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Can a tangled web of secrets and lies end in a happily ever after?

Colin Burke, the Earl of Heatherton, has no desire to marry. At least not anytime soon. While walking in the park, Colin runs into Lady Mariah, the sister of his best friend. To Colin's surprise, he discovers Mariah shares his fondness for dogs. But when he discovers it was all a lie, Colin decides to get even.


Lady Mariah Thornbeck has loved Colin for years, but no matter what she does to try to draw his attention, he steadfastly ignores her. When she mistakenly deceives him, Mariah decides to go along with the misunderstanding. After all, he had finally paid her particular attention. She devises a plan which will ultimately earn his affections-she hopes.


When Colin's revenge backfires, they are forced to spend more time together. Colin realizes that Lady Mariah is not the deceitful woman he presumed her to be. Beneath her charming facade lies a woman of wit, kindness, and unwavering devotion. And as their connection deepens, Colin finds himself questioning the very core of his beliefs.


Mariah’s journey of self-discovery leaves her questioning if she is truly the right woman for Colin, while Colin must decide if Mariah is worth giving up his cherished bachelorhood. Do they dare take a chance on a lifetime of happiness, or will the worn path they know win out in the end?


278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2023

175 people are currently reading
160 people want to read

About the author

Mindy Burbidge Strunk

25 books205 followers

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5 stars
213 (40%)
4 stars
172 (32%)
3 stars
103 (19%)
2 stars
31 (5%)
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8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle Angus.
185 reviews11 followers
July 13, 2023
Mariah and Colin have known each other forever, but only as acquaintances. But Mariah has loved Colin since she was a girl. When she derives a plan to tell little fibs to Colin to get him to like her more, things don’t quite go as planned. Instead, she ends up with more than she bargained for and they both begin to tell lies that could get them both into more trouble than they had originally planned.

I loved this book SO much! It was hilarious and I was cracking up the entire time. I loved the first book in this series and the second book was just as wonderful, if not better. I absolutely loved that Mariah was able to show more of herself in this book because what we all saw in the first book was a character that I did end up liking i the end. When a character has the chance to redeem themselves, it is so fun to watch.

I cannot wait to hear more stories from Mindy, especially about Colins group of friends (they are all hell bent on not falling victim to the Parson’s Mousetrap) so it will fun to see them all picked off, one by one!

*I received a copy of this book as an ARC reviewer, but a positive review wasn’t required. All thoughts are solely what I personally thought of this beautiful book.❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for Heather.
1,202 reviews
June 25, 2023
Mariah is just as much of a bitch as she was in the first one, and revealed to be even more shallow. I really do not like her at all and it makes me sad that Colin even kind of likes her at all.
Profile Image for Berly.
795 reviews28 followers
June 6, 2023
I've had a hard time deciding how to review this book. I love the other books I have read by this author. I also loved the first book in this series, Engaging the Earl. I just didn't love this book.

There were parts that I really enjoyed. I love all scenes with the others in the "league of eligible bachelors". I was also happy to learn more about Colin since he wasn't really in the first book very much.

The writing was well done also. I think my issue was with Marian's character. But part of my problem could come from the fact that the author wrote her personality so well that I was able to form a strong opinion about her.

I didn't like that she was manipulative and wouldn't take responsibility for herself. She was so concerned about only herself that I was turned off by her completely. By the time she starts to make changes, you're 60 percent through the book, which isn't a big deal, but that is really only a week in the story. It was hard for me to take her improvement seriously due to that. Maybe I was having a bad day when I read it. And "grumps" are not really my favorite trope. But I don't know if that's how this would be classified or not.

I know many will love the book and I don't want to discourage anyone from reading it. There are positive parts to it, especially seeing the gang interact more with each other. In full transparency, I was given an advanced copy of this book to read by the author but a positive review was not required. I just want to give my honest feedback.
Profile Image for Melynne (mels_booknook).
652 reviews25 followers
May 28, 2023
Absolutely loved this book! It was so refreshing and loved that Mariah got a redemption arc. Loved the dog and the dynamic that brought. Loved Colin. Honestly just loved everything about it. So so good.
Profile Image for Lisa.
755 reviews13 followers
June 15, 2023
This book cracked me up from beginning to end! I loved it! Lady Mariah was a pain in the butt and watching her make changes to become a better person was delightful to watch through Colins' eyes. His character was also fun to watch as he decided he DID want to be married and have a family. I thought this was such a fun book. It was good to have the characters from the first book in there! I would recommend reading their story first! I loved the whole thing!
Profile Image for Chris Reads.
225 reviews22 followers
December 11, 2023
A fun, quick read!

