I was given an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

First of all the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It definitely catches the eye. The book summary was intriguing. It brought my attention to look further. The story was just ok.

I do love the enemies to lovers storylines but this one didn't stand out. My biggest issues are how the author suddenly flips the POV and too much telling versus showing.

Again, just okay and left me wanting more.

They are at odds.

For years, Lara, who is half Indian and not accepted by the ton, has been sparing with Wolf, the Duke of Wolverton. Wolf's uncle is Lara's uncle and guardian. Wolf is determined to be proper and scandal-free due to his father's many indiscretions. But Lara tempts him with just one kiss, thereby changing the entire tenor of their relationship.

Fast paced, sensual and addressing some timely issues, as Lara is seeking acceptance and love, but as she is biracial, this proves difficult. Even more so with Wolf issuing a six month ultimatum to wed ( not sure why he thinks he can do that, as he is not her guardian).

I liked the chemistry between Lara and Wolf and that Wolf's control is always tested by her physical appeal.
Recommend, Enjoyed and look forward to the other characters stories.

This was my first read from the author and overall I liked the story and characters. I thought both Laura and Tristan and the secondary characters were interesting and fun to read about.

I didn't click sometimes with the writing style, as it was more show than tell but I would still try another book from the author.

This book is one of the best I have read in a while. Tristan and Lara have chemistry from their very first kiss. She is not the person he expected to fall in love with the one person he is always at odds with. She knows the only member of the ton she can possibly find happiness with is Tristan.This book was so good, it had me smiling and then so much more.

My journey into historical romance continues with Dare To Be A Duchess by Sapna Bhog. I have to credit Sam @ Fictionally Sam for telling me about this book, and I happily fell off of my self imposed ARC ban wagon for it. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up, except for a great time. And I got that so I win. And so do you, because I'm here to share all my thoughts and feelings.

Lara is fantastic. She is the kind of character that thrives on mischief and I loved her for it. She loved challenging societal rules and norms, and I loved that she wasn't doing it to be the center of attention. There was no malicious intent behind the way she acted, she was just tired of being seen as different. Being half Indian made her the target of gossip, rudeness, even bullying, and she just realized she was never going to be accepted, so why not act differently and be her own person? I how she wasn't going to ever use her family heritage to win her place in society. Most young ladies in her position would have done it, but she didn't and I respected that about her.

Oh Tristan. Tristan is very proper, he sticks to the rules, and he is very strict. He loved to have a very tight hold on his emotions. So he is constantly confused by his feelings for Lara. I wish he would have accepted his feelings earlier. I understand why he felt like Lara wasn't the best choice for him, but at the same time I kept wishing he'd have the courage to accept society rules and even his mother's pressure dictate what he wanted out of his life.

The book is pretty fast paced and I enjoyed that. I would have wanted to see them explore the emotional side of their relationship more, as opposed to having most of the focus on the physical aspect, but I still had fun seeing them grow as a couple.

I honestly enjoyed this story. I wish the author would write a book for Lara and Wolf's friends, who absolutely hate each other, so...they must have something going on, especially knowing their families want them to marry each other. If that story comes out, I will definitely read it.

Beautifully crafted and sinfully sensual, this book stole my heart from the first page. I loved this book more than I can describe. I am always on the hunt for books with Indian heroines, but so many of them tend to disappoint. This was not the case with this book in the slightest. I loved Lara and her story as a half Indian woman in the ton.

This book is full of my favorite tropes: feisty heroine, grump hero whose world gets turned upside down by the heroine, enemies to lovers, publicly spurning the heroine then groveling, protective hero, I could go on.

The colonization of India and the hate against Indians from the white community during those times is a subject very dear to my heart as an Indian woman. So many books have characters that were a part of the East India Company and will make insensitive and hurtful comments about Indian people. While I understand that is accurate to the times, it hurts a lot. I was worried going into this book that we were going to see Lara facing constant tongue lashings from other characters and we were going to have to read that. But not including some of that treatment would be a disservice to the Indian narrative. Bhog did a wonderful job of balancing that. She included many instances of people degrading Lara to her face and behind her back to convey the reality of that time without it being overwhelming for the reader. Lara's experience was realistic and conveyed the POC community's struggles beautifully. Another thing I was worry about with books with diverse MCs is that their race and the discrimination they face become the MC's only personality trait. Again, Bhog did a wonderful job with Lara. Lara was a wonderfully done character, she embraced her Indian heritage fully and was more than just an Indian woman. She had passions, wit, desires, hobbies, and more. The book wasn't constantly pushing her Indian heritage into our face. When authors flesh their characters out like this while still making them diverse, it normalizes their presence in the publishing world. For achieving that balance, I commend Bhog.

