When Sebastian loses his place in society he goes on a personal journey to discover who he is, and what he wants to become. Ivy, who also had to take charge of her life, becomes his inspiration. The story has some lovely characters such as Ivy’s sister and also Sebastian’s. With plotting from the siblings, and other well meaning relatives and friends, Sebastian discovers his true worth and place in life.

This book is a raunchy romp that's a great read to clear your mind and just enjoy the story. It is the first of the new Hazards of Dukes series (how cute is that name!) Each can be a stand alone read.

In the very first paragraph we learn that handsome Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, has been stripped of his titled through no fault of his own. Broke, homeless, and angry he ventures out with his best friend Nash to a gambling den to forget his troubles.

Miss Ivy Holton was once a Lady of society but now she supports herself and her sister by running a very popular gambling house that welcomes all so long as you have the money to lose when you play.

Sparks fly when these two meet but they circle each other as they do not trust people after being used and abused by those they have loved. Following their journey is a fun look into 19 century royal etiquette and sexual tension that I will say made me blush quite a bit.

If you like regency romances and historical fiction with some sexy time this is your book. The second book is about Sebastian's sister and his best friend Nash and I am looking forward to their story.

I received a free copy of this book from HarperCollins and NetGalley for a fare and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read and I really liked the twist on rags to riches from other historical romances. It was a good book and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

This book was fresh and fun! I love the idea of a woman owning a gambling hell, and not just because it's a way to make money, but because she's kind of an inveterate gambler! And the idea of a duke having to learn to live as a commoner is delightful. I rooted for these characters and I love to read a book in which the characters really feel like they grow.



Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a poignant beginning to this series, with a duke who isn't and his adjustment to life without power and money. After discovering that he is disinherited because of his mother's lies, Sebastian de Silva goes to work in Miss Ivy Holton's gambling hall. The struggles of this ex-duke to find his way after losing all he knew is really touching. The strong connection between him and Ivy, who also had to change the trajectory of her life, makes this a powerful love story. The secondary characters add to the depth of this charming story, which really shows characters who grow and become better versions of themselves — especially when they are together. Beautiful start to the series — another winner by Megan Frampton! (I received a copy from NetGalley, in return for my honest review.)

Never Kiss a Duke by Megan Frampton is the First book in the A Hazards of Dukes Series. This is the story of Sebastian and Ivy Holton. Sebastian has been the Duke of Hasford until he was one day called into the solicitor's office. There he was told that his parents marriage was not valid which means he is not the true Duke. Sebastian learns his cousin Thaddeus is to be the new Duke. Thaddeus has promised to take care of Ana Maria who is a half-sister. Being lost as what to do next he ends up with his friend Nash (who is also a Duke) they both end up at Ivy's Gambling Hall. Ivy was once a daughter of a Baron but that father gambled her hand in marriage away to a man. Ivy turned the page on both of them by gambling herself and winning her hand back. This of course ruined her reputation but for Ivy freedom was better. When she was able to she opened the gambling hall for her and her sister to make money so that they would have better choices especially her sister. Sparks fly between Ivy and Sebastian but they sear to a business relationship but of course how long can they ignore their feelings? Enjoyed their story!

Never Kiss a Duke by Megan Frampton


“Historical accuracy” is a loaded term in the historical romance genre, and I’m not going to be unpacking the implications today; believe me, I could go on for days about the subject, but then I wouldn’t be able to discuss this lovely new book.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a duke cannot lose his title. This comes up in books: the titled protagonist is in danger of losing his title if he doesn’t meet some unconventional requirements, like failing to find a wife by sundown on his thirtieth birthday. But that’s not accurate and titles don’t work like that.

However, if a duke’s parents’ marriage is deemed invalid, then that would mean that he was no longer his father’s legitimate offspring, and therefore render him ineligible for the title.

And that is exactly what happens to Sebastian. He goes from being the Duke of Hasford to Mr. de Silva. He ends up accepting a job at a gaming hell owned by Miss Ivy, who has an intriguing backstory of her own.

This book was charming and delightful. Sebastian and Ivy dance around their feelings, but it’s clear that they like each other. Their mutual hesitation was natural and made for a bit of a slow burn. I have to say that I appreciated Ivy’s reasons for hesitating: she had a business to run and didn’t need the distractions or complications that usually accompany a relationship. That said, Sebastian and Ivy had wonderful chemistry. They worked well together because Sebastian respected Ivy as a boss and as a woman.

