Amazing!! This is my first Harper St. George and it certainly won't be my last. I loved everything about this! August and Evan were perfect. Harper's writing is beautiful and while I am not an expert on the Victorian area, other than a healthy interest in Victorian/Gilded Age period dramas and historical romances, everything felt very researched and informed - which is something I sometimes struggle with historicals. I'm so over the moon about The Heiress Gets a Duke, I cannot wait for the next installment in the series (but I'm thankful I have all of Harper's back catalogue to work though during this new national lockdown!)

I will update this with my actual review closer to publication :) (keep an eye out February 15th!)

I was provided an ARC of this book via the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to Berkley for my review copy. All opinions are my own. Like most of the rest of the world, I binged Netflix’s Bridgertons on Christmas Day. The regency romantic drama ended and I needed more! I immediately turned to this book to fill my need for a historical fiction romance. It comes out 1/26/2021 but it’s worth a preorder if you love these types of books. It takes place in the Gilded Age when a Duke needs to marry an American heiress to get her dowry to help restore his estates to their former glory. The problem is, the heiress in question isn’t so easily wooed….or is she?

Evan and August are a delightful Victorian version of Beatrice and Benedick - the story is engaging, the writing moves along at a great pace (though it took a chapter or two to get going) and the ending is exactly what I like in my historical romances. Cliche but nothing beats a good race to stop the girl from getting away.

I loved this book! I read it in one sitting and want more!!! What a fun read. I loved the relationship between the sisters. August was a great main character.

August attends a boxing match in disguise with her best friend. When she is pushed close to the ring, the boxer nicknamed “Hellion” catches her and insists she kiss him before he returns to the fight. She does and sparks fly. What is more shocking is when she discovers the Hellion is also the Duke her parents are arranging her younger sister to marry! She knows she needs to save her sister from this arranged marriage, but she never suspects Evan will choose her over her sister.

Duke disguising himself, to moonlight as a boxer to make money for his indebted estates? Sign. Me. Up. This book had me from chapter one! August is a character that everyone will be able to see themselves in. She strives for autonomy and has been able to make her own path thus far. When her parents realize that Evan is interested in her, she feels betrayed that her worth is suddenly based only on what she can bring to the family through marriage. I loved that Evan knew immediately what she needed and more importantly, he wanted her to have it. It was such a great pairing. This book is exactly what to read when I pick up a historical romance novel!

This is August and Evan’s story. He is a Duke in need of an heiress to pay off debts his father left. She is an heiress whose parents want one of their daughters to marry a Duke. Their relationship has many twists and turns. She wants to be respected and continue to work in her father’s company. Love wins. I hope there is a next book about this family.

This was an enjoyable historical by a new author for me. It was well writtend a bit different and had interesting characters I liked.

It tells the story of Evan, the new Duke of Rothschild and he needs to marry for money. and Violet is presented as an option. August is her sister and the Duke and her have a lot of fun when they meet.

I loved the banter between these two very strong characters. Together they make a wonderful pair. They just have to see it and let go of their secrets and trust each other. I enjoyed this romance and found it very well written with characters I enjoyed getting to know.

I really enjoyed his book right up until the end - it felt rushed and a bit out of character. Still, I enjoyed the book! It’s a solid romance and I loved the angle of having an Anglo-British romance of convenience (but not really). I’ve already got the next book on my to be read list!

I had a great time reading this. This was filled with so much angst and tension and really that’s all I can ask for in a romance! It started off really lighthearted so I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when it got deep at times with emotional moments.

I love the strong-willed nature of our protagonist. August was passionate about her goals and plans for her future. I also loved how she still accepted her feelings towards Evan even when she didn’t want to, because I believe there’s nothing more mentally/emotionally strong than fully accepting your emotions.
The duke was also a brilliant protagonist. He was a well fleshed out character who had faults, but we were also given so much to root for. I adored how honest he was with August about his attraction towards her.

The third act conflict wasn’t my favorite since we did encounter some miscommunication but I still think this book was overall quite great!
If you are looking for historical romance with great tension and two amazing protagonists who are also very compatible, then this is definitely the book for you!

I am a big historical romance reader and Heiress has been on my radar for a long time. I was very excited to get the chance to read and review. I loved Evan and how much he cared for his family and his responsibilities and for August. I liked August's determination and how well she knew herself and her wants out of life through the book. I did struggle with liking August. I have a hard time with characters who seem to make their life harder for no reason and I felt like she often was trying to be difficult without listening to reason. The story was good and the romance was great, but I wish that I would have liked her a little more.

I loved everything about this book. The Heiress Gets a Duke is the first book in The Gilded Age Heiresses series and it had my attention at page one.

