How to Deceive a Duke is the second book in the Rebels with a Cause series. I have the first book in the series but I was too impatient 😂
and read this one first and I think it did fine as a standalone.

Fiona is not your traditional regency-era lady. She is a successful chemist from Scotland who is determined to find a distributor for her newest invention so she can support herself and never rely on a man for anything again. Unfortunately she finds herself in trouble with the law and the only person who can save her is Edward. Also unfortunately, she had a magical two weeks Edward five years ago. He promised to marry her then he left her a note telling her he was a duke and that he couldn’t marry her. Needless to say, he’s the last person she wants to ask for help.

Edward has lived his entire adult life trying to improve his family’s name and keep his siblings sheltered from the scandal his father brought with his infidelity. Things are finally going well until he finds out Fiona is in trouble. He bails her out of jail under the condition that she has to live with him until her trial. He’s never gotten over his desire to be with her, but he knows they can’t be together.

I really liked that this wasn’t just a typical historical romance between a duke and a spunky commoner. Fiona had her own intriguing adventurous storyline in her pursuit of a distributor for her matches and it made the story that much more enjoyable. I also really loved Edward’s siblings and how they quickly became found family for Fiona. The banter was great between all of them as well. Fun read!

Thank you to Forever, Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy for review!

I received this ARC from NetGalley. I did enjoyed this book. I liked the characters leads and the 2nd chance for love but while the book flowed it didn't give me that spark that I have to finish to see what happens. I felt the ending rushed and while there were loose ends that could have tied up. However, these other missed opportunities definitely set up for another book. I did like the h&h pov's but felt something missing. Overall the book was good and It would be something I would read. I will be checking the authors other books and the next book in the new series.

This novel was too just too much. There were so many storylines that the author tried to shove into one piece that instead of working together to become an in-depth novel that was hard to put down, it quickly became a tedious (and downright laughable in some cases) mess.

I wanted to like Fiona. I'm always a sucker for independent females who are intelligent and who push back against the constraints of the time period. However, rather than coming across as independent, Fiona just came across as .... incredibly stupid. For starters, she understands how the world works - in fact throughout most of the book she rants and raves about the unfairness of it all, and yet she still thinks these same men would do business with her? She goes so far to create an alternate personality, a male, so that she can move about freely and hopefully sell her matches, but doesn't bother to come up with a name that is drastically different from her own? Even facing the possibility of jail time, she still dons the costume and parades around London trying to sell her designs all while refusing to accept help from any of the people who were actually in a position to get her matches sold. What is the point of creating something that will "change the world" if you can't sell it?

Going back to Finlay, her alter-ego. I still can't get over how anyone actually believed that she was a man considering Wilde's mother and his would-be fiance saw right through the disguise. Nor do I understand how she could possibly think that anyone would be willing to work with her, or back her, once the truth of her deception inevitably came out.

Now Edward on the other hand is exactly the type of character that I loathe in these kinds of stories. The over-bearing, "I know better than you do what is best for you", hoity-toity, "family above all else" pretentious lords of the realm. Time and again he speaks, and acts, without giving a thought to how his words and actions may be received (or how they may hurt) the person he is directing his attentions towards.

Topping it off you have the "villains". Edward's mother who will stop at nothing to see her son married to the woman of her choosing (and I do mean nothing, she was willing to announce an engagement at a ball to a woman Edward coulnd't stand). The would be fiance (I'm drawing a blank on her name) whose only characteristic seems to be cruel and who serves no other purpose than to be trotted out to occasionally threaten Fiona. And round it out, Fiona's father and his co-hort. The father having stolen Fiona's hard work to try and pass it off as his own, and who obviously doesn't care one iota for her wellbeing, and the co-hort being the sort of man who enjoys whipping the minor classes into a frenzy (the more violent the better). In fact, it is the latter two that nearly land Fiona at the end of a hangman's noose, and even knowing she's being investigated by the Home Office, she still takes matters into her own hands instead of sucking up her pride and asking Edward for his help.

