
Member Reviews

Verity is not a good liar. That's why she is surprised when her one lie gets her into so much trouble. Magnus is taking the brunt of the problem from the lie. She is also surprised when people start giving her attention. She is pretty plain and not as interesting as the rest of her family. I applaud Magnus for trying not to fall in love with Verity. There were too many forces trying to get them together for that to work.
I enjoyed reading, It Had to Be a Duke. It had a few twist and turns that I didn't expect that made it very interesting.

I really love Vivienne Lorret's writing, she always does a fantastic job at establishing her characters and setting a fun concept for the two leads to build from. This is a very classic enemies-to-lovers trope, following Verity and Magnus, who thanks to a lie from Verity, must pretend to be engaged for a week before they can officially call off things in a way that doesn't show either of them to be at fault.
My main problem is that the pacing of this book feels really off. The week of their engagement is about the first fifty percent of the book, and then everything that happens afterwards is kicked into overdrive with a lot thrown onto the page all at once.
Magnus and Verity have a really fun dynamic between the two of them, you really get why they have issues with each other. Magnus is extremely stern and straight-laced while Verity is every inch wild and unwilling to bend. They're both as stubborn as each other which leads to many problems and fights, but the moments where they're vulnerable with each other show why they're drawn together. But it takes a while for this to click fully, especially because of the very short time that they're initially engaged.
I'm excited to see what the next book brings about, I liked all of the set up for the characters that will inevitably be getting their own books, but this one didn't quite get me.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read. At times charming, at others plodding, still at others deeply emotional, altogether a pleasant historical romance. I do wish the hero had a group of friends, but I understand the author has queued up the series to follow the sisters.
Special thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This was a very enjoyable enemies-to-lovers story. Magnus and Verity each had their own burdens to bear--Magnus and his sense of duty to family and Verity, who was the sensible fixer in her rather outlandish family. The whole story starts with one little white lie--Verity was being bullied by her nemesis, Nell, and she suddenly blurts out she's engaged to the Duke of Longhurst just to shut her up. That started a series of unfortunate encounters with a very angry duke who had been courting an heiress to save his family from ruin.
There was some lively banter between Magnus and Verity with a couple of laugh-out-loud moments, although Verity did suffer from panic attacks being in closed spaces. It rounded out her character nicely that she just wasn't perfect. I liked that although it took most of the book for her to realize that she wasn't the ugly duckling, she always believed herself to be. Magnus was always striving to be perfect and do the right thing for his family, but you can't always control everything. I loved that he learned a little bit of chaos, and looking after one's own interests once in a while was a good thing. There were a couple of good twists and turns in the story before Magnus and Verity got their own happily ever after. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I liked watching Magnus fall in love, but Verity’s melodramatic family and all of her clumsiness to get them to touch was a rough pill for me to swallow. I wish we had a clearer and stronger buildup to their backstories and the convoluted ending dragged out.

Tropes: pretend engagement, enemies to lovers,
Steam level: 2-3
1st book in the series
3.75 stars rounded up
I always look forward to a new book by this author. Her writing style is excellent and her plots and characters engaging. There are a few secondary characters here who stand out here in particular: Verity's dad, Miss Snow, and the Reverend. You don't expect them to have depth--but they do. Additionally, this premise is fun: the MFC, Verity, and the MMC, Magnus, come from families with a history of enmity based on a bad investment that Verity's dad spearheaded. But when needled by a catty enemy, Verity pretends to be engaged to Magnus, in order to elevate herself socially. Of course, when arrogant, ducal Magnus comes to confront Verity, sparks fly.
Also true to the author, there is humor, so if you're not someone who enjoys occasional silliness in HR's, this may not be for you. However, what stood out for me most were the small scenes with a big emotional impact. For example, there's a beautiful moment early on where the Duke's stern mom tries to hide her tears while she watches Magnus try to pull on gloves that are now too small because he's labored so many years outdoors. There's also a heartbreaking conversation toward the end with MFC and her mom involving a dead baby bird.
These scenes set this book apart from your typical HR.
What didn't work so well for me was the slapstick stuff at Verity's expense. There's a fine line between klutzy and endearing with MFC's, and at times Verity crosses it. Also (this is a problem I have with many enemy-to-lovers romances), I got lustily-ever-after but not happily-ever-after vibes. To make Verity and Magnus believable as a couple, they needed more in common than just being the members of their families forced to be mature because everyone else around them was emotionally needy and draining. Verity is a free spirit who loves animals and nature, and I didn't see any commonality with Magnus there. And when Verity thinks of him as a friend around the 70% mark, I was a bit surprised, because he doesn't really treat her as one (he spends a lot of the storyline berating her, to the point that it turned me off him).
There's still a lot to like here, and I would recommend this book, with the caveat that there are scenes that can definitely be taken to heart, and others that you can't take seriously at all.
I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this opportunity.

