I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Anthony Cary, Duke of Strickland, has finally inherited the duchy, but not all it entails. His father secretly left the family home, Tremayne Castle, to his young stepmother, Deena, and Anthony is a duke in name only. On his stepmother's death, he expects that his home will be returned, but at the will reading, it's revealed that his stepmother left everything to a distant American cousin, who's due to arrive any day now. When Raya Darwish arrives in England, it seems like a miracle. She has been pushed out of the family business, but this English castle is completely hers, and no one can take it from her. But there's a problem - the estate is bankrupt, and for both Raya and Anthony to manage, they need to work together before it's too late.

This was so fun! Raya and Anthony hated each other from the beginning, and actively went out of their way to ruin the other's day. Raya seemed to be one of the only people who didn't believe the rumours that Anthony killed Deena, but even so, she wasn't going to let him get his hands on her castle. Raya needed something for herself, though her family all believed she should be married by now, and stop thinking about business. Instead, she thinks about how she can monetise the castle, by opening it up to the paying public, and invigorating the nearby town. As much as Anthony hates that idea, he does see merit in the plan, and knows that both he and Raya need money, sooner rather than later. The chemistry between Raya and Anthony was off the charts, and this was a fantastic enemies-to-lovers romance. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2, and hope Raya and Anthony play a part - I need to see them happy together!

I absolutely loved this novel. Diana Quincy is a Queen of the Historical Romance. One of my favorite books of the year.

This is getting a generous 4 star rating because man was it hot.

I enjoyed the dynamic between the MCs and lived for their hate banter and hate kissing. When Anthony fell, so did I. I didn't expect him to be such a good hero at the start, but I loved how attracted he was to Raya and how he appreciated her business acumen and supported her dreams. I mean this man planted wildflower fields for her and just wanted to give her orgasms and let her run a castle enterprise.

Raya was definitely an interesting character. I loved her no nonsense and hard work attitude. I appreciated that when she was upset it was legitimate and the conflicts didn't get drug out too long and they actually would have productive conversations about their feelings.

Overall there were so many fun little interactions and the banter just made this for me. The mystery subplot was fine, nothing crazy. The romance was the real shine here.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked the premise of this, but the pacing felt wonky, such that I didn't feel like I knew the characters, which made the redemption of the enemies to lovers feel a bit hollow.

This was a great historical romance! It had a blend of familiar, beloved tropes such as enemies to lovers, but also included unique elements to the story such as Raya’s work as a businesswoman, the rare occurrence of her inheriting and English castle, and the work she did to make it a profitable enterprise. Anthony, the duke, reminded me of King/Farmer George from Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte in that he was interested in his own work and passions other than his duties as a duke. The business aspect of the story overall helped to add a layer to Raya and Anthony’s love story because they had to work out things such as trust, judgement, and ownership/balance in their relationship as represented through the castle and the business that Raya builds around it.

It was also wonderful to read of Raya’s Arab-American background, especially contextualized in a late-1800’s historical setting. Raya’s background, traditions, and culture did add to her challenges and the challenges that she and Anthony faced in their relationship, but also rounded out her character and made this a great historical romance for diverse representation and enriching the reader’s historical knowledge. This also connected really well to the themes of home and family, which was an important sticking point for Anthony’s character, their sparring, and ultimate love story as well.

The Duke Gets Desperate follows Raya who unexpectedly comes into an inheritance of a castle from a distant cousin and how she clashes with Anthony, the duke who had expected to inherit the castle. I really liked their dynamic and how it evolved over the course of the book. I loved Raya as a main character and how headstrong she was in wanting to run her own business. Watching her figure out how to save the castle was a really fun plot line. I think Raya and Anthony's first kiss came a little too soon in the story for me as I wanted the tension to have been built up a little bit more, but I did enjoy the development of their relationship as the story went on.

I think the premise of this was really neat (she inherits a castle from a friend she's never met and must prove her worth to its previous owner) and I thought that some of the romantic elements were really cute as well. Otherwise I felt like this was very middle of the road and kind of unforgettable.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book.
Raya was left a castle by her cousin whom she had never met.
Strick couldn't believe that his father had left his family home to his wife instead of him but had always believed that the castle would become his again after his stepmother's death.
Raya was pushed out of her family business by her brother and now the castle she has inherited is incapable of supporting itself. But Raya has a plan and needs Strick to support her.
I really enjoyed Raya's independence and business acumen but I loved Strick. He had a reason to dislike Raya and the changes she proposed but his willingness to change and his infatuation with Raya was endearing.
There were a few steamy scenes that were well done.
I do hope we get Hawk's story next. He was just a passing character in this book but his past was intriguing.
5 stars.

My favorite thing about Diana Quincy's totally bingeable books are the glimpses of Arab culture that we get woven through the story. Her heroines are so unique and smart and special because of their culture and I love getting that experience.

The Duke Gets Desperate is the story of Raya who unexpectedly inherits a castle. Strick, the duke who expected to inherit, live in the castle and owns the grounds. They both need income to make the castle and community thrive so her business sense comes into play. But also their hate to love is explosive and tense on page and it's fantastic.

