My thanks to NetGalley and Harper & Appleton for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

This is a re-issue of the author's first book. I believe it came out in the 90s, and it does show. It is a tad dated in the behaviors of the H and h and is rather trope filled, but that is NOT a bad thing. Sometimes you just want a good old-fashioned Regency romance to relax and forget the rest of the world for a while,

That being said, H is 34, h is 18. Kind of ew. His former mistress is age comparable to him, but of course, he has no interest in marrying her. Again, kind of ew. He has the classic male hero problem of being unable to share his feelings and declare his love to the h and she has a secret that she doesn't think to tell him, so he thinks she is cheating on him and is in a jealous rage all of the time. So classic, a simple, five minute conversation would fix any misunderstandings, but then there wouldn't be a book.

The subplot with the h's cousin was definitely interesting and NOT typical for the time, so that was a plus.

Oh, the H was a man-ho until he fell in love at first sight with the h, who was, of course, a virgin, never even been kissed! And while it's not very romantic, it would be refreshing if once in a while, someone who was a man-ho actually had some repercussions for it. There was a women mentioned who was the bicycle of Oxford and all of the men who went there became a man through her, to the extent than they had a ribald ditty about her. So if she literally slept with the ENTIRE college of students, I find it hard to believe that she wasn't spreading something to them all.

But romance books are fantasy, so no disease, except for consumption. Cuz nothing says tragic love like consumption. But that's a different type of romance I suppose. Oh, and there WAS consumption in this, only it was the h's mom, not the h herself. I almost forgot about that actually.

It may seem like I didn't like this book and while I didn't really enjoy the age gap and the tropes, it's not bad for a first book and I will definitely check out her other books and recommend her to our historical romance readers that come to the store. The book has good bones.

2.5 stars, rounded down to 2 because that age gap is just a bit too much for me. Also, the H should have known better. The h was only 18 and very sheltered, she couldn't be expected to be overly mature. The H's lack of maturity annoyed me.

So 2, not bad for a first book, stars.

Unfortunately, this book fell short for me and I could not finish. I ended half way and could not complete because the story line did not interested me enough.
I needed my more pizzazz in this book.
I did not get it.

The unexpected and overwhelming proposal of marriage by Richard Moncrief, the Duke of Radcliff, was a dream come true to dowryless Bonny Barbara Allan—and her worst nightmare. For her reticent husband spoke endlessly of her beauty, yet never of her his love. And her clandestine visits to help her cousin weren’t easing matters at all . . . His obsession with the fair Bonny Barbara Allan was ruining the Duke of Radcliff’s heretofore orderly life. But how could he trust his new bride—and vow undying love—when she was secretly meeting another man?
Overall, this book was ok. Both characters were decent enough. However, I really don’t care for books with these kinds of misunderstandings just to give it a twist before the HEA.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This is a reissue of Ms Bolen’s first book, and I did enjoy it, the Heroine was engaging, beautiful, yes, but not concerned with her looks, and generally quite sensible. Both the Hero, 34 year old Duke of Radcliff, who falls in love with eighteen year old Bonny Barbara Allen almost as soon as he sees her, and the heroine, do not confide in each other even after they are wed, and this obviously prolongs the agony for both of them.

Bonny is the daughter of an impoverished vicar, she has arrived in London with her Uncle and Aunt and cousin Emily. She has a mother on her deathbed, and is hoping to be married so that her mother know she will be cared for by a husband when she dies. Bonny knows she has no dowry to offer, but hopes to find someone who will marry her anyway. She is also supporting her cousin whose lover has died in battle, and who is carrying his baby.

The Duke of Radcliff is instantly fascinated with Bonny’s radiant beauty. He loses interest in his mistress immediately, and very soon is certain that he will make Bonny his duchess. They are thrown together when Bonny’s mother takes a turn for the worse, and the Duke volunteers to take Bonny and Emily to see her before she dies. The Duke falls more in love with Bonny on the journey, and marries her just before her mother dies.

