There were parts of When the Duke Loved Me that I thought were absolutely great. The sexual tension between the MCs was palpable, the historical elements were incredibly well done, and the road trip forced proximity was so delicious. There’s some great angst that made the book feel fast paced and really had me eager to know what was coming next. Lloyd knows her HisRom audience and WTDLM played some beloved HisRom elements to perfection. I think this was a strong start to a new series by a debut author.
However, I had a hard time buying that Catherine and John were in love. In lust? Absolutely. In love? No. There’s just very little actually relationship development because there’s so much exterior plot going on that, honestly, was a bit too outlandish to be believable. The spice is nice and frequent, but I’d have traded a few sex scenes for a bit more character development.

Overall, this is a good debut and I think Lloyd has a great future in the HisRom world. I just don’t think I loved this one as much as I wanted to.

Thanks to Tule Publishing and Netgalley for an e-arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for giving me access to an advanced readers copy. This was one of my many anticipated reads of the year and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m not someone who thinks books are bad or good based on predictability because I think there are times where predictability is an indication that there is good storytelling on the part of the author. I will say that I didn’t really pick up on the twist with this book and I was so surprised I said “wooooow” out loud lol.

I really loved how down bad John was for Catherine at the very beginning. We need more heroes like that, please! I really adored Catherine has a heroine. I think the only downside for me was that I still felt the relationships between John and his friends were merely surface level but at the same time..you can only do so much relationship building in a romance w/o taking too much time away from the couple. But this makes me excited for the rest of this series because I want to see the rest of the fakes more fleshed out.

I think this was a pretty good start to the series and I cannot wait to see where we are taken with the rest of it!

This was a pretty decent book to the start of the series. However the plot moved so fast with little character development and all the sudden Joh and Catherine are suppose to be secretly pining for each other. Pacing of the story could be better, but does not detract from a solid historical romance. Looking forward to the second book of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lydia Lloyd, and Tule Publishing for the ARC.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really did not like the characters in this the girl was like oh yeah I will forgive everything you said to me it doesn’t matter. Then we have a Duke that is just a jerk and not a fan. Just not in love with this.

When the Duke Loved Me by Lydia Lloyd, if you're a fan of Eloisa James, Sophie Jordan, and Vivienne Lorret, this is the book for you. Action pacts of love, betrayal, scandals, steam love scenes (will not spoil), and friendship beyond trust that is soul connected.

John and Catherine are two souls that truly know their worth, but everything has a price. Amazing book!

I just reviewed When the Duke Loved Me by Lydia Lloyd. #NetGalley
[https://www.netgalley.com/member/book/289299/review]

I loved this one. It has a lot of things I love: enemies to lovers, tortured family histories, one bed, and a bluestocking heroine. At first, I was worried there was a bit too much insta love happening, but the rest of the book made the initial attraction work.

John and Catherine meet at a ball, visit a ruin, and start to get romantic, but before things go too far, they learn that they're members of enemy families. When the two were children, John's father, the Duke of Edington, and Catherine's Aunt Mary were caught in a very compromising position, and the subsequent scandal ruined Catherine's family. Eight years later, John is now the duke and his father has left a clause in his will that will give away his daughter's large dowry unless his son locates his former mistress. John turns to Catherine, who is living in very reduced circumstances, and although she's not happy to see him again, she agrees to help him find her aunt for a large sum of money.

They end up on a road trip in search of the aunt, and although they seemingly can't stand each other, there's definitely a lingering attraction. The chemistry between the characters is really well done and their growing connection is lovely.

The angst was just the right level, with the family history coming between the two. I don't like it when angst feels forced, but this was perfect because the baggage between the two of them was real and truly the kind of thing that would keep people apart, particularly in Regency society.

When the Duke Loved Me is a great debut novel, and I'm excited to read the next books in the series.

3 out of 5 stars to this solid debut!

This was definitely a great book, but the build up to the steamy scenes built them up too much when it came to the length of the sex scenes/encounters because they were just way too short.

