Secrets, Deception, and Romance

A commoner pretending to be a duke, an heiress lying about who she is, and an adventure in enemy territory makes this an entertaining read. Both Joanna and Arthur are lying. They fall in love, but a relationship between them seems impossible. He says he is a duke; she says she is married. What happens when the truth is revealed? Deception and secrets are deadly to relationships.

Can a commoner and an heiress find a way to beat the odds? Joanna wants nothing to do with Arthur once she discovers she gave her virtue to a commoner. What about love? Is she really that shallow? I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like historical romance.

It was such an interesting reading, with misunderstandings, dukes pretending being someone they are not, ladies hiding their identity all in one place, it has everything one could ask for.

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

Pretending to be an English duke in France was a good plan, until Arthur Hebblethwaite, pseudo-Duke of Fitzpaine, was recognised as an impostor. Trapped in a French encampment, the only way he can flee is by taking an English woman as a hostage, and using her as his getaway plan. Arthur could never have expected that the woman he grabs is Joanna Bettencourt, an heiress who fled her father and the threat of an arranged marriage. Joanna is not a shy and retiring young miss, and is ready to give as good as she gets when it comes to dealing with Arthur. Making their way towards home, they have to pretend to be married, but the fake relationship seems to come with very real feelings.

Another addition to the Dukes in Danger series, but one which is definitely more of a standalone. Set predominately in France, Arthur and Joanna have to rely on each other as two English people in a foreign country, who had recently been at war. Joanna was shy, but she was also feisty. With Arthur, she felt comfortable to be herself, and he allowed her to be as real and honest as she needed to be. Arthur was a con man, but he wore his heart on his sleeve, and fell for Joanna, hard.

Arthur Hebblewaite is pretending to be a duke in France during the war. Joanna Bettencourt ran away from her father and London Society to Paris and ends up as a French captive. Arthur saves her, but she doesn't tell him her real name. She assumes he's a gentleman duke and will take her back to England. Arthur doesn't have enough money for two to leave France. Joanna won't stay behind. No matter their lies, they find much in common to fall in love.
Mild sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Such a great book! A man faking to be a Duke + a shy girl kidnapped in Paris = such a love story! I hope to read more from you soon! I need to know what will happen with the Duke of Chantmarle. He appeared 2 times during this story but he is such an endearing character.

Enjoyed a story of Lord and Dukes and romance that took place away from England. Being set in the Caribbean islands and dealing with the topic of slavery even after it was abolished was interesting. The fact that even though slavery was abolished the natives were still almost treated as slaves, with out education and working for people of various counties of Europe.

A funny, spicy book where pretending to be something you're not may be more than you bargained for. Entertaining!

This is Book 7 of the captivating Dukes in Danger series. I have enjoyed all the books so far and this one also did not disappoint. Arthur is what you would say a sheep in Dukes's clothing. He is not actually a duke, but only pretending to be one while in France. But when he is found out, he has to hightail it out of there and he does so using a hostage by the name of Joanna. Joanna went to France to get away from her demanding father but then gets kidnapped by French soldiers. When Arthur runs off with her, she tells him she is married, but in order to make the journey, they must pretend they are husband and wife, and it doesn't take long for their fake relationship to turn real.
The story was full of adventure and mischief and the witty dialogue and banter kept my interest the whole time. A fast-paced and enjoyable story with lovely characters that is a delightful addition to the series!
Thank you to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing a complimentary copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

In Emily EK Murdoch's Where There's a Duke, There's a Way, the unconventional tale of Arthur Hebblethwaite, a pseudo-duke in France, and Joanna Bettencourt, a rebellious heiress, unfolds with charm, adventure, and humor. The story is steeped in secrets and lies, as Arthur uses his title to live freely, while Joanna, captured by French soldiers, rebels against her father's marriage pressures.

The historical romance weaves a delightful narrative of a fake marriage, with both characters concealing their true identities. Despite the layers of deception, the novel thrives on the protagonists' engaging personalities and the progression of their relationship, with Jojo taking the lead in initiating their fictional union.

The narrative skillfully incorporates moments of jealousy, adding depth to Arthur's character. The sweet ending, involving Jojo's father, highlights the love and respect within their unconventional relationship.

Murdoch's storytelling shines in this steamy Regency romance, offering a standalone experience within a series that features subtle connections between books. While some readers may desire more suspense at the conclusion, the overall adventure, well-developed characters, and the promise of future installments make this a delightful addition to the series.