There’s relatively little conflict, and the issues that do arise are borne out of love and concern for Sebastian’s new untitled status. There was a minor character who seemed overly petty, but every book needs a little melodrama, and this character was more than happy to supply it.

Sebastian and Ivy are supported by a cast of secondary characters, including Sebastian’s best friend (also a duke), his cousin (who becomes a duke), and his sister. Ivy has a younger sister who she dotes on as well as several employees who would do anything for her and are immediately suspicious of Sebastian and his intentions with the club and with their boss. I am looking forward to seeing what Frampton does with these characters in future books.

I would recommend Never Kiss a Duke. This is the first book in a new series, and it was refreshing and fun. There have been numerous books in which someone unexpectedly inherits a title, but I can’t think of very many where a protagonist actually loses his title. This was very clever premise, and I loved seeing how Sebastian responded to this sudden change in his status. Likewise, other books have shown women owning gaming hells, but Frampton put an original spin— pun not intended— on the concept by showcasing Ivy’s desire to expand her market by making the business more egalitarian. I have read a couple of Frampton’s books over the years, but I enjoyed my reading experience so much that I am going to have to add more to my TBR queue.



Okay, I lied— the pun was 100% intended.



I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Megan Frampton! I have been meaning to try her forever, her story lines always sound enticing and I think her covers are beautiful. This is the first book of her new series, Hazards of Dukes.

I thought this story was so unique in that the hero is no longer a duke. He's been raised to be a duke, was told he was the duke, acted like the duke...until he discovers he is a nobody due to a violated law by his mother. He is plain Mr. de Silva. He's like a newborn entering the world of, well, having to buy things. Having to work. Having to make a bed. Having to figure out how to have a purpose in this life other than what he always thought he had.

The heroine, Miss Ivy, has also lost her social status. Ruined but with a younger sister to care for, she has started her own gaming house to support themselves. Now, this is probably just me and the books I have read fairly recently, but it seems like every girl and their sister owns a gambling house now. I've finished 3 of Suzanne Enoch's series that take place with the Tantalus club, there's Sarah MacLean's Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover, and I think some Tina Gabrielle have this too. It's a great plot device but it's not new to me, and honestly I got kind of bored with it.

The book is a little slow moving in the beginning. It establishes what's happening to Sebastian's life and the daily workings of Ivy's gambling house. They come together soon into the book and find they work together quite well. I enjoyed this book overall. There's no crazy plot going taking me away from the characters. It's about them growing and being together and coming to terms with their places in life. It's rather funny in some parts. Very sexy, but it's pretty much all in the second half. I did think the feels/tension were just not connecting the best with me, which is why I give 4 stars. It wasn't a book I couldn't tear myself away from. I will definitely be trying more of her work though.

Frampton does use the F word in this novel a handful of times. I think it's 5-6. Nothing overly vulgar but I know some people really dislike that, so I thought I'd point it out.


Very slight spoiler ahead:



Lastly, there is a 2 month separation of Ivy and Sebastian at the end and I don't like it or understand it at all. It's not long page wise, so it was easier for me to get over, but that always drives me nuts. I wouldn't have lasted 2 months. I would have beaned him over the head if he waited that long without talking to me.

Never Kiss a Duke may just be my favorite Megan Frampton yet, because of the way it subtly shakes up the historical romance formula. Amid the many books of privileged and rakish dukes, some of which Frampton has written, I love the concept of a disinherited duke having to learn how to be a regular person.

Sebastian is a great character, and his growing awareness of the privilege he had is well-written. While he does still have some stumbling moments, it is part of his character development, and I ultimately found his journey believable, with the payoff feeling rewarding given I did understand the tough choices he had to make.

Ivy is a great counterpart for him, and one of the things I immediately liked about their dynamic is that they were more or less equals, even if she was his employer, putting a twist on the often problematic boss/employee romance. I also like that she offered a counterpoint to his story, where while he did consider going back to his old life in some capacity at one point, she also used to be from an aristocratic family (although lower ranking), but doesn’t desire that life again. It provided a compelling conflict for them to work through, especially since there were sparks between them already.

The supporting cast is charming as well, although I’m a little disappointed that Typical Duke Nash is the hero of the next book, not that there’s anything wrong with him…he is a good friend to Sebastian, and they do have some great moments here. But any opportunity to see more of these characters is great, from the reluctant new duke Thad, to Sebastian’s charming sister, Ana Maria, and his poetically (literally!) named dogs.

