Overall, an enjoyable and short read. The plot is different from any other historical romance I have read, making it extremely refreshing. I didn't find myself frustrated with either lead compared to other books, nor with their relationship. I would attribute that to their great communication. There were no large misunderstandings. Of course, there were some secrets but both did it for good reasons and it never blew up to this large conflict. Highly recommend others check this book out, it's great.

Buy it for the cover; enjoy it for the story within. This one had me in its net from start to finish. You may think a romance between a duke and a fisherwoman sounds impossible (it does) but Bennett makes it work. These two balance each other so well. They're meant to be and I was right there cheering them on the entire way.

I like that Bennett takes her time with Poppy and Keane, creating a circumstance where they are secluded from the outside world, giving them the time away from prying eyes to slowly transition from paid partners to friends, to much, much more. I love that Keane falls hard, and quickly, making his heart the more vulnerable of the two. It's fun to watch Poppy slowly discover that there is much more to this duke than his scandalous reputation.

Their excursions away from Poppy's small village in pursuit of the truth of the attack on Keane add another layer to their growing relationship, opening Poppy's eyes to the world in which Keane lives and highlighting the many sides of this hardworking young woman. I love them together. There is nothing "surface" about their relationship. The love and trust they build - the confidence that each will always be there for the other, under all circumstances - had me celebrating their happily ever after as if they were dear friends, not characters in a book.

The mystery of who wants Keane dead is a central thread that runs through the book. I figured it out quickly (a hazard of reading too many books?) but still enjoyed the process of watching it all play out on the pages. Knowing the identity of a villain doesn't always mean knowing what will happen and, happily, there were a few unexpected twists along the way that caught me by surprise.

One Duke Down is the second book in Anna Bennett's Rogues to Lovers series, featuring three good friends (Hazel, Poppy, and Kitty) who all live and work in the seaside town of Bellehaven Bay. It stands well on it's own, however meeting Poppy's two friends has me eager to read their stories as well. I've already downloaded book one, Girls Before Earls and am eager to discover what Bennett has in store for Kitty in book three.

4.5 Stars

ARC received for fair and unbiased review

The mystery surrounding Keane and the fun interactions between him and Poppy drew me in right from the start.

Miss Poppy Summers has caught something bigger than a fish this time. The man she rescued claims to be a duke, but Poppy has a hard time believing him. Someone wants him dead and Poppy agrees to shelter him. She also agrees to help him look for his assailant. In Poppy’s world, Keane discovers a whole new side to himself. Poppy herself blooms under his attention and soon she might have to make some difficult choices.

Poppy surprised me. For a young woman raised fairly sheltered in a small town, she sure didn’t hesitate to grab her adventure with both hands. Keane was quiet and unassuming, and he didn’t trust a lot of people. When he got closer to discovering the truth about his attack, he opted to protect Poppy’s choices rather than get his revenge outright.

The identity of Keane’s attacker was cleverly kept in the dark. But once the mystery started unraveling, the shocking revelations just kept coming. I liked that there was more story after Poppy and Keane declared their love for each other. That way we got to see more of them together.

This was a quick read, sweet, and Poppy and Keane both had their worlds expanded beyond their expectations. I can recommend this to anyone who likes steamy historical romance with action. Though it’s part of a series, it stands well on its own.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thought and opinions are my own.

It wasn't conventional meeting, to say the least. Caught up in Poppy Summer's fishing net was a handsome man who was obviously badly hurt. When he comes to and tells Poppy he is Andrew Keane the Duke of Hawking, she is skeptical. After convincing her he is who he says he is, he asks for her help by offering her a generous amount of money. He believes someone tried to kill him and he wants to find out who. Poppy is struggling to keep her family's fishing business solvent while taking care of her ill father. She agrees to the deal and both their lives will never be the same.