Full review to come when I have more of my thoughts together later this week.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lloyd’s debut novel and read it in one sitting. The plot moved at a nice quick pace, never feeling rushed. The main characters chemistry was *chef’s kiss*. And the plot twist honestly surprised me. Now I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next in this new series and more from this talented debut author.

When the Duke Loved Me is everything I want in a historical romance. True love, yearning, family circumstances keeping them apart, and absolutely delightful banter. I am 100% in love with this book. Lydia Lloyd is a new author to me and she is now permanently on my go to author list. I’ve finished this book in one sitting and could not put it down. Do yourself a favor and read this!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

An outstanding debut by Lydia Lloyd! “When the Duke Loved Me” is a diamond of the first water!

If you follow Lydia on social media, you know that when it comes to historical romance, she has PHD, she is an expert on everything people love in a romance novel and when it comes to her own writing she delivers! She blends all the best tropes, thorough character development, unexpected plot twists and well written dialogue with a voice that is contemporary and fresh but also of the period in which she is writing. Fans of Lorraine Heath, Lisa Kleypas and Johanna Lindsey will adore this book!

Synopsis:
A longstanding family feud between John and Catherine’s families paints them each in scandal in the eyes of society. Eager to escape each of their stigmas, one fateful night when they are young they each pretend to be different people and end of having a passionate and unforgettable tryst among ancient garden ruins during a country ball. Caught by friends who want to warn them away from each other, they part but never forget one another. Years later, John inherits the dukedom and in his fathers will there is a stipulation in which Catherine, the woman who has ruined him for all others is the only one who can help. Catherine is desperate for funds after her family was ruined by scandal and so she agrees to help John, but their passion is undeniable and the scandal that has kept them apart all these years finally brings them back together.

Lydia Lloyd gives us a second chance, enemies to lovers, rake/bluestocking, road-trip romance with only one bed at the inn masterpiece complete with garden, desk AND carriage banging, fantastic secondary characters and of course a happily ever after. Lloyd knows her demographic well and gives the people what they want!! An absolute must read! I cannot wait to read what she writes next!

Lydia Lloyd's debut novel, WHEN THE DUKE LOVED ME, is one to look out for on your local bookshelf. Llyod's knowledge of romance novels and dazzling subversion made this novel a thrilling read!

The evolution of Catherine and John's relationship is well-written and tugged at my heartstrings in every direction. I highly recommend this upcoming release!

Catherine and John are tainted by the past. Catherine by her aunt and John from his father. Fate has thrown them together to find a missing person. None of it goes according to plan and hearts are broken. And then hearts are mended. After untangling their family histories they try to move forward with their lives.
This story has a lot of ups and downs and a few slow spots but overall a good read. I'll be looking for the next one in the series.

OMG i really liked this book. At first I didn’t know because the first chapter was so FAST like it happen a lot of things to fast and I wasn’t sure to keep reading it, but the end of said chapter made me stop on my tracks and I JUST COULDNT STOP READING IT. I couldn’t put it down Lydia has such a fast paced quill that without realizing I was 60% in yesterday and I finished today.


SOOOO GOOD, can’t wait for the other books of the series.

What a debut! This is Lydia Loyd's first novel and the first in a series and she came out with a bang!

Drive-by summary:
Catherine Forester's life has been ruined by scandal. She seeks to enjoy one night of anonymity and pretends to be someone else, only to find herself in the arms of a mysterious vicar. It all blows up, when she finds out that said vicar is really John Bermister, the heir to the family that caused her won family's downfall. John is equally appalled to realize he has been cavorting with the enemy. Unfortunately for both of them, their one night was so memorable that they can't stop thinking of it for over 5 years, until.... John is forced to ask Catherine for her assistance. They embark on a road trip adventure that will test their restraint as their attraction to each other becomes uncontrollable.

Things I loved:
*Lydia really sets up the series well. I loved each of the 'Rakes" and can't wait to read their stories.
*Chemistry was on fire.

Things I was meh about:
*I wish Catherine stood up for herself more.