They retire to his country home and have an idyllic interlude, but Stanley, the dukes cousin is incensed with this marriage and his potential displacement as the duke’s heir if Bonny has a son. He decides to trick Radcliff into returning to London, and then plots to undermine their relationship- which he manages quite successfully. Both Bonny and Radcliff are soon more uncertain of each other than ever, Bonny convinced the Duke married her out of a sense of honour and obligation, and that he loves his ex mistress more. Radcliff convinced Bonny is having an affair with the Earl of Dunstable, who is the brother of Mily’s dead lover. Bonnyis actually taking Dunstable to visit his baby niece, and is completely innocent, but Radcliffe assumes the worst. Wracked by jealousy Radcliff spends his time out with his cronies, drinking and gambling, and studiously ignoring his wife. Bonny is sadder and sadder over this state of affairs. How will they both pluck up the courage to admit their feeling for each other? How many obstacles can Moncrieff and Bonny’s aunt thro into their path.

Enjoyable , if a little too long, there were just too many misunderstandings, and I felt they should have been open with each other sooner.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

This book was originally released in 1998. For me, it fell flat and dated. It landed on the DNF pile.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

Took me a couple of chapters to get into it. Then I was invested in finding out what happened between Bonny Barbara and Richard. Richard was obsessed with appearances and Barbara wanted love. They had to find a way to meet in the middle.

A Duke Deceived is the first book in The Deceived Series. This story was well written and the characters had a lot of depth. I found it to be a little slow in the beginning but the paced picked up as it went on.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

A Duke Deceived was the first book this author had published and it will also be the first of the Deceived Series. It was a well written book and easy book to read. There was a lot of characters introduced in the book and hopefully they will have their own HEA. This book is Richard, the Duke of Radcliff, and Bonny Barbara Allan. Richard was enchanted with Bonny Barbara Allan’s beauty when he saw her across a ballroom. Bonny’s mother is seriously ill and wants to see Bonny settled. Once they are married and return to London, things begin to fall apart for them. There are so many confidences to be kept between characters that eventually the lack of communication between Richard and Bonny lead to many misunderstanding. I recommend this book and can’t wait to read the next book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Duke Deceived, the first book in the Deceived Series, is a well-written story with a familiar lesson: If you want to know something, Just Ask! Richard and Barbara are wonderful characters. They are both kind, caring, and (usually) quite honest. They are perfect for each other, or will be when they get to know each other. In her attempt to protect her cousin’s secrets, Barbara causes Richard to suspect she is in love with another. Rather than approaching her about his thoughts, he sulks, drinks, and stays out with his friends (mature, huh?). Not everyone is happy about the two of them being together, and their behavior make it easy for them to make trouble. They had a quick, but good start to build on. Can they come to trust each other and to share they feelings? Time will tell. A Duke Deceived was Cheryl Bolen’s first published book. It was great start for her career and a great start for the new series. I recommend it and look forward to the next book.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

The unexpected and overwhelming proposal of marriage by Richard Moncrief, the Duke of Radcliff, was a dream come true to dowryless Bonny Barbara Allan. For her reticent husband spoke endlessly of her beauty, yet never of her his love. And her clandestine visits to help her cousin weren’t easing matters at all. His obsession with the fair Bonny Barbara Allan was ruining the Duke of Radcliff’s orderly life.
If only they had talked! A well written book that has been re released. I liked both Richard & Barbara & enjoyed that we learned what each was thinking but my peeve was that they didn’t talk - however if they had communicated then there wouldn’t have been a story. The story did highlight how easy it is for misunderstandings & lack of a simple conversation can lead to distrust. I enjoyed the book & look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

A Duke Deceived by Cheryl Bolen is book One in The Deceived Series. This is the story of Richard Moncrief, the Duke of Radcliff and Bonny Barbara Allan.
Barbara father died about 6 years ago and now her mother has consumption that is getting worse each day. Always living in the country she has come to live with her cousin Emily and her family. The goal she has is to marry due to the circumstance she is in. Richard has decided that maybe it is time that he take a wife and move into the next part of his life. When he meets Barbara he starts to think she may be the one and due to her situation he may not have a choice.
Loved their story and can't wait for more in this series!!

A Duke Deceived by Cheryl Bolen
Book #1: The Deceived Series
Source: Author
Rating: 4½/5 stars

At 34 years old, Richard Moncrief has never given much thought to the long term. As the Duke of Radcliff, his fortune was made and set long ago which has left him with time on his hands, money to burn, and a group of rowdy friends only interested in the pleasures life has to offer. In the blink of an eye, the life Richard Moncrief has so wholeheartedly and unabashedly lived comes into question the night he meets Bonny Barbara Allan. To his friends’ great surprise, Richard’s days of drunkenness and debauchery have come to an end as he sets his sights on marriage, family, and forever.

