***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.***

4.5 stars

How (Not) to Marry a Duke, by Felicia Kingsley, really took me by surprise. I say this because, as I made my way through this book, I truly couldn't see how our 2 MCs would ever even like one another, let alone fall in love, but they did, and it was lovely.

Jemma, a theater makeup artist, has been willed her grandmother’s money with a single stipulation: she has to marry a man of title in order to inherit it. Ashford, the Duke of Burlingham, has just learned his family is in serious money trouble. They both use the same lawyer, and it’s his idea for the 2 to marry. Ashford can exchange his title for some of Jemma’s inheritance—a drop in the bucket of the fortune available—and Jemma can finally gain financial freedom. It’s hate at first sight for the pair but the arrangement is the only way either can see out of their current predicaments. When news of their marriage is leaked to the press, they are forced to pretend to be happy newlyweds at the season’s high society events.

This is definitely a story of opposites, and you know what they say about opposites. Ashford is prim and proper, everything you’d think a man of his title would be. To be candid, he’s hard to like at first. He’s not only arrogant, he’s judgmental, opinionated, holier than thou, and quite buttoned up. Jemma is his opposite, unafraid to be who she is, even if that means she’s a bit of a hot mess. The 2 clashed from the get go.

It was hard to see Jemma treated poorly by Ashford. I expected it from his mother to a certain degree, and certainly from the society singletons who saw him as a potential husband, but not from Ashford. I thought he’d have a little more respect for her given the large sum of money she’d given him. Not that I didn’t understand and believe that he was embarrassed by her behvaviour in public, it was the way he treated her inside the house that bothered me. I was honestly relieved when the 2 started softening toward one another, resisting their feelings because of the irrationality and unexpectedness of them. The reader truly does get to watch these 2 fall in love. Once they finally came together, it was lovely.

I liked the Willoughby twist as well as the Portia twist. Both of them were slimeballs that played their parts to a tee and added lots of interest to the plot and insight into Ashford’s and Jemma’s characters. I was constantly irritated by Delphina, Ashford’s mother. She only seemed to care about how things looked, not about people, not even her son and certainly not Jemma whom she criticized and rebuked at practically every turn. In contrast, Jemma’s parents were great, as was Cécile, and I adored Lance, the butler.

The inevitable breakup made sense. I only wish it didn’t make Jemma seem so impetuous. I believed in their love and wanted to see them talk. The months of inaction frustrated me, and while I liked the ending, I objected to the decisions Jemma made that got them there.

If you can be patient and hang on past their initial treatment of one another, I think you’ll come to love Ashford and Jemma the same way I did. I would definitely read another book by this author.

My review has been posted to Goodreads.

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//MY REVIEW IN ENGLISH//
This was an unexpected funny reading, I'm not going to lie, I wasn't expecting a great book and I was happily surprised. It's a simple book, full of clichés and with a weak ending (worst part of the book, by far), but I found the story funny, light and well written. I think it's the perfect book for reading when it's raining and you need an easy reading that puts a smile in your face and forget it the next day.
//MY REVIEW IN SPANISH//
Entre 3 y 3'5 estrellitas.
Un nadismo de mono con platillos que me ha entretenido más de lo que pesanba. No es novela romántica, es un chick lit sencillito y con pocas pretensiones, mezcla de homenajes de Orgullo y prejuicio y La fierecilla domada, más o menos podéis suponer cómo va la cosa.
Es totalmente previsible aunque no por ello desagradable, tiene momentos muy cómicos y se lee bastante bien. Los personajes son clichés con patas y deja pasar una buena historia secundaria que claramente merecía libro propio. En la parte final se desinfla casi por completo, eso sí. De todos modos es un libro entretenido, de estos que coges una tarde para sacar el mono con platillos a pasear y leer una tontuna que te deje buen sabor de boca, la sonrisilla y la olvides al rato.

I really liked this book!
I thought it was adorable. I loved Jemma and Ashford. I was so happy that their story turned around.
I kept rooting for them the entire time. At times, it was hard because I felt like their differences and issues were drawn out a little longer than they needed to be.
Nevertheless, they did hit that turning point and I couldn’t have been move excited or proud.
The ending felt like it might have been a little rushed but I really did enjoy the book!
Jemma has me laughing. Delphine did, too.

This was such a funny story and even though it does become a little farcycle at times, it all adds to the fun of the love and hate drama that goes on between Ashford and Jemma. They have so many reasons to not like each other, the biggest dividing factor is that even though Jemma is just a normal "common" woman she is actually the one with all the money, and while Ashford is the Duke he is poor due to bad business deals his father did. This leads to all Ashford's posh high society friends to think that they can either shun Jemma or try to sabotage her at every turn but she is a girl with plenty of fire within her that won't let them put her down.
They do go on an eye opening journey together, and with neither liking the other at the start it enables them to learn and try new things and to become a better person. But!!! this is ultimately a love story, and so no prizes for guessing where this all ends. It really just goes to show that just because you don't come from nobility that you can still become a lady after all.
There is some great writing within the pages of this book and a very witty and entertaining story. It had me laughing and giggling a lot but it also filled me with rage for a few unsavory characters that try to bring Jemma down. A great read that I enjoyed very much.

