“A respectable lady would never blackmail her way into matrimony.”

The first line in Michelle McLean’s book Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke had me hooked. I am a sucker for the arrange marriage troupe! This book is fast paced and light-hearted. It gets started by introducing you to Arabella Brinkley. Arabella is a strong minded book lover, who would do anything for her family. Silas Whittsley had created a reputation of being a party goer and rule breaker. These two get into some sexy situations. They support each other and love to break the rules.
At first, they seemed like an unlikely match. As the book progresses, you’ll find it hard to put down this historical romance. This is the perfect February read that is guaranteed to give you all the feels.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy!

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so when her sister Alice creates a scandal by eloping with a groom, Arabella Bromley hatches a plan to save her younger sister Anne from social annihilation. She approaches Silas Spencer, the Duke of Whittsley with an arrangement that would benefit them both, marriage to save her family’s reputation and finding a husband for Anne in exchange for an heir and a wife happy to be shipped off to the country while her husband continues with his current lifestyle. And to her utter amazement, Silas agrees to her madcap plan but insists that they put the agreement in writing and the addition of a few rules.

Everything starts well, Arabella and Silas get along and enjoy each other’s company, in addition to that, Anne is inundated with suitors, including a handsome French Duc (thanks to Silas), and even Silas' grumpy maternal grandfather, Lord Mosley seems to be coming around. But before long, both Arabella and Silas realize that the unthinkable has happened, they are falling in love. Which is something that should be cause for rejoicing, but secrets, insecurities, and self-preservation end up tearing them apart. And unless they are willing to break some rules and lay their hearts bare, their HEA may be over before it even begins!

What a completely enchanting read! This book was an absolute delight to read, it was well-written and nicely paced, it had wonderful characters, witty banter, secrets, warm love scenes, great secondary characters, a little bit of angst, a dash of heartache, and finally, a HEA that was enhanced by a very sweet epilogue as well as a new set of “rules”. I loved this book and was so much fun to read that I would be happy to recommend it to anyone!

*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.*

Arabella and Silas - I liked both of them!

She jumped into becoming a duchess with her eyes wide open and what a jump it was. Especially when he jumped along not letting go of her hands. (Lol not literal jump of course).

Though I did have many questions including "was this normal in those years", "wasn't it always heir and spare", those seemed very minor and did not matter.

Overall, an enjoyable read - grinworthy.

What are marriage rules if they aren't to be broken!

Arabella and Silas laid out 10 rules for their marriage based upon helping a family scandal and needing an heir. Of course the rules got in the way and complicated things.

This was a fun historical romance that added a little comedic relief as well. My favorite rule caused a little chuckle since it limited heir making attempts to with the lights on. The best part was that the characters were likable even with complications thrown their way.

Extra bonus for characters loving books and the library!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

The title, the cover, and the description are very intriguing but the book did not live up to them.

I have tried to push myself half way through but the book is so flat so I have decided not to waste any more of my time. The title itself has nothing to do with the story and typically a good romance novel should have a built up through out it, the tension, witty dialogues and maybe some interesting action. This book has nothing of sorts. It starts intriguing but then right after becomes so predictable and flat.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange of an honest review.

*Arc provided by Netgalley*

This one was certainly fun. As a marriage of convenience, contract romance, I was immediately interested as it's one of my favourite tropes. The first half had me laughing out loud a few times (as well as swooning) and the second half had me melting over the cuteness but also dying over the angst. I loved Silas and Arabella together, and although they were so different, they complimented eachother well and it made for a lot of fun scenarios (as a bookworm, Arabella was very relatable too). It was a lovely read and I'll definitely be recommending it. My only wish was that there wasn't such big time jumps (in this it was weeks or months), that in some parts it felt like I missed watching them fall in love a little. But it wasn't too much that I didn't enjoy it, because I definitely did and I look forward to read more from the author.

Below is one of my favourite quotes, I've put space if you don't wish to read it.
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~It was her. His growing feelings for her. He sighed, cradling her to him. What kind of fool fell in love with his wife?~

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean, is an entertaining marriage of convenience that is absolutely delightful. Arabella Bromley is desperate to save her family's reputation and her younger sister's season, after her older sister ran off with a servant. She approaches Silas, Duke of Whittsley, actually falls into his lap, with an outlandish proposal: if he revives her family's social standing, she will marry him, give him an heir, and then retire to the country for good. As part of their agreement, Arabella decides they must have some rules; thus creating a list of ten rules for their marriage. Arabella and Silas attempt to follow these rules during their courtship and marriage, and it is so enjoyable watching them try to adhere to them. Silas is great at bending the rules, as he proves many times, much to Arabella’s delight. Silas and Arabella are so much fun as they tease, taunt and flirt, while having amazing conversations; witty, fun, occasionally acerbic, and smart. Their time together, enjoying the perks of marriage with their off-the-charts chemistry and sizzle between the sheets; make them fall more and more for each other. Suddenly this marriage of convenience becomes a love match.