August Crenshaw is an American heiress and we are introduced to her via her friend's betrothal ball where August and her sister come to realize that young women in society don't really have any power but of course, nothing like that would ever happen to them, right? Well when August's family goes to London for the season, they quickly find out that they may not be as safe as they thought.

August's parents are super frustrating in this story and I know...their thoughts aren't out of the ordinary for this time but ugh...I hated that her mother was only focused on the fact that a Duke was interested in their family. And the fact that her father seemed to be humoring August even though he acknowledged how much value she was to his company, just made me angry.

All of that to say, August was great. Stubborn but I thought as a main character she had the right qualities. She is smart and driven to make an impact in her family's business. She isn't focused (at least right now) on marriage and all of these things project to the Ton that she is "mannish".

Evan is the Duke of Rothschild and he may have a title but when his father died, the only other thing he left Evan was a lot of debt and a family to support. When his mother pushes him to consider marriage to an heiress as a way to solve his money problems, August's younger sister, Violet, is presented as an option.

Almost immediately there is a spark between August and Evan and August is willing to do just about anything to save her sister from having to marry the Duke. Unfortunately for her (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), Evan doesn't announce his intentions for her sister, instead he essentially declares for August and spends a good majority of the book trying to convince August that their marriage would be the right thing for both of them.

I loved the banter between these two characters and thought the way St. George kept the story moving along made the story interesting. Evan and August had some tough decisions to make and their negotiations that led to the climax of the story were exactly what I expected. The secondary characters add another layer to the story and I especially loved the relationship between the August and Violet. Even Evan's relationship with his mother and sisters was done well even though it didn't have a huge focus.

If you're looking for a new historical romance series, I recommend picking this one up. I will absolutely be checking out St. George's backlist and can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series as I saw that it is Violet's story with a certain Earl and I'm already invested!

Harper St. George starts out a new series set in the Gilded Age, a time when the failing fortunes of the British aristocracy meant they had no choice but to accept the attentions of upstart Americans with their new money and brash ways. In The Heiress Gets the Duke, St. George gives us the story of August, a thoughtful, independent woman who has no interest in marriage to an aristocrat, especially since marriage would mean giving up her work for her father’s ironworks. Her younger sister is offered up to the eponymous Duke, Evan Sterling, but he decides to woo August instead. Partly out of fascination for a woman who would refuse a Duke and partly out of financial desperation. St. George does a terrific job at making us want desperately for the two characters to get together already while at the same time having real sympathy for August’s ambivalence about marriage. That this romance is set in the Gilded Age makes it even more compelling reading. There are cracks in the rigid social constructs of the more familiar Regency period, and watching her characters navigate some of the same circumstances (waltz etiquette) and new ones (the decline of the agriculture-based economy) is a treat for readers of historical romance. Intelligent, engaging characters combined with a heartfelt romance – what more could you ask for?

I adored this book! I was not familiar with Harper St. George before reading The Heiress Gets a Duke. I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and description of August, a fiery business-minded American heiress in Gilded Age England. I am so glad I took a chance on a new author as this book was a delight to read from start to finish. It was full of fun banter-y dialogue, great side characters, and a solid (albeit sometimes contentious) romance between the main characters. I look forward to reading more in the series and more from the author!

I started this one and although I love historical romances, particularly of this era, it's a pet peeve of mine when married men have mistresses. I don't enjoy reading about dalliances with multiple women, I want stories about people who are true to one partner only. I read the first few chapters and wasn't
feeling this book so I decided to put it down. For now, this is going to be a DNF for me. I may revisit it at a later date but for now, I'm not feeling the story enough to continue after the first few chapters. I have never read anything by this author before, so I'm not sure if the introduction to this book was just too slow for me or if the author's style just isn't my jam, but either way I appreciate having the opportunity to explore a new book. Thank you netgalley as always for the free advanced copy.

I did not finish this book. It didn't hold my interest unfortunately. May try another from this author eventually.

New money and old collide in this delightful historical romance.

In Britain with her family to experience a London Season, August Crenshaw has no idea that her parents are after an old money alliance with one of the Crown’s many titled aristocrats. It is not August (with her head for business and “mannish” ways) on whom they are hinging their hopes but her sister, Violet. Outraged, August will try anything to dissuade her parents and thwart the intentions of the man they have in mind.

Enter Evan Sterling, the reluctant Duke of Rothschild. With his inherited estate and title crumbling under the weight of his father’s debts and mismanagement, Evan needs money fast. As the owners of a lucrative railroad and steel empire, the Crenshaws not only have it, they also have two eligible daughters. After a chance meeting with the refreshingly forthright August, Evan sees a light at the end of the tunnel. But August has dreams and ambitions outside of matrimony, and she won’t go to the altar without a fight.