With the cover and title of this book, I honestly wasn't expecting too much. However, I really enjoyed this book. Maybe it's all the royal fever going around, or maybe I just needed something really light to escape into, but whatever it was, I loved the story of Jemma marrying Ashford in order to receive her inheritance. It was very predictable and certainly not a new tale, and the writing was quite strained in places. But, the story was enjoyable enough overall to for me to overlook these flaws.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book is simply awful. It has a charming title and cover and what sounded like the perfect premise to a great rom com but unfortunately there is no substance. Both of our main characters are awful. I figured that would change as the book progressed and the characters influenced each other for the better but neither character becomes tolerable until halfway through the book. Both characters begin this novel as hollow unbelievable characters. Jemma may not come from wealth but her mother was well educated and she lived in London so I find the depiction of her as very hard to believe. How many people really need to learn the word coincidental or find out what a stained glass window is when they come from her background? Halfway through this book the author decided to turn her into Eliza Doolittle with no believability at all.

I was expecting this novel to have fun repartee between the two very different characters but there is no such fun dialogue at all. These two do not finally fall for each other because of their chemistry and word duels. No, they finally decide that the other actually is attractive and that’s it. This is not a fun lighthearted novel but a very hard to want to read book. I almost gave up on this book repeatedly it was so hard to get through. Save yourself the trouble and read a good book. This one looks fun but is not worth your time.

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for my honest-to-goodness review.

Normally I try and avoid translated editions because I don't ever feel as though the writing gets the true feeling of the author, but I was intrigued with this story, and I really wanted to read it.

There were a few instances where I could tell the literal translation came through and something just read wonky or off, but it wasn't so off-putting as to make me want to stop reading. I enjoyed this story. It was cute and fresh and easy. We have a strong lead female character and only a slightly pompous male lead.

I definitely recommend this novel to romance readers.

I loved this book! It was such a great story and a very easy read. Can't wait to read more of her stuff!

Reading this book was like getting exposed to Nitrous Oxide aka, the laughing gas. Fortunately, I am not too old, so my teeth haven't come off. But then again, I must have given a total scare to my hostelmates with all the shrieks of laughter coming from my room. I think you got the picture now.
Since you are acquainted with the after effects of a laugh out loud romantic comedy now, let me come to the story. Predictable, for sure, but the novelty comes through the narrative style and the witty dialogues. Often it reminded me of a Korean drama I used to watch of a common girl forced to be married to an arrogant Prince. But Jemma is not an innocent, childish character; she is resourceful, fearless and a bit opinionated in a good way. She never runs out of ways to shock Ashford and also the readers.
The Duke in the story, Ashford Parker is the epitome of elegant wit. I thoroughly enjoyed his narration and unique perspective of the events. The way he handles his mother and the rapport he enjoys with his best friend Harring produce the most hilarious moments in novel.
A word of advice before you go hunting for this book. Never dare to open this precious thing in train or while waiting for the bus; well, that is, if you don't want to be stared at. Have fun reading!!!

This was an interesting read. A modern day romance peppered with dukes, high society and classic literature references. The plot line follows a young woman, named Jemma, who in order to claim her inheritance must marry a man with a legitimate European title. Who better to secure her wealth than a duke currently facing monetary troubles. What unsues is the hilarity of two people completely unsuited to living together being married and subsequently coping with their families and the society surrounding them.

Part of the book were hilarious and some of the writing excellent. There were other pieces that definitely needed some work. Those pieces, the first chapter especially and some other parts strewn about as well, were so haltingly difficult to read and so awkward in character and prose that if I hadn't been reading the book for feedback and review I would have stopped. I will say the book got better, but even then there were pieces I wasn't the biggest fan of. Apart from learning that Ashford was raised by nannies and had never been to an amusement park we didn't learn about him as a person at all. Sure he is a duke belonging to a long ancestrial line, but we don't really know him. In a nutshell he's like Prince Charming in the Disney Version of Cinderella, a man defined by the surrounding characters, but not much beyond.

I think the book has a great premise and is a fun idea, but the execution needs some further fine tuning for certain. I think with some added beta readers or a create content editor it would really shine, but where it's at I don't really find it ready for publishing.