Bonnie Barbara Allan is beautiful, intelligent, kind, loyal, and from a titled family, but she has no money for a dowry and very little hope of making a love match. What wears on Barbara the most is not so much the idea of a loveless marriage, but the idea that some man will ask for her hand simply because of her beauty, that is, failing to see beyond the façade to her true character. When Richard Moncrief approaches Barbara she assumes it is because of her looks, but when he steps in to help her with her dying mother, Barbara hopes the Duke of Radcliff is a man capable of looking beneath the surface.

Overcome with desire and a deep sense of need to see Barbara happy, Richard proposes to and marries Barbara within weeks of meeting her. Both are deliriously happy with their marriage, but both also harbor secret concerns. Barbara is certain (without asking!) that Richard cannot possibly love her and only wants her for her beauty while Richard is certain (without asking!) that Barbara cannot possibly love him because her heart belongs to another. Though the first days and even weeks of their marriage are happy, events, people, and their own unfounded concerns conspire against the new couple and will stop at nothing to tear them apart.

As the weeks drag by, Barbara does her best to hide her fears and concerns and learn to fit into the esteemed role she has married into. She desperately loves Richard but simply cannot understand his erratic and often insensitive behavior. For Richard’s part, he his convinced his wife truly belongs to another and rather than asking questions and doing his own investigating, Richard reverts to his bachelor lifestyle hoping to shame or guilt his wife into changing her ways, missing, and loving him. Of course, life has a way of forcing the truth to come out and when it does, all hell breaks loose, hearts are broken, and some fences are never again going to be mended.

The Bottom Line: I’ve said it so many times before regarding Cheryl Bolen’s books and I’m saying it again, every book is like revisiting old friends. I fall into these books, these worlds, and these characters and simply don’t want to come out until the very last page. From the moment I met her, I liked Barbara and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy and fulfilled in her life. I very much liked Richard as well, even in his moments of prideful stupidity. What I liked more than anything else? Richard and Barbara together and married from early moments in the book. I liked knowing there was no way out of the marriage for either and all the angst and worry and frustration at their shared, though unrevealed, fears were going to be resolved and they would live happily ever after. The machinations of others to tear apart Barbara and Richard very nearly work, and I loved every minute of the drama, in all its time period appropriate politeness and propriety. I can’t imagine there will ever be a time when I won’t so enthusiastically adore on of Cheryl Bolen’s period pieces. I find them to be well-written, entertaining, authentic, and simply enjoyable.

Book Title: A Duke Deceived (The Deceived Series #1)
Author: Cheryl Bolen
Pub Date: July 1, 2019

***ARC was provided to me by Net Galley and the Publisher for a fair and honest review***

Overall rating: 2/5 It was okay, stories where the only internal conflict is based in a lack of basic communication are not for me.

Heroine (Bonny Barbara Allen): 2/5 Bonny is the daughter of a vicar and has little hope for finding a husband. She knows she’s pretty but hopes to find a husband that will love her for who she is and not just her pretty face. She wants to spend her life with someone to talk to, not someone that will just stare at her while she’s young and grow to resent her when she’s old. But she was also raised with the belief that women are more or less there to please their husbands.

Hero (Richard Moncreif, Duke of Radcliff): 1/5 Richard was raised on the belief that a strong man does not reveal his secrets or his feelings to anyone. Especially not to those he loves. So he comes across as an emotionally stunted, arrogant aristocrat. But is extremely sensitive and worried about how others feel about him. He seems to expect others to wear the emotions he would never display on their sleeves.

Plot: 3/5 Bonny is a beautiful young miss with no dowry and thus does not have high hopes for whom she will marry. But she must marry quickly so her mother can die contently knowing her future is secure. Richard first sees Bonny in a ballroom and decides then and there that she will be his. He escorts her back home in Northumbria to see her mother again and proposes marriage. The newlyweds are happy in the countryside but once back and London a few misunderstandings happen and both believe the other has broken their vows and is sleeping with other people. This breaks each of their hearts but both refuse to confront the other and just stew in their misery. Will they be able to save their marriage before it’s too late?

Personal Review: This is a story being rereleased from the 90’s and it hasn’t aged well in my opinion. Richard “can’t control himself” at one point and boarder line rapes Bonny while he’s very drunk, and it is this session that gets Bonny pregnant after months of happy coupling earlier getting them no where in the baby department. So that’s a little off color to me. I’m not saying these books need to be happy and cheerful all the time, I just don’t prefer them to have the heroine cowed into performing in bed and then getting pregnant from it.

