3.5 star rating

This own voices (for the Indian representation) was thoroughly entertaining while you read it. With that said, this book did fall a little flat for me.

I felt like the characters didn't give us more than a surface glace at themselves or what was going on. I think this book had a great premise, and I love the slightly taboo element to it.

I just wanted to know more about the characters than what we got. This book had plenty of room for our characters to have some amazing insights to offer without overwhelming the romance.

With that said, I did have a great time with this read. The stolen kisses, the sneaking around and such, did make for some really fun moments.

He’s a powerful duke. She’s his uncle’s ward. They have forever been at war, until one night, one masquerade, and one kiss…
Lara Ramsay is no stranger to scandal. As the orphaned daughter of a British colonel and his beloved Indian wife, whispers follow her everywhere. The audacious Lara has driven Tristan Wentworth, The Duke of Wolverton, to distraction since the day his uncle took her in. After catching her and his younger sister at a salacious masquerade, he’s had enough scandal and issues a marriage ultimatum: find a husband within six months or one will be chosen for her.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & it certainly won’t be the last. A well written, well paced story that held my interest all the way through. I loved the feisty Lara & the stoic upright Tristan. The chemistry between the pair sizzled & their verbal bantering was delightful. Enemies to lovers is my favourite trope & the author mage it very enjoyable. I also liked Lara & Tristan’s friends so I hope they have their HEAs. I’m glad Tristan eventually dealt with his mother – I’d have done it years before!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Right from the start I can see how unfairly Lara is treated. Because of course everything is her fault and Anne has no mind and can’t possibly be the ringleader when she was the one who wanted to go to the party. And I get that If was a different time but Wolf treated two 24 year olds like they were 12 year olds... and it seems that of Lara, Anne and their friend Camille that Lara is the only one of them with any sense.

So Lara is a young woman orphaned as a child and raised in an proper aristocratic family. The problem is that though she is loved by her surrogate uncle and friends the fact that she is half Indian makes her the subject to racism and bullying. What she had learned from growing up in the high society world is that no matter what she says or does these people don’t think she’s good enough so finding a husband will likely be impossible. At least not one that will treat her with any kind of affection or possibly any kindness.

Predictable. Maybe I e been reading far too many Regency/Victorian era historical romances lately, which I have, but a few chapters in i couple accurately guess what was coming. Maybe had I read it at another time? Not sure... But I can also guess that as there is this group of 3 women and group of 3 men that if this is a series then we can guess what’s next.

The whole enemies to lovers thing I don’t think is my thing. It’s rather tedious as these are grown people not children. Children are mean to each other when they like each other, so it’s a little annoying when adults do it. And there’s way too much of that in this book. Though this enemies-to-lovers has the added trope of it being her best friend brother.

And ye olde predictable sister-likes-the-rake thing and of course there are no ulterior motives there... at all.... Plus add in the son that has to be as upstanding and proper as can be because of prior family scandal. Of course we also have to hace misunderstanding and misconceptions since nobody ever tells anyone what they actually think or what their actual problems are.

My first time reading from this author it wasn’t bad but maybe I need a break from historical romance. This was once again an instance of me being drawn in by a beautiful cover, if not for any other reason the cover is enough to make you want to read it. I also have the tendency to give books a try when it’s a historical romance with a person of color as one of the main characters. It’s quite hard to find diversity in this genre so it’s always nice to come across it.

Dare to be a Duchess features a biracial heroine of Indian background, Lara, who clashes with her guardian's nephew, the Duke of Wolverton. This book made no sense to me. Lara was the type of character I simply did not enjoy: feisty for the sake of being feisty, and also spurning opportunities that made no sense. Meanwhile, the hero, Tristan, was her match in being tedious. Embraces would come out of nowhere, but then he would reject her like a adolescent teenager. Rinse and repeat. As a long-time romance reader, I cannot recommend this to anyone. It's a wallbanger. Even during a pandemic, there are better things for me to do.

ARC provided to me graciously by NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

I did appreciate that the story touches on the racism Lara faces at the hands of the ton but I wish her heritage had been a bigger part of her character outside of one small scene where she describes what she missed about India (largely the delicious food). Otherwise she seemed like every other romance heroine.

Otherwise it was a nice enough read, falling for your best friend's previously annoying older brother is always fun to read about although I am not sure I could have forgiven Wolf as easily for some of his actions. Lara has good friends who are remarkably progressive in their thinking and knowledge. There are the usual over the top villains who lead them to a ending with lots of dramatics I could have done without. It wasn't the read I had hoped for but still one I liked well enough.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it! Such a well written love story! Dare to be a duchess follows the story of Wolf, a Duke, and Lara the orphan ward of his Uncle's. The story was well paced and well written.

