I loved this! A classic grump/sunshine tale with an added twist of enemies to lovers, I loved this book. It was such a fun read, a first from this author for me, but I've already added quite a few to my TBR.

I am a sucker for regency romance novels!

This was not the typical Enemies to Lovers romance. Theo and Georgiana needed to work hard to ultimately achieve their happy ending. Their families were neighbors, but their fathers were bitter enemies who would stop at nothing to destroy one another.

All of these issues are ultimately resolved and the couple has their happy ending. I was actually surprised when the truth came out. The scenario that I had envisioned was much more sinister. Theo and Georgiana were a likable couple and I was glad that they were eventually able to reunite.

Georgiana is tired of being pursued by fortune hunters and when her friend invites her to a country house party with few unattached males she jumps at the chance. However upon arrival who does she see but her father’s worst enemy! But is he really as bad as the rumours say?
Theo is also tired, tired of everyone assuming he is like his father when he is trying to turn around his estate. But what will happen when he is thrown together with the daughter of the family spreading rumours about him.
I really loved the banter between these two! The story has a similar feeling to Pride and Prejudice. There is a lot of angst and drama towards the end of the story but I can see why it is needed for the growth of the main character. Even so I didn’t really like that part of the book so much.
The beginning of the story however was just perfect for me. I recommend reading it if you like Pride and Prejudice, enemies to lovers(of a fashion), forced proximity, forbidden love/disapproving families.


I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Going back through my ARCs - thank you Entangled and NetGalley for this!

This was not my cup of tea. The story was really similar to a Sarah Maclean series and to a Lisa Kleypas series - which would normally be very appealing to me… but it was not done nearly as well.

The relationship was instant and lacked depth. The character development was also all over the place, as lifelong feuds were made childish and wildly out of touch.

Overall, this was readable but I would point HR readers in other directions before pointing them towards this.

Theo St. Clair is the new Duke of Desborough. His father's tyrannical and demeaning reputation has made Theo out to be the same. Everything he's tried to do for his estate and the village is blocked by his neighbor Milford. To get away from it all, he's invited to a country house party. There he meets Milford's youngest daughter, Georgiana. What starts as competition soon turns to love, but the biggest obstacle is still her parents.Theo's chance to make her his wife is to prove he's worthy. Georgiana is not your average young lady.
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

This was a delightful historical romantic read. Just the right amount of spice, romance, and laughs. You'll love these characters as they work hard to dislike each other.

Haymore excels at romance writing. Her characters are delightful with much introspection. Her plots are tightly woven. The sex scenes are hot! Overall a must read for fans of historical romance.

I’m honestly not sure what to say about this book, so I will make it brief. I didn’t enjoy it at all.

Most of the book was telling not showing, and the romance was non-existent. It felt forced for the sake of word count. There are very little details given, a lot of facts are vague or glossed over.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

How Not to Hate a Duke by Jennifer Haymore

February 19, 2024
Entangled: Scandalous
Pages: 273
Genre: Enemies to Lovers Romance
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

I love these stories. Historical romance will forever have a place in my heart. Entangled has such a brilliant catalog of romances and authors.

This was deliciously naughty. The humor was well-placed, and the build-up between the characters was swoon-worthy. I loved the banter and development between these characters.

This was steamy in the best way. I devoured this story. This book was entertaining with charm, wit, humor, and grit. I love a good enemies-to-lovers storyline, and this did not disappoint.

I enjoyed this book a lot! I read it in two days.
Georgiana Milford, a wealthy heiress without title, is tired of being chase by fortune-hunting noble during the Season. Theo St. Clair, the Seventh Duke of Desborough, inherited not only the title, but the disdain of his tenants and his neighbors: the Milford family, who are convinced he’s exactly like his father. Now Georgiana and Theo are trapped together in a country party, forced to wear polite smiles while they trade acidic barbs and pretend to ignore the growing tension charging the air between them. But while there is danger in ruin, it’s the devastating secret her family has been hiding that will shatter Georgiana’s world…
This book is super easy to read and engaging. The story is well written, with nice steamy moments and witty dialogs. There’s a bit of aghast that I devoured. It’s an enemies to lovers, force proximity, with a sassy heroine and a misjudge hero. They are great for each other and I really like how they find their happy ending.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Gotta love a good enemies-forced-into-close-proximity, this time at a house party in the country. Theo and Georgiana, destined to be enemies due to the hatred between their fathers. I really enjoyed reading as they got to know each other for themselves and not as their parents. And then the drama began, and things took a twist I honestly wasn’t expecting, but I loved how the story evolved!