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the plot, but the romance is basically 100% lust based with practically zero relationship building. If you’re looking for a slow burn, this isn’t it because the couple gets physical in the very first chapter. The speed in which these two get physical was a bit off putting to me, especially since John is pretending to be a poor vicar at the time. I did enjoy the author’s writing style though and given that this is her debut novel, I would be willing to give her another try.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lydia Lloyd, miss girl, what kind of drug did you put in this? because I was unable to put this book down. I made the mistake of starting it during a busy week, and honestly? I couldn’t bring myself to put it down.

I’ve been following this author on Instagram for a while now, and when she announced this book, it is safe to say that I was thrilled.

As far as debut novels go, this one was great. I was pleasantly surprised by how good of a writer Lydia Lloyd is. Her writing, as well as the plot had me hooked, and that plot twist at the end? It really caught me off guard. The characters were well structured and the novel was well-paced. If you’re into historical romance, I highly recommend this, it’s one of the good ones.

I absolutely loved Catherine and John’s relationship. The chemistry was on point and the spice, the spice was definitely there. The only issue I had with them is that it all happened a little too fast, I would’ve preferred a little more development. However, I’m not the biggest “insta-love” trope fan, so this might just be a me problem.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just be here, not so patiently waiting for this author to publish more books, because I am officially a fan.

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it early ✨

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed reading this historical romance. It was low angst and the spice was just right.
The will they won’t they tension of the book is just right. You know they will but when is the question, and I love this so much more than characters loathing one another and then finally ending up together.
I really loved the dynamic between the two MCs too. Their chemistry was so good I couldn’t wait for them to finally give in to one another.
There were a few twists in the story that were done well. I had my suspicions about both of them so I really liked how they did end up playing out.

This book has really pulled me into the historical romance reading mood and I don’t hate that.

I definitely recommend this book for fans of historical romance.

I can’t wait to read the second book in this series.

An enjoyable tale about destitute Catherine Forster and the Duke of Edington, John Breminster. John needs Catherine's help to execute his father's will. Along the way they resolve the issues of their past and fall in love with one another.

I loved this story, it was well written with a well paced relationship progression. I like both of our main characters. The Secrets revealed along the way kept me interested.

Will definitely check out the authors upcoming works.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, opnions are my own.

I skimmed most of this book because I kind of wanted to know what happens but also didn’t want to read it. I just didn’t care about these characters or plot. The romance was physical attraction and I was so tired of hearing how the characters wanted to kiss each other. The plot with the hero’s father and heroine’s aunt was okay but not compelling enough to keep my interest. The duke and his friends boasting about how many and often they have had different women was gross. I love a good Rake character but no thanks. Sad to say I didn’t care about this book at all.

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

John Breminster is a new Duke besotted with Catherine Forster after meeting her at a friend's party years ago. The problem is that their families are rivals due to a scandal between John's father and Catherine's aunt and father. Due to a stipulation in John's father's will he needs to locate Catherine's aunt who has seemingly disappeared. He visits Catherine, who has not fared well since their last meeting. She, her aunt, and her cousin are in dire straights. Catherine agrees to help locate her missing aunt with John for £10,000.

While attempting to locate her aunt, they spend a lot of time in close proximity in a carriage, there's an only one-bed situation and a whole bunch of other steamy moments. They bicker and fight like an old married couple, but they keep pushing each other away because they don't believe they can't be together due to the past scandal.

This is a tale of a headstrong woman and a rake with a heart of gold. I adored every second and devoured it in the course of two sittings. Not only John and Catherine, but John's friends The Rank Rakes, and his sister add levity to what could be a heavy time for both characters. I hope each of John's friends gets their own story.

I can't say much more without giving away the whole plot. Just know this is a story about redemption, lost love, and the length people will go to for love. It's a beautiful story and I can't recommend it enough.

Tropes/Triggers, etc: Death of a parent (in retrospect), grooming of underage girl, kissing without consent, poverty, Second Chance, Enemies to Lovers, Rival Families, Rake, Bluestocking, Only One Bed