I was really hoping to enjoy this book because there are so many great reviews. Sadly, I did not. I didn’t care for the characters or romance. I just wasn’t feeling or seeing much depth. They were pretty much thinking about kissing each other. Lara seemed so bold and brazen but then didn’t like to draw attention or be proud of her Indian heritage. She says Society shuns her but she attends a bunch of balls and events. I would think even with Wolf’s backing we would see more rejection and confrontation more than just Wolf’s mother. Then Wolf, I don’t get the appeal. He seemed awful to her most of the time then bam, he loves her. I felt it was mostly lust and really wanted more. The modern day phrasing was distracting. The ending was rushed. This book just wasn’t for me.

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book! This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. Her writing is too the point without a lot of fluff, for a historical romance, and that makes the book really entertaining and not boring at all. Her characters are so much fun too, From Lara, to Wolf and his friends and family, everyone is well rounded and strong characters.
I hope there are more books about them, so we can get a glimse of Lara and Wolf again!

This was a cute story, and I’ll happily read more historical romances from the author, but something about the leads’ relationship didn’t ring true for me. It’s the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, but it wasn’t a clear transition from one to the other. Maybe I just wanted more build up? I do appreciate the biracial Indian heroine, I adore her confidence and her strong relationship with both her guardian/father figure and her two best friends.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words for this ARC. Enemies to friends story. Lots of chasing and denial and very opinionated characters.

Orphan Lara Ramsay lives as the ward of Robert Wentworth, uncle to Tristan Wentworth, Duke of Wolverton. Lara and Wolf have aggravated each other for years, until they share an unexpected kiss at a masquerade.

I'm a sucker for stories that begin with a masquerade! I like that the attraction is established early and the characters spend a good amount of the book in close proximity. These characters have baggage. Wolf has "daddy issues" and believes he has to find a proper match because of his father's scandals. Lara has issues of her own...As the mixed descent daughter of a British Colonel and Indian mother, Lara has experienced bigotry from the ton. Their story is full of push and pull, and there is definitely a moment when Wolf goes too far and says awful things.

I believe this author primarily writes contemporary romance, and it's evident in some of the modern dialog the characters used. Normally this doesn't register much for me, but this time there were a few phrases that I found distracting enough to remember. Overall, I really enjoyed the writing and characters. I liked the friendships that were established in the story as well, and will be watching to see if Leo and Camille get a book of their own!

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Best Friend's Brother, Masquerade

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #DareToBeADuchess #NetGalley

This book was different and unique but I didn't see that right away. In fact at first I wasn't even sure I was going to like it. I thought it was going to be another story about a dissolute, no direction, But after awhile it turned into something more. The verbal sparring between the two was often funny.
I liked how the couple got things figured out and it ended with a H.E.A. That was something that I wondered how it was going to happen. It was ingenious.

This arc was given in exchange for an honest review from Entangled: Scandalous through NetGalley.

This book was wow! I have been a huge fan of romance books for a long time and I have to say Regency/Historical romances are some of my favorite. I especially love that more and more books in the genre have a more feministic take to them as well as including certain realistic issues that have been glossed over or omitted entirely.

Dare To Be A Duchess was a 4.5/5 star read for me. This was a pretty light read but it included some very important ideas such as how people of color, especially women of color were treated by high society at the time. Lara and Wolf have chemistry from the first moment they meet but it only seems to flare up when they're arguing about something. Though they have known each other for about 10 years neither has thought of the other in terms of romance or beddings. That is until in order to distract Wolf, Lara takes matters into her own hands and kisses Wolf. She never expected him to kiss her back or to like it. This kicks off the rest of the book which definitely took me and my emotions on a rollercoaster ride. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and hope that the author will continue to write more regency books, especially for <spoiler> Camille and Leo!</spoiler>

I am desperately waiting for the paperback edition of this to go on sale because this was an automatic buy for me!

-a review post will be published soon on my instagram at @/bookbaddieb as well as a publication post on day of

I did enjoy this but I feel it did lack some things. Felt like the heroine's heritage is just a plot device to make her "stand out" negatively and she never tries to defend her heritage or rebut any of the hateful things said about her. The Hero really doesn't help in this aspect either. He only recognizes what he wants to see in her and when he finds out she's related to one of friends, he fully excepts her. Also felt like the conflict at the end could've been a little bit more flushed out and not as rushed.