In fact, at least ninety percent of this book could have been resolved had Fiona not insisted on being so bloody pig-headed and just accepted help when it was freely given. I understand she had trust issues, but this was taking things way too far. Although the next book features Edward's sister Charlotte, who was charming and one of the two characters I actually liked (his brother William being the second), at this point I am unsure as to whether or not I will continue on with this series.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Hard working chemist and engineer Fiona McTavish has struggled against the confines of her sex for her entire life and is certainly no proper lady. She spends most of her time wearing men’s clothes and working in her lab, but she’s hoping to finally establish stability and independence with the sale of her latest invention, matches. The only fly in the ointment is her arrest at a protest for throwing a tomato. When the charge is elevated to something much more serious, the only person she can turn to for help in a hurry is the former love who broke her heart five years ago.

Edward Stirling, the Duke of Wildeforde has spent his adult life rebuilding the family reputation his father ruined with his scandalous death. He even abandoned Fiona five years ago because of it, but when she needs his help to get out of prison, he can’t abandon her a second time. Fiona’s parole means she has to live under Edward’s roof for the month before her official trial and this of course leads to a wildfire of gossip about them, as well as an equally hot flame of desire rekindling between them, forcing Edward to choose between his own happiness and the family reputation he has worked so hard to cultivate.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book! It stressed me out quite a lot with all the angst surrounding Edward and Fiona, especially with her disguise as Finn and the secrets these two kept from each other. I liked that Fiona was so fiercely independent, but also that this trait wound up being her weakness. That seemed very real to me and made her feel more real and relatable as well. One could learn a good lesson from her and I’m glad this book had the female lead acknowledge that her own bullheadedness partially led to her downfall. So often these days, the heroine is just blindly, stubbornly independent, to her own detriment sometimes, but rarely does she ever acknowledge her own mistakes or complicity, so I was happy to see Fiona take ownership of her mistakes and learn from them here. The same can be said for Edward as well. He lived much of his life with blinders on, focused on his family’s image and not much else, always thinking he knew what was best for everyone and driving others away as a result, without ever realizing it. Over the course of this book, Edward also realized his own mistakes and came to the conclusion that all that hard work he’d put in rehabbing the family name had no meaning in the face of their general misery.

I think the main conflict between Fiona and Edward was actually how alike they both were, each wanting to handle everything on their own without admitting any weakness or asking any help from the other. In the end, both grew enough to realize that wouldn’t work and they needed to come together as a team, though it was rather frustrating how long this took. The numerous enumerations of all of Edward’s reasons for not wanting to marry Fiona did take away from the romance aspect of this a bit for me, and I think that played into both he and Fiona making their own problems and getting in their own way much of the time. I'm never a fan of lying in romance, especially when it goes on as long as it did here, so I just kept wanting to see more communication between these two, though that level of angst that existed between them was very believable with the broken trust from their previous relationship.

I both read and listened to this book, and I think the audio is what kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading, even when those two had me frustrated. Christy Woods did a great job of getting into the characters and making me believe their emotions. My main complaint above everything is that I wanted to see the dowager get her just desserts and that never really came in a way that was gratifying for me, but I hold out hope that Charlotte and William will get their own stories at some point and their horrible mother will be put in her place. Otherwise, besides the ending seeming rather abrupt and Fiona and Edward both going a bit off the rails to prove themselves to each other, once again instead of simply communicating, they did eventually get it together and both demonstrated enough growth to make me like their story. I think this was a much stronger story than its predecessor and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

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

I so wanted to like this book. The premise for the heroine is amazing when you read about it, but the execution of the premise and character development just fell flat. I was put off by the way the hero and heroine interacted during the jail rescue and although I continued to read, I just couldn't come to by the premise and care about what happened.
I loved the first book in this series, but I don't know if I'll continue reading it after this. Just writing this review
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the above opinions are of my own.

