This book did two things really well: It had great chemistry between the h and H and the *tension* was VERY good. There were moments I had to put the book down and stop because it was just **that** good.

Otherwise, though, the conversations were weird. It felt like, at times, the characters (especially the main character, Beatrice) did a lot of talking when it wasn't needed. She often said a five words when one was needed and it felt like all the conversations were just backward and forward. There were times when I rolled my eyes because it felt really forced and there were times when I didn't really care about either Beatrice or the Duke. The author did a great job showing Beatrice's intelligence, but I just struggled to finish the book because of the dialogue.

If you like historical fiction, you will probably like this book. It has an interesting topic.

I received an arc of this book to review. The opinions are my own.

Reviewed on behalf of Verve Romance

Much Ado About Dukes is a refreshingly feminist historical romance that is brimming with charming, witty characters and lighthearted, swoonworthy romance. Simply impossible to put down.

Look, I needed a distraction today, and I pinned my hopes on Eva Devon. I have read several of her books and enjoyed them all—indeed, The Spinster and the Rake was one of my favorite books of 2021—so I wished with all my might that Much Ado About Dukes would capture my attention and take my mind off all that was bothering me.

It did. It very much did.

In the interest of being honest, I must confess that I had some concerns about Beatrice in the first chapter. Her strongly feminist bent, her determination to never marry, her insistence that her much-in-love cousin should not wed . . . they all gave me pause about whether I would find her too hard. Too shrewish. Then I saw her through William’s eyes, and I was sold.

One of my favorite things about this book is the way Will is Beatrice’s biggest champion. His inner fangirl (IDK, that just feels like the best way to explain it) is utterly delightful. He’s taken with her before he ever meets her, and he likes her because of the traits that would make her undesirable to most others—her passion, her strength, her brain. Moreover, he wants to be her friend. Even as his desire for her grew, their love deepening, first and foremost, he saw her as his equal. A person who he would be proud to have at his side. (Or would be proud to be at the side of.)

We stan a progressive hero with muscular forearms and a close, loving, and teasing relationship with his brothers. Gah, the brothers! I adored their banter and care for and ability to get honest with one another (and themselves, eventually) in a way that feels normal and natural.

Much Ado About Dukes, as you can likely divine from its title, owes much to Shakespeare, giving it the comedic bent you might expect from a book that pays tribute to one (or two) of the Bard’s comedies. The back-and-forth is rich and fun and elicits a smile as easily as it does an eye roll or laugh, and I can’t help but think that it might just be one of my favorite reads of 2022.

Neither Will nor Beatrice ever want to marry. She cherishes her independence and activism and, while he's resigned to the fact that, as a duke, it will eventually be his duty to marry and sire heirs, he wants no more than a pleasant business arrangement. With that accord in place, they find they can appreciate each other as friends and kindred spirits, despite a rough start. However, when circumstances change for Beatrice, Will can't bear the idea of watching her light dim as she marries for simple security and offers himself up instead. Surely they can make a friendly and formidable team without the folly of sentiment getting in the way...right?

This was a very enjoyable read. Not only was there fun banter and an enjoyable bit of spice but both characters were thoughtful, well-intentioned adults who tried their best, even though they had issues to work through. It was very easy to cheer for their happiness. Will's support of Beatrice might be a little over the top for a man of his time and position, but it was forgivable in such a lovely tale.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Much Ado About Dukes was romantic, charming and impossible to put down! With characters that were full of life, a story-line that kept me turning the pages faster and an ending I adored, this book was everything! If you love historical romance or adult romance, you definitely need this book in your life!

His head lowered ever so slightly. “Are you blackmailing me?” And then he smiled, a beautiful, teasing, devastating sort of smile. “Are you going to make every family dinner a complete catastrophe until I agree?”
She cocked her head to the side. “Possibly.”


Beatrice was convinced that love was never in her future. Being raised by her Uncle, and having her cousin as a best friend, she was happily living her life and speaking out about women's rights. But when her fortune disappeared, she found herself in trouble and complete disarray. To the rescue came Will. William Easton, the Duke of Blackhearth, was the man she wrote to about women's rights and never heard back from. He was a formidable presence and she was convinced he was the enemy. But when he proposed they marry and that they would both avoid the pitfalls of love, Beatrice paused to consider and I was already addicted!

“Perhaps we have more in common than we thought,” he said softly.
“The horror,” she teased before she inclined her head. “Who’d have thought it?”


