"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

I DNF'ed this book halfway through. This book just couldn't keep my interest. Lilly/Caroline put herself into jams without thinking about the consequences. Then she was going to leave Nash's home because of something said in the middle of the night. She had no common sense. Then there's Nash, who doesn't want his sister Delilah debauched, but he had no problem debauching someone else's sister. His upstanding demeanor was quite hypocritical. This is my honest opinion and I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley in exchange for this opinion.

I DNF this book. I read about 50%, but the formatting of the dual narrative was abrupt and made it difficult to follow.

I am not a huge fan of the amnesia/unlovable person troupes. I don’t see the appeal in falling in love with someone who has amnesia. When they recover their memory, they could be someone different. Like it was pointed out to Nash, Caroline/Lily could be a scullery maid. I also don’t like the unlovable person troupe. It rubs me the wrong way. So, when I saw that The Duke is But a Dream contained both, I sighed and mentally set myself up for a disappointment.

I am happy to report; this book didn’t disappoint me. The author did a fantastic job of building up the troupes and then shattering what I thought of them.

I liked Lily/Caroline. She was sweet but impulsive. That impulsiveness got her into trouble, and it continued throughout the book. I did feel awful that she had amnesia. I couldn’t imagine not remembering who I was or my family. I liked how she handled Delilah, Nash, and their issues too.

I wasn’t fond of Nash. His backstory took a while to come out. Meanwhile, he was keeping Delilah from meeting people (and suitors). When his backstory was revealed, I felt awful for him. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I thought he would have gotten better after the reveal, but he didn’t.

The romance angle of the book was a bit hard for me to swallow. Mainly because I didn’t like the “hard to love” and “amnesia” troupe. But the author did a great job of building up Nash and Lily/Caroline’s relationship. By the end of the book, their relationship felt natural.

That incredible sexual tension leads to some fantastic sex scenes. Lily/Caroline was progressive for a young lady of that era. She enjoyed sex and doing sexual things.

The end of The Duke is But a Dream was typical. Lily/Caroline and Nash got their HEA. But, I do wish that there was an epilogue that was set in the future.

I would give The Duke is But a Dream an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Duke is But a Dream I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The advise column authoress who has lost memory is an interest setting. All the characters are likable. However, everything in this historical romance felt too modern and too inconsistent. The duke got indignant at his sister's seducer, but what he did to the heroine is basically the same. The heroine is too ignorant and too impulsive to write a popular advice column. The hero is wish washy.

It's just a romance novel, but it has to be believable. It's a cute romance book, but it's not special enough.

Lily is putting herself in danger with her escapades and disguises. But she gets the opportunity to meet her one true love and the adventures begin. Great story.

A nice story, but a bit too easy. Everyone said all the right things (almost) all the time, every danger was immediately rectified, and the relationship happened startlingly fast. The characters were likable, but overall, everything was far too convenient for there to be any real tension or drama at all.

A very pleasant historical romance that will keep your interest from beginning to end. A young lady, while dressed as she should not be and where she should not be, received a very hard bump on the head. It not only renders her unconscious but also causes her to lose her memory. Through trial and tribulations she becomes enamored with the hero who rescued her and is maintaining her in his home that he shares with his sister. While her background is open to speculation her deepening love for her rescuer is not and as it blossoms will her troubled hero return the love she is offering.

I have rated this book 4 stars and would recommend it if you enjoy historical romance novels.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

I absolutely loved Nash and Lily's story. When Nash has no idea who Lily really is, he gets to know Caroline. There are so many unknowns for her but the love they find is known and true. It was fun watching them find Lily together.

This was a good, light, romance beach read for me. I like the backstories the author sets up for her characters. I found myself cheering for Lily. This is book two in the series. But can be read as a stand alone.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this story! Lily disguised as a man ventures into a tavern for some excitement, she ends up hitting her head and when Nash takes her to his house to recuperate, she wakes up with no memory of who she is.

Nash has suffered tragedy and is overprotective of his sister, but now finds himself attracted to Lily, but fears he can’t give his heart to her the way she needs.

Great romance and story! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romance!

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

The Duke is but a Dream

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

She’s a secret sensation.
Miss Lily Hartley is the anonymous mastermind behind the ton’s latest obsession: The Debutante’s Revenge, a tell-all advice column for young ladies. To keep her identity hidden, Lily delivers her columns disguised as a boy—which is well and good, until she lands in the middle of tavern brawl. As luck would have it, a devastatingly handsome duke sweeps in to rescue her.
He has no idea who she is.
Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, discovers there’s a beautiful woman hiding beneath a lad’s cap, and, before long, he’s falling for the delightfully clever stranger recuperating in his house. He vows to help her find her home, even though he’s reluctant to part with her. There’s only one problem…
Neither does she.
Lily has no idea who she is. She could be a duchess or maid. Betrothed or married. There’s only one thing she does know—that her attraction to Nash is more than skin-deep, and it grows stronger every day. While Lily and Nash search to find her true identity, they just might lose their hearts to each other...

All in all I enjoyed the book. It is the second book in the series Debutante Diaries but is also a good stand alone book.

