Most ridiculous book I have ever read. The entire premise behind the book seems out there but I figured I like historical romances and paranormal romances so I'll probably like a combination of the two genres. I was very wrong. Not only was the fact that he kidnaps her ridiculous but so was her reaction. She's more angry for the fact that she left her horses behind, then that he kidnapped her after purposefully ruining her. From there the romance and supernatural aspects did nothing for me. He treated her very poorly in the beginning and she was just a very unlikable character. Then, the family drama was so out there that it made little sense. Her uncle and cousins were disgusting and cruel for a very stupid reason. There is very little I can say about the end without giving it away, but I wish I had decided to DNF after the first 20% like I initially wanted to. I am unsure if it's the author or just this book, but I will not be reading any more from her.

This was a new author for me. This is the first book in the Shapeshifter's of the Beau Monde series by Susanna Allen. It features Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, who has long been an enigma to the rest of the ton. Everyone knows that there is something "off" about him and even with his stature the society ladies know to steer a clear path around him. For him, he has spent a long time searching for his mate. Enter Felicity Templeton, who is actively working to stay unmarried until her 25th birthday, so she can receive her large inheritance. They are drawn to each other and they take us on an entertaining adventure.

Being the first book in a series, you always wonder if it will be dragged down by creating their "world." The author did a wonderful job developing the rules and background for the world without bogging down the story. I greatly enjoyed this series and plan to add it to my library's collection.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley for an honest opinion of the book.

This book was unfortunately a dnf for me. I couldn't get hooked into the story line and the characters were just hard to relate to.

Accidentally requested this one while in the middle of a frenzy. Not going to post review to Goodreads because I don’t finish reading. So, that was that. To NetGalley, thank you for the e-ARC anyway.

This had definitely surprised me lke I wasn't expecting that the story would turn out like that. Pretty good actually and at the same time engaging even though I didn't really liked the writing that much.

I was so disappointed!!! I really wanted to like this book but it was sooooooooo boring. I didn't care for the plot or characters

The writing was horrible, since the author was trying so hard to sound like a regency novel and it was way over the top. The love interest was a literal animal (and not in a good way, if there is any) and I can see him getting more possessive and toxic in the upcoming chapters and I was not going to put myself through that. The main character was boring as hell and I couldn’t feel sympathy at all for her. I can’t even remember their names and I just stopped reading. Please look elsewhere for a good supernatural regency historical romance because this one is not it.

A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing begins the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series with a fascinating tale of shifters in Regency England blending in as well as they can and searching for their unique to them life mate.

Alfred, the Duke of Lowell, has finally found the woman he is destined to share his life with – but a complication arises in that Felicity is very human, and very much not interested in him, marrying anyone, especially since she is intending to remain unwed until at least her 25th birthday when she will inherit a sizeable sum from her deceased father’s estate. Felicity’s passion is horse breeding, a profession not considered at all ladylike but she cares little for the ton’s opinion only her horses matter to her. She needs to be able to inherit those funds in order to fulfill her lifelong dream – and no male, not a sleazy uncle nor nasty cousins, or even a handsome Duke will change her mind. Right until Alfred takes that possibility away from her by staging a kidnapping that will save him and his pack from a curse as well as bringing his lifemate home to his territory.

Reputation ruined, angry beyond words at Alfred, is it any wonder that Felicity is fighting him and his plans of so-called love and life commitments by any means available? Watching how this “Beast” wins over his “Beauty” was a fun experience. While I enjoyed the basic story (and want to know more in the next addition to the series) there were some parts where I could have enjoyed a faster pace to the story. It was certainly entertaining to see Alfred try his best to win over his lady, even his bumbling completely non-smooth moves brought a smile as I was reading. He tried so hard, but he truly is rather clueless when it comes to wooing his mate.

I enjoyed meeting the members of Alfred’s pack, and I’m definitely looking forward to learning more about them through their own stories. In all, I enjoyed myself and will be back for more in the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing by Susanna Allen is the first book in her new paranormal series Shape Shifters of the Beau Monde. Felicity Templeton has been treading a delicate balance between appearing to take part in the marriage mart and making herself unattractive to suitors because she will inherit a large fortune on her twenty-fifth birthday, and she has plans. Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, throws a wrench into those plans because he’s determined that she’s the one for him. Add in an evil Uncle and a pair of nasty cousins who act as his minions in his attempt to steal her fortune, and Felicity is not left with a lot of choices. The paranormal elements bring to mind Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast, and I sometimes struggled with my willing suspension of disbelief. I adored the heroine but found the hero to be rather bland. Steam Level: Medium, Published on April 27, 2021. #AWolfInDukesClothing #SusannaAllen #HistoricalRomance #ParanormalRomance #SourcebooksCasablanca #ParanormalRomanceSeries #HistoricalRomanceSeries #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

A seductive and scintillating paranormal historical romance, readers are sure to be spellbound by Susanna Allen’s superb new novel, A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing.

Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, has long been an object of fascination for the Ton. The members of polite society have always been intrigued by this brooding and mysterious aristocrat who never lets anybody get too close to him – until now. The Duke of Lowell is in desperate need of a wife and although there are no shortage of young ladies who find themselves drawn to him, he cannot just choose any woman because Alfred Blakesley has a secret: he is a wolf shifter and leader of his pack that faces extinction unless he marries his one true love!

Other young girls in society who reach the grand old age of twenty-four without having a ring on their finger would be willing to do whatever it takes to make a half decent match, but not Felicity Templeton. She has a goal in mind which she is determined to reach at all costs and she is not about to let anybody or anything distract her from achieving her objective: to remain unmarried until her twenty-fifth birthday so she can inherit a substantial fortune. Felicity’s plan not to walk down the aisle seems to be going swimmingly – until she meets the Duke of Lowell! Felicity finds herself completely bowled over by the enigmatic duke and the more time she spends in his company, the more she finds herself bowled over by him. However, the man she is falling in love with hasn’t been completely honest with her…

Having found his mate, Alfred is willing to go to any lengths to make Felicity his, but with so many obstacles standing in the way of their happiness, is a future for the two of them possible? Or does their love stand absolutely no chance of surviving?

Susanna Allen’s A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing is absolutely magical! Witty, sensuous, emotional and wonderfully romantic, A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing effortlessly blends passion, humor and intrigue in an irresistible read that will charm and delight readers everywhere.

Susanna Allen is a terrific storyteller and her writing is so sharp and evocative that it instantly transports readers back to the 19th century. Her characters leap off the pages and they will become so real to the reader that it’s absolutely impossible not to fall in love with them. Alfred and Felicity are beautifully rendered characters and theirs is a love story that touches the heart and makes readers laugh out loud.

A splendid read guaranteed to delight paranormal and historical romance fans alike, Susanna Allen’s A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing is a must-read!

3.75 stars

My absolute love for paranormal and cross-over with historical romance, had me snapping up A Wolf in Duke's Clothing quicker than a kid in a candy store. I loved the idea of shapeshifters being in the Beau Monde and how that would play out. And while we only got a small view of that aspect, I wasn't disappointed.

Alfred Blakesley, the Duke of Lowell is on the search for his one and only. He has been far and abroad to many distant continents searching for that one elusive person that is his other half. He knows nothing about who she will be but knows that his wolf will know when he finds her. Until one fateful night at a society ball, he finally finds her.

Felicity Templeton has two goals in life, to remain unmarried until she reaches 25 and thus inheriting the fortune her parents left for her, and two, to create a highly successful and sought-after stud farm using her mother's beloved horses. But, one interaction with the mysterious and handsome Duke of Lowell threatens every single one of her finely crafted plans.

There was a lot going on with this book. The world-building is not completely elucidated, which leaves more for further books to explain. We get the mystery of Felicity's family, the deaths of her parents. her mysterious uncle and his sons, and The WIll. Further, we get the mysterious secret society with yet another twist as the identity of the man behind the society and his origins are revealed. Plus, the typical ribble-rabble of explaining to the woman you've just kidnapped and are thus forcing her to marry you that you are in fact a shifter, and she's the other part of your soul- just trust me you silly human.

I enjoyed the side characters and the multiple mystery aspects certainly keeps the reader engaged. The book was a little slow pace-wise, but overall a fun start to a, hopefully, new fun paranormal series. I hope to read more in the future. I think the 2nd book, A Most Unusual Duke, is set to come out in late December of this year! Can't wait.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I liked it well enough, I didn't mind the author's voice it had a more recency tone to it then one with a more modern style. I enjoyed the story and the romance, the lore was nice, but I wonder why the author used the Latin homo plenis, which means man-brimmed for non shifting humans. The end was never ending, the last quarter of the book was the conclusion and the wrap-up. It was an enjoyable read and I will keep my eye out for the second book.

A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde #1). By Susanna Allen. 2021. Sourcebooks Casablanca (ARC eBook).

A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing combines shapeshifter and Regency romances and it is delightfully different and engaging. Alfred and his wolf form, Alfie (as Felicity names him) have their own natures which was different. I also liked that Alfred isn’t only the Alpha to his pack of wolves, but to others as well, which introduces more than one type of shifter for the series. There are other aspects of the paranormal too. I think this was my first time reading Allen and I liked this book and look forward to the next book in the series.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story and didn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you into these characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

Alfred is the alpha of a somewhat ragtag band of shifters, and Felicity is the person that he has chosen as his own. And so begins his quest to convince her that she should be his Duchess, but his battle is somewhat uphill, after a rough start. Throw in some intrigue in the shape of Felicity’s dodgy uncle, and it’s not all smooth sailing for Alfred and Felicity.

