Member Reviews

What’s a fellow to do when a determined miss steadily turns his blackened reputation as pure as the driven snow? Declare all-out war!

Lucien Grenier, Duke of Crewe has spent years assuring his reputation was so dark no amount of light could penetrate its depths. He HAS to keep it that way for the sake of his brother and the title. If he’s vile enough, people will stay away and won’t dig into the depths of his family. It doesn’t matter that his reputation is all built upon illusion and role-playing and he’s not the vile creature everyone thinks he is. Everyone must view him as vile, despicable, wicked, and selfish. So, he is aghast to learn that a lady is attributing many good deeds to him and rehabilitating his reputation.

Jessamyn (Jess) St Claire has never had a positive male role model in her life and therefore has a general distrust of them. Therefore, it is easy for her to believe that he ruined her younger sister and refused to marry her. Well! She’ll make him pay and she’ll make him marry her sister. Nothing will get in her way.

Thus, the games begin. Jessamyn against Lucien is a match made in . . . where? Jessamin doesn’t have much money, but she’s willing to spend all of it to see that Lucien is rehabilitated so he can marry her sister. Every day Lucien wakes up to some new ‘good deed’ credited to him. Oh!

I liked both Jess and Lucien but failed to follow their logic – especially Jess’s. If this man’s reputation was so black – as a debaucher of women, gambling, etc. – why would she want to tie her poor sister to him for life? Yes, she was ruined – but nobody knew – and yes, she was going to have to give up the child – but – I fail to see why Jess would campaign to put her sister and the baby in the hands of someone who could be so dangerous to them. Even if she turned his reputation to the good side, that wouldn’t mean she had turned the man to the good side. Jess is too manipulative for my taste, but I did love her relationship with her aunt.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and I am glad to have met Jess and Lucien. Now, I am curious to see the story between Shay (another Dark Duke) and Sophie. There were plenty of ‘hints’ of things in this book to whet my appetite for that story and I assume it will be the next one.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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He's a bad, bad boy....

Or, is he?
The basis for the plot is a pretty tall leap. So just put your blinders on in order to enjoy.
Lucien is hiding a secret that somehow he thinks by being a wicked rake, no one will dig for his secrets. Even more improbable, Jessamine is spending her time and money to rehab his reputation so he will marry her sister, Who she believes Lucien ruined. Its a stretch.
So, just go with the fiction of it all....I did like that Lucien had layers and was way more interesting as not being a rake.

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The Duke of Deceit by Anna Harrington is a captivating romance filled with wit, secrets, and redemption. Lucien Grenier, Duke of Crewe, prides himself on his wicked reputation, which keeps others from uncovering his hidden truths. Jessamyn St. Claire, determined to avenge her sister’s ruin, sets out to reform Lucien’s blackened name, only to discover his carefully hidden goodness.
The chemistry between Lucien and Jess is electric, with sharp banter and heartfelt moments. Lucien is a complex character whose layers are skillfully revealed, while Jess’s determination and courage make her an engaging heroine. The story weaves romance, intrigue, and surprising twists seamlessly.
The secondary characters, especially Phillip, add depth and charm to the narrative. Although part of a series, this book can stand alone beautifully. With its delightful blend of humor, emotion, and drama, this is a must-read for fans of historical romance.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

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There is nothing like the wrath of a scorned woman. Except the wrath of an overprotective sister when she perceives that her younger sister has been wronged. Anna Harrington weaves an improbable but very real plot in Jessamyn St. Claire’s unrelenting passion to punish and bring to bay the super alpha male, Lucian Grenier, the Duke of Crewe, who has also cornered the market of “Deceit.”
It’s a reminder that the strongest of passions go hand in hand when both hate and love are involved. These emotions, and many more collide as this story unravels into some very tantalizing and steamy scenes. In the beginning, the reader will be perplexed as to why the Duke of Deceit has chosen this path. As the book unfolds, the rationale comes to fruition. Jess is not the only character in the book with a need to protect others. Intriguing read.
I volunteered to read this advanced copy. These opinions are my own.

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An engaging and heart-felt story filled with secrets and well committed characters. I adored Jess and Lucien, well matched with undeniable chemistry. There's is a journey towards a deserving happily ever after.

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Nothing about this story was believable. I don’t believe that a duke who has a family secret that he wishes to hide decides that the best way to keep that secret hidden is to pretend to be a wicked and cruel lord, even while he’s doing all sorts of good deeds behind the scenes. How does pretending to be despicable keep people from looking closer at anything about him? Then the heroine, believing that the duke had seduced her younger sister, decides that the best way to force him to marry the sister is to spend her last savings to make people think he’s doing good deeds. Yeah, that will make him so angry that he’ll agree to her marital blackmail. Then he figures out that she’s the one making him look saintly and they meet and fall in love.

The whole plot was so stupid that I couldn’t care about anything else.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

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*****spoilers ****


I love it when we find out early in the story that the rake actually has a heart. Give me a reformed rake any day!!