Beatrice made a name for herself and she seemed so put together, driven and I loved that she would never settle for less when it came to love. She had seen how much her parents truly loved one another, before they died, and she only wanted that. She was perfectly content remaining single and I loved the relationship she had with her cousin, Margaret. They truly loved and cared for one another. Yet, Beatrice felt so lonely. Except when Will was in her vicinity, her life felt less lonely and fierier during those moments!

There was only one word for her.
Magnificent.
He did not know what he had expected, but this was not it. She was a positive force of a woman, and he was… stunned.


I am officially obsessed with William Easton, the Duke of Blackheath! To a stranger he could come across as focused on his work and maybe closed off, but getting to see the side of him with his brothers....ohhhh there was so much to Will! He was such a good guy *cries because I want to steal him from the pages!*. I loved the interactions he had with his brothers but I loved even more all of Will's thoughts that we got to hear as we alternated between him and Beatrice. He proved again and again why he was trustworthy and good. He apologized. He stood up. He surprised Beatrice time and again. But best of all he could joke and tease her, and those moments made my heart beat faster! Will was considerate, thoughtful, kind and extremely sexy.

“Beatrice, we shall make London quake underneath our polished boots, for you and I can make the world sit up and take notice. Nothing will ever be the same."
How right he surely was.


Much Ado About Dukes made me laugh out loud and smile! The banter between Beatrice and Will was so much fun and I loved how it showed their other sides! From the moment they met, there was chemistry and the tension between them that was electrifying. But they were both weary of love. So the moments they caused each other to faulter was exciting and left me hoping for more! And as they spent more time around each other, they helped each other see who they truly were and open their eyes to the ways of the world. I loved that they brought out the best from each other. When their moment together led to more, this book was sensually seductive!

Will smiled down at her.
She met that smile with one of her own. A smile full of determination to succeed.
Yes, this was the beginning of something beautiful, and he would not let them fail.


Much Ado About Dukes was romantically addictive! I loved the way this book unfolded, I loved the moments that tugged at my heart and I also love that it made me scream out loud for how something played out. This book constantly pulled on my emotions! And fyi, you definitely don't have to read the first book in this series to enjoy this one! I just have to say one more thing.... I absolutely loved Ben, Will's brother. He needs his own book please!

She beamed at him. “Together?” she whispered. “How can we lose?”

I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Spinster and the Rake, and looked forward to this book. This book was okay (I rate it a 3.5) but I liked the first book much better. Synopsis (few spoilers below):

Lady Beatrice Haven is a young lady fighting for equal rights for women. She champions many causes and distributes pamphlets to garner support for equal rights. She sends many of her pamphlets to William Easton―the Duke of Blackheath who responds to her in a way she finds patronizing. Lady Beatrice's cousin Margaret is now engaged to the duke's brother Kit and at celebration of the upcoming nuptials, Lady Beatrice and the duke meet for the first time. Immediately sparks fly, but both are reluctant to believe in love due losses of parents at a young age. They do form a friendship. Due to Beatrice's uncle bad investments, she is penniless and the duke makes a shocking marriage proposal and you will need to read the book to know what happens next.

Thoughts about the book
I loved the first part of the book. I loved the initial development of the duke and Beatrice's relationship but the plot moved too fast. Suddenly they are married although they both did not want to be married and then Beatrice is in love with her husband. When did that happen? For me, it happened in such a blur that the end of the book did not connect with me as I had hoped.

Will (the duke) was a well developed character and I understood his feelings for Beatrice. It was harder to connect with Beatrice's feelings for Will due to the rushed plot. I also loved the relationship that Will had with his brothers and Beatrice's relationship with her cousin, Margaret. In fact, those parts of the book were the most enjoyable.

I only recommend this book if you want a very light read and love books with strong sibling connections. Romance wise it is okay just too rush not very steamy. It the story had a slower pace; I would have given this book 4.5 rating.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC.

Much Ado about Dukes by Eva Devon, book two in her Never a Wallflower series, is an enjoyable, emotional, and wonderful story of two people, Will and Beatrice, who soon learn that all they once thought and assumed, after great consideration, is not quite what they believed. Never get married, but they do so to protect Beatrice. Never fall in love, but they do, despite promising not to. Influence Parliament to overturn the rules that make women property, with no rights. Hmmm, working on it.

