I'm not sure about this book. I just couldn't take a liking to the main characters and found some of the details of it to be a little bit odd given the seemingly very sheltered upbringing the female characters are meant to have had. I enjoyed it well enough as a diversion but as I read it, I just couldn't help thinking that it was a bit odd in its reasoning.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in the new series by Anna Bennett. I have to say I think I like this one better than the first one. Lily is one of the authors of a scandalous column and after dropping her column off she decides to do some research. I won’t spoil it but she does need some rescuing and the story evolves from there. This was a good read and I just couldn’t put it down. I want the next one already!!!

The Duke Is But A Dream⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
by Anna Bennet

This is not my first read from this author. I definitely like her style and would certainly seek her out.

That being said. Miss Lily Hartley is the anonymous author of a famous advice column The Debutante’s Revenge. As such, it is imperative for her to keep her identity a secret.

When she delivers her column she always wears a disguise of a chimney sweep and as such she enters a tavern to further her research. During the visit to the tavern she is somewhat involved in a brawl and knock unconscious. She finds herself rescued by the handsome Duke of
Stonebridge.

It is when she wakes up in the Duke’s townhouse that she discovers she has amnesia. This is the beginning of a journey for the two of them. I thought this author pulled it off very well and was utterly charmed by the read.

One of my favourite things about historical romance is seeing a female protagonist rebelling against the patriarchy. I was a fan of Lilian from the start. The Duke is But a Dream has an interesting twist bringing the two main characters together. I have to admit that the initial attraction between Nash and Lilian made me slightly uncomfortable given the circumstances. It seemed a little much given that there were so many unknown variables in their tale. I very much enjoyed Delilah's character and whilst I thought it was fairly easy to see where her arc was going, I thought it was played out very well.
One of the things I struggled with quite a bit was the lack of page breaks. It's a minor/major issue as at times you were reading the pov of one character and in the next paragraph it was the other.
All in all this was a quick read featuring some character traits I really enjoyed but there are definitely things I felt were a little flawed.

A night adventure turns wrong when Lilly is knocked out in a pub brawl. Rescued by a Duke, he takes her to his home to recover. Lilly may have lost her memory, buy Nash doesn't realize how much she will change his life. A well put together plot of a young lady discovering who she is and convincing a Duke he can love her in return.
A free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

Great read from beginning to end. Lily was a very nice girl with good intentions even as Caroline. Couldn't wait to see how this story played out! Great story!

I enjoyed Bennett’s Wayward Wallflowers series and enjoyed this title from the Debutante Diaries series. With The Duke is But a Dream and with all Anna Bennett books you get determined and spirited young women with supportive sisters and friends. There are also plenty of dashing heroes who fall in love with them.

A fun and entertaining historical romance.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC

This book was super fun. Caroline is rebellious and I really liked her. She ends up in a situation that gets out of hand and ends up hitting her head and losing her memory. Nash takes her in, as he accidentally caused her injury. As she heals, they fall in love and it's super sweet. I also loved Nash's sister and the role she plays in the story, though her behavior with the man courting her seems out of character given the rest of the way she acts. I really enjoyed this book and it was fun seeing the main couple fight to be together.

A Duke Is But A Dream by Anna Bennett is a fast-paced, fun historical romance. Ms. Bennett has provided readers with a well-written book loaded with a stellar cast of characters. Lilly writes The Debutante's Revenge column in secret with her sister and their friend. After a bash on the head and a rescue by Nash, Lilly loses her memory. Nash and Lilly's story is packed with drama, humor, action, spice and suspense. I enjoyed every page of this book and look forward to reading more from Anna Bennett in the future. The Duke Is But a Dream is book 2 of the Debutante Diaries but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a well written story and charming but not very in keeping with the times.

I felt he was a dreadful hypocrite. He was all about his sister’s reputation and worried about chaperones etc but in a day or so of meeting a young woman who was very vulnerable he is making moves on her. That kind of gave me the creeps. And it didn’t ring true at all.

But there’s a bit to like in the story and the debutantes column is good. The female leads are all good, so good fodder for new books.

There’s some kind of weird repetition of the text for two chapters, which must be an editing error.

actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.
Yes, it was predictable but in the very best way. The villain was clear from the outset and, although there was mention of previous heroines, it didn't matter that I hadn't read the previous books in the series.
I did call the majority of the "big reveals" before they happened but it didn't take away my enjoyment and I still couldn't put it down.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Duke Is But A Dream was a delightful, quick read. No surprises here though. Predictable but still enjoyable. It’s a light, fun read that could use some surprises and excitement, but still enjoyable for a lazy afternoon's entertainment.