I have to say I’m really enjoying historical romances set in the latter half of the Victorian era. It was a time of great change economically and socially, so it works very well as a backdrop for feminist romances, such as this one, where the reconciliation between love and independence is a main conflict. The writing is engaging, highly readable, and adept at bringing this era to life in clear detail.

Characterization is another strong point. The story unfolds from the perspective of both MCs, which is always welcome in a romance. It was a pleasure gradually getting to know August and Evan as the story progressed. The push-pull dynamic between them is almost palpable and, with a steam factor set to high, they make an entertaining couple. There are a few misunderstandings that are needlessly drawn-out for the sake of drama. But the resulting, unusually open conversations these misunderstandings inspire somewhat make up for their frequency.

Another relationship that was well-done was August’s with her parents, particularly her father. It’s never fun to experience that plate-shattering moment when one realizes they’re no longer in step with a parent on a subject or belief system. That moment for August was well-written and wholly relatable.

Outside of some repetitive phrasing and vocabulary, as well as one too many last-minute contrivances, there was very little about this novel that I was unhappy with. I’m hoping the next book features Violet and Leigh; literal sparks could fly with that couple.

One fiery, feisty heiress.
One classically charming, charismatic Duke.
One burning romance that will entice you with each turn of the page.

Utterly enchanting, dramatic, and combustible. This story had very bit of flare and sugary sweet bits to ensure I was throughly enthralled from the very beginning.

August is the the shining example of an independent leading lady, while Evan is the ultimate historical hero that will make any reader swoon.

Not only did this story give me pleasant tingles that had me smiling, but it also surprised me with well-rounded complex characters with such dimension I found myself intrigued at what they might get up to next.

August and Evan had an abundance of growth throughout the story as they both found not only each other, but themselves. One aspect of a story that gives me such joy while reading is when characters become. When they surpass what they once were.

They began in such different places than they ended in, and it is beautiful when they reach it together. Such chemistry, such passion! I adored every minute of this book and I must confess that I feel a need to run and purchase every book by this author. She has most assuredly found a new fan here.

I love the twist on this historical romance. With an American family living in Britain, wealthy, and a curiosity, that certainly puts pressure on the marriage front for the sisters in this story.

Enter the “mannish“ hard-working young lady who is quite taken with this wonderfully good looking man who just happens to be a Duke. However, she is not wanting nor willing to be married. But the sparks fly every time they see each other.

It’s very interesting to me the rules that apply to the Regency era. If you dance with someone too long or multiple times that’s indicative of intending to marry them.

If you look at someone too long or talk to them one on one, it is a big to do. If a woman holds a job or runs a business, she’s not worthy of acceptance and is forced to choose between marriage and business.

The author takes on some of these interesting “rules” of society in the story. She plays a delicate balance between Evan and August and the fact that he needs her but he also really wants her to be his wife. Enter negotiations on many levels.

The connection between the two of them is fire. The conversations are not typical of a Regency romance. You can feel the heat and steam radiating in the push and pull of the story. You want to cheer Evan on for the chase and the determination to get what he wants, yet balance her needs and desires.

With glitz and glamour working along with the cash-poor wealthy too, this story is interesting, engaging, and a unique romance that leaves you with a smile and a sigh. Well done!

A late 1800's (1874) love story that finds an intelligent American bluestocking in London, with her family, for a season. Coming from new money, and extremely wealthy, she is aghast to find out her parents are seriously considering forcing her younger sister into marriage with a penniless Duke. This tragedy is apparently being done to achieve an elevated social status. She is determined to thwart this cruel miscarriage and ensure her sister can marry the man she loves. What will happen when her distain for this fortune hunter begins to wane?

I have rated this book 4 stars and thought it was well presented.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review. The above is based on my reading of the book.

The gorgeous cover instantly drew me to this novel, combined with the promised marriage of convenience trope during the Gilded Age. It delivers on this setup, with a clever romance, a wonderfully depicted setting, an intelligent and progressive heroine, and a dashing hero. I loved how Evan’s façade of charm concealed a selfless brother and son trying to prove himself in a role he didn’t feel qualified for. He was in a humble position for a hero, in need of a fortune to redeem his heritage. BUT, what he really needs is August herself to challenge him to his potential and to manage life side by side.

I really LOVED the banter between Evan and August! When these two were close to admitting they might be right for each other, they faced some surprises. I particularly liked the “negotiations before romance” aspect at that point in the story – it was charming. August was a capable heroine, and I appreciated how she was portrayed as a balance of smart in business yet wholeheartedly feminine. August’s relationship with her sister, Violet, was great, too. I hope her happily-ever-after is featured in the next book in this series!

**content note: some mild to strong expletives throughout. Definitely an “open door” romance, with a couple moderately detailed sexual scenes. Personally, I would have liked this to have been less explicit.**

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy. This is my honest review.