Starts off with our FMC being a spoiled, entitled girl pining and obsessing over her first crush. But I loved her character growth! And her adorable dog ofc 😁 The MMCs revenge was too cute and def brought them both together lol🤣

4 stars 💕
Profile Image for Jill.
835 reviews39 followers
June 24, 2023
Delightful extended version of a loved novella

I started reading this book and immediately felt deja vu. But it was so specific that I couldn’t believe it was a coincidence. Then I figured it out. This originally was published as a novella called Walking Lady Guinevere in a fantastic compilation book called Horses, Hounds, & Happily Ever After. Only the beginning and the bare bones of the story are the same. This is much expanded and an absolute delight to read.

To catch a lord’s eye who she always crushed on, she lies about loving dogs and she changes herself to be better in line with what he would want in a wife. It’s hilarious and sweet. Teaches all sorts of good things about self worth, the value of kindness and truth.

Rating: G, clean & sweet, wholesome
95 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2023
My biggest issue with this series is the League of Bachelors. They are judgmental, mean, unapproachable and arrogant. For a group that values kindness in people, they surely have nothing better to do than bitch about every single thing—events, people, institutions and even abstract things such as love.

Mariah and Colin had potential, indeed they had some good scenes, but that was the extent of it. Their journey from acquaintances to lovers left a lot to be desired since I couldn’t see what Mariah saw in Colin that made her so obsessed with him. Money? A handsome face? Colin’s overnight attraction to Mariah made even less sense to me. I think it all boils down to the characterizations. Since I found them unlikable, I couldn’t fathom what they liked about each other.

Two stars for some of the scenes between Mariah and Colin (the stairs scene, the proposal) and Reginald’s maneuvering (that was fun).
522 reviews11 followers
August 5, 2023
Made it 75-80% and DNF (Which is a little crazy)!
But this just felt completely juvenile, far-fetched, and removed from regency world.
I had numerous irritations with the main character, especially that there is no chemistry between H & h.

Profile Image for Riella Cristobal .
432 reviews9 followers
June 21, 2023
Colin Burke, the Earl of Heatherton is content with his bachelorhood. A chance meeting in the park reveals that Lady Mariah, the sister of his best friend, shares his fondness for dogs. However, the revelation that it is a lie, he decides to get even. Lady Mariah Thornbeck has loved Colin for years, but he always ignores her. When an accidental deception seems to bring her his attention, she decides to go along with it. It is just the start of her plan to win his affection, she hopes. When Colin’s plan backfires, they find themselves spending more time together. Colin begins to see beneath the charming facade, and Mariah begins a journey of self-discovery. As Colin questions his own beliefs, Mariah questions if she is truly the right woman for him. Will they take a chance?
What a fun book! I actually read it all in one sitting! I meant to start and read a few chapters, then found myself finishing the book! I was excited to see Mariah and Colin’s story after Engaging the Earl. Honestly, Mariah did not come across as the best character in that book, but I was hopeful that seeing her POV would reveal more. I definitely enjoyed her a lot more in this book! She had a lot to learn, but it felt very fitting. Her realization and journey did not feel too fast or shocking. I appreciated how she had to work through it and examine herself. It was so sweet to see her grow!
Colin was so funny! I enjoyed seeing him with Mariah, they really had fun scenes! The League interactions were also fun, I enjoy the connection of the books through them. It gives some insight into future stories which is always exciting! Thus was a cute book that was really easy to read! There are only kisses. It is part of a series and while it could be read alone, is pretty connected to the previous book.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
215 reviews
June 14, 2023
My review

Here is another great story by author, Mindy Burbidge Strunk. I loved reading more of the gents and their entertaining misses! Maria's little lie turned into a romance of a lifetime. The writing has humor, forgiveness, friendship, disappointment and some getting even. I think the saddest part is that I didn't get to read more about Collin teaching Maria how to play Billiards 😘. Happy reading, friends!

Book Description: Can a tangled web of secrets and lies end in a happily ever after?

Colin Burke, the Earl of Heatherton, has no desire to marry. At least not anytime soon. While walking in the park, Colin runs into Lady Mariah, the sister of his best friend. To Colin's surprise, he discovers Mariah shares his fondness for dogs. But when he discovers it was all a lie, Colin decides to get even.