There is so much about this book that makes it well worth reading. The dialogue is often witty and both Poppy and Keane are easy to like protagonists. Readers will want the best for them. The story is filled with adventure, romance, passion and surprises. The story moves quickly and is well plotted and engrossing. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

TW: attempted murder, some violence

This is the second entry in Anna Bennett's Rogues to Lovers series, and I am seriously loving the series so far! I love regency romances, and I've been craving them in my reading more and more over the past couple of years, and this series definitely fits the bill. And while this is the second in a series, this story can easily be read and fully enjoyed as a standalone!

I really loved Poppy as a character in Girls Before Earls, so I was so excited to see she was getting her own love story. She is such a smart and feisty and capable character, which are always my favorites in regency era stories, and her friendship with the Belles (Hazel and Kitty) that formed in the first book honestly makes me so happy. That is the kind of group of girlfriends that I think should be included in basically every romance and every person's real life. The friends can be make or break, and this group of three ladies really makes me want to sit and read these books over and over again and gab about them to my own girlfriends.

Now let's talk about the love story. Unlike Blade in Girls Before Earls, I followed in Poppy's footsteps and fell for Keane right from the word go - a handsome, charming, roguish Duke with a small element of danger about him? Yes please, I'll take one. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the two, and the fact that while they both felt something from the beginning it wasn't a full on love at first sight situation, and that they took the time to form a real friendship first. I think that the two characters complement each other well, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their unconventional courtship.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends and fellow readers - in fact, I think my mom has called first dibs on borrowing it as soon as I go out and get myself a physical copy.
I think that the best way to read this book would be somewhere quiet and secluded with a great view. Maybe that's a cabin out in the woods, maybe it's your own backyard with a glass of lemonade in your favorite garden - or maybe it's a quiet stretch of beach and a hidden shelter like Poppy's. I've been dreaming about her beachside home away from home ever since first reading Girls Before Earls, and this book only made me want one more, so if you find one let me know!

Even though One Duke Down by Anna Bennett doesn’t come out until tomorrow (January 24th), I’m gonna talk about it now because it deserves all the hype! This second book in Bennett’s Rogues to Lovers Series just proves how deliciously fun historical romance novels can be!

I adored this book (which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise since we all know I’m a sucker for a hot duke)! Just like the previous book in this series (Girls Before Earls), this small town historical romance was so well written and very engaging. Poppy and Keane were both such amazing characters and their romance was so easy to fall in love with!

This book had a bit more adventure and action which made the plot even more binge-worthy. But add in an adorable romance with some steamy scenes and tender-hearted romance and you have a recipe for a fabulous story!

Fans of Bridgerton will fall in love with this book and I sincerely hope we get a third book in this series!

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

One Duke Down is the second book in Anna Bennett's Rogues to Lovers series. I was so glad this one stood alone, as I missed the first book. Which leads to the question: How did I miss the first one? If it's even half as good as this delightful story, I missed something special! Look at the beautiful cover of this book. See how the beautiful couple are both smiling and laughing? That's how this story will make you feel.

Poppy Summers spends most of her time keeping the family's fishing business from going under. Her widowed father is sick and her brother spends most of his time in London, so it's all on her shoulders. She'll do anything for her family, so she puts her own life on the back burner and spends her days fishing. There's not much excitement in her life; that is, until she catches a handsome man with a head injury in her nets! And if that wasn't enough, the daft man believes he's a duke! Andrew Keane, however, is the Duke of Hawking, and he needs Poppy's help. Keane came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to get away from London; instead, someone attempted to kill him. He asks Poppy to hide him on her beach while he recovers; he figures it will be easier to hunt his would-be killer if everyone thinks he died. Poppy's not sure about the whole situation, but she and her family really need the generous funds Keane offers. They begin to work together to discover the identity of Keane's "killer", and they are drawn closer and closer to one another. But then the danger hits very close to home...

