The duke is but a dream is a happily ever after that I really enjoyed. A young woman, Miss Lily is an heiress and part of a column that could ruin not only her reputation but her family too. She’s quite the character and seriously enjoyable. When her adventures lead her to take shelter in a tavern and ends up in a brawl who knew where things would go.

Nash is known for being closed off, rescuing the young lady who blacks out isn’t quite his usual thing but he feels the need to protect her. When she wakes with no memories things get interesting.

This books is filled with stubborn ladies, a tortured duke, and some adventures you won’t believe, but the romance is sweet and makes you sigh wishing for your very own Nash. Liked this one a lot and wanted so much more!

This book contains several of my favorites—a heroine who is an author/journalist, a grumpy, redeemable hero, and lots of plot development through female friendships and sisterhood. It contains some genuine crazy-sauce elements, like a mysterious origin story, not one, but TWO trips to Gretna Greene, and amnesia! Unfortunately, it also contains one of my least favorite tropes. Nash “can’t possibly love anyone,” least of all Lily, because he’s emotionally stunted (like every other English male in the peerage during the Romance Novel Era).

I say Romance Novel Era, because it’s not exactly clear which historical time period this is set in. If that’s something that annoys you, this might not be a book for you. However, the characters are beautifully developed, the relationship is built in a believable, genuine way, and I am really looking forward to the other characters’ books.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

The Duke is But a Dream is a fun, if slightly cheesy, story and quick read. Excellently written and hopelessly romantic. I would recommend this to readers who have read Regency Romance before, aren't afraid of a little steamy writing, and are looking for something to lose themselves in for an afternoon.

I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a review.

DNF I wanted to like this story as I had others by the same author, but I found the "insta" chemistry very unbelievable. It drives me crazy that an author wants us to believe that a woman with amnesia (in regency times no less) will be throwing herself at her host with little to no concern about how she ended up this way. I can suspend belief while reading, but this kind of storyline makes me nuts!

Lily is the younger sister of Fiona, the heroine from book one of the Debutant Diaries. Fiona and her now husband, Gray, fought off a blackmailer with a secret about Lily’s birth mother. Lily has known from a young age she was adopted, but never knew who her real mother is.

In the second installment of this series, we find Lily in a bit of a jam. She is the authoress of the Debutante Diaries in a local newspaper. When she delivers her latest column to the paper disguised as a chimney sweep, she shelters in a rough pub when caught in a storm. After an ale and some Shepard’s Pie, she attempts to leave but gets accosted by some louts.

Enter Eric Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge. He attempts to save the lad, but discovers she’s not a lad at all after she knocks herself out when she smacks her head on a table. No one knows who she is so Nash takes her home. When she awakens, she has no memory of who she is.

I am a sucker for an amnesia story. Every author’s take is different. I love how Bennett deals with things that are familiar to Lily. She gets a tingly feeling in the back of her brain. I would describe it as having a word or phrase on the tip of your tongue that you just can’t get out.

While Lily is living with a dashing duke, she also finds a life-long friend in Nash’s sister, Delilah. While Nash and Lily are slowly exploring intimacy, Lily finds another sister in Delilah. After Nash and Delilah lost Nash’s twin sister and their father five years earlier, Lily is a bright ray of sunshine in their dark live. I love how in helping Lily heal her memory, she also helps to heal a family that has experienced such a devastating loss.

Now that the Hartley sisters have found love, hopefully it is time for their friend, Sophie, to find her happily ever after. I would also love a story for Delilah! She hit some rough bumps in this story and she deserves a handsome rogue of her own.

I received The Duke Is But a Dream for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

What a great story! I enjoyed this so much I had to check to see what else I have by Anna Bennett on my TBR and what I had already read by her. I've read a couple by her already and loved them as well. Her writing flows easily and her characters are so lovable.

I loved watching Lily (Caroline) bring Nash out of his shell. I don't want to say too much, just know they are wonderful together :)

When I was offered The Duke Is But a Dream, I didn't have to think for very long. I mean, look at the cover: sometimes I would wish I was born one hundred years ago, to experience being a debutante and coming out. Of course, it would e exciting, but also difficult to cope with all the hidden rules and expectations. Fortunately there is the 'Debutante's Revenge', a weekly column in the newspaper, to guide you through all the steps. Since the advises can be somewhat scandalous, the author of the column is kept secret. To ensure her anonymity, Lily Hartwell dresses up like a messenger boy to deliver her column to the paper. When she gets caught up in a bar fight after delivering her column, she bumps her head and loses her memory.
Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, witnessed three burly men harassing a young messenger boy and decided to intervene. Only to discover that it is a beautiful young woman, without a memory of who she is and why she is dressed as a boy. Feeling guilty, Nash decides to take the woman home, to tend to her injuries. Since she can't remember her won name, they agree to call her Caroline for the time being. Caroline is frustrated, not to be able to recall who she is. She could be a maid, a governess or a duchess. But as long as she doesn't remember, she can't do anything than talking to Nash's sister Delilah and trying to figure out who she is. She also can't help to feel attracted to the grumpy duke, who ensures her he isn't capable of love. But maybe she has a beau or even a husband at home, so it is difficult. Nash is sure, he isn't capable of love any more. Not since the death of Emily and the guilt he is carrying over what happended. But he can't keep his mind of the beautiful, headstrong and frustrating woman in his house. Caroline can't help, but feel a strong connection to the column of the unknown author and Delilah is convinced she might be the author. Nahs is growing more frustrated with the column every week, because his sister takes the bold advises more to heart than his warnings about men on the marriage mart. Afraid he will lose Delilah, his last living relative, he tries to keep her safe by restricting her to the house. But when Delilah flees, Nahs needs help to find her. Can he trust Caroline to help him? Find out for yourselves in this wonderful read. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

This was an interesting story. Although it felt a bit more modern than a historical romance set during the Regency period, I still really enjoyed the premise of this book. It was cute and very sexy. Definitely kept me reading until the very end.