Lady Mariah Thornbeck has loved Colin for years, but no matter what she does to try to draw his attention, he steadfastly ignores her. When she mistakenly deceives him, Mariah decides to go along with the misunderstanding. After all, he had finally paid her particular attention. She devises a plan which will ultimately earn his affections-she hopes.


When Colin's revenge backfires, they are forced to spend more time together. Colin realizes that Lady Mariah is not the deceitful woman he presumed her to be. Beneath her charming facade lies a woman of wit, kindness, and unwavering devotion. And as their connection deepens, Colin finds himself questioning the very core of his beliefs.


Mariah’s journey of self-discovery leaves her questioning if she is truly the right woman for Colin, while Colin must decide if Mariah is worth giving up his cherished bachelorhood. Do they dare take a chance on a lifetime of happiness, or will the worn path they know win out in the end?
Profile Image for Megan.
485 reviews6 followers
June 9, 2023
Kinda more like a 3.5 for me: somewhere between liked it and really liked it. I love Mindy’s writing. But she did such a good job of making Mariah irritating in the first book and the beginning of this book that I had a hard time ever liking Mariah! I am glad I read the first book in the series first. I already knew coming into this one that Mariah was pretty awful. If I’d started here and not anticipated this story being her growing up, I probably would have quit! But I suspected she’d soften her edges in the story and trusted the author enough to keep going. This definitely has some coming of age vibes mixed in with the romance. It’s always nice to see someone learn and grow as a person. I was glad Mariah could look at herself after hearing Colin’s words and make changes.

Colin was great. His retribution for Mariah’s lie made me laugh. I liked seeing Colin change his mind about Mariah and fall for her. I also liked Reginald challenging Mariah but also defending her. It was fun that he admitted to Colin he’d like having him as a brother. I thought Colin falling for Mariah in three weeks was a bit fast because I didn’t feel like that was enough time for her to really change her attitude completely, especially considering he’d never really thought of her in any romantic way previously. But, overall it was another enjoyable Regency read from Mindy Burbidge Strunk and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. 🙂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
31 reviews3 followers
July 8, 2023
Lying To A Lord by Mindy Burbridge Strunk
Book Review

Lady Mariah dislikes dogs. They lick your hands and face, dig in the dirt and chase after squirrels. When she encounters Lord Colin Heatherton while walking Lady G, short for Genevieve, his attention is drawn more to the dog than to her. She has tried many times to get his attention, but nothing has worked. She is just a little put out! Then an idea occurred to her, a little lie about her fondness for dogs and then he might notice her.
Lord Colin Heatherton finds out about her lie and plans a little surprise for Lady Mariah with a gift to get even. He can hardly wait to see her reaction. Her face is priceless but short lived, however. Regi, Mariah’s brother, decides Colin is to help train the new fox Terrier to help Mariah know how to take care of her new gift.
This little dog is delightful! Colin or Mariah have never trained a pet before. It is fun to see the training ideas to get the puppy to stop barking, ring a bell to go out to do his business etc. It is a fun way to see how Colin and Mariah get to know each other and slowly find out they are perfect for perfect for one another.
This is the second book of the League of Eligible Bachelor’s series. I enjoyed revisiting the friends from book one, Engaging the Earl. Each book can be read alone.
Enjoyed this fun entertaining book. 5 stars!!
24 reviews
August 16, 2023
First off, I haven’t read the first book, so I had no preconceived notions about Mariah, who was apparently awful in the first book. But overall I liked the book and thought it was a cute read. I didn’t hate Mariah, and once she stopped being so selfish she was kinda sweet. I wish she’d begun to change a bit sooner in the book so it felt more permanent, rather than something that could change again according to the next conversation she overhears about herself.

The one thing that bugged me was how annoyingly self righteous everyone was toward Mariah, which yeah I kinda get, but at the same time, sheesh, lay off. None of you are perfect either! Especially at the beginning, Reginald and Sarah really came on strong, not to mention Colin and all the other guys picking at Mariah and telling her everything wrong with her. It was a bit much, and I kept waiting for someone to trust her to make a good choice. The only nice thing they had to say about her was that she could play the harp well, for heavens sake. And then! Once they found out she overheard them trash-talking her, does anyone apologize and acknowledge they were wrong? Nope. Because apparently it’s okay for them to say mean things about other people, but not her.

