I enjoyed this read. I like the marriage of convince trope and this story was exactly that. The mystery behind who is murdering people and trying to get to Sophie was good; the author has the reader thinking the villain is one character after the other. I didn't like Devlin as much as I liked Sophie. I didn't like that Devlin couldn't promise fidelity to Sophie. I like my heroes to want only the heroine and to be faithful (not that he wasn't but just saying you'll try to be faithful leaves much to be desired). All in all, it was a read I'd recommend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
I really like this book because it keep you guessing and was hard to put it down. I would give it 4.5 stars. Devlin is a Duke that does not want to marry but has a major business deal to accomplish. In order for people to sign on, he is told to marry. He has Lady Sophie in mind although his reputation is not good because he is considered a rake. Sophie is considered almost a spinster and very involved in helping to run an orphanage. She has a good reputation. Sophie is not wanting to marry either but is somewhat coerced by Devlin to marry him. Her brother and others are not happy about the marriage and various people around them are getting murdered. The writer makes you believe the killer is someone then puts other suspects out there so the killer is not so obvious. In addition, the relationship between Devlin and Sophie evolves but seems sometimes awkward. Devlin's reputation is greatly exaggerated but I don't like when he told Sophie he will 'try' to be faithful yet expects her to be when they are married. Danger makes the realize how much they care for each which is a common story line. However, the mystery plot is really good. Thanks for letting me read this book.

This is an incredible story! It is heart poundingly scary! It is an Awesome Romance, it is a Wonderful First Book! I am amazed, that I want another one, with these same people to go on! This is like the Sebastian St. Cyr Novels!
Maddison is brilliant, thorough, and extraordainarly kind! I will be the first one, buying her books!
I highly Recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

This was the first book by this author that I have read, and I found it very enjoyable. Will look for more by her.

A unique, engaging story that captivated me from beginning to end, The Devilish Duke is a must-read for fans of historical romance. This is a wonderful debut book for new author Maddison Michaels, and I say she hit it out of the park. From the first chapter she captured my attention with funny, relatable characters and dialogue that brought a smile to my face. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

While spying on the man she thought she loved, Lady Sophie Walcott finds herself in the curious situation of being caught in the bushes below by the Devil Duke himself, Devlin Markham, the Duke of Huntington. Devlin is also in an interesting predicament - he's attempting an assignation with a married woman and Sophie has just interrupted them. However, Devlin takes pity on her and sets her free, not thinking that he will ever see her again. One year later, that all changes when the Queen puts her foot down and demands Devlin marry in order to gain her support for a new business venture. And he can't marry just anyone - she must be suitable, and there is only one woman with whom Devlin has a passing acquaintance who fits that description. One Sophie Wolcott.

The humor and chemistry between Sophie and Devlin was so entertaining, honestly I would have been fine if it was a behind-closed-doors sort of romance. Well, not fine, but I would not have been as put out as I would be with other authors. Maddison Michaels made them so realistic, and I was really invested in their personal stories and their relationship. She even made me like the young ward that Devlin has taken in - a young boy - and most of the time children in romances is a turn-off for me. I liked him a lot, and adding him to the story made Sophie all the more endearing to the reader in how she interacted with him. The *only* issue I had with the story is that it had the ever-common hero who simply cannot love. It was irritating how Devlin still insists he can't give Sophie love, even after so much time has passed. It was a bit frustrating, and although everything worked out in the end as it usually does in HEA romances, it took away from the story a bit. However, I will reiterate - you will enjoy the characters so much, any minor irritants in the story won't really matter. I loved them both, I loved the secondary characters, and I loved Maddison Michaels' writing.

I am on the edge of my seat awaiting the next book by this author! It is sure to be an entertaining and enjoyable read.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

3.5 stars

This book was so much fun to read! I love a good rake and bluestocking story. I'll never get tired of this trope even though I've read so many stories with rakes and bluestockings.

The Devilish Duke reminded me exactly of the reasons why Historical Romance is my favourite genre. It was funny and heartfelt. The hero and heroine were well written and the dialogue was witty. It had many of the tropes that made me fall in love with Historical Romance: bluestocking, rake who doesn't want to fall in love, marriage of convenience, and many more.

The plot was really engaging, even though I had predicted the villain's identity very early on. The pacing was not too slow, not too fast, even though the events of the book take place in the space of less than a month. The mystery did end up being overly complicated though, what with keeping track of what happened to whom. It felt like there were too many characters involved at one point. There was a good balance of mystery and romance, although the former took over a good portion of the second half.

Regardless, this was a fun and engaging debut. I look forward to reading more from this author, especially considering the number of potential future heroes that were introduced in this book.