This is book 2 in Samara Parish’s Rebels With A Cause series, interconnected Regency Romance books that share a world and characters but can be read as standalones.

Fiona McTavish is a plucky young woman who is a chemist, an engineer and an independent woman determined to make her own way. Edward Stirling is the Duke of Wildeforde, a man preoccupied with propriety and finding an exemplary lady to become his duchess.

This is a second chance romance of the two, who had met and fallen for one another 5 years prior, only to have a falling out primarily due to their differences in circumstance.

I think once again, Parish is a great writer and I enjoy her writing style. I was initially intrigued by this one because we met the two mains in the first book and I was curious about their story, unfortunately this one wasn’t my cup of tea. I wanted to enjoy it more (and I’m sure many will), but it just did not have my preferred tropes and I did not connect with either of the mains characters really.

I found both Edward and Fiona frustrating for me in different ways, and I didn’t really feel those connection. I mostly just wanted them to talk and clear up some of these misconceptions. Edward’s mother was the absolute worst and I just had trouble with his determination and reasoning based on some of that.

Some highlights for me were the fact that we had a strong, independent female lead with an interest / career in the sciences / business world. I also really enjoyed the Stirling younger siblings and am intrigued to learn more about them.

I really enjoyed book 1 and the writing style and will definitely be picking up a copy of the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read!

I've been waiting for this book. Edward and Fiona have this chemistry, that I really loved in the first book. But Edward kinda drove me crazy with his need to live scandal-free. So it was really interesting to get the back story of what happened and has kept them apart all these years.

Fiona McTavish finds herself in London. She's there to get a patent for her invention but things are not going as planned. And after being arrested at a protest, she has to turn to the man who broke her heart

Edward would do anything for his family. He's been working hard to restore their family name after all these years. of living in the shadow of the scandal his father left behind. When he learns that Fiona has been arrested. He runs to help her.

How To Deceive a Duke, the second book in Samara Parish’s Rebels With A Cause series, follows the story of Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, and Fiona McTavish, a female engineer. Edward and Fiona were first introduced to us in How To Survive a Scandal, and their story has been so much fun to read!

Edward is extremely aware of his the image and reputation of his family, and has to put up with the horrible pressure that his mother has put on him since his father passed away. Fiona is a woman engineer, likes to wear breeches, and has just invented something that could change everything – matches. She is unconventional and outspoken, and does not come from a respectable family. I had so much fun with this book. The banter between Edward and Fiona is laugh out loud funny, the debacles Fiona gets herself into had be groaning out loud, and the struggles that Edward was going through really pulled at my heart strings. Both Edward and Fiona learn so much about themselves throughout the novel, and it was so special to watch them learn about themselves and grow into who they were at the end of the story. Further, the secondary characters in this novel were fantastic. I so badly want to read more about Edwards siblings, Charlotte and William. They are both sassy, fun, brave and genuinely kind people, and I really want to know what happens to them next!

Another aspect of this novel that I loved, and really enjoyed in the first novel, is the exploration of technology and innovation in history, and this book had such a fun take on that. Add to that the beautiful balls and exclusive clubs and the fun fashion. I loved it!

As far as romance tropes go, I adore second chance romance and forced proximity. When family drama and difference in societal class thrown in, it was everything I hoped for.

I highly recommend this book, and cannot wait to read whatever Samara puts out next.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

How To Deceive A Duke is the second book in the Rebels With A Cause series and it follows Fiona who is a common-born Scottish chemist and comes to London to sell her new invention, matches. To do so she dresses as a man and goes by the name Finley. She crosses path with Edward, Duke of Wildeforde who broke her heart five years ago without any explanation. Edward fell in love with Fiona but broke things off because he didn’t think she could survive the pressures of being his duchess after a tragedy that happened to his family and protests from his mother.