Pick this up for hate to love, lots of kissing, but also external conflict that keeps you reading past your bedtime.

I love Diana Quincy books, with their brilliant, vibrant Arab heroes and heroines and this one was no exception. Watching this enemies to lovers story unfold was truly a joy.

This latest installment from Diana Quincy focuses on the transition of the English landed gentry from strictly agricultural and solvent to a period much more uncertain. That is where the story opens when Anthony Cary, the Duke of Strickland thinks he is inheriting his family's estate after his spendthrift father and stepmother's deaths, but finds that the will gives his home to his stepmother's cousin, Raya Darwish. Raya, an American of Arab heritage, is as surprised as Strick about the outcome, but Raya has ideas that could bring Castle Tremayne back to solvency. The clash between her New World ideas versus his Old World thoughts leads to an initial conflict that is tempered by the strong physical attraction between the two of them. There is much witty banter between them and an unsolved mystery that keeps things mildly interesting, but the focus seems to be too much on the sex and not so much on the character development--or even the resolution of the mystery. On the whole, this isn't a bad book, but it could have been so much better.

I loved this book. Diana Quincy writes delightful romance books with fabulous characters. I would recommend to others. This was a great book!!

An extra star for the mirror scene. Maybe I should start a petition asking historical romance authors to include at least one hot mirror scene in their books. Everyone will be happy, no?

Steamy and full of snarky banter, The Duke Gets Desperate explores a romance between an English duke and an Arab-American merchant, who learn to love and trust each other despite many challenges.

I loved the romance between the two protagonists. Arab-American Raya Darwish is unapologetically fierce and feminist. Raya is very capable of taking care of herself and isn’t seeking a husband. Moreover, Raya possesses a solid business acumen. She believes women should be financially independent, and frankly, she’s correct! A lot of Raya’s experiences resonated with me. I found it hilarious how Raya brightens each time there’s an opportunity to make money. “Making money animated this woman the way a naked strumpet aroused a man” LOL! Duke of Strickland AKA Strick, on the other hand, is somewhat of a jerk in the beginning, especially for vilifying Raya’s deceased cousin. However, Strick grew on me as the book progressed. He was thoughtful, supportive, and happy to put Raya in charge of finances. I liked his interest in archeology, too.

I adored Raya’s dramatic aunt. I wish Majida auntie appeared more in the second half of the book. “No one executed dramatic wailing quite like Arab aunties.” Haha! So do Desi aunties. Furthermore, I loved the descriptions of Arabic dishes. There were also trivial misunderstandings which annoyed me a little. But they didn’t linger too long to curtail my enjoyment. Raya and Strick managed to communicate and resolve their differences. The mystery was interesting, but I was able to figure it out. It's an irritating talent I possess.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

CW: racism, sexism, murder.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the e-ARC.

This was fine- I enjoyed the writing style and fun, immersive characters. The pacing wasn't great, and I found the plot to be a bit circuitous. Overall, very decent though not one I'll revisit.

Yorkshire, England -1886

Anthony Carey, Duke of Strickland (Strick) has just found out some very aggravating news. After the suspicious death of his stepmother, Deena Darwish Carey, Strick assumed that he would naturally inherit Castle Tremayne, where he grew up. He had been shocked when his father died to discover that although Strick inherited all of the lands surrounding his home, that the castle had been left to Deena. And now he's found out that Deena left Castle Tremayne to a relative of hers from America!

Miss Raya Darwish has traveled to England with her aunt from New York. Initially, this trip was to meet her cousin Deena whom she had been corresponding with for years. But upon her arrival, she was dismayed to learn that Deena had died. To her utter surprise, she has been informed that Deena has left the old castle to Raya. She immediately is made aware that the present duke is furious with this decision, and the two don't start off on good footing. After her brother in New York removed her from the family business telling her that Arab women do not work in trade, Raya had hoped to get some support from Deena. That thought is now a fantasy.

Raya discovers that the castle is in need of repairs, and that there is little, if any money available for that. Strick is horrified to be told that Raya is planning to open the castle to tours in order to make money to maintain the building. And Raya is also interested in Strick allowing people to view his rare collection of Anglo-Saxon artifacts that he maintains in his private residence on the grounds. All of this doesn't sit well with Strick, although he is well aware that neither he nor Raya have the finances to restore the old castle.

As angry and frustrated as Strick is with the turn of events, he is slowly starting to admire the pluck of the beautiful Arab woman. Raya does not suffer fools gladly, and she makes it clear that her main goal is to return Castle Tremayne to its past glory. And if that means making Strick uncomfortable, so be it. But, Raya, too, is beginning to see another side of the duke. Can the two of them come to some kind of an agreement?

THE DUKE GETS DESPERATE is part of the Sirens in Silk series. The initial shock to both of them regarding her inheritance of the castle soon has to result in some answers as to how to proceed. Can Strick get used to this forceful, intelligent woman's ideas to improve his home? And will Raya ever be able to understand the British way of life? Readers will thoroughly enjoy this tale.

3.5 Stars The Duke Gets Desperate was a fun historical romance with a bit of a murder mystery and intrigue as an added bonus!