This is a fun historical romance that has great twists to the typical tropes, and has likable characters with a great relationship that I rooted for in spite of the obstacles and their seemingly (at surface level) differing dreams. I recommend this to all historical lovers.

I loved the idea of Sebastian losing his title, through no fault of his own, and Ivy being her own woman in spite of her tragedy. Then I was kind of lost. The story was just there. No angst and no real connection in my opinion. I also appreciated that his friends stayed with him and would not give Sebastian the cut direct and Sebastian’s love for his sister was the highlight of the story for me. There were parts of the story that I really enjoyed but this was just an okay read for me because I wanted to like it so much more.

What is a duke to do when he no longer is a duke???

Sebastian has just been informed that his whole life is a lie... he is no longer the Duke (that’s now his cousin) and he is a bastard. Learning that this is all due to his mother’s manipulations he vows to not accept the charity of friends and family and to man something of himself in his own...

Ivy has had the luck of the cards determine her fate from day one. First her father gambles away her freedom and then with another game she wins her freedom! Gambling is her destiny, so why not embrace it and open her own gaming club???

Sebastian and Ivy come together after the moping former Duke comes to her club to forget his change in circumstances for a night... there’s immediate sparks ✨ until Sebastian opens his formerly privileged mouth and almost runs off her customers!!🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Can he make it up to her (and make himself into a new man) with his big ideas to promote the club?? Ivy is willing to give it a gamble🎲😁!

This was a fun read and I liked how the characters transformations made them into better versions of themselves for themselves- not changing to be what someone else wants. The side characters were intriguing and I’m invested in how the rest of this dukely trio finds their HEA❤️!!!

Never Kiss a Duke, the first book in a new series, the The Hazard of Dukes by Megan Frampton is scheduled to release January 28th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Collins, Avon Romance through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#NeverKissAduke #MeganFrampton #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

I enjoyed the book, and it was a good debut to a new Megan Frampton series! I loved Ivy's character and that Frampton made her the owner of a gaming hell. I thought it was a fresh take, and did it very well. I enjoyed the progression of the romance between Ivy and Sebastian.

Megan Frampton is one of my favorite authors of regency romance, and it's great to see how she progresses in terms of craft and characterization. Looking forward to reading what she comes out with next!

A disinherited duke and a former lady are courting much more than business in the first novel in Megan Frampton’s newest titillating series, Hazards of Dukes.
Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, has a title, wealth, privilege, and plenty of rakish charm. Until he discovers the only thing that truly belongs to him is his charm. An accident of birth has turned him into plain Mr. de Silva. Now, Sebastian is flummoxed as to what to do with his life—until he stumbles into a gambling den owned by Miss Ivy, a most fascinating young lady, who hires him on the spot. Working with a boss has never seemed so enticing.
Ivy was once considered a lady but lost everything due to scandal. Now she finds herself with Sebastian a disinterested Duke Who is without his title now due to no fault of his own.
Is he teachable or will he cause her grief beyond repair?
This is a very likable and delightful romance. Two souls who have lost their places in society through no fault of their own make a wonderful couple in this latest Megan Frampton book.
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, has lost everything including his title thanks to his conniving mother. He now finds himself doing a little soul-searching. Being plain Mr. de Silva is hard and Sebastian is looking for a purpose in this new and different world. All of that changes when Sebastian meets a gambling den owner, Miss Ivy.

In a way, Ivy has been where Sebastian is now. She was once a lady, but lost her standing due to her irresponsible father. However, Ivy came out on top, and she means to stay that way, in control of her own life. Hiring Sebastian can only help her business. But what if it could be more than business between them?

Author Megan Frampton's HAZARDS OF DUKES series looks promising. The first book NEVER KISS A DUKE broke the mold. Ivy and Sebastian threw off sparks from their very first meeting. I loved the wit and banter between them. Sebastian is learning Ivy's world and turns out they both have things to learn from each other. NEVER KISS A DUKE had me up late... it's that good. Fans of Ms. Frampton won't want to miss this one.

I loved this book. It was a nice slow burn that made the chemistry between the characters all the more intriguing. Ivy and Seb were wonderful characters to watch on their journeys of self-discovery. I enjoyed that Seb was the character who needed to figure out who he was. Ivy already knew who she was but she just needed to let go of the limited future she had envisioned for herself and let Seb into her life.