This story follows Lady Beatrice Haven and William Easton, the Duke of Blackheath as they gather to celebrate an upcoming wedding between Beatrice’s cousin Will’s brother. Ss happy as Beatrice is for her cousin, she is also frustrated because she has repeatedly mailed letters to Will and has received no response. Beatrice is intelligent, passionate, and a bluestocking who doesn’t want to marry and lose her independence. Determined to fight for the voiceless, her drive to fight for women’s and civil rights is outstanding and so, so relevant. Sadly, women in today’s world can relate all too well the frustration and anger Beatrice feels over the limitations placed upon her because she is a woman. Beatrice is unaware that Will was quite impressed by her letters and is very intrigued when he meets her. Beatrice soon realizes there is so much more to the standoffish and unconcerned Duke, and after one dance, they can no longer deny their chemistry. Meeting at the theater, watching Much Ado About Nothing, Will and Beatrice realize they have much in common, and become friends. When Beatrice learns that her uncle lost not only his fortune, but hers as well, she runs to Will for advice. Will offers a marriage of convenience and is willing to help fund her causes; believing a partnership will be the perfect arrangement as they will share a cause and not love.

There are some wonderful and memorable scenes throughout this story that you do not want to miss. Will giving Beatrice boxing lessons especially teaching her how to throw a punch. Will’s relationships with his brothers who he raised for the past decade after their father died young and their mother left them. Then there’s the inclusion of all the Shakespeare references. While attempting to keep love out of their relationship, they do give into their attraction on their wedding night. Will and Beatrice working side by side for ladies’ rights, in particular when he joined her outside of Parliament to hand out pamphlets. Then there’s the grand gesture, his speech of all the things he hated before and then the things he actually loves.

Ms. Devon wrote an entertaining and enjoyable story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with humorous escapades, clever banter, subtle chemistry and endearing characters giving Will and Beatrice a chance to fight together to right all the wrongs as they truly fall in love. I highly recommend Much Ado about Dukes to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

This book was really enjoyable.
I loved the bluestocking heroine, Beatrice and the Duke, William, was swoon worthy!
Their dynamic made this an entertaining read. There's a lot of presumed assumptions made by Beatrice about William in the beginning of the book but after the two talk they actually become friends. Then the romance becomes a friends to lovers/marriage of convenience story.
I will say, I think the story did have a pacing issue. The beginning was great but after the marriage the story and romance slow down a lot and it made the ending a little hard to believe.
But the characters are fun and I love the message of women (and men) fighting for women's rights. Overall this book was a fun time.

This was another great historical romance by Eva Devon! Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Loved this so so much! This is the first book I have read by Eva Devon and now I am definitely going to pick up more of her works. I am pretty new to the historical romance genre and I was still able to enjoy this. The romance was so sweet and wonderful, highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book ! If you like a good love story with enjoyable dry humor this is for you. I was invested in William and Beatrice from the beginning even though it followed a predictable albeit a little rushed love story.
I will definitely read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Most ladies want to snatch a duke and live a perfect and comfortable life. Lady Beatrice, has a better use for them. Instead of love letters she writes fiery letters about women's rights.
Will, the Duke of Blackheath believes love only causes pain and nothing good comes out of it. He's very impressed by the cousin of his brother's fiancé that keeps sending him letters of improvements of other's life.
Even though when they first meet she shows him her disdain for him (and men of his station in general) a friendship develops quickly between them and when her life suddenly changes and needs help, he has no second thoughts and saves her.

Emotionally constipated hero, bluestocking heroine in a marriage of convenience pack? Yes please!
This is my first book of the author and I enjoyed it. I liked better the second half of the book, where most "action" took place, since the first half set everything up. Even though it's set in the Regency Era, the themes of the book were very contemporary and I loved seeing the main couple working alongside. The second characters were interesting, were part of the story instead of just being there and had personal development as well. I especially loved Will's youngest brother Ben. At approximately 80% of the book it's the emotional part, my heart was broken 🤣.

It was good read and I'll be checking more of the author. I received free eARC copies from NetGalley and Edelweiss and these are my honest opinions.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Amara for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

I had my ups and downs with this book. One thing that stands very strongly on the positive side for me was the hero, William. For a good part of the book anyway. I loved that he was dazzled by the heroine right from the beginning. I loved that he genuinely wanted women's rights before the heroine ever thought to shake a pamphlet at him. And I really loved how much he loved his brother.

This book had a rocky beginning for me and I think it took too long getting these two into a friendship, I wish they had already been in one. Because we wasted a BIG part of the story bringing that about and then they just say "We are friends" and I'm supposed to believe it. I rather would have had their friendship already established and then had them start to crush on one another. Cause it just felt so rushed for me yet... slow at the same time.

