I just didn't really like this book. The blurb was so good, but the premise and overall execution just fell flat. The story really dragged for me and I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters or connection to the characters. The "revenge" plot was weak and silly. I was excited in the beginning for the premise of the small town of Whitmore, where budding artists and misfits of society converge. But overall, there wasn't enough to maintain my attention.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a wonderful read. I was drawn in from the first page. This book was a real page turner . Creative characters and a storyline that captivates you and intrigues you . Sent to the enigmatic Lady Whitmores in the village on the coast . Sarah determine to reinvent herself to seek revenge on the Duke of Vexen. When the Duke of Vexen received an invitation to host a in a place he’s never been by someone he has never meet he accepts the invitation he see a lady that sing like an angel he can’t place where me might know her from. Sarah can’t believe her luck when she see the Duke of Vexen it’s her chance to extract her revenge. Can she do it or will they find something more

How to Fool A Duke ( A Husband Dilemma) by Mary Lancaster and Violette Rand is a new series. The setting is a remote location in Britain, by the sea and an old castle. Lady Whitmore ran the village and area as a retreat for people to pursue something that they wanted or needed - no titles, no class system - just people.

Lady Sarah Merrington has come to the area. She realizes that she needs to learn some things, including singing. The final goal will be to make the Duke of Vexon fall in love with her so she could spurn him like he did to her years ago. Interesting Lady Whitmore was willing to invite the duke to come to an art opening where Sarah would sing.

Leonard Blackmore, the Duke of Vexen has agreed to come to an art opening and while there dig for Viking artifacts. However, he dug up more that he realized and Sarah is part of what he realized he wanted.

The novel was fun with a new premise and surprising characters. I enjoyed both Leo and Sarah (and both their companions). I found the novel was rich with interesting situations for both Leo and Sarah. How to Fool A Duke by Mary Lancaster and Violette Rand was a fun read.

How to Fool a Duke by Violetta Rand and Mary Lancaster was a very cute novella featuring the love story between two people, Leo, Duke of Vexen and Sarah, youngest daughter of the Earl of Drimmen. They had been about to be betrothed several years before, when she was 16 and undecided about marriage. He came to her home to meet her and she took refuge in a tree from which she hurled crab apples at him. He joined her in the tree and she decided he was not a terrible prospect. By the time she made it to her parents, he had informed them that she was two young, thinking to himself that he could wait for her. She was offended and angry and left for the Continent with her aunt and uncle. Later she came to Whitmore to learn to sing from a master and make herself ready to show him what he had missed. Now her has come to Whitmore to open the art exhibit. He feels he has met her before but cannot place her, at first. He did, however, know that she was the one. Many machinations and much misdirection later, things began to work out.

This was an absolutely delightful novella. It was light-hearted and whimsical with twists and turns that were unexpected on their journey to forever. Sarah was not quite as grown up as she thought when she came to discover that revenge was not as sweet as the planning of it. They both learned some communication skills. It was a very satisfying romance with just enough sex to make it complicated. Lovely characters, compelling interests, cute plot. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of How to Fool a Duke by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #howtofooladuke

An absolutely delightful story full of wonderful characters with a few secrets I could not wait to find out! There are several layers to this story and it was exciting and heartwarming to see them unfold.

Revenge, yes that had been Sarah's goal. Leonard, Duke of Vexford had rejected her as his wife when she was only sixteen and her parents had made the match. Now she had travelled abroad and had been in the small town of Whitmore for a year having training for her voice and to act more of a lady.

Leonard had been invited to the town of Whitmore, by Lady Whimore herself, to be the host of an exhibition of the arts. That is where he heard the voice, "such a voice could make one weep with joy or sorrow. Then he saw her. "She was simply lovely. Leonard for the first time in his life was utterly dazzled. She. She is the one."

Loved, loved this story that was woven by two of my favorite authors. Best of all it is the first in a series and I know there is more to come!!

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

I always enjoy Mary’s Books, this was good too , a new series to get my teeth into .

A bit of a revenge, is what this begins as, after being rejected as immature by her betrothed, our Lady eventually returns 2 years on to realise her Duke now wants her.
Will she make his rue the day he insulted her ?

Enjoyable read, one sure to keep you very entertained.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

How to Fool a Duke is a sweet romance with our couple learning trust, forgiveness and a bit of humbleness. What started as revenge quickly turns into love. Even though I loved Sarah and Leonard, I think Lady Whitmore is the most loveable character in this book. She, too, needed forgiveness. And, it took quite a bit of trust to open and find not what she wanted but what she needed. For years she has helped others; now it is her turn.

