Heat Factor: Imma teach you how to masturbate (plus the obligatory scene at the end after they’re married)

Character Chemistry: You know that passion I’ve been suppressing my whole life? Can’t suppress it around you.

Plot: Declan is meant to break up an engagement between Grace and his cousin because she’s unsuitable and obviously decides that he wants her for himself but obviously he can’t have her for *reasons*

Overall: I enjoyed this, but let’s not pretend it’s a fake dating book

The book opens with some very classic Duke establishing information. Declan has self-control at all times because his mother nags him and he must escape the legacy of rage of his very bad dad. Also, his mother doesn’t just nag him about being in control of his emotions, but also about being in control of the family.

Enter Grace, a very unsuitable young woman. Grace is bi-racial (Chinese-British), was raised in an orphanage in China, and has recently been brought to England by her father (who is a peer but definitely not a duke). She knows her way around a ship and can climb the rigging in a most unfeminine manner. She has a very large dowry, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s Not Proper.

Declan’s cousin has big plans for marrying Grace (or blackmailing his family into paying him not to marry her—whatever will get the money). Grace knows that he just wants her dowry but all she wants is security, so she doesn’t much care; love is an emotion she can’t afford.

Anyways, Declan starts getting to know Grace during his very half-hearted attempts to dissuade his cousin, and is very taken with her. There is a smidge of fake courtship here because his big plan is to make her respectable, and the best way to do that is to court her so other men will too, but the fake courtship dynamic is not their central conflict. The trope serves the plot, rather than the other way around.

Rather, their central conflict is about emotional control—in other words, it’s very baked in to who the characters are and their existing internal struggles. Declan begins courting Grace publicly not because of family pressure, but because he publicly freaks out when his cousin touches her, resulting in an altercation where he accidentally tears Grace’s dress and beats his cousin. If Grace wasn’t unacceptable before, she certainly is now, because that scene was public ruination 101. So Declan is concerned about his sudden inability to remain calm when around Grace. Concerned is perhaps not strong enough a word; he is downright terrified that he will turn into a rage monster like his father was. For Grace’s part, she categorically does not want to be with a man who cannot control his anger, no matter if it’s used in her defense (for now) or if the angry guy makes her feel things; remember, her number one priority is security. Well, plus there’s that whole “Grace will never be accepted by the ton and Declan is a duke” thing. (If there’s one thing we learned about dukes when we did our epic duke off, it’s that a true duke does what he wants and damn the consequences.)

Because Lee leans into her characters rather than the plot trappings for conflict, the end result is a genuinely thoughtful romance between two people who society says cannot be together deciding that, actually, society is wrong. The main thing I was feeling at the end was more fist pump than heart flutter, but you know what? That fist pump feeling is pretty great too.

This first book in the Daring Debutantes series was very engaging, unique, and well written. The characters were strong-willed, determined, and complex. It had a lot of plot twists and emotional issues that kept me very engaged. I really enjoyed this intriguing and steamy historical romance. I highly recommend reading!

I really enjoyed Declan and Grace's story. It was fun watching these two navigate their fake courtship and actually finding their HEA with each other.

I started off really enjoying this book, and then kind of became disillusioned with how many times the hero described the heroine as "exotic" and his very old-fashioned views.

This was a DNF for me around 35%. The author's writing style is not for me, I found it dry and was not engaged.

ARC via NetGalley, voluntary review is my own.

The Duke’s Guide to Fake Courtship was an enjoyable, quick read with some unique elements, but it wasn’t without its flaws. I liked Grace, the half-Chinese daughter of an earl—she was smart, brave, and had such a strong presence.

Declan, the temperamental and mercurial duke, was interesting but didn’t fully capture my attention, especially with his struggles around emotions and communication. Honestly, he felt emotionally stunted, and I’m not vibing with that anymore. At my age, communication always makes me weak in the knees…then again maybe because my knees make me feel like I’m 80. But I digress.

The fake courtship was fun at times, but the constant tension over Grace’s background and the repetitive societal disapproval started to feel a bit tiresome. Let’s move on. I don’t want to focus the story on racist characters or constantly have it repeated that Grace isn’t fully white. The repetition of that made me feel a certain way because it almost made it sound like she was less than because of that.

That said, I loved the diverse representation—more authors need to include characters like Grace in Regency stories. I did enjoy Lee's writing style for the most part, though I’m not sure I’d reread this one.

While the romance had some fun moments, it was a bit predictable. The chemistry was there at times, though I wanted more depth. Again, I wish the repeated racist behavior wasn’t so centered on Grace’s character, as it felt like it held back her growth in a way. I didn’t want the focus on the characters who viewed her as inferior because of her mixed heritage. Perhaps, that’s not realistic during this era but it’s just so tiresome to have that throughout the book.

Overall, it was a solid 3/5 stars—not bad, but not something I’d rush to revisit.

She is entirely unsuitable.

I really liked both Declan and Grace. Declan is a duke, 31, who keeps his temper reigned in, least he turn out like his father and uncle. He measures his feelings with care. Grace is a young, half Chinese lady who was claimed by her father. She is worth a pretty penny and Declan's cousin is bent on wedding her and taking her ship. Declan and Grace come to a fake courtship, her to be more accepted, Declan to thwart his cousin and mother.