I liked how the Marriage of Convenience came about and how much they were working together. But then... it just.. froze. Their relationship development stopped dead in it's tracks after their wedding night. How the heroine decides her feelings have progressed is beyond me, because I didn't see it.

I really don't want to be a negative Nancy about this one, so I'm going to stop there. I was hopeful that this Historical Romance about a Blue-Socking Lady and a Duke, where the Duke isn't her adversary in women's rights would have a more sensible couple, but one hard conversation about love and it crumbled right apart. :/

There was lovely pining from the hero though, as I said. And the scenes where he is helping her learn to box were adorable.

https://www.goodreads.coThank you to Netgalley, Entangled: Amara, and Ms. Devon for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Did I read the same book as everyone else? It sure doesn't seem like it.

To be fair, this book was read during a marathon of some of the BEST books I've read all year (Dance with the Devil, Ruby Fever, Love on the Brain, Carrie Soto is Back) and absolutely suffered in comparison. It's hard to live up to the examples set by those books.

But.

Beatrice is THE BIGGEST Mary Sue I have come across in quite some time. She can do no wrong. She is ever reasonable, ever patient, ever fervent in her desire to support womens' rights. Ok. Will is probably the most modern historical romance Duke you could ever meet. He is fervently in support of womens' rights and causes and completely unhesitant to throw his full weight into the cause. He agrees with everything Beatrice says and is completely willing to be lead around by his nose, as long as she is holding the leash. They have ONE disagreement, in which he sticks up for his brother, and she cuts him dead because he has the temerity to (a) disagree with her and (b) not 100% of the time place womens' rights first and foremost. Sigh.

Then there is the bothersome "he had childhood trauma so he can never love anyone" trope, alongside the "woe is me, I am heartbroken because the man I love SAYS he can never love me, even though he obviously does love me, but if he doesn't say it out loud it isn't love" trope. Double sigh.

This is modern romance dressed up in regency gowns. IDK. It didn't hit the spot for me. Obviously based on the many glowing reviews, YMMV. In fact, I think I'm the only one who felt this way. Oh well. Don't let me deter you from trying out this book.

This story was awesome. The more Eva Devon I read the more I want to read. She makes her female characters pop and has these personalized we wanna see. And the men are level-headed and supportive

The conflict is relevant and makes sense for the storyline. The spice is on point. A wonderful story


I am going to enjoy reading Eva back catalogue

Will is the Duke of Blackheath. He has no time for love, nor does he have any interest in it. Why would he has everything else?

Lady Beatrice has no plans to marry. She is too busy fighting for the rights of women and others who have no wealth or power. She has her own money and has no need for a man to provide for her. She finds though that the duke is very progressive in his thinking and that he really listens to her.

Until one day when she finds out that all is not as it seems and she is forced to marry in order to save herself. The duke steps up to help her and asks her to marry him. But what will they do when their feeling become all too real?

This is a book of highs and lows for me. I really enjoy Devon's writing and would be interested to check out her other titles. The descriptive quality of the prose and some of the quick fire banter are wonderful. I can't help feeling that they are a bit wasted on a messy retelling of Shakespeare's play. The enemies-to-lovers spark between the leads does not live up to, or alternatively put enough of it's own spin on, their inspiration. And the characters going to see a performance of Much Ado About Nothing within the book takes the reader out of the story with unnecessary questions. Not a title that I will recommend widely, but an author I will be exploring further!

This is a marvelous story. It pits the fiery Lady Beatrice against the stoic Duke of Blackheath. The conversations between these two characters are particularly spectacular. The characters are interesting and witty. The plot looks at a Duke afraid to love and a Lady fighting for the rights of women. They make a daring couple as they team up to challenge expectations and change the course of their lives. Like theirs your heart will melt as they realize their dreams and fall in love.