A great cast of characters. We've got Jess, who's trying to get justice for her sister Amanda. We've got Lucien, who's trying to keep everyone at arm's length so they don't discover his secrets. Phillip-who's Lucien's sweet older brother.

A great story which has a HEA for more than one couple.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

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Anna Harrington’s Duke of Deceit may be the best book I’ve read this year. Lucien is cold hearted rake, bad to the core to every one. Or so it seems. No one has bothered to look past it until Jessamine St Clair and she didn’t want to see any goodness in his black heart. Lucien is so finely written that you just know he’s going to find a way to hold on to the peace he finds only with Jess. This book is a true love story and you won’t want to put it down until their story is fully told. And Phillip is a joy. I’m not telling more on that, you’ll need to read the book to find out more. I promise it’s worth it! Just pure sweet love with plenty of steam.

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The Duke of Deceit by Anna Harrington is book two in The Dukes of Darkness series. If you haven't read book one, to get the full story you may want to read that one before picking this one up as there are references to characters and backstory in this one. That said, you could pick this one up and probably dive in with only these characters if you don't mind missing out a few minor details.

Lucien Grenier, Duke of Crewe, is our mmc and he presents himself to the public as a selfish, wicked, rake. His reputation is important because that is what will keep society away and keep them from discovering his secrets...of which he has plenty. The problem is that recently, weird things have been happening. Rumors have been going around that he has been sponsoring charities and doing good deeds and he needs to figure out who is spreading them because they could ruin everything he has built. And that could not only ruin his reputation but make him lose his dukedom.

Enter Jessamyn St. Claire. She is determined to make Lucien pay...or well - clean up his reputation. Eight months ago he ruined her sister and Jess is going to make sure that Lucien continues to feel the hit to his reputation unless he agrees to marry her sister. But as she continues to dig deeper into his background, Jess discovers that Lucien's reputation is actually not as bad as he plays it up to be in public. He's actually a pretty good man and the more she learns, the more she finds herself drawn to him. Soon it isn't her sister she wants Lucien to marry but she can't help thinking that maybe he's the man for her.

I thought Harrington did a great job of bringing these two characters together and I enjoyed the back and forth they had. I thought it was interesting that Jess would try to force something like this behind her sister's back and think she wouldn't find out but I also thought that despite her reasons why, her sister should have been honest with Jess about who actually ruined her. So many people making decisions for others...you'd think a little conversation could help. But...I digress. Lucien's secret is a pretty big one and when Jess finds out, I thought the choice she gave him was an interesting approach. I'm not sure how I feel about it and I thought she was pretty harsh.

All that to say, I still enjoyed the book. Admittedly I think I have enjoyed Harrington's prior series more than this one so far but I'll still pick up the next ones as I'm curious about the other Dukes.

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Love anything written by Anna Harrington and with this continuation of The Dukes of Darkness series she does not disappoint! the Duke of Crewe was a well rounded hero :) and Jess is exactly what he needs! Free Arc from NetGalley for honest review

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Jessamyn thinks Lucien is the father of her pregnant sister's baby. She came across them in an amorous moment in the darkness of the garden during a ball. She sets out to blackmail him into marrying her sister by changing his terrible reputation into one of goodness. He's hiding behind his dark reputation so people can't get too close and find out his secret. He won't marry the sister, but he must make Jessamyn stop her campaign. Lucien falls hard for Jessamyn but she won't marry him with secrets and lies unresolved. My first thought was why would you want the guy passionately kissing your sister? Jessamyn is truly worried about her sister but is also an interfering busybody whos help no one wants. So not my favorite characters but still an enjoyable book and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

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This book has the kind of crazy jumping off point I love in histrom - Jessamyn thinks Lucien ruined her sister and is determined to rehabilitate his black reputation unless he marries Amanda. It’s so obvious from the start that she is obviously mistaken - and that she and Lucien’s chemistry is going to ruin all her plans. But watching her come to the realization is such a fun ride.

Lucien refusing to admit he had a heart and was a good man was annoying at first, but when you realize that he’s just trying to protect the most important person to him (his brother) everything falls into place. I loved going along with Jess as she pulled back those layers. I thought the third act breakup was a bit of a stretch, but overall, this was a really great book. Lucien and Jess were utterly charming together.

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BOOK: DUKE OF DECEIT
AUTHOR: ANNA HARRINGTON
PUB DATE: DECEMBER 2024
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REVIEW: 2.8 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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THINGS I LIKED
1. The last chapters of the book
2. The ending
3. Exploration of a special needs character
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THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. The characters. They were silly and annoying for the better parts of the book
2. FMC, Jessamyn, who lusted over the man she impregnated her sister and abandoned her.
3. MMC, Lucien a good man who liked to portray himself as the devil. He said it was because of the family secrets, but they were better ways to that.
4. The FMC's sister, Amanda who would rather be a single mother considering the social settings then instead of telling the man responsible about it. She insisted it would destroy his career. Like?
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I contemplated not finishing the book, and I'm glad I didn't. Yes, I didn't like the beginning. But, the ending was better, and rectified the beginning. I would say you can read it if you can get past the characters.