Great characters and banter between them. Ms Lorret has done herself proud with this story. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the future books about this family.
**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review. **

omg I loved this book. It's everything I love about historical romance - a duke who couldn't stand the lady but then he's totally GONE for his lady, suspense and thrills, a strong female protagonist, witty banter, and swoons. lots of swoons. I love that it's setting up a new series and I can't wait for the next books.
thanks to netgalley, Avon, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I've been reading ARCS lately, and they've all been misses but thank God Vivienne Lorret knows how to write a funny and entertaining enemy to lover's romance. Some other authors should take notes about how well she pulls it off.
Verity Hartley always tells the truth, until she doesn't, and her one lie is so big that it involves a pretend betrothal to the Duke of Longhurst, who is about to propose to someone else. He marches himself right up to the country to interrogate Verity but knows the only way out of this mess is to make their betrothal real for the time being then have her end it. Unfortunately, he can't stop thinking about the wrong woman, and love is what happens when you're busy making other plans.
The passion, the chemistry, the funny moments, the couple were all chefs kiss perfection. I loved Verity and Magnus together, and those special moments between them. At one point, I actually teared up when they were talking about their love and that's what I am talking about. There were actual moments in this story where they went from being enemies to being something more. These moments build their emotional connection to each other, so I believe they actually care about each other enough to throw over anything and everything that gets in their way.
I mean, I can't wait to get a print copy for my keeper shelf because I just adored this one. It was too freaking cute.

It Had to Be a Duke by Vivienne Lorret is a delectable world brimming with intricate and captivating characters. With a delightful blend of passion and comedic moments, this novel offers a well-crafted narrative that sets the stage enticingly for the next installment in the series.

We’ve all lied at least once in our lives. Have you ever lied saying you were engaged to a Duke you’ve never met? Well, that’s how this story begins.
Verity didn’t mean to blurt out she was engaged to a Duke, but did he have to be so angry when he found out about it? Now Magnus and Verity have to gently end their engagement to save face, but sometimes it’s harder to say goodbye than one could ever think it would be.
This book was a lot of fun. I loved the enemy to lover story. There is something about watching people fall in love who fight it so much along the way.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

Is there anything better than a little mystery alongside a Pride & Prejudice-style story?! This is one of the better Regency romances I've read in a while! I love anything with this style of enemies to lover's romances with that witty ol' English banter!
One of my favorite parts of this book is that our heroine, Verity, is described as the plain sister. There really wasn't any 'fixing' your looks back then... you just were who you were. Your hair, your face, etc... and I loved reading about the sister who was beautiful in her own right without being traditionally pretty!
NOTES:
- 🌶️🌶️/5 Slow burn with some open-door situations
- Would be a fantastic audiobook! The plot developed quickly and parts were definitely funny.
- I would purchase this one for any regency romance lover!
**Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

How is this only my second Vivienne Lorret book? I enjoyed It Had To Be a Duke so much! Verity and Magnus got under each other's skin all the time, and I loved how Verity never backed down from a confrontation. She was no meek damsel and held on to her own, even while falling in love with the Duke of Longhurst. Magnus believed that he had to keep focused on his duties, and couldn't afford getting distracted by the woman who lied and said that they were engaged. He was frustrated to have to spend time with her, and craved her presence when he was away. She thought that he wanted to strangle her, and he was obsessed with how much he wanted to kiss her. A recipe for a delicious story!
First book in a new series, It Had To Be a Duke delivers on what it promises: antagonism, pretend engagement, a stern Duke bound by his duty, a "plain" spinster who makes him wild, some funny moments, angst, and lots of feels.
I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
Also, can we agree that this cover is a stunner?
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Vivienne Lorret does the surprising fall in love so well. Verity and Magnus were so sweet and seeing two idiots fall in love is one of my favorites, they learned so much about each other and grew as people, separately and together. Made me smile and cry.

Cute and fun and a totally pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Not my favorite from Vivienne Lorret but I already can't wait for the second book in the series.

A self proclaimed spinster, Verity Hartley has resigned herself a life on the sidelines. She’s been snubbed twice and has thrown in the towel. She hides behind a boisterous family’s but a lie from her own lips, to shut a bully up launches her center stage and back into the life she’s given up on.
Magnus, “The Duke” and the “spinster” are not friends. Their families are feuding, and the last thing they want to do is be together. We get to see their relationship grow with each page and it was highly entertaining.
This was a new to me author, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. The family comes alive on the page and it was impossible to not smile through the whole book. The Liars Club is going to be a fun world to dive into.

I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately, but this picked me up out of it. I enjoyed this book a lot and finished it in two days. I would recommend this to my library's patrons and hope to read more in the series.

When a little lie starts two people on a journey to love. I had so much fun with this one. Great plot, interesting well thought out characters. Just seeing how Verity tried to get herself out of the situation only to become more and more tangled up in her story. I absolutely cant wait to read more from this author in the future. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the pleasure of reading this book!

I received this rom Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this story. This was a fun read and cannot wait for the next one.

This has to be one of the best historical romances I’ve read all year. It was angsty enemies to lovers deliciousness and I devoured every word! I can’t wait for more from this world.