So yeah, other than that weird part of the plot, I liked the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
111 reviews2 followers
July 3, 2023
A Biscuit Thief and Pretty Little Liar

A childhood crush becomes the object of the affection of a spoiled young woman. In the relationship between Colin and Mariah, a small dog plays a major role ! This engrossing, exhilarating, humorous, emotional, story is enchanting. There is an intriguing depth to the character development. Colin has been away helping his mother recover from the death of his father. His return takes him back into the League of friends who share his dedication to bachelorhood. One of them is Reginald whose sister, Lady Mariah, is determined to gain Colin’s attention ! Her misbehavior is well-known among the League friends. There are so many incidents that caused me to laugh out loud! The witty banter and devious plans make this story quite entertaining. Yet there are some truly sensitive situations in which Colin and Mariah learn more about themselves. You will find an analogy about a caterpillar and butterfly quite important ! Although this story stands alone, it is enhanced by reading Book 1 in the series. That introduces all the gentlemen who belong to the League of Eligible Bachelors. Since I was so impressed with Book 1, I am surprised this one is even better. Now I am looking forward to the next one in the series.
Profile Image for Melissa (christianbooksandcoffee).
803 reviews371 followers
September 13, 2023
Moriah has been in love with Colin, her brother’s best friend, for years and desperately wants to get his attention. She gets her chance when tasked with walking her sister-in-law’s annoying dog that Moriah hates. The dog runs off, pulling her along and she ends up tangled in a leash with none other than Colin. Colin sees the dog and starts petting it. He essentially says “Oh I didn’t know you loved dogs” Moriah responds “Um…yes yes I love dogs!” She does not love dogs…at all. But she makes a show that she does. Later, Colin finds out that Moriah does not love does and is furious that she lied to him and plots his revenge. And it is hilariously awesome!

Oh how I loved this book! I loved how Moriah tried to keep up the lie but couldn’t and I absolutely loved Colin’s revenge on her. Moriah overhears what Colin says about her and her faults. At first she is angry but then realizes it’s true and she decides to change her ways. I loved seeing the growth in Moriah as she changed herself to be a better person. And I liked how Colin saw the real her. I liked how her brother and sister-in-law helped support her. So much to like about this book! This is a clean book and I definitely recommend!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1,298 reviews13 followers
June 14, 2023
I enjoyed this book for the most part. Mariah is still the inconsiderate girl she was in book one. Her single focus is on her brother’s best friend, Lord Heatherton, and she will stop at nothing to get his attention. When she is caught in a lie and overhears “the Gents” speaking of her, she vows to change her ways. Colin Heatherton has no desire to fall to Parsons mousetrap. So why is he thinking about a certain vexing young women.
I enjoyed the relationship between Collin and Mariah and the antics with Biscuit. But I felt like the story dragged a little bit in the middle. One of the things I love about Mindy’s books is the banter and wit. I felt like this story was a little lacking. I also thought it could’ve used a little more drama or adventure. It was still a good read, just not one of my favorites. Looking forward to the next gentleman‘s story.
971 reviews5 followers
June 16, 2023
clean romance

A humorous romance of two characters who have known each other for a long time. The hero as the friend of her brother and she is the “little sister”… where as she has had a soft place for him for a long time.

The lie she tells, the retaliation for the lie and the time to each discover that there may be more to see in each other. The heroine needs to see a better way and he needs to see her as the person she is now.

The humor, banter and storytelling are enjoyable. I even laughed out loud several times at the situation and conversation between the characters.

I hope there are more books in the series. Each of the two are stand alone but I enjoy the series in sequence as I find it gives depth to the “supporting “ characters.
2,561 reviews46 followers
June 1, 2023
Cute clean romance. The stuff of Hallmark romances. Totally predictable and yet, delightful. I loved the characters although it took me a while to actually like Mariah. I didn't blame Colin a bit for not being attracted to her at all initially. She was pretty bratty. But her growth was wonderful to watch and she became not only likable but also good. It is fun to watch this group of gents fall away from their bachelor commitment and into love. Also fun was the use of the dogs in the romance. Pretty cute.

