From the moment her pet pig attacks him, Adeline Foster knows she does not care at all for the Duke of Warwick. Certainly, the man is handsome, but such an arrogant arse. But when her scoundrel half-brother demands she marries a stranger over a failed investment, the duke does something shocking…he announces he’s courting her.

One moment, Daniel Millstone is enjoying tinkering with his inventions in his quiet country home with relative anonymity. The next, he’s courting the willful Miss Adeline. It might have begun as a way to vex her half-brother—his childhood nemesis—but her striking beauty and kissable lips prove an irresistible temptation.

Now Adeline and her faux beau must convince the ton and their families that they’re an item. It doesn’t matter if they can barely tolerate each other. It doesn’t matter that scandal is only a touch away. Because if this charade doesn’t work, Adeline will find herself in dangerous hands…

Titles in the Daring Ladies series are considered by the author to be Stand-Alone Titles; those include —  One Night with an Earl —♥—  How Not to Marry a Duke —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

NetGalley ARC

Title:  How Not to Marry a Duke
Series:  Daring Ladies #2
Author:  Tina Gabrielle
Genre:  Historical Romance, Regency Romance
Published:  April 25, 2023
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing
My Rating:  4

I clearly admit that the first line of the cover description for How Not to Marry a Duke (“From the moment her pet pig attacks him, Adeline Foster knows she does not care at all for the Duke of Warwick.”) I knew that I had to discover more about not only the pet pig but the lady who trusts her pet’s reactions to a man more than anyone’s.  I’m so glad I took that chance, especially when I discovered that the author considers the stories within this series as stand-alone titles.  I will go back to the beginning of any series, but if I can dive right in without that being necessary, then I’m going to without hesitation.

I had such fun with Daniel and Adeline’s story.  Both have some interesting issues to be dealt with as in Adeline’s overbearing half-brother who intends to marry her off to a loanshark and Warwick’s matchmaking relative who intends for the reclusive, inventor, genius, Duke, to no longer keep the family waiting for heirs.  When Adeline moves into the badly in need of repairs property next door Daniel is beyond annoyed at the racket her dogs make along with just about everything about his new neighbor that is unsettling his rather boring and settled life.  He’s in for quite the surprise when he goes storming off to put an end to the noise and gets bitten by Adeline’s overprotective pet pig, Henry.

When Daniel steps in between the siblings to declare that he and Adeline are courting to save her from the fate her odious half-brother has in mind for her, he never considered that his life might suddenly be changed in a way that was not all that objectionable.  I loved their bantering, the feeling of, well, if not true enemies but friends turning into lovers that finally find their forever love right in front of them.  Oh, it’s not always an easy road to their happy ending, but it is a steamy, emotional, laughter-filled experience that neither had expected.

There were a few things that I questioned or wished had turned out differently, but none of those things made an overall difference to my enjoyment of Daniel and Adeline’s romance.  If you love a romance where you’ll spend a lot of time laughing at the antics of the animals, where a Duke finally comes out of his mental locked kingdom enough to notice a beautiful woman’s charm and a lovely healer with a heart of gold captures the man of her dreams… then you’ll enjoy this novel.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story.  It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Release date: April 25, 2023

Available in print or for the Kindle as this title is in KU