Declan is fascinated by the entirely unsuitable Grace (who if Grace marries Declan, she'd be Your Grace as well as Grace). Grace is brave, agile and smart.
Recommend for breath of fresh air.

Declan is a stuffy duke with a history of angry outbursts and he’s just trying to keep his emotions in check. Somehow his meddling mother is trying to get him to stop his cousin from marrying an unsuitable illegitimate daughter of an Englishman, so he goes to meet the girl. Grace is half-English and half-Chinese about the launch into English society after living as an outcast in China. She immediately intrigues Declan and he’s protective of her, especially in light of his own cousin’s scheming for her dowry. Circumstances push them into a fake courtship to preserve her reputation, but there’s definitely a deeper connection simmering. Quick read and nice to see some diversity in our stuffy English settings.

DNF at 34%
Honestly I just had a really hard time getting into this book and couldn’t focus on it. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make the FMC “I’m not like the other girls”.

The Duke's Guide to Fake Courtship by Jade Lee, book one in the Daring Debutantes series, is a story of a temperamental duke and the illegitimate daughter of an earl as she tries to navigate society by entering into a fake courtship. Their attraction threatens to turn their arrangement into something much more real. However, the ton with its racist attitude and the Duke's family does not approve of someone of mixed race to marry their nobility. Despite coming from very different backgrounds, Grace and Declan are able to respect and value each other, as their feelings for one another grow.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book prior to purchase.
#NetGalley #Harlequin

Intriguing story about two people from very different backgrounds. Declan recently inherited the dukedom and feels he's done little but solve other people's problems. The latest issue is his mother's and aunt's claim that his cousin Cedric is about to disgrace the family by marrying an unsuitable woman.

Grace is the illegitimate daughter of an earl and a Chinese woman. She and her sister were recently found by the earl and brought to England. Grace knows she needs to make a good marriage to protect herself and her sister.

Grace was a fascinating woman. She disguised herself as a boy in her early life and became a ship's navigator. But when revealed to be a woman, she returned to the temple orphanage where she was raised, where her father found her. She knows Cedric only wants to marry her for her dowry, especially the ship, but she accepts its necessity. Unfortunately, being illegitimate and biracial makes acceptance into Society nearly impossible.

Declan initially agrees with the ladies that Grace is unsuitable as a wife for a man who will eventually be an earl. But his first meeting with Grace leaves him astounded and intrigued. In his attempts to convince Cedric to back off, he offers to introduce Grace to society so she can find a more suitable mate. He uses a pretend courtship to make her more appealing to other men.

But prejudice and pettiness complicate matters, and Declan becomes more and more protective of Grace. There were some terrific scenes during which he stood up for or protected her from harm. Declan is a man who never stops learning, and Grace's life fascinates him. I loved the respect he showed her knowledge and customs.

Grace is drawn to Declan even though she knows there is no way a duke can marry a woman like her. I liked her willingness to stand up for herself and her sister, and loved her self-defense scene. She is equally protective of Declan and is afraid of doing anything that could harm him, including believing they could have a future together.

The ending was fantastic. I loved Declan's "aha" moment and the awesome scene at Almack's. The epilogue was an excellent lead-in for Lucy's story - I can't wait to read it.

This book was okay. It had it moments when Declan and Grace were charming together, but overall when a trope (here she is biracial and illegitimate) is beaten around the bush multiple times as a reason for the relationship not working it becomes stale.

TheDukesGuidetoFakeCourtship #NetGalley

A duke and an earl’s illegitimate daughter enter into a fake courtship, but their undeniable attraction threatens to turn their arrangement into something real.

I love Grace and Declan! These are fascinating characters from very different backgrounds, yet they respect and value each other’s differences.

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

My first time reading a book by this author. A tale involving not justblove and passion, but also the dark side of humanity inthe form of racism, snobbery, and sexual misconduct. I love how the female lead character handled a certain man and his poor behavior. I cheered, literally cheered, at what she did.

Definitely a good read, and I intend to read more of Jade Lee's work. Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for this arc, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

Although I knew Jade Lee from her previous books, I didn't like this book all that much, I found it really unbelievable, which is saying a lot considering I survived the TV version of the Bridgertons. The prose is slow and the plot not particularly compelling. It will be better next time....

Nonostante conoscessi Jade Lee da suoi libri precedenti, questo libro non mi é piaciuto poi tanto, l'ho trovato veramente poco credibile, il che é dire tanto considerato che sono sopravvissuta alla versione televisiva dei Bridgerton. La prosa é lenta e la trama non particolarmente avvincente. Andrá meglio la prossima volta...

I received from the Publisher a digital advanced review copy in exchange for a honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the ARC!

The Duke's Guide to Fake Courtship is a story of a temperamental duke and the daughter of an earl (who tries to navigate society). Definitely a fun and quick read, but Grace's half Chinese birthright made it a little difficult to enjoy at times. Obviously, the ton and the Duke's family would not approve of someone of mixed race to marry, but this does get repetitive after a while. A first read for Jade Lee for me but definitely willing to read more of her backlist in the future!