Emily EK Murdoch continues to be one of the romance writers I solidly enjoy,. I enjoyed this standalone entry in her Dukes in Danger series. Arthur's wit is amusing, and it is nice to watch Joanna come out of her shell and be able to stand up for herself. The miscommunications are many as they often are in this book, but I liked that it wasn't necessarily super insta-love. The couple here fall for each other not just through initial attraction but also because of time spent together.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4. I will continue to look for new books by Emily EK Murdoch. Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

Arthur Hebblethwaite, Duke of Fitzpaine is not quite as he seems. Our hero is using his title and charm to live for nothing all over France.

Joanna Bettencourt was captured by French soldiers. Not how she imagined her Paris adventure would end. Our heroine is rebelling against her father's constant pressure to marry.

This historical romance is full of secrets and lies from both our lead characters. What can possibly go wrong ?? There's lots of adventure and humour. Although this is part of a series, each book is totally separate. You might see a small mention of characters from other books ,but not enough to spoil them.

Great fun.

Arthur Hebblethwaite has been having a grand time in France pretending to be the Duke of Fitzpaine. That is, it was fun until someone recognized him and called his bluff at a dinner with French officers. He grabs the young woman sitting beside him and uses her as a hostage to escape. Joanna Bettencourt was glad to escape the French, but is not sure being with the madman who grabbed her is any better. Arthur and Joanna have quite an adventure finding their way back to England. Everywhere they go, there is only one room. This does not make them happy, but it gives them a chance to get to know each other better (sort of). It also gives them the time to create a bit of steam and fall in love. What will happen to their fledging relationship when they get to England and all their lies unravel? This is fast-paced, enjoyable story with very entertaining characters – the hero, the heroine, the captain of the boat, and his crew. I love that Joanna is very shy, except when she feels she must put Arthur in his place. The story is an adventure with great characters, including a real duke who gives Arthur some valuable advice, humor, a surprise or two, and a wonderful romance.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Secrets & lies never brought such sweet reward!

A sweetly captivating romance that slowly builds trust and an enticing tenderness between our more than they appear leads. Both trying so hard to uphold a masquerade, while desperately wanting to expose their true identities and embrace the rising feelings blossoming between them.
I really did enjoy this sweeping on the road adventure of self-preservation and close proximity discovery that brought together, perfect for each other, shy Joanna (an heiress and French hostage, pretending to be married) with counterfeit duke and accidental rescuer, exfootman Arthur.
The chemistry thrummed quietly with charged tension, as lies told, kept them apart, and added a hard to resist charm, wit and humorous clash of faking-it haughty gruff arrogance meets a touching unfurling boldness battling with anxious social shyness, that really draws you in, makes you like them and will have you wholeheartedly fighting sleep to read their journey in one delicious sitting.
I especially, became attuned to Jojo as her struggles with shyness were just so easy to relate to and empathise with, as they mirrored my own personal struggles so well and the misconceptions they so unfortunately evoke, that allowed their forced proximity to so satisfyingly dig beneath the shields they hid behind to reveal their true inner selves.
An engaging addition to the series, that's not only enjoyable but keeps you reading, effortlessly hooks you in and makes you want their bumbling deceptions not to spoil the hopeful promise of love, steamy simmering passions and seductive intimacy, so tenderly awakening and deliciously unfurling between them.

A fun and fast road-trip boat-trip romp where no one is who they claim to be!

Arthur comes from humble beginnings and travelled to France pretending to be a duke and living his best life. Joanne is an heiress taking a break in Paris from her demanding father when she gets kidnapped by French soldiers.
They meet at a dinner party. His cover gets blown and he grabs her as life insurance. Just to be on the safe side she tells him she’s married, and off they go looking for a way back home. Of course there’s only one bed on the ship home and a fake marriage is their only guarantee for a safe passage. Living in close quarters make-believe starts to blur into truth, feelings take root and then reality catches up with them…

This is the seventh in the Dukes in Danger series and once again a tale full of mischief, adventure, dry wit, a little steam and a lot of beautiful romance. The ending was a bit odd and far-fetched, but this book is nonetheless a very fine addition to this entertaining series!
I’m very much looking forward to the next - and sadly last – book in this series, for I know these dukes never let me down! Excellent fast-paced fun for certain!