Fiona is headstrong, independent, loyal, loving and determined to break gender roles to patent and sell her matches. She faces sexism by idiotic men who don't value her intervention and discredits her just because she is a woman. Edward is very stubborn, and though his heart is in the right place, he makes decisions without consulting those affected, which comes across as bossy and domineering, especially to his siblings. Fiona is the only person that doesn’t immediately listen to and obey him.

There was steam and a lot of angst in this second chance romance because Fiona and Edward has a lot of things against them, the pressures of the ton not accepting a commoner as a duchess, her own desire not to be a duchess, her independence and not relying on a man for help and Edward's stupidity to avoid scandal and bring shame to the family name. Falling in love and marrying Fiona is just the kind of scandal he wants to avoid, but he also can’t help loving her.

Other than the romance this book had forbidden romance, a strong Stem heroine, forced proximity, crime, mistaken identity, family drama and I highly recommend it!

Top Pick!

Fiona McTavish is many things – chemist, inventor, and businesswoman – but society lady is not one of them. Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, will do anything to restore his family’s name, even making personal sacrifices to his heart. But when the woman he loved and let go needs his help getting released from prison, a condition of Fiona’s bail is staying at Edward’s home until the trial. Edward and Fiona need to decide what’s worth protecting, their reputations or their hearts.

This is the second book in the Rebels with a Cause series. It stands alone fairly well, but the history between Edward and Fiona is hinted at in the first one. There are also references to events and characters from the first book.

Samara Parish follows up a strong debut novel with a story that is even more engaging! It manages to be driven by an inventive plot, without sacrificing the relationship. Fiona is arrested for an accident, but the situation escalates due to political unrest, family history, and Fiona’s invention. Edward is walking a tightrope of feelings for Fiona and ducal expectations. I liked that the characters motivations and emotions were clear throughout the story. Edward and Fiona are battling unresolved issues, brewing gossip, mounting charges, and their own personal demons. I also really enjoyed Edward’s siblings and look forward to the next book!

~ Leslie

A smart, strong willed women who loves science finds herself dressing as a man to patent her latest invention that will revolutionize the lives of housemaids. Her rouse is soon discovered by the one man who stole her heart five years ago.

"A fish out of water dies gasping" phrase haunts Edward, hence why he left the love of his life to embrace responsibilities of being a Duke and the societal dictates of matrimony with a proper lady. Slowly he begins to recognize those things are irrelevant when it comes to matters of the heart.

This novel is a page-turner, and I love the chemistry between the two love interests. How to Deceive a Duke delivers the perfect second chance romance tale, and I look forward to book #3 which comes out later in 2022.

Thank you Forever for the novel and Hachette Audio for the audiobook.

I absolutely adored Samara Parish's debut novel (which is the first book in this series), and I am absolutely blown away by her second! This book was fantastic and everything I could hope and dream. Parish's writing is so engaging, so well paced and her characters are perfectly imperfect and real. I am so delighted and impressed by this second novel and I can tell Samara Parish is now definitely a favorite historical romance author for me!

This novel is a second chance romance between Edward, a duke, and Fiona, a chemist and engineer. Five years ago Edward and Fiona where on the verge of marriage but Edward's plans are thrown asunder after the suicide of his cousin's wife and his mother's evil intentions. Fiona has spent the last handful of years in her lab and working on her invention, a match. Now Fiona finds herself missed up in some trouble around protests against the monarchy, her disguise as "Finn", and her ambition to secure a patent and investor for her invention. Edward comes to her rescue by getting her released from jail and finds himself in a situation in which he is "forced" to keep an eye on her before her trial.