No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
1,086 reviews10 followers
June 7, 2023
I enjoyed this book. I was interested right from the start when she says she’s not overly fond of dogs- they’re not my cup of tea either.
I will say I wasn’t a huge fan of Mariah in the beginning (she was a spoiled brat) but I’m glad she figured things out in the end. There was some humor in this book which I like. And I loved getting to know Colin.
I read the first book in the series and it was fun seeing familiar characters make appearances in this book. I maybe liked the first book a tiny bit better (hence the 4 stars instead of 5). The covers are beautiful though- I have both books and they’re so pretty together- I can’t wait for the next!
520 reviews3 followers
August 20, 2023
A clean story. Lady Mariah has always been taken with Lord Colin Heatherton a friend of her brother. I liked the story. I enjoyed seeing the main characters grow - Mariah changes from being a Lady who expects and accepts the staff and people are there to serve her, to realising they are people and thanking them and being aware of any of their issues, and caring makes her a better person. Colin meanwhile changes as he is forced to assist Mariah in training her dog he gave her, and comes to realise there is more to Mariah than just being his friend’s little sister. Very enjoyable, on to book three.
1,386 reviews8 followers
July 7, 2023
Lying to a Long-term Crush

Lady Mariah has been caught in her own lie, and the object of her crush, Colin, is going to make the best of it. Mariah was so irritating to me in the beginning, but I loved watching her change for the better. I loved the dynamics between Mariah and her brother Reginald and wife Sarah, as well as the league of eligible bachelors. It will be a delight to watch them fall one by one. The author's characters, witty dialog and funny antics, as well as the happy ending, made this an entirely enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Brooke Losee.
Author 31 books71 followers
August 8, 2023
Rating: 4.5

I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the first one. I thought Collin was very likable and found the banter between him and Reg entertaining. Mariah was very difficult to warm up to. Having an icky personality WAS the base of her character ARC, but it seemed like some of her "flaws" were never really resolved. Not that anyone has to be perfect, of course, but I would have liked to see her smoothed out a bit more. Still a good read, and I eagerly await the next book in this series!
Profile Image for Beth.
133 reviews2 followers
August 21, 2023
Cute regency romance that stretches believability

Our heroine is somewhat detestable. So after overhearing her crush mention she is unkind she makes an about face and within two weeks they are engaged.

Yep.

There is a dog and lots of cute moments. But the idea that someone could view someone else as unkind and be engaged to them two weeks later head over heels is just too much. Also everyone in the book going along with it like “yes she is a different person!”


It’s been two weeks y’all.
329 reviews3 followers
May 21, 2023
This is a fun revisit to the group of gents. Mariah has been in love with Lord Heatherton for as long long as she can remember. She, however, is the little sister, and therefore not noticed, nor is she a very nice person. She finds a way to be noticed by lying, and it soons backfires on her.

It was fun to watch Mariah change and grow. It is always good to have a character realize their weaknesses and grow and change.

It will be fun to see which of the gents find their mate next!
Profile Image for Vanessa.
353 reviews3 followers
June 12, 2023
I really loved the first book in this series, it was exciting and romantic and swoony. This one was slower and not as exciting.
I think my biggest problem is that Mariah is expected to have made such a huge change, in just over a week. That does not prove king lasting change to me. She also seemed a little desperate and immature even after her ‘change.’ She was just hard to connect with and like for me. I liked the time with the other gents.
113 reviews
July 3, 2025
Great series

I was not looking forward to this book. In fact, I almost skipped it. I did not like the heroine…well, guess what?! You’re not supposed to…she is forced to grow, against her will even. I really enjoyed it.

By the way, this author has an amazing ability to build heat and attraction, but keep it PG. Whew!! The first book did it and this one did, too…and the last two or three sentences of the book…wow, get me my fan!
Profile Image for Yara.
129 reviews
July 4, 2023
This was adorable and hilarious! Although Mariah is hard to like at the beginning she really does change a lot and become so much better by the end. Colin was so cute and it was fun to see him gain feelings for Mariah while trying to deny them. The book was super funny at some points too and the romance was so cute. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
4/5
248 reviews3 followers
December 27, 2023
fun clean series

This story surprised me. I didn't really like Mariah at the beginning, she was a selfish brat. I couldn't see why she had so easily given up her friendship with Sarah.
However the story took a delightful turn.

This plot is not exciting but it kept me interested.
The series has been worth it to read. Enjoy.
Profile Image for Shalini M.
489 reviews39 followers
March 11, 2025
2.5 stars. Had read this one first as the short story in an anthology. The expanded story didn't add much, and I did not quite like Mariah. Also the conversations the "league" had was kind of jarring. It was inconceivable for them discussing the sister of one of them, and in a non-flattering manner (however justified).
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