*I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book*

Lily writes an advice column for young ladies. She follows her standard procedure and dresses in male clothing to deliver her column to the publisher. Afterward, she decides to stop at a tavern for a meal instead of returning straight home. During a dispute, Lily hits her head. She is rescued by a duke and soon discovers she has amnesia. He takes her to his house, and they spend time trying to learn her true identity.

The amnesia plot was the main enticement for me choosing to read this book. Unfortunately, the rest of the plot disappointed me, and I had problems with historical accuracy.

Firstly, the idea of a titled family adopting a baby left on their doorstep. Given society at the time, I think most lords and ladies would not choose a random baby to take into their family. Secondly, the duke was attracted to Lily, and their relationship developed quickly, but at the same time, he was conscientious about his sister’s reputation. It seemed incongruous that he’d allow a stranger to live in his house while being so overprotective of his sister. I believe that the duke would’ve adhered to the social mores of the time. And thirdly, Lily’s behavior is certainly a lot freer than that of most young women in this era. I doubt an unmarried woman would stay alone in London for two weeks without a chaperone.

This is book two in the series, but it stands alone beautifully. I had no problem with the writing, the characters, or the setting, although it wasn’t clear precisely what period this book was set. The plot threw me a bit, but if a reader is willing to suspense disbelief, you’ll enjoy this solid historical romance.

3 ½ stars

I absolutely loved this book, I haven't read book 1 in this series but I bet I would enjoy it as much as I did this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It was well written and the characters were described well.

“The Duke Is but a Dream,” is Anna Bennett’s latest novel and it is filled with a little bit of intrigue, a little bit of humor, and a whole lot of romance. Lily Hartley is the secret author of The Debutantes Revenge, a column in a local paper that gives advice to young women. Lily desperately wants to learn more about the world, but she is kept on a short tether by her loving family, so one night when she goes to drop off her column she decides to take her boy disguise out to a local tavern to see how men interact in a different environment besides ballrooms and dinner tables. Eric Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge, has had a difficult time in life lately due to the death of his father and his beloved twin sister. He not only has had to take on the responsibilities of his title, but he has had to take on the full responsibility of raising his younger sister Delilah. When he needs a break from life he goes to a local tavern to drown his sorrows and encounters a disguised Lily. One thing leads to another and Lily is engaged in altercation and Eric steps into the fray and ends up causing Lily to get hurt, coming to her aid he quickly discovers her secret and takes her home to recover. This is a beautiful story about love and discovery and it is written in a way that engages the reader and transports them back in time. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received this ARC for an honest review. I normally say I dislike historical romance novels, but Anna Bennett proved me wrong. I really enjoyed this book. Bennett stayed true to the times, but she showed how some women could be strong. This story is about Lily. Lily secretly writes “The Debutant’s Revenge” for Hearsay’s paper. It is articles about how women should enjoy pleasures of life and love. When Lily’s family and friends go on holiday, she decides to be a little reckless. To hide her identity, she dresses like a young lad to deliver her articles after she decided to visit a tavern. Three men saw her/him as an easy target to rob, but a gentleman(Nash) she noticed earlier came to her rescue. He got into a fight with the three men. When he threw one away from him, he accidentally threw the man into Lily making her hit her head on a table. Nash took Lily home when he realized the lad was really a woman. When Lily woke up, she didn’t remember who she was. What happens next? You NEED to read this book to find out.

Lovely story. Thougt both characters were wonderful. I liked the sisters ( Fiona) story much better, but this was good.

I received a free copy of The Duke is But a Dream from Netgalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

I liked the storyline, complete with fascinating characters. I recommend this book if you like intriguing plots and characters who know what they want, even if they don’t remember who they are.

4.5 Stars!! Such a great story!!! It’s not a typical historical romance, which can all blend into one after reading basically the same story over & over again. I’ve never read a story like this one before! I really enjoyed reading it & definitely recommend this book!!
*I received this book to read and review at no charge from the publisher and I gave my honest opinion.*

Miss Lily Hart is the writer of a popular advice column. Dress as a boy, Lily delivers her articles to the newspaper. On her way home, she decides to enter a tavern for supper as her family is away.

Eric Nash, The Duke Of Stonebridge, happens to be there too. After a brawl breaks out, Nash discovers Lily is not a young man. He takes her home for medical treatment after learning she has amnesia. The attraction between this pair is sizzling.

This book has a good storyline and a wonderful ending.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Duke is But a Dream by Anna Bennett is a delightful historical romance. The lead female character I’d free spirited and rambunctious. She lives within the strictures of the ton...but just barely. The characters are believable. But, the circumstances are a slight stretch. Love all the characters and want to read more about them.

Netgalley/the publisher sent me the ARC of the first in this series so I was pleased as punch when they invited me to read and review this one. I really enjoyed it! Like the first, this one took a few chapter for me to get into it but I’m glad I’m stuck with it. 4.5 stars.

3.5☆
Enjoyed it
This is my first book by Anna Bennett.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Debutante Diaries
Standalone
HEA

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

I liked this book. I thought the story idea was good as well as the characters were well liked. However, I thought Lily could have taken a little more responsibility for a incident that happened in the story. Otherwise, I recommend this book.