Alfred is a kind man with a good heart. He wants the best for all of the members of his pack, but he is trying to balance what they need from him, with what he needs from Felicity (and even a bit of what he wants as a husband).

Felicity is very strong and independent. Circumstance has forced this on her, and her ambitions have cemented it. Especially since she wants to be a woman entering into trade! Oh, the scandal of it!!

Felicity is quite open minded and modern for her time, while Alfred is trying to be open minded and modern – while sometimes having no clue whatsoever what that actually entails.

Together, these two make a great couple. I found their interactions to be really fun! This book is really well polished, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. And that kept me laughing.

I did find that I needed to read it with a dictionary nearby though! Susanna Allen has done an outstanding job of creating the mood of the time. It was a bit of a challenge at the start, as it took me perhaps 1.5 – 2 chapters to really be able to read it fluently, without having to really concentrate on understanding. But once I caught onto the rhythm of the language, I didn’t even mind having to check the meaning of all those older words, as I really enjoyed the authenticity that it added to the story.

I also really enjoyed the descriptions of all of the other characters that live on the Duke’s property. Their descriptions became a bit of a guessing game for me, to see whether I could pick up on the hints and work out what sort of animal their shifter was going to turn out to be. And along with the character descriptions, there were some highly amusing descriptions of other aspects as well. My favourite had to be Felicity’s comment to Alfred, when she objected to him sniffing her – “Sir! Your Grace. I must object to this repeated inhalation of my person.” Love this!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read the whole thing in two settings, snickering to myself the whole way.

In general I liked this book. It offered up a fresh mix of regency romance and paranormal romance that I found very intriguing. That being said, if I'm being completely honest here there were quite a few things here that rubbed me the wrong way and a couple big ones that truly bothered me enough to be tempted to not finish reading this. While I was not a fan of either character, I found the male lead particularly unlikable. In the end I'm left torn. I still feel that there is wealth of sadly untapped potential in this clever concept but for me this read was a major fumble.

The concept for this book was great. I’m a fan of both paranormal and historical romance so I was excited to have the best of both worlds. I mean, supernatural beings have been around a while, right? So why not tell their story in a historical setting? It sounded fun. Unfortunately, the voice of the novel was confused and it just never hit the right notes.

It was trying far too hard to be a regency and it never succeeded. The vocabulary was incredibly overthought and over embellished. If I hadn’t inferred the meaning of certain words by context I would’ve been glued to a dictionary to find out just what the heck the characters were trying to say.

I was also not a fan of the heroine. I’m all for girl power and independence, but her type of girl power didn’t match the setting. There were even times that I had to re-read a sentence and wonder if the author meant to put such modern colloquialisms there. Also, her character seemed too perfect. She lived in a rundown house with very few servants after her parents died, yet she knew just what to say and do in the duke’s home? She sees a huge wolf in a clearing and convinces herself it’s just a big dog, shows zero fear, and then tells it her life story? Come on! She constantly says the right thing to make everyone in awe of her and it’s just too perfect. I like my leads to have more depth and less “nerd girl takes of glasses and is revealed as a hot girl all along without actually doing anything.” I digress.

I did enjoy the concept of an Alpha in charge of a menagerie of species instead of just wolves. How exactly does the hierarchy work? Do animal instincts just disappear when predator and prey work together? I would’ve loved to see more development there

Overall, the concept was lovely, but I couldn’t grasp the author’s voice and I found myself just trying to hurry up and finish. It just wasn’t for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for releasing this arc to me in exchange for an honest review.

It is a mix out of Historical Romance and Fantasy Romance, which I haven’t read before in that form, and I have to say I am going to look for more of that kind ☺️!

I loved the aspect of Packs consisting of more than just wolves and how the supernaturals fit into the English society of that time. The FL and the ML had a good chemistry and it was interesting how he wanted to woo her. (Kidnapping isn’t really a great start but he had a good intention behind it..... 😂)

Some questions were sadly unanswered (perhaps answered in the next book? 🤔), however all in all it was a good read.

An entertaining steamy paranormal historical romance. The characters had good on page chemistry and this first instalment in the series sets up an intriguing world of paranormal creatures that are both familiar and unique. I did find the writing style to be a bit rough around the edges at times but I will definitely still be checking out the next book in the series when it’s published.

This was a god damn delight. A HISTORICAL ROMANCE with a DUKE who was a WEREWOLF oh my god I was giddy. Some of it confused the hell out of me, but on a deeper level I feel like maybe that was supposed to happen? Because everything unfolded more logically as our heroine found things out?? But overall: Loved it. Laughed a lot. Had a great time. I need more like this.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for my review copy!