Ms. McLean wrote a story filled with adventure, suspense, and romance that should not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with humorous scenes, sizzling chemistry, wonderful banter, and a list of rules that no longer fit the relationship Arabella and Silas wanted in their a loving marriage. I highly recommend Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Ten Rules for Marring a Duke by Michelle McLean was a delight to read. This is my first book by Michele and i have already downloaded two other books because I enjoyed her writing so well. The first half of the book had me chuckling out loud.

Arabella needs to restore their family name so that her younger sister can marry well. Silas needs and heir and is not looking forward to a marriage with anyone. Arabella proposes a marriage of convenience. He agrees. His task is to help her sister find a match.

I adored the couple; Arabella and Silas. The rules they came up with were so fun. The author created so many wonderful scenes for their banter.

I highly recommend the book if you enjoy witty banter in your characters. I am off to read another book by Michelle McLean.

Sexual content - 3 most of the scenes were behind closed doors. they were trying to make an heir. Her part of the bargain.
Language - no f word. D@mn used 15+ times

Damn that was fun! Like really fun! I enjoyed the relationship they both developed throughout the book and overall the characters where very likeable.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book!
When Arabella confronts Silas with an arrangement for marriage and an heir, I was hooked. Both parties contributed rules to the list of ten, but found they had a hard time following them as the book went on. I loved both characters and how they grew to truly love each other. I thought they were fun, a little stubborn and brought out the best in each other. it was lighthearted and quick and I love historical romance. The intrigue and scandal of it all is awesome and I had a great time reading this one.

THANK YOU ENTANGLED TEEN!!! THIS WAS SO CUTE OMG. I loved ten rules for marrying a duke and I'll post about it on my booktok account closer to pub date.

Loved this book! Great happy ever after! Lots of drama but it's all in fun.I highly recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this light hearted book- it was unique with its witty banter between characters and their responses to each other- I found myself laughing out loud. I liked how the heroine Is in her 20s. The plot was very unique with just enough spice that was relateable to the honeymoon stage. I enjoyed the strong female lead, who even when nervous, retained her negotiation skills and doing what is right not easy.

Why I gave 4 stars not 5- it was a light read but the issues were based around communication and not complex.

Funny with the kind of witty banter that I’ve now come to expect from the author, this is a unique take on a marriage of convenience historical romance!

Honestly it’s not very often that I fall for the hero in the first chapter, but Silas had me wrapped around his finger before chapter 2 even started! He may be a Duke but he has such a great sense of humor and is probably the most instantly kind Duke I’ve ever read. Arabella is the kind of strong, goes after what she wants lady that I love to read about in historical books, and is completely relatable in that she pretty much loves books over anything else in life! Silas and Arabella are refreshingly upfront and open with each other, that is up until they realize they’ve caught feelings. Even if there weren’t steamy parts (which there is, as they can’t keep their hands to themselves), I could feel the love these two had for each other coming off the pages before they recognized it!

Equal parts humorous and heartwarming, this book kept me smiling throughout and even though it was my own fault I read it so fast, I still didn’t want the end to come!

In Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke, Arabella is in a bind after her older sister, Alice, runs off with the family's groom, leaving Arabella and their younger sister, Anne, to deal with the scandal that has been left behind. Arabella doesn't much wish for a husband, but she knows that it is all Anne has ever wanted and so, Arabella comes up with a plan to make Anne presentable again. She goes to the duke, Silas, and makes him an offer: he will shepherd her sister through society and find her a match, and Arabella will marry him and provide him with an heir while also demanding none of the full commitment of having a wife. Soon enough, the rules between them are not enough to keep them from falling for each other, but neither is quite sure if the other wishes to change their arrangement.

This book had me smiling a lot. Arabella is a fun heroine who suffers from anxiety around balls and large crowds of people, but is perfectly able to stand up for herself and get what is needed for herself and her family. Silas is also a very fun hero, constantly charming and hiding some secrets, but his love for Arabella makes complete sense on the page. The only thing I wish is that there was a little more breathing room in the pacing so that we could see Arabella and Silas fall more for each other. Instead, almost half of the book is before they are married, and a good portion of the end is dealing with their estrangement from each other.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this ebook, and this is my freely given opinion.

This quick read historical romance was super appealing to me as I was looking for something lighthearted, and romantic - a bit of something to lighten things up after the gothic darkness of Emmanuelle De Maupassant's Dangerous Desire, and something that works to lighten my mood after my brief dalliances with the reality of work.