I definitely feel that this book suffers a bit from the translation to English. The beginning of the story felt very awkward and the characters seemed wooden, but as the story continued it started to feel more natural and I was able to lose myself in the dialogue. The romance in this is definitely a slow-burn but around 3/4 of the way through the book it really explodes, and wow! Jemma and Ashford are both annoying and unlikable in their own ways; it was nice to see them grow and change together through the story. The core plot line is not unique, as others have pointed out, it parallels "Taming of the Shrew", but it's still a fun, light read. I would read it again and would also love a story for Cecile and Harring!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I read the first couple chapters of the book but will not be finishing it. I see that the book was originally written in Italian, so it's possible that part of the problem is just a bad translation. The wording is not very smooth and sounds more American than British. I also don't think the first person narrative works as it starts to sound like diary entries. The plot itself sounds fun, which is what drew me to the book, but needs a little more adjustment to modern society (at least from what I've read so far). At the moment, it seems like a regency romance that got a little misplaced. I think this certainly could be adjusted to today's world though. Since I did not get very far, I won't post my review of the book online.

While it may have been predictable, this was definitely a fun read! I found myself unable to to put it down and dying to know how it ended! The characters were engaging and realistic and I found myself cringing every time Delphina opened her mouth! I would definitely recommend this to friends!

A modern day marriage of convenience story. Gemma needs to marry a titled man to inherit her grandmother’s estate and The Duke needs money to save his estate. They decide to help each other out, but being married isn’t easy especially when you fall in love unexpectedly.

This is a super slow burn romance, without so much as a kiss until 80% into the book. I love the characters, the humor, the relationship. I did not like the misunderstanding, leading to the ending which is why it’s not quite a 5 Star read for me.

Recommended to those who like Pride and Prejudice style relationships, slow burn romances, and hot dukes.

Had some cute and funny moments. Her parents were probably the best part of the story. His mom was hilarious after eating payotte cake. Pretty good read!

2.5*

Jemma Pears is a free spirited but poor theatrical make up artist living in London. When she is summoned to her solicitors office who is executing her grandmother's will, she learns that she is set to inherit a fortune beyond her wildest dreams, but with one catch, Jemma can only inherit the fortune if she marries a person with a title. Ashford, the Duke of Burlingham, takes over his father's investments after his father's death and learns - to his absolute horror - that himself and his mother are in a ridiculous amount of debt that will take many properties to be sold to overcome. But in high society, being in debt is the equivalent to running around naked covered in tar, nobody would go near you. Ashford's solicitor, who also happens to be Jemma's solicitor, comes up with the compromising solution that Jemma marries Ashford, assumes the title of Duchess of Burlingham, and inherits her grandmother's fortune which would be used to pay off Ashford's debt, whilst still leaving Jemma a fortune beyond her wildest dreams. They hastily marry in secret, but the press gets wind of it due to a leak, and Jemma and Ashford have to play a happy family charade until is it conceivable for them to divorce; otherwise they risk going to jail for fraud.

I requested this book mainly because I am a sucker for the light and fluffy chicklit that is necessarily refreshing after a deep and heavy read, I liked the sound of this because I tend to love reading the story of boy-girl-thrown-together-learns-to-overcome-each-others-irritating-personalities-and-falls-in-love, it's a particular guilty pleasure that I have and I sincerely hoped this novel would deliver. I didn't really have high expectations, but I am slightly picky when it comes to rom-coms, and unfortunately I picked up a lot of aspects and underlying tones that I was most concerned about in How (Not) to Marry a Duke which lead me to not enjoy it very much.

Initially, Jemma and Ashford are almost unbearably unlikeable characters, Ashford's arrogance and Jemma's lack of self-awareness make it almost impossible to root for either of them. Instead, I actually found myself hoping that they wouldn't end up together and would just go their own separate ways, which is wholly unusual for me since I am a total happily ever after kind of girl. I did warm slightly to them both, but the emotional investment wasn't there for me.

Also, I found that with the deal Jemma and Arrogant Ashford had struck by marrying each other, Jemma didn't really benefit from it at all. I won't give away too much detail here, but I think out of both of them, there is a clear winner here.

Overall, I found the narrative engaging and Felicia Kingsley bridges the social gaps between the upper and lower class in a fresh, funny way. Unfortunately, I found the plot a little disappointing and old-fashioned, although I would have read the book in one sitting - if I didn't have to go to work anyway - due to the author shrewdly not giving away much of which way the plot was going to go.

Spelling & grammar mistakes:

- Location 73 / Sarah. almost my best friend
*Sarah, also my best friend

- Location 2118 / obligation if she wants integrate in high society
*obligation if she wants to integrate in high society

- Location 2398 / little bitch of Sophia
*little bitch Sophia

- Location 4495 / swings are one her distinctive features
*swings are one of her distinctive features

OMG I loved this adorable book. I cant honestly describe how much I enjoyed this fun novel, especially with the recent marriage of Prince Harry. I just loved this book and it fulfilled a story I needed to read that I hadn't realized I needed until I was done.

A fun and entertaining read.

I liked how it is told from both Jemma and Ashford's point of view, so you understand how they are both feeling.

First book I have read by this author and looking forward to more.