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3.5 Stars
Lucien Grenier, Duke of Crewe, prides himself on his wicked reputation, at least, that’s what he wants everyone to believe. What better way to keep society from discovering his secrets? But when rumours arise that he is doing good deeds for charities, children, reformers, even nuns, he has far more to lose than his wicked reputation; he might just lose his dukedom. Jessamyn St Claire is determined to hit Lucien where it hurts most—his black reputation. He ruined her sister, and now Jess wants retribution. Her plan? To turn Lucien into a perceived respected peer. But as Jess works to rehabilitate his character, she discovers that Lucien’s bad reputation is mere pretence.
The second book in the series & it’s easily read on its own, Strong characters & a well paced story made for an enjoyable romance. However whilst I like Lucien & could understand his backstory I didn’t necessarily agree with his actions concerning the dukedom. I found Jess grated on me & took things too far for too long & to be honest I couldn’t understand why she would sacrifice her sister. I did love Philip & loved how both Lucien & Jess interacted with him. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Lucien & Jess & he was a saint to take her on! I normally love the author’s book but this was a bit flat for me
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

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This book is well written with full fleshed characters. However, I am not a fan of these kinds of plot as the conflict cannot be sustained. The second conflict is extremely similar to the one in the first book of this series. There is also an issue with the titles of some characters as children of Dukes should be referred as lord or lady followed by their name.

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Lucien Grenier, Duke of Crewe prides himself on his black reputation and is consistently making it seem worse. He believes the blacker the better to keep everyone from getting too close and learning of his dark secrets.

Jessamyn St Claire is positive it was Lucien who ruined her sister. She is set on cleaning up his reputation to reform him so that he will marry her sister.

Lucien is surprised when the rumors start about all the good deeds he does. When he comforts Jessamyn about her campaign on cleaning up his reputation the war begins. Who will be the winner of the battle??

I really enjoyed Lucien and Jessamyn’s story!! It was fun, entertaining and oh so delightful!! I felt the story flowed and did not drag in any part of it. The secondary characters were wonderful and added to the entertainment of the book. This is a truly a stand alone book as for I did not read the first book yet but I was able to still follow the story line without any trouble. I highly recommend this book!!

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This is an absolutely amazing and wonderful story. Phillip is not the main character but he totally steals the show. I am in awe of his characterization. Jess is a feisty young woman. She is determined to bring the Duke of Crewe to heal. Lucian is a Duke who is hiding his true self. As you read through the story it will become how much research the author has put into make this great for the reader. The plot is very interesting and will hold the readers attention from start to finish. The author has created some excellent characters that will stay with the readers long after they have closed the covers of the book. This is a book you will want to own and also get one for a friend.

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The Duke of Deceit is the second book in The Dukes of Darkness historical romance series by Anna Harrington. It is a stand-alone read.

Jess learns her sister is carrying the Duke of Crewes child and leaves for Ireland to carry the baby to term abroad and away from scandal. Jess is determined to ruin his cultivated reputation of a despicable rake to a do gooder. She has tried to get him to marry her sister, but he refuses and feels she has no choice but to get to him by pronouncing his good works. The chemistry sparks between them taking them both by surprise. Lucien does have secrets that Jess is determined to uncover. But will she be shocked to find Lucien is not at all the person he pretends to be.

This is a wonderful story that takes twists and turns as it reveals everyone's secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next one in the series.

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There are several of Anna’s books that are my top favorites and I am adding this one to the list. I figured out both of the main characters’ secrets but that did not take away the fun of reading how they figure it out. I did find Jessamyn a little too harsh with her machinations but I understand why she did it, family is everything. The standout character is Lucien. His love and commitment to his brother is what a brother’s should be (I was tearing up). The witty banter and tension really steamed up the pages.

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I thoroughly enjoyed "The Duke of Deceit" and am now an Anna Harrington fan. Although dukes and the Regency have been done a LOT in historical romance, Harrington still delivers a compelling mix of intrigue, romance, and banter that feels fresh. The duke in question, Lucien, cultivates a rakish persona to hide his charitable deeds and protect deeply personal secrets, while bluestocking artist Jessamyn initially seeks revenge for her sister's apparent ruin at Lucien’s hands. It's a fun ride as they learn more about one another--and themselves. There are some steamy scenes, but they are balanced with emotional connection. There is also a depiction of a person with Down syndrome that is thoughtfully written.

Bottom line: If you enjoy witty banter, a swoon-worthy rake with hidden depths, and a dash of Regency intrigue, "The Duke of Deceit" is sure to charm you.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

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