If Bonny and Richard literally had one conversation about their feelings and their suspicions then there would be no conflict. I am a very blunt person so maybe I just have an inability to understand people like this but if you can’t talk to your spouse about your feelings then who can you talk to. In this story the answer is literally anyone else, even the household staff.

Would I read something from this author again? Most likely, the writing was good, the characters were distinct, I just didn’t particularly like how this one played out and hope other works are different.

Bonny Barbara Allan, has captivated many with her beauty but without a dowry, she is unsure of how many proposals she will have. However, she is determined to marry to please her dying mother. When Richard Moncrief, the Duke of Radcliff, proposes marriage she is thrilled yet cautious as she is uncertain of his feelings for her. Richard is also tormented by Barbara, believing her to love another man, as she has never spoken of her love for him.
I must admit to being quite frustrated with both Barbara and Richard, as they could never say what they actually felt. However, their inability to communicate did make for interesting reading with several secondary characters – Richard’s friend Twig and Bonny’s cousin Emily, providing their own great stories. There were also the Richard’s nasty cousin and his ex-mistress to spice up the storyline.
An overall enjoyable read!
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Good story between Barbara and Richard who marry quickly before her mother dies after a long illness. Both are attracted to each other, but have not developed the trust to be honest and talk about their love for each other. Well written, keeps you turning the pages.

2.5 stars

This book was well written and while there was as a lot of angst, which I love, the angst was caused by one of my biggest pet peeves in books-no communication. The H and h are both so full of pride that they keep things from each other instead of having a simple change conversation that could solve all the problems between them. There is so romance in the beginning, but the majority of the book is the H and h being at odds with each other. He thinks she’s cheating and vice versa. When they do reconcile, it’s short and obvious that we’ll see more of them in the next book. I’m still on the fence as to whether or not I’ll continue the series.

A Duke Deceived The Deceived Series, Book 1 by Cheryl Bolen
Story about Bonnie and her cousin Emily. Book follows both of their lives and Bonnie ends up suddenly marrying Richard so her mother can see her wed before she passes.
Found sex scenes a bit on the erotic side-hadn't expected them to be so explicit. Like the story line and how secrets unfold and how others are kept quiet. Love hearing both sides of the same scenes: female vs the male and what they are thinking.
So many misunderstandings that lead others to act fast and health emergencies come into play and you wonder if they will ever be together. Like hearing of all the fashion besides the styles but the fabrics used.
Like all outside activities and the travel and the card playing. Topics of discussion are interesting.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Received this review copy from Harper & Appleton via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#AdukeDeceived #NetGalley

The Duke of Radcliff marries the vicar's daughter just before her mother dies. What a surprise for everyone. Richard loves Barbara but is just unable to tell her. She is keeping a secret for her cousin, Emily. Richard thinks she is having an affair and she thinks he is seeing his o;d mistress. Life could be so good for them if they could just be completely honest with each other. Great love story.

This is a beautiful tale about two persons who were destined to be together but hurt each other by their inability to communicate their feelings and not clear their own misconceptions.
To add to their burden, their journey to love was littered by protagonists who sought only to torn them apart .
This story shows how with time and by instilling slowly tiny bits of this and that plus keeping, even if it is innocent, things secret, it can destroy a fragile truce and it brings the worse in anybody even a lover.
At time I was upset by both, she for keeping secrets from her husband that appear as if she betrayed him and him for thinking the worst first without even questioning his wife’s faithfulness.
Bonny and Richard are two very likable characters, they both are kind and honest but because of a minor gesture at the beginning of their relationship, everything is put in jeopardize and any new detail is turned the wrong way as they are unable to clear the water and have a real talk. Why they became easy prey for all those who want to split them up and their task is even easier as they are so easily deceived.
They were lucky despite their flaws and failure to trust the other, as they are both guilty, to be surrounded by caring people whom will help straighten things for them, as Bonny and Richard are blind to another’s sentiments.
My only complain is the lack of epilogue and the rushed conclusion. Sure Richard handled his marriage poorly and confined Bonny to their home, a bit of grovel would have been nice but Bonny by not acknowledging her supporting her cousin and doing things behind Richard’s back has only fueled his deception.

Hopefully, the reedition of this book announces its as being the first in a series, so we will get a kind of epilogue with the next book to come.

I was provided a copy by Netgalley and the publisher Harpen&Appleton, but I purchased my own copy and here is my true and unbiased opinion.