Don't even get me started on Wolf and Lara's relationship. These two had sizzling chemistry from the very first chapter. While they began kissing and lusting for each other very quickly, the hurdles in their way and the progression of their feelings for each other were slow-burning and amazing to read. I loved watching Wolf grow emotionally and mentally as the book progressed. He started out as an arrogant, prideful, and stern asshole and ended the book as an emotionally mature, understanding, and respectful man. Reading his inner monologues as he thought about Lara made my heart sing. I loved how independent and strong Lara was without being obnoxious. So many times characters are sassy and witty to a fault, they'll make brash decisions and will defy people for the sake of rebelling. Lara was smart and adaptive. She didn't let her pride get in the way and always stood up for herself when she knew she deserved better.

I loved the side characters. If Leo and Cammy do not get their own book, and our rakish scoundrel Hawk doesn't get a happy ending, I am going to riot. The way Bhog was able to establish chemistry and relationships between side characters all while wonderfully developing Wolf and Lara's relationship is astounding.

Long story short, this is definitely a new favorite of mine. I implore anyone and everyone to read this. If I don't' get my hands on a physical copy of this book, I will cry.

- 5 stars -

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Sapna Bhog for an eARC for this amazing novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my what a great novel! I love our strong willed, half Indian heroine who doesn’t let the bastards get her down. She was bold and a bit brazen and all of her felt really alive and genuine. Wolf, on the other hand, could have used a slap or two every once in a while, but he was overall a decent guy. Their attraction is electric and so this really is a romance-filled romance novel—and a rather scandalous one for the prim British society it is set in. The mail focus is on the couple so if you are looking for a more involved plot with huge conflict or even a mystery subplot, this isn’t the one. But if your idea of a great romance novel is one that deals with the difficulties of a budding relationship and focuses on that, then this is the book for you. There is a bit of intrigue toward the end—it rather reminded me of It Happened One Autumn—but it is short lived. Overall I heartily recommend this book to historical romance readers like myself. It was absolutely lovely and at times made my heart ache. Wonderful stuff!

Pro: Interesting characters, good story, steamy scenes, Indian character
Con: I hope this becomes a series cause I want more
Verdict: I want more!

I really enjoyed Dare to be Duchess, there were some things that I did not expect to happen, which was nice from always being able guess which characters will go after whom. This was my first book from Sapna Bhog and it did not disappoint. I read it in two days and am very excited to read the other hero's books, especially Leo.

Lara Ramsay is half English and half Indian; her parents were a love match. But it caused her dad to be cut off from his family, and most of her mom's family to push them away. So when they pass she is surprised to find an Uncle shows up to claim her as his ward and present her in England. She is 13 and tries to fit in at her school. When it becomes apparent no matter how she acts they will never accept her she decides to be herself and be as outrageous as possible. Tristan Wentworth, The Duke of Wolverton, her best friend's brother and her Uncle's grandson and her clash at every point. It was great to see some of their banter but wish we would have seen more, before their relationship was forever changed with a kiss.

There were some points that made you hate the hero, but he redeemed himself very nicely, and his mistakes made it all seem even more real to me. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next in the series.

I love historical romance and this book is a great addition to this genre. I love a good enemies to lovers trope, characters who play by their own rules, and own voices rep. This book has all of that. Lara and Wolf are sassy, sexy, and steamy. I also really like their relationship. Neither of them try to make the other compromise their ways. I really hope this becomes a series because I want to know more about side characters and to see how their lives play out.

This book was given to me as an arc from netgalley in return for a honest review.

3.5 stars

Trope: Enemies to lovers/interacial couple

I really liked the main characters Tristan and Lara. Having Anne, Cammie, Leo, Hawk was also a plus.

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a fun read filled with lots of emotional pulls. The banther between Tristan and Lara is really cute and sexy. I loved the first kiss they shared especially because they don't like eachother nor get a long. It was sudden and she kissed him to distract him from something else. She was not expecting to like it one bit but ended it up wanting more. It surprised him and he couldn't get enough either.