Anthony Carey, Duke of Strickland, has already inherited his late father's title and after his stepmother's death, expects to inherit the family castle. Except, his American stepmother left the castle to her cousin, Arab-American Raya Darwish. Having been cast out from the family textile business by her brother, Raya sees her inheritance as a chance to have something of her own and turn the failing estate around. Since the castle is nearly bankrupt, Raya comes up with ideas and schemes to turn the fortune around and save the estate. Too bad the grumpy Duke keeps sparring with her and arguing about her ideas. Their mutual disdain remains, but a stronger attraction between the two arises. There are mysterious circumstances under which her cousin died and Raya wonders if Strickland had anything to do with his stepmother's death. Could his attraction to Raya simply be a way to get his castle back?

This was a delightful romance and the plot was unpredictable, unlike some other historical romances. I enjoyed the mystery of who was stealing from the castle/the Duke and who killed the late Duchess. The chemistry between Raya and Strickland was palpable and I loved their banter. A fun historical read!

3.5 Stars The Duke Gets Desperate was a fun historical romance with a bit of a murder mystery and intrigue as an added bonus!

Anthony Carey, Duke of Strickland, has already inherited his late father's title and after his stepmother's death, expects to inherit the family castle. Except, his American stepmother left the castle to her cousin, Arab-American Raya Darwish. Having been cast out from the family textile business by her brother, Raya sees her inheritance as a chance to have something of her own and turn the failing estate around. Since the castle is nearly bankrupt, Raya comes up with ideas and schemes to turn the fortune around and save the estate. Too bad the grumpy Duke keeps sparring with her and arguing about her ideas. Their mutual disdain remains, but a stronger attraction between the two arises. There are mysterious circumstances under which her cousin died and Raya wonders if Strickland had anything to do with his stepmother's death. Could his attraction to Raya simply be a way to get his castle back?

This was a delightful romance and the plot was unpredictable, unlike some other historical romances. I enjoyed the mystery of who was stealing from the castle/the Duke and who killed the late Duchess. The chemistry between Raya and Strickland was palpable and I loved their banter. A fun historical read!

I generally enjoy Diana Quincy books and this one was no exception. The first entry in a new series, Sirens in Silk, “The Duke Gets Desperate” finds a duke without ownership of the castle that sits upon the family land he does own. Anthony, Duke of Strickland, is appalled when his family home is left to an American woman of Arab descent. Raya Darwish is a woman looking to make her impact on the world - though a faltering English castle was not necessarily in her plans for doing so.

Raya is a fabulous character. She is smart and ambitious and makes no apologies for either. She knows her worth and even the snootiest of servants cannot cause her shame. Strick is much less likeable at first, though he grows on the reader much like he grows on Raya.

The heat in this book is HOT - Strick and Raya might not like each other at first but they certainly want each other. Over time, Strick comes to support Raya in all things - including the beauty of her heritage. The mystery/murder subplot is perhaps the least good thing about the book. It feels unnecessary, though props to Quincy for not tipping her hand as to the villain.

A solid 4 star read. I will be looking for the next one in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

“Castle Tremayne had made a woman out of her.”

When this book opened, I loved the first sentence and thought it was going to be a super fun read. I was very wrong.
It’s not that anything was awful, it just was meh. For example, I am a fan of archeologist heroes normally, but there was just something about Strick that annoyed me. He was completely against monetizing anything, so how does he plan to save his home? It started to veer into him being really unintelligent. I liked Raya a little more, but she still wasn’t a character I was excited to read about. In fact, there weren’t any characters in this book that I really loved.
The writing was very clunky in parts. At times the plot did not make sense to me, and the pacing felt off. Also some details did not ring historically true. One major thing that stood out to me was, no matter what’s going on behind the scenes, I don’t think servants at this time period would speak so harshly and correct their employer in the way they did from the very beginning of the book.
The mystery plot was really predictable; all it served to do was make me anxious and annoyed. Most of all I just never felt hooked- into the story or the characters.
It may be just that it didn’t resonate with me, because there were some good scenes (I love when Raya gets into the cider). Overall though, not my favorite.

Star Rating: 2/5
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, inheritance, class differences
CW: Death, murder, violence, racism, classism

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️
Historical romance is literally everything and im in my romance era for sure. I went into this book blind and I am glad that I did! It’s best to go into the book blind especially with historical romances because it enhances the story to a different level hehehe. The chemistry and tension between Raya and Anthony is spicyyyyyyy and we love the diversityyyyyy!!! I love when the fmc is strong but she is stubborn HAHAHHAHA. The banter vibes of enemies to lovers and them playing the game of “hating” each other but they love each other is so cuteeeee🥹. At some point of the book, the conflict should of been resolved fast along with the miscommunication but that didn’t really stop me from enjoying the book! The mystery vibes enhances their tension and chemistry together and I love how the heroine is portrayed as a smarty and witty character and the hero is arrogant but falls so hard for the heroine 😭. The spice is definitely there and if you want to get into the genre, I recommend this book!

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, Diana Quincy, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!