This was quite an enchanting tale! I absolutely loved that there wasn't the usual enemies-to-lovers attraction going on that is so popular in today's romantic fiction. Poppy really liked Keane, and Keane really liked Poppy; there was no hiding their feelings. He didn't care that she was a fisherwoman of humble beginnings, and she wasn't much impressed that he was a duke. There wasn't a lot of relationship angst, besides a past event from Poppy's life that made her distrust the aristocracy. I adored both main characters. Poppy was a hardworking young woman who didn't feel sorry for herself. She missed her beloved mother who died when Poppy was young, and did all she could to help her family. She had wonderful friends in Hazel and Kitty, and they called themselves the Belles of Bellehaven. Poppy loved to read (my kind of girl!) and had built a little shelter where she could escape from her busy life and to dream. She was witty and smart and the perfect match for Keane. Ahhh, Keane...how I simply loved him! (Yes, add him to the list of book boyfriends.) He grew up with a father who barely tolerated him and was never pleased with anything he did; his family life centered around his beloved uncle and cousin. Poppy made him determined to become a better man and take care of his estates and tenants. In no way did Keane believe himself better than Poppy since he was a duke. He cared for and respected her. Both Poppy and Keane had a sense of humor, and their witty conversations made me smile. Their sexual chemistry was off the charts! The sexy times were hot but not extremely explicit. Feelings came to the fore instead of graphic descriptions. The story was a lot of fun. I figured out the identity of Keane's attempted killer almost from the start of the book, but it in no way took any pleasure away from the story, and there was still some suspense. Supporting characters were entertaining, but I have to give special props to Diggs, Keane's valet. His appearance always made me smile. I'm impatiently awaiting Kitty's story; at least I still have book one to read while I wait!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
One Duke Down is the second book in the Rogues To Lovers series by Anna Bennett. I enjoyed the first book in this series; however, I felt there was room for growth. I am delighted that this book was everything I wanted. I instantly became attracted to the colorful characters and eye-catching storyline. I felt this book developed seamlessly and shone brightly.

Poppy Summers is a fisherman’s daughter and is determined to keep her ailing father’s business afloat. Poppy is aggravated when a strange man washes up on her beach. Andrew Keane, the Duke of Hawking, is having a devil of a time convincing Poppy he’s a duke while also trying to discover who wants him dead.

Poppy was a fun, exciting character. I loved her close relationship with her father. Poppy guarded her heart, and I empathized with her regarding her experience with nobility. I loved how Poppy could look past her previous encounters and find goodness in Andrew.

Andrew was a different kind of duke, and I enjoyed that fact. Andrew wasn’t as stiff and stodgy as most dukes, and he had a heart of gold. He knew he wanted Poppy’s heart early on, and I like how hard he fought for Poppy.

The couple’s romantic journey was sublime. There were many understated, sweet moments combined with unbelievably sensual ones. The romance had a poetic feel, the passionate connection subtle but definitely there. I loved Andrew and Poppy together. They were perfect for each other.

The plot was unique in that the obstacles to the romance were resolved well before the story’s conclusion. However, there was so much character growth and incredible writing that I tremendously enjoyed the book's final quarter. Some readers like the inner conflict to last the entirety of the book, and I respect that. However, I felt the author used this unique twist to explore the bond between Andrew and Poppy.

The characters, storyline, and backdrop had me interested and invested throughout the book. Anna Bennett has created a powerhouse of a second book. Andrew and Poppy’s journey was heartwarming, passionate, and unexpected, and I love the unexpected!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A continuation of the series in Bellehaven Bay this book focused on Hazel’s friend Poppy. I liked the match between Poppy and Keane and their efforts to figure out who wanted to kill Keane. A good regency romance to read on a cold winter weekend.

A true fairytale romance where Poppy Summers, a fisherman’s daughter, catches a Duke in her net and falls in love. Add a dash of attempted murder and a mystery to be solved and this book makes for an intriguing read that will make you sigh and have your eyes turn to hearts.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

This novel was a pure delight! Not only does this cover perfectly reflect the joy you will find between it's pages, it is so beautiful and such a lovely reflection of the novel. Anna Bennett charms me with this novel! I loved the first novel in this series, and I think this is a wonderful edition to the collection and I am waiting with batted breathe to see what Bennett gives us next. This is the second novel in Bennett's Rogues to Lovers series, and while it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend you read both books in this series because they are gloriously exemplary historical romances.