I don't know of a book I have read recently that was more perfectedly paced. The slow build up between the characters, the lack of gotcha moments, and the legitimate misunderstanding all made this romance so much more interesting. The supporting characters, especially the meddling sisters, were wonderful and provided much needed comic relief.

Highly recommended.

I accessed an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Never Kiss a Duke is not your typical romance, no Almack’s, not the typical balls, just a club owned by a disgraced lady. Suddenly, Sebastian, Duke of Hasford is no longer the duke, but a bastard born son due to his mother’s machinations. His close friend, another duke, takes him to Ivy’s club to drink. Sebastian is fascinated by everything Ivy has and does in her club. She doesn’t meet his idea of a club owner, but he no longer meets his own idea of who he is or was as a duke.

I love Ivy’s strength of character, her need to protect her sister from disgrace and that she stands up for herself and for what she wants. Sebastian, on the other hand, seems lost now that he is no longer a duke. He knows he wants Ivy, but that seems to be all he knows, until he no longer has her.

Allow me to say how much I enjoyed this book due to Ms. Frampton’s writing. The only part that seemed unnecessary and a bit over the top was the sexual escapades that seemed to be just thrown in to the excellent writing. If anything, the sex took away from the story for me.

The secondary characters are charming, especially Octavia and Ana Marie. I am looking forward to the rest of the series with Nash and Thad as the other Dukes of Hazard. All were supportive of Sebastian and Ivy and deserve HEA’s, too.

I read my first Megan Frampton and I really enjoyed it! I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC that I saved it so I could savor it.

I really loved Sebastian and Ivy and loved seeing them fall in love. Some people will probably object to the “modern sensibilities” of the characters but this is romance and I loved it!

Never Kiss a Duke is my first Megan Frampton book and I really enjoyed it. It puts a historical twist on the office romance, which is one of my faves. Admittedly, this might be because I've never really worked in an office. I just love the whole making out on the desk thing!

I also loved how self-aware Ivy is. She chose to make her gambling hall somewhat revolutionary by welcoming people from all classes as long as they could pay their debts. But she's also conscious of how carefully she has to manage its image because she is a woman, which is so relatable. Sebastian is similarly self-aware, which was maybe not as believable. He handles the loss of his title surprisingly calmly and is quite thoughtful about what it means to him, to his family, and to Society even immediately after it happens.

In addition to the charming workplace flirtation, I feel like their story is about Identity - how often we let wealth, careers or relationships define who we are. Both Ivy and Sebastian have to relearn who they are without a title, though she has already done that by the time the story starts. And I think that's why Sebastian behaves as he does at the end of the book, because Ivy refuses to let their relationship define her. I had to stop and think about his actions in that context to avoid getting mad at him.

Honestly, my biggest complaint is that I didn't find any Dukes of Hazard references. Such a missed opportunity with that series title! No one would notice if you slipped in a cousin named Beau or Luke.

I did enjoy the cousin in the story though, tragically named Thad, who takes over as Duke. But the real stars are Ivy and Sebastian's sisters. They are both hilarious! Sebastian's sister and his best friend, the broody, hotheaded duke, star in the next book in the series which I'm really looking forward to.

Such an enjoyable story! I loved Ivy and all she did for her sister and employees. I love strong historical heroines and she didn’t disappoint. She and Sebastian were perfect together and had amazing chemistry. The story flowed well and was filled with tension I also loved all of the secondary characters and can’t wait for their stories.

Mr. Sebastian de Silva has his life turned upside down with a letter from his mother after her death. Turns out her marriage wasn't legal and now Sebastian is a plain Mr. instead of a duke. He is out of his element as he has no idea how to live like a "commoner." When he meets Miss Ivy Holton, the owner of a gaming establishment, his life takes an unexpected turn. Can Ivy help Sebastian adjust to his new life and open his heart to love?

This book started off great. It was a storyline I've not read before and I was looking forward to a great read. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to its potential for me. I wasn't a fan of Ivy's flip flops concerning Sebastian. Did she want him as a lover, an employee, a partner? However, there was no denying their chemistry. I was also confused about how old everyone was especially Sebastian's sister, Ana. She's supposed to be Sebastian's older sister, but she acted much younger. While I was not a fan of this book, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.