This had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the previous books in this series. It was written well and had that character development that I was looking for. It left me wanting to read more in this series and from Katherine Lyons. It had that historical romance element that I was expecting and was glad I read this. It was a strong start to the Rogues Gambit series and am excited for more in this world.

This is the first installment of the Rogues Gambit series. With its sparkling banter, eccentric characters, and swoon-worthy romance, it is an absolute delight from start to finish. Melinda Smithson is a breath of fresh air—a heroine who’d rather talk chemistry than couture—and Trevor Anaedsley is the perfect match, equally exasperated and enchanted by her brilliance.
The fake engagement trope is handled with genuine charm and clever twists, and the chemistry between Melinda and Trevor feels both natural and electric. Their journey is full of laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt emotion, all wrapped in the glittering pressure of Regency high society.
If you love science-minded heroines, emotionally intelligent heroes, and a romance that proves the best formulas are the ones you can’t predict, this one’s for you.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

It's the deal of a fake engagement and a trip to London for the season, Trevor Anaedsley agrees to help Melinda Smithson find a real husband. For him it will help gain his inheritance from his grandfather. Only the best laid plans have a few twists and turns. Too many suitors, interfering family and unexpected love. Some humor, angst, pain and the extinct Dodo bird.
Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

“Rules for Fake Finance” explores a fake engagement between Mellie, a science-minded heroine, and Trevor, a future duke. While the premise intrigues, the juvenile writing, flat characters, and awkward dialogue overshadow the story. The silly tone misses the mark as romantic comedy, though Mellie’s determination stands out as a redeeming quality. Potential for future couples feels underdeveloped.

Mellie is desperate, She doesn't want to marry her cousin, she wants to leave, sell her concoction and fall in love. Good thing Trevor, the future Duke of Timby is desperate too. For him to inherit the fortune and the title, he has to get married. And having a fake engagement with Mellie, will not only get Trevor his fortune, but it will get Mellie to London, have her own season and a possibility to meet the man she'll in love with.

This was an interesting one. Fake-dating trope is my favorite romance trope and I love their take on this. And speaking of trope, of course Mellie follows the not-your-ordinary-girl trope because of her science mind.

I do feel like it tried to be a romantic comedy. It's more silly to me than funny. But I'm pretty sure this may work with others. Additionally, I think the lovestory was just okay. Our girl was giving it her all, and I love that part but the reward was just too far. Some of the other characters seem like they were just there.

Like I said, this was just okay. I was intrigued by the potential new couple in this story, which is promising. But I didn't fall in love with the main characters on this one.

So many sweet and romantic moments in this book and though the steam is angsty when it happens oh boy it’s magnificent. This author is new to me but it’s not the last of her books I will read because I am now a fan!

This book, one in the Rogues Gambit series, was a very captivating, original, and well written romance. A bluestocking, bespectacled spinster, a rogues gambling den owner, a secret spy organization, house parties, murder, kidnapping, an evil mastermind of terror to single rich woman of the ton,and so many more plot twists and emotional issues that kept me very entertained. I enjoyed the characters' humorous, witty, and attraction that could not be denied. The young neice was a bonus enjoyment. I can't wait for the book two. I highly recommend reading!

There was much I enjoyed about this story but at times it got a little too silly for my taste . I did like that we didn’t get the standard evil man/evil woman that comes between the lovers

3.5 ⭐️

Entertaining Historical Romance with Humor

She was not duchess material, but to get his family off his back Trevor convinced Melinda to have a fake engagement. In exchange, he would help her to go to London and meet a gentleman to marry. Melinda agreed because she wanted that London season, and she wanted to get away from a half cousin who was most insistent on marrying her. Falling in love was about to upset Trevor and Mellie's plans. Would it matter if Mellie were suitable to be a duchess or not?

I found this story to be entertaining. There were some laugh-out loud moments. I look forward to what comes next in this series.

Rules for a Fake Fiance by Katherine Lyons is exactly what the title proclaims. Melinda Smithson has a suitor. One she does not want: her cousin Ronald. Both fathers, hers and his, are totally in favor of the match. She is not. He doesn’t get it. Oh, he’d be fine for someone, just not her. Mr. Anaedsley is a student of her father’s and had been for years. She saw him coming up the drive and must couldn’t put up with both of them today so she ran to try to waylay him and send him away. See where this is going? Trevor Anaedsley is the grandson of a duke, which actually means very little. All Melinda wants is the autonomy to produce the cream she has developed for ladies on her own. Her uncle wants the formula so he can market it.

Melinda is not a proper Regency lady; not at all. Ronnie is an oaf. All he wants to do is write not-great poetry. Trevor is a man of science and a gentleman. All decent characters. It is where the story takes them that is amusing. The plot is decent enough for this genre and the pacing is good. It’s an enjoyable read, which is my objective in reading.

I was invited to read Rules for A Fake Fiance by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #KatherineLyons #RulesForAFakeFiance

This is a very amusing historical romance. Our heroine is an intelligent young woman whose father is "new money" , that means he is wealthy but not really high society. He is also a retired tutor who is happiest in his laboratory.
Our hero has fallen out of favour with his family. That means he needs a way to win it back.
Wonderful if slightly silly characters.
The solution brings many giggles and outrageous ideas. It is a steamy read towards the end. Even the ending is funny. I think her swapping would have been more difficult than it was.
Great fun.