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

It was good, but not my favorite of her books. I think it dragged a little in the middle. Plot was good, and I loved the pining.

For lovers of a cozy dose of Romance for a relaxing trip into a world far, far away from the modern world, Jennifer Haymore provides the perfect Historic romance in How Not To Hate A Duke as Georgina Milford and the sworn enemy of her family, Theo St Clair, the Duke of Desborough come face to face at a Country House party and sparks fly.
Georgina is thoroughly fed up with being made to attend Ton events in London by her mother who is search of a husband for her daughter, a daughter who is not getting any younger. The issue is the men who are interested are after her fortune; they are boring, frustrating and sycophants!
Feeling daring she accepts an invitation to Country House party hosted by her dear friends Charlotte and Finn, for once escaping her mother and societies stricture, but when she meets up with a man she and her family truly despise, the dreaded ‘Duke of Despot’s’, she begins to wonder if she should leave immediately.
Over the course of the following days they are forced together, a handsome man, struggling to restore his families fortune and Georgina, who is slowly beginning to wonder if perhaps there is more to this man than she has previously understood.
Conflict, passion and family challenges have been seamlessly woven together to entice one into a world of strict society standards, where to break the rules was to be excluded from polite society and to think for oneself as woman, was almost forbidden. Georgina and Theo are out to break all the rules as they struggle to come to terms with a powerful love and family conflict decades old.
Jennifer Hayward has provided a nice mix of family and society conflict, a strong female character, a devilishly handsome Duke, a very good dose of forbidden passion and a finale which is at the very least unexpected, to create a very entertaining and believable romance.

Jennifer Haymore is one my favorite Regency Romance authors. I absolutely love the enemies to lovers trope, and this book is simply done to perfection. This is a fun and steamy romance. The ending was fantastic, and this couple truly loves each other.

Thank you, Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Scandalous

Cute little story. Is it part of a series? Unclear but keen to find out Charlotte and her husband’s story - seems there’s a lot more to find out about them.

As for the FMC and MMC in this book - what were their names again? - I didn’t think there was as much tension as I would expect in an enemies-to-lovers. #nospoilers but the reason for the family feud was also predictable. Over all a cute story but I was more interested in the side characters …

Georgiana Milford may be a wealthy heiress without title, but even she has her limits. It’s vexing enough to be courted by every fortune-hunting noble during the Season—goodness, you’d think she was hiding a gold mine beneath her skirts!
This is a good story. It is the story of a wealthy young woman who doesn't want to appear wealthy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

I really loved this book! The main female character seemed stuck up and not very likable. But, as the story goes on and you learn more about the male and female leads you end up loving them both. This becomes unable to be put down!

Georgiana Milford, an heiress without title, finds herself besieged by fortune-seeking suitors during the Season. However, her tolerance reaches its limit when she's forced to endure the presence of her father's greatest enemy and the notorious Duke of Despots during a country party. Theo St. Clair, newly minted as the Seventh Duke of Desborough, faces the disdain of society, including the Milford family who associate him with his scandalous father. Despite their initial animosity, sparks fly between Georgiana and Theo, leading to tension-filled interactions. As they navigate their forced proximity, they must contend with family secrets that threaten to unravel Georgiana's world.

I absolutely adored how Jennifer Haymore flawlessly crafted the enemies-to-lovers dynamic in this book. The way Georgiana Milford and Theo St. Clair, aka the Duke of Desborough, danced around each other was utterly captivating. You could practically feel the tension crackling between them on every page, and I was hooked, eagerly awaiting the moment they'd finally give in to their undeniable chemistry.

Georgiana's character really struck a chord with me. Fed up with shallow suitors, she finds herself thrown into the lion's den at a country house party, face to face with none other than Theo, her family's sworn enemy. It's the perfect recipe for drama, and boy, does it deliver.

But it's not just Georgiana who shines here. Theo's struggles with his father's tainted legacy and the ton's prejudice against him add layers of complexity to the story. Watching him fight to prove himself worthy, despite the odds stacked against him, was both heartwarming and inspiring. It's a reminder that love has the power to conquer even the harshest of judgments.

loved this book. Jennifer is such a great story teller. loved these characters the enemies to lovers and misguided notions. who doesn't love a house party where anything can happen