This was a super cute book with a good combo of humor, intrigue, and romance. While I do wish the romance leaned more heavily into something like enemies-to-lovers (it felt more like one was just using the other until suddenly that turned into love), or that the mmc had more redeemable qualities in the beginning, I still enjoyed the journey.

Thanks to netgalley and dragonblade publishing for the arc!

The hero in this historical romance is the illegitimate son of a duke. Although his father acknowledged him, and paid for his education, the stain of his birth never leaves him.
He uses his size, and life skills, to serve either those who pay him or need help.
Our heroine has lived a simple life in a village near Hull with her mother. Her mother only explained why they were there, just before she died. Now she is determined to claim her birthright.
There are quite a few characters in this story that cause all sorts of problems. It is a steamy read, with an amusing edge. Nothing will be easy.
Although it is part of a series, each book is totally separate.
Great fun.

A miss...

I really wanted to dive in and enjoy this one, but it kind of was a miss for me. Bram, illegitimate, is of two minds, and the not nice one always seems to win. That and he thinks everyone needs a spanking, and not in a good or fun way. Maybelle, aka Bluebell is a country lass, who is actually a lady. She's his golden, pretty foil. But I just couldn't vibe with the book.

First I like the premise of the story. What I didn't like was Bram continually lying to Marybell. She's smart and strong but not street smart at all. She's taken in by his lies and can't seem to see that if he's deceptive now, he will always be that way. Because I had a really hard time with the character, it took me longer to really get into the story. I'm going to rate it higher than I would normally only because it's my hangup rather than others.

Rules for A Bastard Lord by Katherine Lyons is the story of a man who can’t accept his past and move on, and a woman who embraces her past and hopes for more. Bram Hallowsby is is the illegitimate son of a duke, recognized and educated, but no more. He believes it keeps him from anything good so he acts a bodyguard to a couple he can’t abide, nor trust. Bluebell, birth name Maybelle, is a humble girl who supports herself in a small village, mostly by peddling herbal remedies, but is the favorite of everyone. She longs to be a lady and is, in fact, one by birth. Her father is the son of an earl. All she has to do is prove it and approach him. She is clever and creative and joins forces with Bram to accomplish her goals, although she discovers they are not what she thought they would be.

I had a tough time getting into this novel. Not sure why; usually enjoy Lyons’ books. Bluebell manipulates, but she does it with a good heart. She discovers the ton is not all it’s made out to be. She’d rather have Bram. He, of course, doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. And so the story goes. They are both enticing characters and the story is decent. It was a good way to spend an afternoon.

I was invited to read Rules for A Bastard Lord by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #KatherineLyons #RulesForABastardLord

Conning into love

Maybelle & Bram
She’s a country girl from Hull who recently discovered her father was an earl’s younger son. She’s clever, creative and cunning – she had to be in order to survive – and now that her mother died, she’s ready to find her family and demand they recognise her.
He’s a duke’s by-blow who managed to carve out a spot for himself on the ton’s fringes by solving their problems big and small. His father may have sent him to university, but Society never forgets on which side of the blanket one is born.

Their meetcute was fun sticky situation; she nearly cons him out of everything and then manipulates him into giving her Lady lessons. He sees through her schemes from the get-go, but decides to play along because she’s a mighty fine morsel and even bastards get hungry. And so, after some bickering, wrestling a giant pig and picking a flower, they set off for London together...

Both MCs are interesting and capable; I liked their background story and the way they were written. They both have a firm opinion of the other from the start, and a goal in mind. It all shifts as the story goes on, but felt rather rushed towards the end with a few charming moments in between. The plot was good, but something about the flow of this story just didn’t work for me and I had a hard time staying invested.
And then there were his so-called friends and con-artists Cara & Dicky: they were a farcical and funny intro to the book and Bram’s character, but they keep popping up throughout the story and quite frankly, they are rather annoying and pointless.
Conclusion: not bad, but it wasn’t my jam.

⭐⭐⭐✨

A romantic comedy that at times slid down into slapstick humor, was entertaining if one ignored the conniving and manipulation. Maybelle is obviously loved by the community within which she grew up, but she nevertheless lives by her wits, and when Bram appears on the scene, a man who also lives his life with the tools he has been given, they make an interesting pair. I laughed in places and scratched my head in others. Nevertheless, the novel comes to a good conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Rules for a Bastard Lord introduces us to Bluebell and Bram. Bram, as the title implies, is a bastard stuck on the outskirts of good society. Bluebell is making her way into gentle society. She's clever and is no damsel-in-distress. She'll figure out a plan and make sure someone else is paying for it. Bluebell was a very enjoyable FMC. I enjoyed Bluebell & Bram's meet-cute and how they got to know each other early on in the story.
Bram is shown as a protector of innocents, but he doesn't quite pull it off with the FMC. I wasn't a fan of his false apology. Dicky and Clarissa were funny at first but were becoming annoying continuously popping up.
Conclusion: The book is an enjoyable read and Bluebell is a fresh portrayal of our typical FMC in historical romance novels. As my first read by Katherine Lyons, I will definitely read more of her books.