Anna Bennett has such a sweet and comforting tone, this novel reads like a lovely small town romance, and it highlights the dream of how love can truly overcome biases and class differences. This is a class difference romance, that is low on the angst and such an endearing read of two people who fall swiftly and sweetly and trust wholeheartedly. I loved the gentleness of this novel, it is full of softness around the romance and really highlights the building of trust between two people who find a deep connection with the other. I find it refreshing to read a romance where the conflict is not inside the relationship, and Bennett does a really lovely job of building Poppy and Keane's trust and understanding of the other. This romance has moments of humor and quirkiness which really play well within the overall tone of the novel. Poppy is fun and smart and hardworking with a heart of gold. Keane is charming and romantic and understanding. I love that both Poppy and Keane never jump to a wrong conclusion of the other. I love that they both inherently trust the other, and no event or person can shake that trust. I love that they both do not push the other too far or too fast, but that they seem to have a perfect rhythm with each other. I love that they both would do anything for the other.

If you are looking for a healthy building of a relationship than this is a perfect historical romance option for you. If you love a low angst, sensual relationship that is built on the strong foundation of unconditional trust, pick up this novel. I so highly recommend this if you are in the mood for a softly gentle book that is ultimately driven by the characters and their relationship.

One Duke Down is the story of Andrew Keane, the Duke of Hawking, who is found by Poppy Summers adrift on the beach as she is on her way to fish. Andrew suspects that someone is trying to murder him and in order to find the culprit he is required to hide out until the suspect is found. Poppy agrees to allow him to stay in her hideaway for a fee. As the Duke is investigating who would like to murder him, he asks Poppy to come along with him on several trips while he and his valet, Diggs. attempt to eliminate people who they think would have a motive for murdering him. Poppy is also looking for her brother, Dane who she suspects has left their hometown in order to find work in London. As they eliminate each suspect, Poppy and Dane find themselves becoming drawn to each other. Poppy is aware that a relationship between them will not work because of the differences in their class and Andrew is determined to prove to her that the class difference is not important to him. After Andrew asks to be introduced to her family, he begins to suspect that her brother, Dane, may have been the person who tried to murder him. This story is about a romance that is usually frowned against by the ton and it is steamy and also has a touch of mystery and intrigue. I really enjoyed the book but was a little offput by how freely Poppy was in her sexual relationship with the Duke.

I received the book as an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Fisher Poppy finds an injured duke washed up on her family's beach. At least, he claims to be a duke. Can she help him find who's trying to kill him?

This fun, heartwarming, witty romance is full of intrigue and playful banter. Poppy and Keane are clever, strong-willed, and adorable together. Loved it!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

After finding a very handsome man tangled in her fishing nets, Poppy nurses Duke Andrew Keane back to health and helps him investigate who tried to kill him. Of course, they fall in love and it's a star-crossed, different classes romance.

I give it three stars. It was "mid." Not the best or most exciting story, I wouldn't buy it for a friend. I won't remember it in a couple of weeks, but it was good. It held my interest.

Like the first book in this series, the first sex scene felt a bit forced and out of character. Suddenly Poppy was a full-on seductress inviting Keane into the room while she's bathing and she's somehow completely knowledgeable about how to please a man her first time. I thought she had a multiple personality disorder it felt so out of character.

Poppy and Keane were cute enough and had good banter. I'll most likely continue reading this series.

Poppy ends up finding a man washed up on shore of her fishing beach. When he wakes up the Man tells Poppy he is the Duke of Hawking. At first Poppy doesn’t believe him but then she finds out he’s telling the truth. Keane’s convinces her to let him stay at the beach and stay missing until he can figure out who tried to kill him. As they spend more time together helping each other Poppy and Keane can’t deny their attraction, or how they come from completely different social classes. Will Keane be able to find who tried to murder him and will Poppy be convinced they can survive the societal expectations? This book had a wonderful seaside setting, a steamy romance and lots of fun banter. I definitely recommend it for historical fiction fans!

I have said this before, but I love reading Regency romance. Something about that period (and yes, I am ignoring a bunch of negatives) makes the romance seem so swoon-worthy. So, when I got the widget from St. Martin’s Press, I immediately said yes. I am glad I did because this book was a great continuation of the Rogues to Lovers series.

