I love reading historical romances, especially ones that venture outside of the white/straight, norm. In Dare to Be a Duchess, Wolf is a duke and Lara is mixed race and the ward of Wolf's uncle. They've known each other for years, but always interacted as rivals, but one moment changes everything. At a masquerade, Wolf sees Lara with new eyes. Not as a child, but as the grown woman she is. They share a sizzling kiss, and both are done for. There are many moving parts in the novel that work to help or hinder our main couple. My one complaint is that I thought Wolf was naive not to see the racism Lara experiences or the consequences of some of his actions. I felt he needed to do a little more groveling for some things he said, but ultimately he redeemed himself.

Dare to Be a Duchess is a wonderful historical romance that follows Lara and Wolf as they find love under the most unlikely circumstances. Lara and Wolf have known each other for years, but they never got along until an impromptu kiss at a masquerade ball. Suddenly, they see each other in a different light. Lara and Wolf can’t deny their attraction to each other, but with so many obstacles standing in their way, including her heritage, his familial obligations, the whispers and judgment of their peers, and several characters who wish them harm, can they ever find their happily-ever-after?

I really enjoyed this story. The characters and plot are fabulous, and it has some great messages. Lara, for example, is rebellious, compassionate, intelligent, and fiercely loyal. She makes her own rules and often defies the norms and expectations of the ton. Rejected over and over again because of her heritage, it’s a wonder Lara has maintained such an optimistic and hopeful outlook on life. I love her carefree spirit and her ability to rise above the catty, judgmental people who surround her. I also love that she stands up for herself and rejects the very people who disrespect her.

Wolf is a man of integrity. He has strong morals and tries to resist his feelings for Lara. She is his uncle’s ward and his sister’s best friend, which makes Lara off-limits. Though he knows he should find an “acceptable” partner, his feelings toward Lara are too strong. Wolf is no stranger to scandal, as his father was embroiled in many, but he has worked hard to reestablish the family name. However, as his feelings for Lara grow, he has to decide what is more important to him: appeasing his mother and the ton’s expectations or following his heart.

Wolf is a man used to being in control, and Lara drives him to distraction. I love that his ever-growing feelings toward Lara change Wolf. She softens him, challenges him, and intrigues him, and she makes him see the wonderful possibilities life has to offer when spending it with someone he cares about. Plus, their chemistry is off the charts!! They struggle to keep their eyes (and hands) off each other, which leads to some fantastic and romantic scenes.

The friendships in the story are also fantastic. Both Lara and Wolf have amazing and long-lasting friendships, and their friends are their staunchest allies. I love how loyal and honest their friends are and how willing they are to support each other during the good times and the bad. Their conversations are sometimes easy, often witty, and occasionally conspiratorial, and I loved that they had such depth. I also like that Wolf’s friends have some connections to Lara’s friends, and I’m curious to see how these relationships develop in future books.

There are also some strong messages about prejudice, acceptance, being true to yourself, and more. Because her mother was Indian and her father was British, Lara is harshly treated by racists in the ton. Her life is threatened on more than one occasion, and many people feel they can disrespect, snub, or take advantage of her. These people and situations sharply contrast the love and support she receives from her uncle and friends, who embrace Lara for the exceptional and unique person that she is.

An amazing love story full of passion, angst, confusion, danger, and more, Dare to Be a Duchess is perfect for fans of historical romance. I so enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read more of the series! Thanks so much to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Sapna Bhog for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I wanna start out by saying how much I adore the cover, it's just so stunning?

This story follows Lara Ramsay, who is just a delight to read about. She is fiercely loyal, to herself and her friends, and has an admirable level of self-respect. Existing in the english ton is a never-ending uphill battle for her as she is followed by harsh remarks about her Indian mother and only gets a sliver of respect because of the protection of Tristan Wentworth, The Duke of Wolverton.

He is also the romantic hero and really kicks the story off when he issues Lara an ultimatum: she needs to get married within six month. Instead of actually helping her find a suitable husband they get closer to on another. I loved the tension these two had and their chemistry was so hot I was reminded of the time my teacher triggered the fire alarm in the chem lab. They also has great topics of conversation? Which, I know, ist probably not the most important thing to have in a romance novel but I enjoyed getting to know the two of them this way and it really grounded their connection.

I loved the relationship Lara had with her female friends, it was supportive and they seemed like a riot to hang out with. Get yourself some friends who support you against the racist bigots in your societal circle, flirt with scandal by talking politics in ballrooms and drag you to salacious parties!

This book was a solid five-stars up until the halfway mark where the hero says something deeply hurtful to the main character. Even though there was a bit of built up to this scene and his actions were explained soon after, it was heard to hear him say these things to his romantic interest. Up until this point I had really enjoyed this particular enemies-to-lovers dynamic and how their arguments never went into the actively hurtful territory, while what he said at this moment was a deliberate choice. It took a bit to accept him as the romantic hero of the story again and not root for Lara to run off with someone else.

Altogether I really enjoyed this book and how her Indian identity influenced the story beyond the racist behaviour of the British society with her talking about her time in India or the mention of negative impacts of British colonialism.