Thank you Netgalley & Dragonblade Publishing for providing an ARC of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed it; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rules for a Bastard Lord centers around MMC Bram and FMC Bluebelle. Bram is the bastard born son of a duke, and Bluebelle, a country girl searching for the truth about her family. The dynamic between the two can be predicted by this description alone - country mouse and big lion. I did enjoy that Bluebelle was a capable female lead. She is smart, capable and cunning. Bram was, unfortunately, not likable. He is dishonest at the start, apologizes for show, and then remains dishonest throughout. It’s very hard to get past this and enjoy the romance between them as I constantly thought Bluebelle deserved better. The sex scenes were frequent and didn’t help move the plot along either, so that’s not usually something I enjoy.

If you’re looking for a short read, dishonesty isn’t a turn off, and you’re not in the mood for something plot heavy, this would be a fun one to check out. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend.

I was really hoping to like this one but one very unlikable MMC - I honestly couldn’t stand him and just wanted to DNF as he tried to seduce the FMC who kept telling him no. . Not sure what about this was suppose to be romantic 🤷🏼‍♀️

As the illegitimate son of a duke, Bram Hallowsby has spent his life in the shadows. He's been educated but knows that he can never truly be part of society and he carries this weight on his shoulders for much of the book. When he meets Bluebelle, our heroine, he agrees to help her discover the truth about her family but recognises that she deserves better than the scandal that would come from a life with him.

This was an enjoyable romp although the ending felt slightly rushed and it would have been good to get a little more detail to fill us in on what happens next! From time to time some modern vocabulary jumped in which felt slightly jarring in the historical setting and every appearance of the secondary characters Dicky and Clarissa was too often for my liking but all the same, this was good fun.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing an advanced copy of this book, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Great addition to the series!! Katherine Lyons and Rules for a Bastard Lord are fantastic. I was rooting for a HEA from the very start. It had all the feels-- smiles, tears, hope, stubbornness and a will to win. A page turner for sure. Free Arc from NetGalley for honest review.

Bram meets Maybelle under odd circumstances while he is a bodyguard and she is selling potions.
Bram is a bastard son of a Duke while Maybelle discovers she is the granddaughter of an Earl.
She is not prepared for society or to take on this role.
Bram falls in love with her but refuses to claim her as he feels she deserves a better man.
For her, it is only Bram despite class differences and prejudice.
Enjoyable read.

BOOK: RULES FOR A BASTARD LORD
AUTHOR: KATHERINE LYONS
PUB DATE: MARCH 2025
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REVIEW- 2.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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THINGS I LIKED
1. I liked the author's portrayal of the FMC's simple life as a 'peasant'
2. I liked the author's realistic portrayal of how bastards were treated then
3. I liked and admired the FMC's zeal to survive and prove her parenthood
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THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. The MMC, I didn't like his plot to seduce the FMC while he knew he didn't want to offer her anything. I just couldn't get past that
2. I didn't understand the role of the Dick and his wife's constant reappearance in the book, it was unnecessary.
3. The FMC's abrupt change of heart.
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This book was not my favorite. I just couldn't get past the MMC's character in the beginning.

I liked the setup of the book. I liked that Bram and Bluebell got to know each other before she was reinstated as the newly rediscovered granddaughter of the Earl, so without the pressures of society.

Bluebell was clever, educated, fierce, loyal and determined. Bram’s character was less great, in my opinion. He was offended and hurt by people lying to him, but he did the same to Bluebell. First he offered to accompany Bluebell to London in exchange for her sleeping with him, which of course angered her, and rightly so. Then he apologized - I was happy he redeemed himself a bit - but he just ‘apologized for show’ and went on to use tricks to seduce her anyway. And he kept on lying to her; about the carriage being stolen, and her horse. He even contemplated marrying her when he found out she was the granddaughter of an earl and might come into funds. He did help her but the lying and dishonesty, also about her virginity, was off putting to me. But other readers might not mind and will just enjoy the story.

The pace was good. The secondary characters Dicky and Clarissa were annoying but used as filling in the book and used as a backdrop to Bram’s life. I did like how the issue with Jeremy was resolved in the end. It also brought Bram and Bluebell closer together.

After 75% of the book the title finally comes into play: that Bram as a bastard isn’t suitable company to a lady of the ton. At this point you wonder why Maybelle/Bluebell might want to stick around in London, and not just leave together?! Maybelle/Bluebell and Bram do get their happily ever after albeit a bit sudden, but how? You’d have to read the book to find out. I would have liked an epilogue, though.

Content 411: there are several graphic sex scenes in the book, that could have been left out. I think the story would have been fine without it.

Thank you Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing an advanced copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed it; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the story of this book… for the characters Bram and Bluebell I think they had to have the time and space to get to know each other and to really be able to see them fall in love with each other and you can only do that by taking the time to put them together to confront Bluebell’s Earl of a Grandfather. The spice was well timed through out and you can see how it deepens their feelings for each other and really makes them confront it.