilogue. I liked how it focused on the MC's and not the characters for the upcoming book in the series.

Con's:
--The scene between the MC's at the beginning is sexy, but Catherine's behavior is pretty forward for the time period and the much later scene in front of the modiste I doubt would ever have happened..
--As in many romance novels, there is angst for the sake of angst and sometimes the sex is overused as a plot machination. Not enough talking over of problems before jumping to conclusions.
--John is very hot/cold with a pattern of leaving scenes abruptly, which Catherine calls him out on. It's probably supposed to be his main character flaw but it gets repetitive and makes the plot sag in the middle. He is more likable toward the end (again, good grovel) but it's a while coming.
--Plot-points involving Henrietta and Mary end with more telling than showing.

Overall, though, this is a very good debut Regency romance novel and I would read future books by this author.

As a relatively new reader of Regency Romance, my expectations of the genre were met with this book. While it did have great writing, setting and story - how quickly we encountered spice was a lot sooner than expected (the first chapter sooner than I expected). However, that did not hinder the overall story which I felt provided enough depth and suspense to the characters' dilemmas that were then fleshed out in the subsequent chapters.

My only criticism of the book might be a point in its favour to other readers but I felt that any action or momentum within the book was simply to result in an explicit scene. Also, the character's sexual tension petered off as the book progressed as their hidden illicit attraction became known to each other. This also included a drop in the number of explicitly described scenes. While it did not hinder the plot it simply felt inconsistent for it to almost stop as it neared the final act of the novel.

Overall an enjoyable initial foray into Regency Romance with a decent plot and moderate level of spice.

I’m a big fan of the fantastic trope-centric posts that Lydia Lloyd does on Instagram, so it’s no surprise that she’s packed her debut novel full of them. Insta-lust (literally chapter one!), road trip, forced proximity, only one bed — it’s all there. Enemies to lovers is the main plot driver in a way as they not only have to overcome their own issues but their families’ scandalous shared past as well.

The writing style is lovely and the writer clearly did her research to give Catherine, in particular, an interesting scholarly interest. Excited to read the next book in the series, which is nicely teed up.

A thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a debut novel for this author and I enjoyed the first effort. It had an interesting plot line with an intriguing mix of family drama, angst, lust and a dash of mystery. The story was more of a reluctant romance between two people who grew up in the shadow of past family drama and scandal. The family drama was of sufficient impact as to taint the two main characters relationships with their family and each other, and create a great deal of long drawn out resentment and friction.

Catherine Forster is an orphan who is tainted and essentially shunned from Society because of an affair her aunt had with a married Duke, which was discovered, landing both families in scandal. Unfortunately, because of the various actions of her aunt and her father to defend the family honour, the Forster's ended up losing their estate, and their reputations. Her aunt disappeared, and the stress of everything caused her father to fall ill and die, leaving Catherine an orphan, lucky to be taken in by another family and cared for as one of their own. She decides to steal a bit of joy for herself by joining a friend at a house party hiding her identity. She is immediately attracted to a young vicar there and they steal away to the gardens for a passionate tryst. Only to be interrupted when his friends interfere. It was discovered that she is one of the notorious Forsters and the man she is passionately engaged with is no vicar, but the son of the Duke who ruined her aunt, Mary Forster, and her family, On discovery of this, Catherine's reputation is further sullied, when she is abandoned by him after he demands that she be turned out.

John Bremnster, the Marquess of Forster, at that time, was hiding under the guise of a vicar, in the hopes of having a bit of lighthearted carnal fun at his friend's house party, without the added attraction of his title and status. Little did he know that the woman he was engaged with in the garden was of the family that ruined his own, leading to the destruction of his parents marriage, and his own relationship and respect of his father. But despite his abrupt cut of the woman, as the years passed, he could not help but remember her and his strong sensual attraction to her.

Seven years pass by, and Catherine is now a spinster of 28, and in significantly reduced circumstances with her ad hoc family. She was taken in by a neighbouring baron and his wife, and lived a good life, but when he passed away suddenly, they found that their finances were in dire straits, and were forced to lease his estate to help with his debts, and Catherine, his widowed wife, and her young son, are forced to live very poorly, while doing what they can to avoid the duns.

The opportunity for a large amount of funds comes to Catherine, in a very unexpected way one day when John appears at her door. He had recently lost his father and was now the new Duke of Edington. He still carries a lot of anger and resentment for the past behaviours of his father, and if further incensed by what he finds out in his father's will. He is being further manipulated as his father has insisted that John find his former lover, to give her a stipend from the prior Duke. If John doesn't do so by a certain time, the large dowry that would have been bestowed to his sister, Henrietta, would instead go to a hated cousin, which would throw into question why the Duke is treating his daughter so ill, and taint her reputation. John is incensed by this manipulation, but loves his sister and would not want her birth and reputation to be thrown into question. He is determined to find Mary and thinks his best chance of doing so is through her niece, Catherine. When he tracks her down, he offers to pay her to help in, and in light of her present poverty and wanting to help her adopted family, Catherine agrees.

This forces the two people, who despite being enemies because of their conflicting family histories, to be in forced proximity as they work together to find Mary. During that time, they come to learn about each other as individuals and empathize with each other and their shared history, rather than continue to feud as enemies, and they cannot deny the attraction they still have for each other, and as time goes on, this grows into love, despite the barrier of their family scandal. However, as they investigate the past to find Mary, they unearth some unexpected truths about the past relationships, that threaten their future together again.

A good beginning for a debut novel and series. There is a lot of family history drama and angst that the two MCs have to overcome, and as they go on their quest together, they learn things that help shed light on past relationships, and while it may not earn forgiveness, do help to answer some questions about the past for John and Catherine. This is not a lighthearted romance; they are enemies because of the shared family past and scandal, but learn to overcome the burden of the past to become lovers. I felt sorry for them for suffering the sins of their past relations and how negatively it affected both of them.

3.75 stars out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

4 stars

When the Duke Loved Me is the first book by Lydia Lloyd.

John and Catherine first meet when they are both in disguise at a ball and are instantly attracted to each other. However, they soon find out that the other is related to their rival family, due to a large scandal.

Seven years later, John's father requires John to find Catherine's aunt in his will or else John's sister will not receive a dowry. John doesn't want to fail his sister so he convinces Catherine to hep him even though he doesn't want to speak to her. Neither John nor Catherine has forgotten their one night together.

I found this story to be very engaging and fast-paced. I like many of the side characters and the plot line. Catherine was a very interesting heroine was who fascinated by history and ruins.

My one complaint is that John was so back and forth about his feelings. It seemed like every other page he changed his thoughts about what his intentions were with Catherine.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this story and am interested to read the next book in the series.