This book was the basic road trip adventure. Arthur had been pretending to be a duke when he encountered Joanne in France. The wealthy heiress had been kidnapped by the French and Arthur unwittingly rescued her by taking her as a hostage when he fled the French encampment. Fearing for her virtue, Joanne lied to Arthur and said that she was a married woman. In the final leg of their journey back to England, they needed to pose as husband and wife because the boat only had a single cabin available.
Even though this story was mostly predictable, it was fun to read. There was romance, adventure, humor and a bit of steam. I was able to complete it in one sitting. I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

A Duke, but not really a Duke! So many lies on account of both of our main characters, but understandable when trying to get by in France.

I really liked how Arthur and Joanna's (JoJo) personalities came through in the writing. Arthur was pretending to be a Duke or at least how he thought a Duke would act, but his more likeable qualities showed through. Jojo was a shy heiress, but she hid that, well until her boldness with Arthur. Oh and on top of that, they pretended to be married.

The characters are really what made me like this book and the adventure of it all. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a little more drama or suspense at the end. The ending seemed a bit too easy and perfect. I hope the next book is at least as good as this one.

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

Arthur Hebblethwaite, had a good idea pretend to be the Duke of Fitzpaine , go to France, and live on the scraping and bowing of those desperate to impress a nobleman. All goes well until someone recognizes him. Then he grabs a woman and uses her as a hostage to escape a French encampment. Joanna Bettencourt doesn’t know what’s worse being a shy heiress with a father desperate to marry her off, being captured by the French and held prisoner, or being dragged onto a horse by a maniac by the name of the Duke of Fitzpaine.
The seventh book in the series & it’s easily read on its own. There were plenty of lies in this book & as ever when they are revealed they always cause problems. I liked both Arthur & Joanna & I loved Arthur’s ‘dukeish' mannerisms. A well paced story, the characters had depth, there was humour, a bit of steam. A fun, entertaining romance
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Unique plot! Arthur is a commoner posing as a duke in France. Through a series of events he ends up traveling back to England with Joanne, a heiress. Alot of subtle humor and bantering including self talk that is very humorous. I believe this is the 7th book in the series. I haven't read the prior ones so the introduction of the Duke of Chantmarle at the end of the story left me confused and still wondering how he knew Arthur or Joanne. I'm confident that he has appeared in other stories so will happily go back and read the others in the series. Strong characters with just enough stream and interaction.

ARC from Netgalley but my review is an unbiased review.

Reading Emily E.K. Murdoch this year has been such a rollercoaster. There's been some disappointing lows, but the highs were so blissful and reassuring. There's something about these darn dukes that goes straight to my wee heart. Where There's A Duke, There's A Way was so sweet and I never wanted it to end. I had such an immediate connection with the heroine. It felt like the author was writing about me and had captured my characterization so expertly. Joanna, like myself, was a shy person. The author wrote her temperament authentically and it didn't seem derivative. Perhaps the author shares the same personality or she just happened to write about the shy experience to such a skillful degree. I didn't fully develop into my introverted nature until after high school and it was nice to have my disposition reflected through the pages so adroitly.

Joanna and Arthur's romance was a one way ticket to the Love Boat. Their relationship was as close to smooth sailing as you can get. They were excruciatingly tender towards each other and I was incredibly invested in their future. Fake Relationship hooks me every time and couple it with Only One Bed, consider my anchor dropped straight to the sea floor. What ultimately sold me and snagged my heart like a life ring was when Joanna decided she wanted to be called Jojo. She realized the nickname suited her and Arthur immediately adhered to her wish. Hearing her called Jojo was so sweet and I loved them to pieces. They were my favorite couple in the Dukes in Danger series and I couldn't get enough of them. They were this close to a romantic dance number off the port bow.

Where There's A Duke, There's A Way came into port with a smile on my face. I've had an amazing adventure discovering Emily E.K. Murdoch off NetGalley. Her books are so special and all her characters have such distinct personalities. I've preferred some couples more than others, but they've all featured that special something I've come to associate with this author. I don't know how much longer Dukes in Danger intends to continue, but I've had a fabulous time reading it. No matter the length, I've certainly learned from this series that Where There's A Duke, There's A Way!

This was a very enjoyable book. 2 characters with fake identities who fall in love while making their way from France back to England. Really enjoyed this!