This story gave me a smile right away when we meet Silas, the Duke of Whittsley, because he is definitely a rogue with an irreverent sense of humour, and I loved his interactions with Arabella. She and her family suffered a change to their social status when her eldest sister dared to fall in love with a man far below her social status and eloped with him. Unfortunately this tarnished the rest of her family. Arabella doesn't care for herself so much, she has always been happy to sneak off into a nook somewhere to read (preaching to the choir here!), and is happy with the thought of being a bluestocking spinster aunt... but she cares very much about her youngest sister Anne, and her marriage prospects. Her plan to help her sister and repair their family's reputation is to offer a proposal to the Silas; herself as a wife who will bear him an heir, but once that is done, retire to his country estate with it's famed library, and have the two of them living separate lives. Silas doesn't want a clinging wife, but is aware that, as the last of his line, he needs to sire an heir, and agrees to her plan, so long as there are the eponymous rules they follow.

I won't detail the rules; I found the laying down of them, and the execution of them amusing and rather sweet. Silas and Arabella initially thought they would spend a few months together to re-establish her family's standing in society, find a suitable husband for her sister, and engage in "heir-making activities" and once she was pregnant, they would go their separate ways to lead separate, but merry lives. But they found that, as they spent more time together, they liked each other more than they expected. However, because of the rules and expectations of they each espoused at the beginning, neither one of them were comfortable expressing their growing affection for each other. Also, there is a mystery of something Silas hides from Arabella, which leads to a bit of angsty confusion before they reach their HEA.

This was a very sweet, heart warming read that I enjoyed. Both characters were likeable, and I enjoyed their banter. This was satisfying, like a beautiful hot latte, with fresh baked buttery cookies on a cold winter's day, and reading it gave me a warm and happy feeling. Definitely a treat - but not a full meal. Having a furry friend in it - albeit a cat, not a dog, helped too. It's not a deep thinker - but it was a happy maker.

4.5 stars out of 5.

My favorite kind of books are the ones that keep me up late at night, and this is one such story. I loved the main characters so much that I couldn't get enough of their story. I wanted it to keep going on and on. It's a delightful read; sweet, romantic, and heartwarming kind of story. I enjoyed reading it a lot and would recommend it to all fans of historical romance. Especially if you love the trope marriage of convenience.
Arabella Bromley is everything a perfect historical heroine should be. She loves to read, she is bold but also cares about society's rules, she knows how to go after what she wants but is cautious enough not to hurt anyone in the process, and most of all she is a kind and generous woman who doesn't believe in fairy tales. So, is it any surprise that she gets her very own fairy-tale-kind-of romance?
And the Duke of Whittsley is just the perfect sort of hero for her. He is considerate but doesn't like to show it, he cares about family obligations but will never admit it out loud, he is humorous, and even if he doesn't share her passion for reading, he cares enough to indulge her thirst for books. So, is it any wonder that he falls for the bookish Ari?
I adored the two of them as a couple and that made this book so much more special for me.

This is a great romance that grabs your attention right from the first chapter. Arabella is a mousy, spunky woman whose family has been shamed because her older sister ran off with a man beneath her station. She wants to fix this situation so her younger sister can get married to someone of a good station. She decides to proposition a Duke, Silas, who is known for being a bachelor & a bit mischievous. Somehow she gets him to agree to her crazy scheme with some rules put into place. They both forgot an important one...din't fall in love. What happens to them along this wonderful path is well worth your time reading. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out more from this author. The characters were charming, lots of humor and witty banter. It was a fun, easy, sweet romance.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book. The thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

This was such a fun read! I am used to reading stories where the hero is the grump in the relationship, In this case, the grump is the heroine and the sunshine is the hero.

Arabella is intelligent, bookish, and not considered a diamond of the first water and is in like her 5th season. Her dream is to maintain her spinsterhood, retire to the country, and read her life away. But her older sister decides to marry the family brood, ruining Arabella's and their younger sister's marriage prospects. So Arabella concocts a plan, she will approach a Duke who needs a legitimate heir but doesn't want the hustle of having a wife.

Siles, Duke of Whittsley, is funny, a prankster, and doesn't take life seriously. when he is approached by Arabella, her plan seems soundless, it's a win-win for both of them, but some rules must be placed to maintain the pact and the peace. The only rule they didn't follow was that they both fell in love and due to some miscommunication, lost some time.

It was a sweet and happy story, towards the end there is some miscommunication, but it's resolved quickly and they finally get their HEA. There is some drama with Silas withholding a family secret that is later resolved and accepted.