There are trigger warnings in One Duke Down. I will be honest; I was surprised at how heavy this book was (with the triggers). The trigger warnings are Grief (Poppy, her brother, father, and aunt mourn the death of her mother), Classism (Dukes’ were not allowed to marry beneath their station, Poppy was a fisherwoman/Poppy’s mother married below her station, and was disinherited by her family), Alcoholism (Keane’s cousin was), Chronic Illness (Poppy’s father), Death (Poppy’s mother and Keane’s parents), Kidnapping (Keane), Death of a parent (Poppy’s mother, Keane’s parents), Pregnancy (Poppy’s mother was pregnant before marriage), Toxic Friendship (Keane and his cousin), Sexual Harassment (towards Poppy several times during the book), Attempted Murder (Keane, several times), Injury/Injury detail (Keane’s head wound, his attack on the roof, and his kidnapping that resulted in slight injury), and Child Abuse (not in detail but Keane). If any of these trigger you, I recommend not reading the book.

One Duke Down is the second book in the Rogues to Lovers series. This book can be read as a standalone.

One Duke Down is a medium-paced book that mostly takes place in the village of Bellehaven Bay. There are a couple of chapters, towards the end, that takes place in London, mainly at Keane’s townhouse.

One Duke Down takes place a year after the events of Girls Before Earls. This book centers around Poppy, a secondary character in Girls Before Earls, and Andrew Keane, the Duke of Hawkings, a new character. Poppy is working as a fisherwoman to support her ill father when she stumbles upon Keane on the beach. Having never seen him before, Poppy is skeptical that Keane is a Duke but realizes something terrible has happened to him and decides to help him. When his claims are verified, Poppy becomes embroiled in his plan to find out who attacked him and why. As they get closer to the truth, the more Keane’s life is in danger. And the more their feelings grow toward each other. But there are roadblocks, the main one being her station in Society. Who wants to kill Keane? Why? Will Keane and Poppy end up together? Or will they be forced apart?

The characters in One Duke Down surprised me while reading this book. The author gave Poppy an exciting backstory. It was hinted at in Girls Before Earls, so I wasn’t surprised at what was revealed. But it was Keane’s story that caught my attention. He came into the book as a mysterious character, and the author fully fleshed out his character. He was nothing like what I thought a Duke would be like.

Poppy—I thought she was terrific in Girls Before Earls. She bucked convention (and what society expected from her). She worked hard to provide for her family. I liked that she had a healthy skepticism regarding men claiming to be Duke. I also liked that once she was all in, she was all in. But what I liked the most was that she came across as genuine. She had insecurities and wasn’t afraid to let Keane know about them.
Keane— As I mentioned above, Keane was nothing that I thought a Duke would be like. He was caring, and he cared more about his family/friends than he did about power. His abusive parents had much to do with that, as did his uncle (the only family member who cared about him). But I did think he was a pushover at points in the book. Listen, I get not wanting to hurt the only family member who cares about you, but still. How many times will things happen before you end up dead? In the end, though, he did what I perceived was right and fair.
The secondary characters were interesting in One Duke Down. I liked that they did fill out certain aspects of the storyline and explained certain things that Keane did.

One Duke Down fits perfectly into the romance genre. Even though it was unconventional, I loved reading Poppy and Keane’s romance. Dukes do not get involved with ordinary people, and they certainly did not fall in love/marry them. It was very refreshing to read, and I loved Keane’s attitude toward it. It was basically, “If you don’t like it, then shut up.”

There was also a mystery angle interwoven with the romance angle. I will say that I was surprised at who Keane’s attacker was. But I was even more surprised at who orchestrated it. I loved the investigation. I laughed at how they tried to figure out who attacked Keane and who was behind it.

The main storyline, Poppy and Keane’s romance with the mystery of who injured him, took me for a ride. I genuinely didn’t know where this book would take me next. I just sat there and enjoyed it. Of course, I liked seeing past characters show up in their storyline. I also was trying to figure out who the next book was going to be about (usually, a hint or two is dropped at the end). I think Kitty, but not sure.