What initially drew me to this story was the prospect of following a diverse character in a regency romance novel, which, we can all agree, tends to be a mostly white genre. I've never read a regency romance with a half-Indian protagonist before and was excited to read from her perspective. Don't get me wrong, the book was definitely cute and the exact brand of cringy-sappy-gooey-love that I sometimes just crave, but a few things fell a little flat for me.
1) Lara's heritage is simply treated by the author as a plot device to gain sympathy from the Duke on account of her peer's bullying, ostracizing, and refusal to accept her into society ... but for someone who is being "ostracized" she certainly seems to attend a lot of events and balls ... I think there was a missed opportunity here. I wanted Lara to connect with her heritage, defend it, do ANYTHING other than just let it sit over her shoulder like a cheap prop.
2) The final conflict in the last 15 minutes of the book is really sudden and way too conveniently resolved. I didn't feel like it was executed well, and ultimately felt like it was unnecessary and didn't really add anything to the story other than the chance for our romantic male hero to kick down a door.

Overall, I think this book suffered from a major case of "don't tell me, show me."
I would recommend to regency romance readers who enjoy the over-the-top confessions of love and forever, and some steam on the side.

An enjoyable read about two people who have clashed over the years but find undeniable passion when they least expected. Lara is of mixed heritage, to which she is shunned by society, even though she has a secret about her heritage. Tristan, The Duke of Wolverton, believes Lara to be an "influence" on my sister and after one of their escapades, gives them an ultimatum: find a husband within 6 month or he will pick one for them. Well, Lara is stubborn and has no desire to marry a pompous aristocrat who frowns upon her heritage. Wolf thought it would be easy to get the minx out of his mind, but it is proven to be quite difficult, for she has opened his eyes to see what he has become. But with so many barriers and obstacles between them, can they find a way to be together or will the words spoken be the ones to tear them apart?
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a fast paced read, and even though it wasn't particularly surprising, it was a fun read.

First off, this cover is gorgeous! As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to read this book, regardless of what it was about. And I wasn't disappointed at all.

Tristan and Lara had the sweetest relationship. I loved how protective he was of her, and how it wasn't a stifling kind of protective. He let her be herself, but was there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. I loved seeing this in a historical novel, because so often, the main lead is so "protective" that it becomes controlling and unhealthy.

I'd just finished watching Bridgerton before I started this, so I was in the mood for a historical romance full of scandal. This was everything I wanted, and I can definitely see myself rereading it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Saphna Bhog for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

The racist elements in this book made it a bit hard to read and enjoy. At one point the author referred to the saree as a costume at the masquerade, it's not a fancy dress costume it's a part of people's heritage. The hero wasn't very likeable because he seemed to view the heroine's heritage as a huge mark against her and never really changed his mind. She became more acceptable because she was related to another Duke?? There was no respect in the relationship.

This was my first book by this author and it was incredible. From the very first scene at a risque masquerade, you are transported to a different time. Lara is an orphan who happens to be daughter of a noble Englishman and an Indian woman. She becomes the ward of her father's best friend and is under the protection of his nephew the Duke of Wolverton, our hero.

The trope is enemies to lovers and it is done extremely well. Lara is mocked as a half breed, but she is a strong and compassionate character and I thoroughly enjoyed the angst between her and Wolf. I also loved the cast of characters. This was a great historical romance read that was different than the usual debutante. This heroine was unique, had a lot to overcome and was very relatable.

.Thanks so much to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Sapna Bhog for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Do you prefer Historical romance or contemporary?

Author: Sapna Bhog
Genre: Historical Romance
Netgalley ARC
Publishing date:Febrary 8th 2021
Rating:5/5

If you are a Julia Queen fan or you watched Bridgerton on Netflix and loved it, this book is for you.

Lara is an orphan. The daughter of a noble English man and an Indian woman. She becomes the ward of her father's best friend and is under the protection of his nephew the Duke of Wolverton.

The book kicks off with and extremely inappropriate and sexy party. Where Lara ends up getting closer than ever before to Tristan AKA Wolf. He issues an ultimatum. She has six months to find a husband or he'll do it for her.

Lara is tenacious, intelligent, feisty and fiercely loyal. She is willing to put herself in uncomfortable positions to help her friends. She has lived under the scrutiny and harsh remarks of the Ton and she doesn't care what they think about her.

Wolf is an amazing character he strives to avoid scandal at all cost, he has a great head for business and loves his sister with all his heart. He hates Lara's mischief but he's protective of her. He calls it duty, yeah right.

This is one of the best enemies to lovers books I've ever read. It's spicy, sexy and very romantic. I was half in love with wolf until he said something that made me want to strangle him. The angst is so real, you can taste it. I actually cried one scene made me ugly cry. I was that invested.

I adore Tristan but Lara is one of the best female characters I've ever met. No matter what gets thrown her way or how many times she gets thrown down, she will always stand strong and proud of who she is.

Dare to be a Dutchess is an epic romance, that deals with some hard topics. But leaves you with a heartwarming feeling.

I can't wait for it to get out so I can get my copy.