A little cheesy and predictable but plenty of plot lines to keep you reading.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley, Anna Bennett and St. Martins Press

Lilly and Nash were a fantastic read. I couldn't pit this book down. It has everything a historical romance reader could want. It won't disappoint.

I enjoyed this story. It was light and airy, and I really enjoyed the adventure of it. I did have a hard time believing the brief, abrupt nature of the sexual relations between the pair. It seemed like there should have been a little more build up between these two characters. However, it was still a very enjoyable story.

Miss Lily Hartley anonymously pens the advice column, The Debutante's Revenge. It is cherished by ladies young and old, especially those entering the marriage mart. Lily must keep her identity a secret so she delivers the column dressed as a lad. Wanting to venture a little farther, Lily enters a tavern in her disguise. That is how she finds herself waking up in the Duke of Stonebridge, Nash's, home, without a clue to her own identity.

In trying to come to a young lad's defense, Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, causes him to get knocked out. Nash takes him home and is surprised to learn that the lad is actually a lass. Nash finds no clues to the woman's identity, but offers her a place to stay and heal. It doesn't take long before Nash starts to really like her. He knows someone out there is missing her and he means to return her home as soon as she knows who she is.
Will he be able to let Lily go when the time comes?

I thoroughly enjoyed author Anna Bennett's THE DUKE IS BUT A DREAM. It is the second installment in the DEBUTANTE DIARIES series by Ms. Bennett and is just as good as the first book, FIRST EARL I SEE TONIGHT, which I highly recommend reading first. THE DUKE IS BUT A DREAM is Lily's story. Lily is bold, adventurous, caring and extremely compassionate. I really liked her character and how even unsure of her identity, she is brave and willing to stand up for what she believes. Nash really tested her and although she seemed the one most end in need of healing, I think it was he who healed the most. Together, they are better and stronger. I cannot wait to read more by Ms. Bennett.

This was the first I've read by Anna Bennett and judging from this I will read more of her work. Easy read. Entertaining story with a happy ever after ending. While the trope of a young lady secretly writing a book or for a newspaper is not new, this was done very nicely with a quote from Lily's column heading each chapter.
A bit was predictable - both Lily's sister as well as her parents have left town and the reader can easily guess what role that situation may play. Good dialog and well paced.

This was my first book to read by Anna Bennett and I found it to be charming, I really enjoyed it. I’ve seen from some other reviews that the readers were critical on that Lily/Caroline had such a change of personality after her injury. Being a nurse, I have actually seen this personality change happen in people hitting a certain section of their head which damages the part of the brain controlling personalities, inhibitions and emotions. It is real and it is dramatic. I enjoyed the storyline and found the characters very well written. Although the duke was a bit too dreamy to be realistic for me. Loved the Debutante's Revenge pieces!
One thing that did turn me off was the use of profane language at times which I thought was unnecessary. I also had a hard time with some of the editing, perhaps it was just the e-book copy, but much of the time there was no separation of thoughts or scenes. One sentence just rolled right into the other yet there should have been a paragraph or page break. Often times it was hard to follow due to this. But overall I would recommend it for a quick and easy romantic read and I’m excited to read more by Ms. Bennett. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Enjoyed the book. The story is well written, interesting and entertaining. Lily who has lost her memory and has fallen in love with Nash, the Duke who rescued her, but before anything can come of it she must recall her life. There is drama in the book regarding Nash’s younger sister that adds to the story. As in most romance stories there is a HEA but a lot happens first. I would recommend this book as a great read.

This is the first book I've read by Anna Bennett and I loved it! There was a lot of adventure, great characters, secrets and love. This is the 2nd book in The Debutante Diaries series. I haven't read the first book in the series yet but that didn't detract from this book. I have the first book now and I'm looking forward to reading it and I can't wait to read how some of the other characters find love in the future.

I confess I was granted this ARC some days ago but more pressing reads stolen its place in my reading list.
And worst, I even have the previous book in the series and it was forgotten somewhere on my shelves.
Lily with her sister and friend decided to improve in their own way the life of the ton’s debutantes with their wicked column. I liked her boldness, and strength. She is clever and has a level head.

« She wasn’t about to give up her spot among the potted palms for a man who thought women were mere ornaments. »

Nash is a good man, despite his guilt, he thinks only to protect his remaining sister even if his way to show it is quite over the top. And because of past experience, he has decided, Love is surrendering its sanity.

« In his mind, love always led to pain, devotion to disaster. And he didn’t have room in his heart for those messy, unpredictable emotions. Didn’t have room for her. »

I liked the side characters, I was just a bit upset at Nash’s sister, she knows how wounded he was from their family’s history and she repeats the storyline, it was trivial and hurtful.
The book sucked me in, the main characters were very lovable until at some stage of the story , it felt like something was missing.
I enjoyed reading Lily and Nash’s journey but he didn’t appear to behave like a duke, sure if I count well, he is only 23, but I thought a Duke would have acted more “duke-like”.
Plus their week-trip alone was not right, no inn would have accepted them so easily, did I missed something in the story?
In all, it was a lovely story and Mrs Anna Bennet has joined my list of to-read-authors.
4.5 stars
I was provided an advance copy by Netgalley and St Martin’s Press, but I purchased my own copy and I voluntarily give my true and unbiased opinion.