Sarah and Leo have an age gap that caused problems when she was just 16. She believes that now is her time to bring him down using her voice and training. Leo is an intriguing gentleman, having been raised to be a duke, he strongly believes he knows what is best for himself and those around him. He and Sarah have fun challenging each other and we get to be part of that.

As these two battle and bargain, the hurts are still there. Others are even trying to assist in keeping them apart by manipulation, causing more pain. During it all, Lady Whitmore is there to guide and teach. I loved this first book in the Husband Dilemma and look forward to more.

Lady Sarah wanted to marry, wanted the man her parents had agreed as her betrothed to like her. But it wasn’t to be as he described her as a “hoyden” to her parents and broke their engagement. The Duke of Vexen was now the target of her revenge.
When Leonard visits the home of Lady Whitmore, he is intrigued by the beautiful singer, but senses that he has met her. But the Duke does remember her and is dismayed, at first, to find that he is attracted to her.
The banter between the two was fun and very entertaining. The fact that neither would admit whether their involvement was the result of a bet or that they were actually falling in love.

I saw this book on NetGalley and wasted no time requesting it. I am glad I got approved.

The story is what I would consider a light read. There is no overly dramatic twists or plot. It is just the come back of a girl who wanted to prove something to herself and the person who she thinks rejected her. I normally would not go for a plot that seems flimsy but the story was well-written. It had funny moments and moments when I just rooted for the hero and heroine. It was a nice read overall.

Ambivalent.

Sarah was scorned by Leonard, the Duke of Vexen two years ago for being a hoyden.
They grew up together. Lady Whitmore arranges for him to visit her remote castle where Sarah plans her revenge. She spent that time training as an opera singer and polishing herself to be the woman Leonard wanted then she will spurn him.

There's some things that just didn't sit well with me. One, Leonard doesn't recognize Sarah (though she looks familiar) even though they were supposed to marry and grew up together. Sarah's revenge plan is kind of immature and petty. There's plenty of trouble with another girl, Maria. And there's colloquialisms that are used that are inappropriate for the time like "sloppy seconds." Yep.
Leonard never shows contrition. So, a mixed bag.

When Sarah was just sixteen, her parents tried to arrange a marriage between her and Leonard Blackmore, the Duke of Vexen. But after meeting the young hoyden, Leonard told her parents he needed a woman of more polish and maturity.

Two years later, Sarah has grown into an accomplished woman. Now she wants to punish Leonard for rejecting her. She plans to make him fall in love, so she can refuse his marriage proposal. But when they meet again, she's captivated by his charms. When he makes a bargain with her, will she choose love or revenge?

This is a well-written book with likable characters I enjoyed getting to know. The plot is interesting but without a lot at stake. The biggest obstacle is Sarah's immaturity, which is fine given her age. It gives the book something of a YA feel.

I like the world of Whitmore that the authors have created. I look forward to more in this series.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

Lady Whitmore, is not only a fellow patron to the arts but provides second chances to young ladies who simply need a helping hand in her seaside castle and village. Lady Sarah Merrington will never forget being spurned by the duke she was supposed to marry because he thought her immature & a hoyden. After all, that is the very reason she finds herself as a personal guest to the enigmatic Lady Whitmore and Sarah is determined to reinvent herself so she can seek satisfaction, if not a bit of feminine revenge against the Duke of Vexen. Leonard Blackmore, the Duke of Vexen, is invited to host a charitable event in a place he's never heard of before and by a lady he's never met. Pleased by the opportunity, he accepts the invitation only to find his gracious hostess, Lady Whitmore, is not only a fellow patron to the arts but provides second chances to young ladies who simply need a helping hand. Unexpectedly, the duke meets a beautiful woman who sings like an angel. He swears he's seen her before but can't quite remember where or when. It doesn't matter, for she's captured his deep interest, and he always gets what he wants. Sarah can't believe her duke has arrived, giving her the chance to fulfil her dream for revenge.
A well written charming romance. I loved Sarah who has found her feet in Whitmore after always having her confidence undermined by her mother & she is enjoying her life with her former governess, she’s matured & is ready to face the ton again. I loved Leo who had always had the intention to marry Sarah but wanted to wait until she’s grown up. I loved the merry dance the pair engaged in on the way to their HEA. A mystery surrounding Lady Whitmore, a secondary romance & someone intent on ruining the burgeoning romance all added to my enjoyment
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Lady Sarah Merrington will never forget being spurned by the duke she was supposed to marry. After all, that is the very reason she finds herself as a personal guest to the enigmatic Lady Whitmore in her village on the coast.When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Mary Lancaster and Violetta Randis are magnifysent and amazing writers.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book

I just didn’t like the premise as much as I thought I would. I just lost interest in the book after a while.