Cheesy.


Lily is a young heiress who writes a scandalous column for the paper - <I> The Debutante’s Revenge </I>.

When her parents go out of town and think she’s staying with her sister, and her sister goes out of town and thinks she’s at home with her parents, Lily gets free reign of town. So she dresses up like a boy and goes to a tavern to see how the other half lives.

When she gets robbed, Nash the duke who was broodily having a pint in the tavern comes to her defense. She gets knocked out in the fight, where Nash discovers that Lily is a girl. He takes her back to his place and when Lily comes to, she has no memory of who she is.


There’s a lot of suspending disbelief in this novel. I think my biggest one was that is not how a duke would behave. I mean, they are all about proprietary and he takes a girl he met dressed up like a boy to meet his sister? If his being a duke had any relevance to the story, fine. But the only purpose it served was to give the title alliteration. If Nash has been a nice guy who wasn’t titled, this would have been a sweet story.

There’s also a lot of modern sensibilities that wouldn’t be accepted. The heroine is unchaperoned for over a week in London, dresses up like a guy without a care for her reputation. She’s also an adopted heiress - unknown parentage was a big big deal back in those days.

I picked up the story because of the amnesia plot line, and that wasn’t too bad. The writing was very good and there weren’t any glaring grammatical errors.

I’d recommend borrowing before buying.

Beautiful cover, fun concept to the story. I like the heroine dressing up like a boy, and writing a column for paper/gossip sheet. I lived that the hero just made you want to hug him. Hoping for a story about Deliha.

The Duke is But a Dream is a charming Regency era story. Lily writes an advice column for young girls. She writes it secretly, of course, and delivers it dressed as a boy. One day, there is an incident, and a handsome Duke, Nash, discovers that Lily is not a boy. Unfortunately, Lily has amnesia at this point. She doesn't remember the advice column. This story has some humor, some romance, and it's a fun read. The characters have good interactions, and you'll want things to work out for them. Everything you would expect in a good historical romance is here. Overall, this is a satisfying read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The idea of this story is one that I love - proper sucker for an amnesia storyline! However, I feel it could have been so much better than it was.
I wasn't overly attached to either main character and felt that the supposed revelations of the story fell a bit flat.
It wasn't bad enough to put me off this author however, as I have enjoyed several of her books previously, this just wasn't what I expected from this book.
Read this author but if you haven't read her before then I recommend beginning with a different book.
I am quite intrigued to find out more about Delilah, though, and would like to see her get her own story in the future.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This one started out pretty steamy but it petered out pretty fast, and I struggled to stay engaged. Just ok

Such a sweet sorry between Lily and Nash. I loved the supporting characters too. Delilah was so sweet I hope we’ll have a book for her.

Miss Lily Hartley and her sister are secretly behind a wildly popular advice column, To not be found out, Lily delivers the articles while wearing a disguise of a young man. One evening after delivering her column, she steps into a tavern where
Eric Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge, happens to be be in. After a brawl breaks out, he discovers the young man is a stunning woman. He takes her home to get her medical help and soon learns she has a case on amnesia. The pair quickly grow close but will her discovery of who she really is drive the Duke away?
This was a good story but not my favorite in the series, mainly due to the abrupt transitions that were confusing.

Lily Hartley, her sister Fiona and their best friend Sophie write a column named the 'Debutante's Revenge', favored by young ladies, frowned upon by older family members.
Delivering her column to the paper in disguise, she stops in a disreputable pub on a lark, and ends up losing her memory, when she is injured as collateral damage in a bar fight. Eric Nash, the Duke of Stonebridge, is her rescuer and he feels guilty that she was hurt.
She has no memory of who she is or why she was there. He takes her home and along with his sister, Delilah cares for her until she's better.
Nash has difficulty keeping his lips and hands off her as she tries to recover her memory.
They agree and disagree on many things as they grow closer and closer. She comes to Nash's and Delilah's aid as much as they came to hers.
Her column created a rift between Nash and Delilah, and then bought them back together.
Ms. Bennett's tale is of heartbreak, familial love and true love, and love that conquers all.
I requested and received a NetGalley Arc to peruse and loved every word. I recommend to to all lovers of romance.