While the premise of the book was exciting (I love a romance novel with a feminist heroine in a non-traditional profession), I found the writing style somewhat juvenile and exaggerated. The characters were very two-dimensional and the dialogue was a bit awkward, which made it difficult to feel immersed in the plot.

I really didn’t like Trevor as a character and I wasn’t able to sense the chemistry between him and Mellie.

I would read the author again, but this one wasn’t a favorite.



Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

A fun and spicy story for fans of Tessa Dare and Julia Quinn

What a fun read! As a big fan of Tessa Dare’s Girl Meets Duke series, this was giving me a lot of the same vibes. The playful banter, the fun characters and meaningful character journeys. This story has it in spades. I’m a first time reader of Katherine Lyons and I’m a new fast fan.

Rules for a Fake Fiance follows the wonderfully winding and sometimes ridiculous journey of Melinda Smithson and the future Duke of Timby Trevor Anaedsley. With both of them caught in difficult home situations, for Melinda an over arduous cousin who she does not wish to marry and Trevor cut off from his family fortune without a bride, the two strike a deal. To become affianced.
Engaged to a future Duke will get Melinda out of the countryside to meet far more likable potential husbands than her cousin and Trevor will once again be flush with cash. The plan seems perfect until, as always, feelings start getting in the way.

I really liked this story! The banter and flirtation between Melinda and Trevor is fun and entertaining. I especially loved the characters, even the over dramatic cousin Ronnie. I especially loved the ever proper Lady Eleanor and the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Bucklynde. Lady Eleanor gave me major Caroline Bingely energy, a cool calculated sort of woman who may come off harsh and cruel but it is out of extreme care and understanding of the unfair world in which the women must survive.

While the plot is a bit windy, and sometimes the circumstances become pretty ridiculous (at one point there is a duel between 3 men and a turkey - like an actual bird..) it was still a fun ride, peppered with steamy rendezvous between the two romantic leads. I truly liked the growing romantic moments more but the spice is written well and grows naturally. It also drives home with a heavy hand the authors message about the ridiculousness of men sometimes - the constant challenges to duels etc, was a bit ugh BUT does successfully make the comparison between the level heads of women versus the erratic nature of toxic masculinity.

It seems the start of a series, and I hope the next book sees Lady Eleanor contending with a man that can meet her on her intellectual level and get her to let her hair down so to speak.

Overall, a very fun read. I’m excited to see what else this author has in store for this series!

A very fun story with great whit and banter. The plot is pretty basic, a fake romance, a would be duke needing to marry, etc. But what makes it different are the main characters and the depth with which the author creates them. Book one of the series is a hit with Melinda a super smart science brain and Trevor, the improvised duke. Join the fun while they deal with social expectations, family issues, crickets, and more. You will be greatly entertained.

A fun romp with lots of heart. Intimate scenes were sexy rather than outright spicy/titillating, and genuinely contributed to the storyline, which I appreciated.

There were a couple of phrases that I had to look up their regency-era meanings to make sure I understood them correctly in context (e.g. carte blanche has a different connotation these days), but otherwise an enjoyable read.

Overall, I gave this book a rating of 4.3/5. To me, the main area it lost points in was the supporting cast; some were two dimensional, others had potential to be the subject of future books, but we’re not given the opportunity to get invested in them.

Witty and entertaining read. The heroine is a delight and the hero didn't really see her until their temporary arrangements. Both are fighting against family expectations and want to live their lives on their own terms. As it turns out, it is with each other. It is a lively tale with a ruse, circumventing society rules, challenges and discovering what really matters most.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

A fun read with lots of banter.
Mellie is the daughter of a scientist and Trevor was one of his students who still comes around to talk and share information.
Mellie is super smart but has to deal with the unwanted attentions of her cousin and the pressure of her uncle to discover her own formula for his profit.
Trevor is flat broke, heir to a Dukedom but his grandfather is withholding funds until he becomes engaged, marries, and produces an heir.
Trevor and Mellie combine forces for a fake engagement and go to London for the season.
The fun begins with all the pressures and fun of the season with aristocrats.

3.75 stars.

The politics of regency era romances always catch my attention. What I was not expecting was the constant threat of duels because of men's fragile egos. Trevor made me mad multiple times through this book to where in my head he was not fully worthy of Mellie, but in the end, his speech made me giggle so I guess he can have a pass this time.

The writing was simple to understand, although slow at points. I was not itching to dive back in whenever I but the book down, but when I did pick it up I had a good time. A classic romance book with a dodo bird that had me cackling at the end.

Nellie aspires to put her intelligence to good use and make products to improve the lives of women, however she is unable to do so without a husband as no one will give her the money for her products without a man to control that money. Her only prospect is her artistic and dramatic cousin Ronnie who has been proposing to her for years. Trevor offers her an alternative, become fake engaged to him and go to London to pursue the opportunity to find a love match.
I didn't enjoy Trevor, he was cut off by his grandfather and fled to Nellie's home to spend time with her father, his mentor, to avoid his debt collectors. He was quite immature and considering Nellie is an intelligent woman he did not feel like a great match for her character.