This is my first book by Eve and I've already bought the first book in this series. I can't wait to start it.
There is so much to love about this story, I don't know where to start. The characters are wonderful,
The Duke, William with his brothers, Kit and Ben. Beatrice with her cousin, Margaret and her Uncle.
Both William and Beatrice have had great loss in their life's, Will lost his mother at a young age and Beatrice lost both her parents. Sadly, William was raised by an overbearing father while Bea had the love and support of her Uncle and her cousin.
William has seen what love can do at its worst and therefore keeps all emotions in check. He will never marry and lives for his brothers and to do as much as he can for the less fortunate. He gives to many charities and fights for hard causes in parliament.
Beatrice is loud, outspoken and feels women have been used for years and its time it stopped. She uses money left her by her parents to support women rights groups. With letters and pamphlets, she is
trying to get help from powerful ton people like the Duke. When they finally meet it is because Margaret has gone and fell in love with William's brother, Kit. Soon he and Bea will be family ! Yikes.
both are not happy about it. As they have to spend time together each learns the other is much different than what they first thought. As secrets, admiration of each other and an attraction neither what to admit too. When Beatrice finds out devastating news, William has to help her the only way he knows how and purposes marriage. Oh my, these two will have a very up hill road to solve all the problems, twist and turns in their life's and their families too. With his brothers and her cousin both having live changing events, who will support who and will it be the end to the start of a great
marriage of sorts for our H and h ? I loved how open and Straight talking Bea was with Will. Will is great with his support of her and her passion for all things. This is a very steamy story that fits the plot just as it should. So much history, passion, and love in one book. I hope you grab a copy and get started. I received and ARC and wish to thank the author. I hope we will get a short story about Kit and Margaret soon; it would be great. This is my honest opinion and am freely giving it.

Much Ado about Dukes is the story of Will, the Duke of Blackheath and Lady Beatrice, who are soon to be related as Will's brother is betrothed to Beatrice's cousin, Margaret. Beatrice lives with Margaret as her parents are both deceased and her uncle is now her guardian. Lady Beatrice is determined not to marry and has been spending her time and pin money supporting various causes and Will is in no hurry to marry as he has two younger brothers who could serve as his heir and also provide future heirs for the dukedom. The authors writes a captivating story of Will and Beatrice interacting with each other as they meet at various social engagements. Once it is revealed that her beloved uncle has lost his fortune and Beatrice's endowment from deceased parents, Will must come up with a way that will allow her to remain in society and also continue to support her charities. The story is well written with a storyline that will keep the reader engaged with the developing relationship between Will and Beatrice and also the drama that her cousin Margaret and her fiance, Kit.have to endure as Margaret reacts to a change in her circumstances. I received this story as an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

The Heroine
Beatrice's parents had a loving marriage, but unfortunately died when she was a young girl leaving her to her Uncle and cousin, whom she adores. She is strong activist for women's rights, especially when it comes to marriage and being a husband's property. She has no desire to be trapped in a marriage, except on the rare chance that she finds a love like the one her parents shared. She has felt quite alone in her passions, although supported by her Uncle and cousin, so when she meets William and is ready to fight him for his backing, she is shocked to find they share many of the same ideas and morals. Beatrice made me nervous at first; I was really worried she would be one who would fight William and resist his help cause he is a Duke and a man, so he couldn't possibly understand. I appreciated that she was able to have her strong opinions and still be open the possibility of William's help and possibly being more to her.

The Hero
William's mother left her husband and three boys in the middle of the night when he was a small child. She was in love with someone else and, he believes, chose that man over him. Ever since then, he has stepped up to care for his brothers, be the man his father coldly formed him to be and believed that 'love' ruins peoples ability to reason and behave properly. He vows NEVER to succumb to such feelings. But then he starts receiving letters from Beatrice and he is completely in awe of her even before they meet in a crowded ballroom. They form a friendship of sorts and offers to help her with her causes because he admires and sees the brilliant woman she is. At least that's what he tells himself. I really adored William; his awe and adoration for Beatrice was incredible and he truly was her biggest advocate and fan. He could have very easily dismissed her, but he sought to understand her point of view and conceded when he was in the wrong. That takes a big man!

The Plot
Oh, how I loved this book! I was so worried reading the first couple of chapters that it was going to be drowned down with political talk. Nothing against it as I know the lack of rights women had at that time, but I was afraid the romance would be soured by it. Boy was I wrong! Ms. Devon walked a fine line between the two characters and their stubbornness both politically and romantically. And it was so much fun! The side characters, William's brothers and Beatrice's sisters, were delightful and I am hoping they all get books as well!

Stand Out Moment
When, just the day after their marriage, William comes out of the parliament building to see Beatrice yelling her views and passing out pamphlets! I was so worried her was going to lose his mind...and he was. But then he stopped and reasoned with himself that this was what he admired about her and even joined her group of friends!

Tropes
Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Beta Hero, Politician Hero, Puglist/Fighter Hero, Titled Hero, Bluestocking Heroine, Activist Heroine, Hoyden Heroine, Independent Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Friends to Lovers, Marriage of Convenience/Arranged Marriage, Loss of Nobility/Riches to Rags