Fiona is such a strong and complex character, she is smart, she has strong ideas and ambitions, and she does not back down from what she wants. Fiona is very independent and has learned that she can only trust herself and she does not want to rely on Edward to use his societal power to make her situation easier. Fiona swiftly learns that women hold no power and the only way to get what she desires is through disguising herself as a man. Edward is still so in love with Fiona, he puts other before himself and he comes across as quietly strict in the ways he tries to keep himself and his family in line. These two are an absolute perfect match for each other, and I think that Samara Parish does a wonderful job keeping their chemistry constantly boiling as well as making me believe these two where (and still are) in love without bogging down the narrative with flashback scenes. The novel focuses on how Edward and Fiona learn to understand each other now where they are in their lives, and it is absolutely wonderful. Fiona sees that Edward is very smart and working hard to make London a better place by subtly using his power in a very smart way. Edward sees that Fiona is so strong and that their love for each other is worth fighting for no matter the cost. This novel is wonderfully sensual and steamy, Parish has really stepped up her game and this is no closed door romance! Edward and Fiona are fire together and I love the way they both take care of each other.

The strength of this romance is only better enhanced by Edward's siblings (William and Charlotte), as well as the other minor characters through out the novel. Parish really takes the time and care in creating all her characters. I love the way both William and Charlotte embrace Fiona. Fiona is able to learn a family love through them as well as see Edward in a different light through them. I think that William and Charlotte beautifully help to move the story and relationship between Edward and Fiona along. Parish also delightfully teases the next book in this series through Charlotte and I absolutely can not wait to get that novel later this year!

I so highly recommend you pick this novel up! Samara Parish is only getting better and she is such a wonderful and exciting addition to the historical romance writers of today! And this is already a favorite read of the year!

She's going to start his fire.

Edward was in love with Fiona five years ago, but walked away from her to protect her from his cold, vicious mother (and the ton) as Fiona was lowborn and common.
I actually really liked Edward. He always does the right thing, keep his family together and he knows what he gave up. So when Fiona is in jail. its Edward's help she seeks out.

Fiona isn't every one's cup of tea. She's clever (invented matches in this book, they were first sold in 1827). At times, she was hard to relate to as she was so out of place for 1821. I did like that she was smart but I really liked Edward and the device of forced proximity.

Recommend.

A charming romantic novel featuring Fiona, a female chemist who wears trousers, has invented matches, and once again finds her heart engaged by Duke Edward Stirling, who springs her from prison when she, dressed as a man to gain support for her invention, is wrongly accused of a crime. Her freedom requires that she live under his roof and oh boy do sparks fly. Will he choose her or cling to his stellar reputation? That's the crux of this super fun read I couldn't put down. Bridgerton and Regency romance fans will love it. I sure did! Out today.

Thanks to the author, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

#HowtoDeceiveaDuke #NetGalley

Enticing, passionate, and amusing!

How to Deceive a Duke is set in London during the early eighteenth century and features the feisty, intelligent Fiona McTavish who, after being arrested and conditionally released, must live for a month under the same roof as the one man she hoped to never see again after he professed his love and then broke her heart five years ago, the devilishly handsome Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildforde.

The prose is passionate and alluring. The characters are fiery, stubborn, and loyal. And the plot is a delightfully scandalous blend of familial drama, societal expectations, regency traditions, friendship, desire, yearning, gossip, tricky situations, duty, and palpable attraction.

Overall, How to Deceive a Duke is a steamy, engaging, highly entertaining tale that I absolutely adored. It is the second title in the Rebel with a Cause series by Parish that, in my opinion, keeps getting better and better and is one I definitely wouldn’t want to miss.

I am not normally a fan of historical romances, but I am pushing myself this year. I loved Bridgerton and was really excited about this one. I like it. I love a second change romance and really enjoyed this trope as well as the period piece setting.

Great for fans of bridgerton!