The author used several secondary storylines to flesh out Poppy and Keane’s storyline. There was only one that I didn’t care for. That was the storyline with Poppy’s aunt. I didn’t believe for a minute that she had a change of heart from 9-10 years previously. But it did add an extra “aww” factor to the book.

The end of One Duke Down was full of excitement. Because of spoilers, I won’t go into it, but I do think that the villain should have gotten more of a punishment. But then again, being sent to The Colonies was a sentence, so maybe it was. I also loved that Poppy and Keane got their HEA. After everything they went through in this book, they deserved it.

I recommend One Duke Down to anyone over 21. There are moderate sex scenes, mild language, and moderate violence. Also, see my trigger warnings.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Anna Bennett for allowing me to read and review One Duke Down. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

When Poppy Summers went fishing that morning, she never expected to catch a duke in her net. She did just that and he didn’t get there voluntarily. Keane, Duke of Hawking and Poppy set out to find who attacked him and who means him harm. This is a well-written, heartwarming romance with a strong confident heroine and an affable, determined hero. There is a bit of danger (he was tossed in the ocean), a mystery, lots of humor, a steamy romance, and a happy ending. In the audio version, Beverley A. Crick does a very entertaining narration.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

What is your type of comfort read? For me, it's anything historical romance. Without fail, I know it will give me all the warm and fuzzies I need! So when St. Martins Press sent me a copy of #onedukedown, I knew I had to read it!

📝 Poppy is working hard to take care of her family. With her brother gone, and father ill, it's up to her to keep her family's fishing business afloat. All is fine until she catches a man within her nets! Andrew is the Duke of Hawking, but someone is trying to kill him! Luckily he is saved by Poppy. Is she just a woman who saves him, or something more?

What I 🤍:
🤩 STUNNING Cover art!
💕 He Falls First
👑 Difference in Rank
🏕️ Secret Hideaway
🎣 Beachside Town

I loved the cover and story idea of this book! I couldn't wait to start. It has everything you could want in a historical romance: pining, steam and passion! Unfortunately, the the romance fell flat for me. I couldn't really FEEL the romance. The mystery component was fun, and different, but sometimes I wonder if that took away time for the author to develop this romance more thoroughly.

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
Passion: 🔥🔥🔥 .
Read If ➡️: You love historical romances that are easy to read in a day.
Read 📅: Anytime of Year

This is the second book in the #roguestolovers series. There are all the characters from the first book in this one, so I think it would be most enjoyable to read this series in order.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press, Anna Bennett and Netgalley for an EARC of this book!

While I knew I’d fall in love with Keane, I was not expecting to fall quite so quickly. I’m sure Poppy felt the same. He is generous and kind and does not tolerate those that are selfish. Which is why he has a bit of a reputation within the Ton. Not because he’s bad, but because he doesn’t conform to their expectations and will not deign to explain himself to them when they would rather believe gossip and half-truths.

For her reasons, Poppy doesn’t trust anyone in the aristocracy yet finds herself wanting to believe Keane is not as bad as she had at first believed. It doesn’t take long before Poppy learns who the real Keane is, and it’s not from any sort of confession from him. Keane prefers people make their judgments of him without his explanations and excuses, and those that want to believe the worst are not worth his time. Poppy is well worth his time, and she proves that.

I love the time Poppy and Keane spent on their own in their hideaway as well as during their adventures (along with his valet) trying to figure out who is after Keane. The real world is still there, Poppy still has to work and take care of her father, but she’s able to escape from her hard life when she goes down to the beach to bring Keane food and conversation. There were times when it was a little slow, but other than that I really enjoyed this journey. I received an advanced copy from NetGalley.

Very sweet and unique historical romance. I loved the fact that the heroine found the Duke (who she didn't know was a duke) in her family's fishing net! Loved the sweetness of this story, but the lack of conflict and low stakes for the romance itself was disappointing and I found this book hard to keep my interest.