Book: Winning Her Duke
Author: Allison B. Hanson
Series: Scots & Scoundrels , Book 1
Length: 280 Pages
Publisher: Dragonblade
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags

Gia Landon is a spinster tricked into a season by her sly father. She meets Jeremy Hale who is the Scottish Duke of Roxughe. They form a friendship both having a love for horses. Neither of them wanted to marry so here is another thing they have in common.

Hale enjoys London as usually most Scottish characters want to return to Scotland. So this surprised me since most Scottish characters hate everything English. The heroine hates London society and wants to return to the country. So there are a lot of twists and turns in this dazzling story.

This book is different from what I usually read by this author. I still enjoyed this book but I love the Scotland setting more. However, that is just a personal choice. Still Allison always writes a good story with fascinating characters and a fast paced story. I still found myself mesmerized by this friends to lovers romance. Also as a lover of horses I loved this common interest between them. A book any romance lover will love.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy and an advance reader copy from Dragonblade publishers. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

What an enjoyable book! The first in the series Scots and Scoundrels, Winning Her Duke will hook you from the start and keep you turning the pages to the very end. Allison B Hanson has a way of bringing her characters to life, with a nice plot, sizzling passion, witty banter and friends to lovers romance. It is a journey for both Gia and Hale as they learn to trust and believe in one another journey to find their happy ever after.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

This is the first book of a new series, Scots and Scoundrels. Despite her despising London society, Gia has been manipulated by her father into a London season. Well no matter, she will just bide her time until her father gives up and she is allowed to return to the country. But while the Season is underway, she finds a true friend in Jeremy, the Duke of Roxburghe, since the two share a love of horses. Jeremy has no plans to marry, and knowing that Gia also is of the same line of thinking, he sees no harm in spending out the days of the Season with her and sharing their mutual passion of horses. But with Gia and Jeremy increasingly spending more time together, they cannot escape the harsh scrutiny of the ton. Misunderstandings inevitably play a role in their relationship before they find their way back to each other.
This was a very well-written story that captured my interest from the very first chapter and kept me engaged and entertained till the end. Gia and Jeremy were two well-matched characters and I enjoyed following their journey from friends to something more. This was a delightful start to the series and I definitely look forward to reading more!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

The first story in the Scots and Scoundrels, I have not read a story by this Author for a long time so when I saw this story I had to read it. Gia Landon and Scotsman Hale the Duke of Roxburghe's story is enjoyable. It held my interest and kept me turning pages. Once I read the book I had to own my own copy.

This was a great read, friends to lovers, horses, banter, and a historical romance! What's not to love?! There were some laugh out moments with a HEA. 100% would recommend this book!

Gia Landon is not your usual young lady. Tricked by her father to have another season in London, she is not too happy. Her one concession is having four of her horses with her. She's not interested in marriage. Jeremy Hale, Duke of Roxburghe, is not interested in marriage, but he is interested in horses. A bond over a horse leads to a friendship between Gia and Jeremy, but what if it becomes more? Her bold and honest comments will leave you in stitches. Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

This might be in a different setting than her normal Scottish Highlands, but the witty banter, romance and a quirky heroine were still all there! Love Allison's books and hope the rest of the guys get their turn at love!

The book was going great to be honest, until I realized that instead of reaching the end of the book I was only about halfway through. That's when I knew that whatever was going to come next was probably going to annoy me. Gia and Hale's story could have ended at that point and everything would have been good, Unfortunately, the book didn't end there and it dragged for no reason. I didn't like that the main characters got together then separated and then together only to be separated again. They had great communication before they got together and yet when their romance started they could barely utter a word to each other. As individuals, I liked both characters, they had their own personalities and I found them well-written. Together they worked out so well in the beginning and I wish that rhythm had been kept for the duration of the book. The epilogue was a nice ending note on GIa and Hale's relationship even if I found myself wishing for a more detailed glimpse of not only the lives of our main characters but also of some of the secondary characters.

as a former horse girl, i loved this story. while friends to lovers isnt always my first pick for favorite trope, i still enjoy the yearning it brings!! i was a big fan of the romance in this book and was excited to learn its part of a series!! cant wait for more!

A sweet and sexy friends to lovers story and the first book in a new series . Not my favourite trope but I really liked how the friendship and love developed over the shared love of horses 🐴 goodreads

Delightful

The love of horses unites them. Gia’s father tricks her into coming to London, but she has no use for the ton. When Jeremy comes to her door, inquiring about a mare, she has no idea how her life would change. Neither she nor Jeremy intend to marry, but their hearts have other plans.

This delightful story made me smile and shed a few tears. It is a lovely story, and I recommend it to lovers of historical romance.

First,historical fiction is my favorite genre and this one did not disappoint. This is the first in a series of Scots and Scoundrels booksand I am already looking forward to the next in the series by Allison B. Hanson, an author I wasn’t familiar with. However I will actively be seeking her out now. The main character, Gia raises and trains prize race horses in a man’s world. Her father, an Earl, fakes an illness to get his daughter to accompany him to London to seek help from a city doctor as their country doctor had recommended. It was all a charade by her father to get his daughter to the London coming out season. Gia is adamant she never wants to marry and is perfectly content to live out her life in the country raising her horses. Her father doesn’t want that kind of life for his daughter. Her trunks and her maid will be at Lydia’s tomorrow in time for the first ball of the season. Lydia’s is the house they stopped at to meet the doctor. Gia fights going to the ball at every opportunity. Gia is very open with her remarks and not at all like the simpering average debutante. She smiles broadly and laughs aloud at the dance which is looked down upon by the ton. She is duly chastised by her house hostess, Lydia. Lydia definitely takes Gia under her wing to guide her through the rules of the ton, which Gia is a part of, since her father is an Earl. Gia dances with a Scot who also is adamant to not having a want to ever marry. He has the reputation for being a rogue. This sets up the story for their future tribulations. All in all it was extremely well done and a page turner for me, giving me the warm fuzzies. I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy this genre, even if you usually, don’t this is well worth the read. I want to give the following a special thanks for allowing me to read and review,. I have given my own honest opinion. Thanks to: #NetGalley, #DragonbladePublishing, #AllisonB.Hanson, #WinningHerDukeScotsandScoundrels,Book1.,Publication Date, February 19,2024. I hope I have inspired you to pick up your copy to read this weekend..