Once Sarah's heart was broken by a Duke. For two years she's worked to make herself a young lady of knowledge and refinement. For the last year she's lived and studied singing in Whitmore. When the Duke shows up in Whitmore, Sarah is ready for revenge. Only the Duke isn't going to stop pursuing Sarah until she gives in. The Lady of the castle has a secret, a blackmailer tries to drive a wedge, Sarah's criticizing parents and a love that won't be denied. A romantic story with a little laughter.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

When Lady Sarah Merrington was sixteen she nearly married Leonard, the Duke of Vexen. Back then she decided whomever she was to marry would have to like her for her, so she climbed a tree and threw apples at the Duke's approaching carriage. While he did find her amusing, he didn't see her as marriage material (yet).

Over two years later, Sarah is living her life at Lady Whitmore's castle, and evolving her singing to unimaginable heights when she meets the Duke again.

Leonard was invited by the plotting Lady Whitmore to open an art auction. As someone who has a vast collection, nearly grander than the Vatican, how could he say no?

When he arrives and hears Sarah singing he's certain he's found "the one", but he doesn't recognise her and that's benefitting Sarah's longtime coming plan for revenge.

When he rejected her she was heartbroken and now it's time to give him a taste of his own medicine.

This was a very cute read. I liked it, mostly.

What I didn't like was how quickly Sarah gave up her revenge plan. Surprised the first time, still not ready the second, falling for him by the third. Almost feels like she spent years being miserable for nothing. And sure she got her revenge in a sense but that wasn't very satisfying.

As for the Duke, he shouldn't have married her when she was sixteen because of her age, but I wish he'd given her a chance. She wanted to try to be a lady for him and didn't get to do it because he left so she had to go through all of this...

Of course I disliked meddling Maria too, I do hope some poor sap makes her happy in one of the next books.

Trenton is my favourite, he deserves the world and more.

The introduction of Leonard's mother was a little unnecessary. I think it would've made more sense if he was younger. However, I am glad they sorted that out.

Another "complaint" is that this book was too short! I sped through it in no time and now I have to wait longer for the next one.

SOMEONE TELL ME IF TRENTON IS NEXT, I HAVE TO KNOW.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 3.5 stars

This was a really enjoyable read and I couldn't put it down, but there were a lot of areas where it could have been better. It jumped around a bit, plotlines weren't fully developed, some leaps taken a bit too far... It reads like a book that hasn't had a good dev-editor go through it yet and say "Okay, here's where you need to tighten it up a bit, this part needs some polish..." I half-expected when I went to the author pages for this to be a debut, and was surprised to see that both authors have quite a prolific back catalog.

I really quite liked both Sarah and Leonard, and they have really great chemistry. I love a good mistaken identities, and Sarah grooming herself to become Leonard's dream woman in order to get back at him for rejecting her is such a fun plotline. Their banter is really great, and their chemistry was fun but at times fell rather flat. I adore the idea of Lady Whitmore and her seaside village for misfits and artisans - it reminds me rather of Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove.

This is the first book in The Husband Dilemma series, and can be read as a stand-alone.

I loved the premise of this book so much as well as its first few chapters. However, I find the execution of the premise to be very rushed and disappointing for what I expected it to be. The premise only happened for a couple of chapters and then it went in a different direction than what I wanted it to be and what the book set it up to be. The characters are so boring and bland, I couldn't care more for them and the storyline. This book may appeal to other readers who don't care about a sudden change in the direction of the story and who didn't set their hopes up that the story will stay true to its premise.

Will her need for payback run deeper than a second shot at love ...

I discovered Mrs Lancaster some times ago and I eagerly follow her ongoing series, so I was curious to see how a duet writing would work. I am unable to say who is behind such and such part of the plot or character’s development but in the whole scheme, I liked this book.
Sarah is young, why her impetuous temper, and while she tries to tame her wild way with revenge in her mind, she will have to decide if once her grudge pacified, she will be able to walk away from the man she expected so much and hurt her equally.
Leonard did mean no harm when he rejected Sarah’s hand, he just saw a too young miss, not yet fit to be a wife, even less a duchess. He never thought it would wound her so deeply, she would ask for retribution.
Thus, it is how they enter in a wager, where they might lose their heart in the process.
Their journey to their HEA is not as smooth as they might have expected when secrets are revealed, when people try to cheat the cards to take the price for them, when love brings more doubts about one’s worth.
During her coming-of-age adventure, Sarah will have to decide if getting even for her mended heart will sustain her in the future or if she can let go of her wounded pride and give them a second chance.
4.5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Dragonblade Publishing, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Lady Sarah Merrington and Leonard, the Duke of Vexen, share a past that did not end well for Sarah.

Sarah gets a second chance to prove the Duke wrong, there’s nothing worst than a spurned lady.

This is a well-written, enjoyable read with a bit of mystery.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.