One other thing I loved about this book
Is that they are a interacial couple. It's something different and because it's not often you get to read about interacial relationships. It made the book much more interesting and refreshing. Lara is half indian and half english. Tristan is a english Duke and she is a ward to his uncle. But the sad thing in this book is The ton. They have such a hard time accepting her throughout the entire book, which made me feel sad. But through this bumpy road you witness firsthand how her strong her character is. She stands her ground. She is hurt acourse but never shows her pain, giving her them no satisfaction.

Anyhow Tristan and Lara are both strong and stubborn individuals. They clash all the time and have been fighting since their whole existence together. Until that one kiss I mentioned in the beginning. I mean they still fight but after that it opened both their eyes and they fought together and in different ways. Their relationship was hard won. They dealt with so much problems from like her not being accepted from the ton, a hateful duchess(his mum), people trying to murder her, but they both had a strong support team. They had eachother, a group of wonderful friends and some family members who were there for them. The only thing that I thought could've been better was the ending. In my opinion they married too abruptly. So thankfully there was a epilogue, and I'm glad I got to see there happily after.

Explosive chemistry blows their friendship to pieces!

Known as Wolf, Tristan Wentworth, the Duke of Wolverton has his hands full keeping tabs on his secretive sister and her two best friends, one of whom, Lara, is never afraid to stand up to him and set him straight about just what is and isn't his business. Lara's parentage is full of secrets as well, but since she came to England as a teen she's been living with her guardian, who is also Wolf's uncle. Throughout their years-long interaction - mostly in her role as his little sister's best friend - their relationship has remained adversarial, until the one kiss that was meant to be a momentary distraction, not a complete reassessment of their entire future plans.

There's a bit of action and intrigue, but the meat of this story is in the interactions between Wolf and Lara as neither one of them wants to consider what a future together would mean, yet neither can they ignore the fireworks that are visible for miles around every time they're in each other's presence.

I loved the respect shown to Lara's heritage as well as to Wolf's social obligations. His one attempt to push her away for both their sakes was really hard to read, but it created a mountain-sized impasse that he needed to grovel his way past. Once he set his mind to the task, the story became a delightful pursuit that I couldn't have enjoyed more. The HEA was everything a reader could hope for and I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

It was absolutely refreshing to read the story of a heroine who is half Indian in a historical romance plot based in England. It was more honest about how she would have been treated by ton rather than making readers think it was no different or overly romanticizing her situation.

There is a lot of angst, like a lot, between Tristan and Lara which is evident from the first chapter so you can expect quite a bit of steam throughout the book. Lara is a feminist and is very principled. She is someone who is facing society on her own terms. I think of Lara as the key character in the book more than the hero who falls more under stereotypical heroes of the era.

The best thing was being correct about British and India’s relationship as most books are downright pathetic about this part. So the author is clearly knowledgeable about history and handled it correctly. Perfect for those who enjoy enemies to lovers trope and it comes with all the drama, scandals, villains, steam and some epic romance!

I really wanted to like this book. The writing and storytelling are good, and I was happy to see a half-Indian heroine. Ultimately, I couldn't get past the way the hero infantilizes and bullies the 25-year-old heroine. This book is just not for me. DNF.

This story has some really spicy characters. Lara and her two friends are a force to be reckoned with. They are determined to forge their own paths in the ton. Tristan aka Wolf is also determined to forge a path that is different from the one left behind by his father. The arguments between these are fiery as are the ways they make up. It is a great tale about how awful discrimination can be and how it can destroy. When they band together with love they are able to overcome all the forces against them and find happiness.

I really loved this book and Lara Ramsey is such a strong and fierce heroine who has to cross so many obstacles to become happy and feel like she belongs in the English ton.
She is ostracized because she is of mixed blood and has a darker skin color. Her mother was Indian and her father was a colonel in the English army stationed in India. They were so in love and had a love marriage but they died when Lara was fifteen and she was brought to England by her ward Sir Robert Ramsey who is the uncle of Tristan Wentworth, the Duke of Wolverton aka Wolf the hero of this story.

Wolf and Lara has been at odds with each other since they met. He is furious with her because she always does and says what she wants and she lures his sister Anne into doing things people of the ton and especially women does not do!
Lara just thinks Wolf is a big stick in the mud always so serious and never smiles so she loves to give him problems so he at least shows some emotions.