Winning Her Duke is book one in the Scots & Scoundrels series by author Allison B. Hanson. I had previously read this author’s “ Clan MacKinlay Series” and absolutely loved it, so I was happy to see a new series by her featuring a Scottish hero. I have to say that I absolutely loved this book! Our hero is not your typical Scot as he enjoys being in London versus being in Scotland and the heroine in this story is the one who does not enjoy London society and could care less about balls, frippery, and marriage. I enjoyed this flipped aspect with the Hero/heroine as most historical romances have the MCs set up exactly the opposite so it was a fun change.

Never fear though our MCs connect with their love of horses - which again is a bit unique. I loved that this story kept me on my toes so to speak and didn’t necessarily follow the standard plot for historical romance.

Another 5 Star story from Hanson and I am eagerly awaiting the next books in this series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from Dragonblade Publishing via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄 @dragonbladepub
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This historical romance is one for all horse lovers. Our heroine gave up on the idea of marriage and devoted herself to her stables. Unfortunately for her, her father has other ideas in mind. Our hero is a Scot and a Duke. His passion is breeding and racing the best horses. Can they only be friends?
Our characters obsession with their horses gives us an entertaining and fun filled story. Misunderstandings and past disappointments flavour their characters.
I really look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Great fun.

Spinster Gia Landon is tricked into a Season by her father seven years after her first failed attempt, but luckily she meets the Scottish Duke of Roxburghe, Jeremy Hale by chance. Together they form a friendship over their mutual love of horse....will it turn into more?

There were several things that I enjoyed about this book! The beginning definitely grabs your attention, and the characters are relatively likeable. Gia is brash but kind, and she is genuine in her interactions with those around her. Hale is confident without being overbearing, and he actively tries to put Gia's needs above his own. I personally thought the "will they/won't they" became a bit much near the end, especially for Hale (the MMC) who explicitly stated he wouldn't be opposed to marriage as long as it wasn't a marriage of convenience. I felt a lot could've been resolved with a good old fashioned conversation.

The writing was good, but at times a bit choppy. I believe some of Hanson's sentences could've been combined to make the flow smoother. Example:

"It shocked Hale not only to hear that Gia had cried-he'd thought her impenetrable. But more so for the way his chest pulled tight at hearing of her pain"

It is grammatically correct? Yes, but it doesn't transition smoothly from one sentence to the next. Starting the sentence the "But" was a staple of Hanson and was found throughout the novel, and I feel it could've been parried down. Secondly, the writing style was more tell than show. More often than not, the characters were telling the reader details that felt redundant or that we could've gleamed from context clues. You don't have to tell me she laughed and she thought it was funny. Gia laughing is telling me that she thought it was funny

Thank you Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

Gia has been scorned by the ton and she longs to stay in the country raising and training horses.
She meets Hale, a horse mad Duke and they become fast friends with bonding over horses and their care.
As they spend an inordinate amount of time together, their feelings escalate and misunderstandings occur that lead to hurt feelings and separation.
Really enjoyed the lively spirit and unrestrained conversations between the two of them.
Easy to read, laugh out loud moments, and a HEA.

Such a beautiful and lovely story. Most often, the story begins with enemies or friends or even sudden interested parties, but this story didn't begin that way. Instead it began as two people, Gia and Hale, met because of a horse. Throughout the horses continued to be a main focus and draw for the two. First they became friends and then more took place. Beautifully written to take a deep look into the lives of two people who find joy and happiness through friendship, common interests and laughter. A breathtaking approach woven into the regency time period adding color, depth, history and romance to a special time period.

I enjoyed this one! New author for me and I was pleasantly surprised.

Firstly, the author actually allows the characters to be friends for a while which is quite unusual in an HR. They're quite intense friends, but friends all the same.

Horse-mad Gia Landon is brought to London by her father who is pretending to be mortally unwell. Upon his miraculous recovery 10 mins after seeing a London doctor she realises she's been duped. Her father would like her to have a season (her first season a few years ago went...poorly).

So Gia stays, and in doing so meets Hale, the Duke - also horse mad! He finds out that his favourite horse was actually bred and sold by Gia and after that they are more or less inseparable, much to the entertainment of Hale's friends who see things for how they are long before our hapless couple.

The book reads longer than a lot of HRs which I liked - not such a feeling of hurtling toward a HEA.

Lots of quite daft and avoidable (and not terribly believable) miscommunication at the end of the book which did detract a bit from an otherwise solid book.

I'd recommend this one, and I'd read another in this series!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

3.5 at first is was really enjoying this lovers to friends but then…. There were to many miscommunications and Gia not just asking. She seems to only believe her own and others negative talk. I do also wish that the Duke had been more certain, I need one of the two characters to be decisive. The last complications felt so unnecessary, he literally declared his love for her and she still ran off. which is upsetting cause watching their friendship grow to their romantic feelings for each other was so sweet. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC In exchange for my honest opinion.

This is truly an interesting story. I have learned a lot of information about horses, that I did not know. The way the author wove them into the story made it so natural and added to the action between the duke and Gia. The characters were fully developed also. It is not your run of the mill historical romance by far. I heartily recommend this book. A thank you to Net Galley for giving me an advance copy.