During an humorous first meeting where Lady Sophie Wolcott literally falls at the feet of Devlin Markham, the Duke of Huntington, Sophie leaves quite the impression. When a lucrative business deal rides on marrying a respectable woman of the Ton, Devlin knows just who his target will be. He has no time to waste so a bit of blackmail just might be in order.
The Devil Duke's success has made him some enemies over the years and they seem to be getting close to Sophie. When two women are murdered Devlin and Sophie try to solve the mystery while trying to keep their betrothal on a 'business only' level. Both have their own reasons that love should stay out of their arrangement but a speedy courtship might change their opinions on the matter.
For a debut novel this was well done. Both characters were charming and made up for moments when the story seemed to drag or was choppy. The murder mystery kept me guessing with its twists and turns. The epilogue was the icing on the cake. If this was a seasoned author I would likely rate it lower but being that I am looking forward to the next story I have to give it a 4 star this time around.

I am giving a fair and honest review in return for this ARC. I have been struggling lately, to find a really good read. Well, this one certainly filled that bill. There is so much going on in this book. So well written and a story that will keep you engaged (I read it in one day!). A devilish rake, a cheeky miss and murder and mystery all together. This would be an interesting book to add to your TBR list!

Having just watched the series ‘Victoria’, I was delighted to see the Queen’s appearance in “The Devilish Duke”. The Queen has insisted that Devlin Markham, who is known as the “Devil Duke” of Huntington, must marry if she is to agree to his plans for the Transatlantic telegraph cable, an event that actually took place during the reign of Queen Victoria. When this demand is made, he instantly thinks of Lady Sophie Wolcott. Sophie accepts his proposal in order to save an orphanage that she has long been a patron of.

This story never had a dull moment as not only was there an amazing romance, but a mystery that I didn’t piece together until it was revealed. The pace was rapid and the dialogue between Sophie and Devlin, was entertaining. Sophie continued to surprise me in her ability to not only stand up for herself but also for Devlin. Their rapport is instantaneous as is their regard for each other. Whilst Devlin is devilish, he is also such a strong yet honourable character. The secondary characters of aunt Mabel and Daniel, Sophie’s brother also added complexity to the storyline.
This is an amazing debut novel and I am looking forward to reading more from Maddison Michaels. Maybe Daniel will feature in the next story!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love it when you take a chance on a new author and you love the story. Definitely this author. I laughed a lot during this book – the witty dialog between Devlin and Sophie, Aunt Mabel, Nicholas, and the fights between Devlin and Daniel, Sophie’s brother. The fights were not just verbal, oh no, physical altercations with rooms being in disarray afterwards. Devlin and Sophie were perfect together, yes, they seemed polar opposites but opposite attract, right? And is Devlin really the Devil Duke or just kind of devilish? Then you throw in a murder mystery that was full of red herrings that really did throw me off the real killer. A great read. Looking forward to more from Ms. Michaels.

Lady Sophie is climbing a tree determined to spy on the man she's been infatuated with for years. She had seen him with another woman headed into a room. Well she was determined to see what the two were up too and was unhappy to see him down on one knee proposing. Saddened but not heartbroken she begins her decent down when she sees a man and woman approaching the bench situated below her. She overhears that it a liaison between the man know as Devil Duke and a married woman. Sophie somehow slips and tumbles to the ground. Devlin comes to her rescue and instant sparks and sparing ensues. Devlin and Sophie part ways but a year later the two are destined to meet again.

Devlin and Sophies are thrown into a marriage of convenience. For Sophie it will bennefit her the orphanage that is dear to her heart and that she over sees. The monetary value the marriage will bring to the children and orphange would be significant. And Devlin was order by the queen to marry (interesting to Devlin is she suggests Sophie and that was the first woman he thought of when marriage was mentioned) or his very important business transaction will not occur as he needs to clean up his reputation by marrying a respectable lady.

And so the two meet again, the first meeting never far from their thoughts the past year. Sophie was beautiful, intelligent and could hold her own with Devlin. Sophie found Devlin to be intriguing and smart, not conforming to the ton's ideas or not really caring what they thought. She found there was more to him then his reputation and persona projected. The story progresses with their romance, a bit of murder and mystery.

I believe this is a first time HR for this author. I liked the premise of the story and characters. But I did find some moments a bit cheesy and predictable. The two main characters were fairly well developed and as well as the secondary characters. The pacing at times was slow but picked up again fairly quickly. The writing was good as well as description of the time period. I again have to reiterate that certain scenes seemed to flowery and cheesy for my taste. I think this author has potential and will try her future books again.