One night at a scandalous masquerade party Lara and Anne sneaks into, Wolf catch them. But to distract Wolf from seeing Anne kiss a man Lara kisses him and from that day on their relationship changes.
He gives her an ultimatum to choose her own husband within the ton within six months or he will choose one for her. But when he finds himself begin to fall for her he has to decide what he wants the most, the ton and his mother’s approval or the woman he loves and who makes him happy.
But is it possible for them to have an HEA when the ton doesn’t accept Lara as a lady and how does the dowager duchess react to their relationship when her marriage ended in the biggest scandal the ton has ever seen?
Drama, romance and suspense ensues in the hunt for a happy ever after.

The reasons I deducted a star is because I thought the story was a little to long and I wasn’t really a fan of the drama at the end. But I loved the two main characters and their friends and I can’t wait to read what happens in the next books and who Hawk finds his HEA with!

I can definitely recommend this book.

As the orphaned daughter of a British colonel and his beloved Indian wife, Lara Ramsay is no stranger to scandal. In the hallways frequented by the ton, she is whispered about an even the protection of the Tristan Wentworth, the Duke of Wolverton (Wolf) is not enough to quell the gossip. Yet when Lara shares a passion kiss with Tristan, he forces her with a marriage ultimatum: find a husband within six months or one will be chosen for her. Soon after, Tristan and Lara, find themselves, tormented by this kiss, which soon turns into more.
Whilst Wolf faces the issues surrounding his father’s debauchery, he is constantly trying to prove himself. In doing so, he struggles with his feelings for Lara. To see him rise above his past, made for a great read. Throw into the mix, Lara’s heritage and her own history, together their battles to face their demons was well delivered. I did find that the novel had elements of more modern-day language, I did enjoy the witty banter between the pair. The secondary characters also added depth to this story, and I look forward to seeing these characters in future novels by this talented author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

We have Lara our half Indian heroine who is the ward of our hero's uncle, and Wolf the brother of our heroine's best friend and they've been adversaries since they met as teenagers.
I loved all the characters in this book, main and side, even the villain was just the perfect amount of creepy. Lara was by far my favorite though, she's feisty, incredibly strong minded and self sufficient.
They "meet" at a masquerade ball, where he notices the beautiful woman in the black saree that he falls immediately in lust with, until he realizes it his sister's friend.... I loved him seeing her through new eyes and not knowing what to do with it.
This was exceptionally well paced, I didn't want to put it down and the atmosphere really drew me in. Seeing all the bigotry she's had to deal with through her life and watching Wolf learn that it's always been a problem really tugged on the heart strings.
I loved reading a historical with a mixed race heroine, I fell for the cover, but absolutely needed to read it after I read the synopsis.

Lara and Wolf are #goals. I've been on a regency romance kick and devouring any books I can get my hands on, and this one did not disappoint.

Lara has always been on the outside of the ton of London, after being orphaned and moving from her home in India to her wards house in England. Now she's a woman and a husband is on the agenda but she doesn't want to entertain any of the men who've snubbed her for years.
After a run-in with her godfather's nephew/nemesis, a marriage challenge is issues and Lara has 6 months to find her match before Wolf gets to pick. After running into Lara at a masquerade Wolf can't get her out of his mind. He set the marriage challenge because he thought it was for the best, but now he only wants her, but the ton and his mother won't accept Lara as his duchess.

I loved the conflicts within this book. They were realistic and interesting and the twists were fun and steamy! As normal, I was half in love, half wanted to punch Wolf (I mean people call him Wolf) but overall, he swept me and Lara off our feet and that is the sign of the perfect regency romance.

“Come close to me again, and see the scorching hell I raise. Now move,”

This book contains everything I like in a historic romance. A feisty heroine , an arrogant Duke and friends who should get a book on their own.
It is fast paced and light hearted, a perfect book for a rainy day.

What I like about Lara (main character) that she doesn't lose her feistiness after falling in love. She stands her ground. And the Duke really has a personal growth arc. Not a “I saved you look past my flaws” arc that so many romance book have.

The only thing I would have liked more is more dialogue and banter between the characters in the beginning of the book. I think that would have helped the storyline. Because they fall in love pretty fast. And I think more build up would have been nice.
Overall a good book to read if you want something light hearted and fun.



I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.