Fiona McTavish is bold, smart and fiercely independent. She wants to sell her invention and live her life without any interference. Never again will she trust a man with her heart after Edward’s betrayal, but maybe she has to trust him with her freedom…
When Fiona, the woman he loved and left five years ago, even if for her own good, is in trouble, the Duke of Wildeforde rushes to her aid. But he soon realizes that this could be a big mistake for his reputation and his heart…
I didn’t read the author’s previous book, but after having enjoyed this little masterpiece, I definitely want to read it! This book surpassed my expectations: it’s funny and angsty and emotional and steamy and much, much more. Samara is an exceptionally talented writer and she created two deep and layered main characters and equally interesting side characters (yes, now I’m anxiously waiting for Charlotte’s book!). I particularly enjoyed the “social angle”, so to speak, meaning the part about women’s rights and society expectations. I must confess that at first I was irritated by Fiona for not wanting to accept any kind of help, but then I understood that we women of the 21st century take so many things for granted, such as our right to work, to own things and to fend for ourselves, things that women like Fiona did not have. Therefore we can allow ourselves to share our worries, our burdens, with men without the fear of being diminished in the eyes of society, while Fiona and her contemporaries had to fight even for the smallest of rights, so it’s understandable that she wanted to rely only on herself.
Well, in conclusion the five stars I’m giving are more than deserved.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How many times, and in how many different ways, can a heart be broken?

The Duke who crushed her girlhood dreams posts her bail when she is thrown in prison for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Years later they still hold each other’s hearts, and even though every obstacle on earth seems to launch into their path, he is determined to spend his life with her. Even though his arms are the safest place she has ever known, Fiona is determined to resist him because she knows that her ignominy and notorious family will ruin his reputation.

He broke her heart once. Her family has broken her heart countless times. The world breaks her heart and her spirit every single day. She can depend on no one but herself because her journey is full of peril and hardship no one has been willing to share or look beyond.

Until him.

Just some of the reasons I loved this book:

- A second chance romance.

- A full partnership where all the hero wants to do is ensure the woman he loves and believes in gets all of the success she deserves. Even if that means he is only in a supporting role.

- A fierce STEM heroine.

Plot & Setting: 5 Stars

Characters: 5 Stars

Steam: 4 Flames

3.5 stars, rounded up

Once upon a time Edward Stirling, Duke of Wildeforde, and Fiona McTavish were in love and HEA seemed like a sure thing, but then a tragedy in his family and a scandal caused by his father, makes Edward rethink a future with Fiona and he breaks things off.

Five years pass without contact, and Fiona has tried to move on with her life by pursuing her career, but when Fiona finds herself arrested and in serious trouble, Edward is who she turns to for help. In the years since their parting Edward has become rigidly proper, to protect his family’s reputation and he is still trying to smooth over the scandal his father made. So when Fiona asks for help, he should walk away, especially since Fiona is masquerading as a young man named Finley and will have to stay with Edward as a condition of his release. But despite his reservations, Edward can’t say no.

This was a well-written, nicely paced second chance at love romance. The book is not your typical HR, the heroine is a scientist and a commoner, while the hero is extremely proper and a duke, but in this case, opposites definitely attract. This book has it all, a brilliant, strong heroine, a protective hero, great secondary characters, a meddling mother, scandal, cross-dressing, mild love scenes, a bit too much miscommunication, and finally a HEA that didn’t seem possible. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but not as much as the first book. This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Five years ago, Edward, the Duke of Wildeforde fell in love with commoner Fiona and proposed. His cousin had recently married a shop girl who committed suicide when she couldn't withstand the taunts and cold-shoulder of the ton. When Edward found out about her death from his viciously cruel mother, he left Fiona without telling her why to protect her from the same fate. Now, Fiona is determined to find a distributor for her invention, matches. I should say, somewhere during this time Fiona and Edward met again in her village during an uprising against the Crown. I realized I must be reading part of a series because names and plot points obviously happened in another book. I didn't realize this was book 2 when I started reading. Anyway, Fiona is now in London at a protest dressed as a man and calling herself Finn. She throws a tomato which accidently hits an officer and is thrown in jail. The young footman accompanying her runs to Edward for help. "Finn" is released on the condition he reside with Edward until trial. The characters are written very well. Their back stories explain why they react as they do now. Fiona faces many obstacles marketing her product that "Finn" doesn't. When Fiona is erroneously arrested for treason they must both decide what is really important in order to stay together.