Hope Hillburn was born to a life of servitude and never once questioned her role in society. As a lady's maid to Noelle Parrish, she had everything she wanted out of life; a secure and honorable post, a decent room to call her own, and ample time to write fantastical tales of winsome creatures while her mistress, Lady Noelle, attended the various society events offered by the ton. Lady Noelle Parrish knew that her father was anxious to see her wed but she never imagined he'd go behind her back and arrange for her to marry against her will, to a duke with a questionable reputation no less. Disheartened by the prospect of marrying a man she's never met and the possibility of foregoing a lifetime of love, Noelle makes the impulsive decision to flee England with an American gentleman she's only just met. There's only one problem... Lady Noelle's father, the Earl of Brattondale, would never permit her to marry an untitled American, nor was he willing to go back on his word to the duke. In her desperation, Lady Noelle convinces Hope to take her place after noticing an uncanny resemblance between them both. Against her own better judgment, Hope agrees to take Noelle's place when she realizes there's no other way for Noelle to flee to America without causing her family disgrace. Thrown into a life she has only ever viewed from the outside, Hope must convince everyone that she is a lady lest her farce be discovered. She is confident that she can handle society's strict rules of propriety but she soon learns that guarding her heart from falling in love with an incredibly handsome, self assured duke with a penchant for snarling isn't going to be quite as easy.
My two star rating is probably a little harsh; but the more I read the less I enjoyed. I liked the idea for the story, although I did find it hard to relate to Hope lying and pretending to be Noelle. I’m just a big honesty fan and have a hard time relating to someone that would follow through on such a major lie. I also had a hard time buying into the relationship between Hope and Pierce. When so much emphasis is put on physical attraction I just have a hard time buying into them being genuinely in love. I thought their feelings progressed quickly as well; they went from doubting and disliking one another to confessing their undying love in less than a week.
The constant POV changes made me feel like I was participating in a ping pong match. It would switch characters from paragraph to paragraph. I have grown to like hearing from both main characters, but in this case it was poorly executed, IMO. I also thought things were overly explained or spelled out for us. While I thought the plot was pretty good, I wasn’t really surprised by anything. I had it pretty much figured out from the beginning (maybe missing some of the minor details) and the end felt rushed.
I think it was an okay read, I liked that it was clean and upbeat. I think the story could have benefited from a little more depth and character development.
I felt I had to review this book, because I read it based on the good reviews and I needed to provide an alternative opinion. The plot is unfortunately absurd. (I can overlook a cliched plot, if I really love the characters, but an absurd plot is almost impossible to overcome.) The author did some things rather well, not too many overly long descriptions and I did feel an interest in the main characters. It could have been a cute book, but one must be able to overlook the grammar and English errors, the inaccurate historical details, and the absurd plot.
The author doesn't seem to have a very firm grasp on the English language. You do not, for example, have a half drunken glass of something, unless the glass is animated and can, therefore, consume alcohol. A person's manor is their home, their manner is their style of behavior. A muse is someone or something that inspires another, to muss is to disorder. Reign is a period of rule for a sovereign, rein is the strap fastened to a horse's harness or a restraining influence. Who takes the place of the subject of a sentence, whom replaces the direct object. (If in doubt answer the question with either he or him, if it is him, the correct form is whom. For example, who put the glass on the table? He did, not him did, therefore, who is correct.) These mistakes and others were very present in this book.
The lack of commas was also very distracting. I had to re-read several sentences to figure out what the author was trying to say, a well placed comma would have eliminated this problem.
In addition to the grammar and English problems, this book had almost no historical accuracy. This may not be important to some people, but it is very important to others. In order to read this book, you must completely ignore the fact that this is a period piece. The characters' actions, speech, manner, behavior, dress, and even social graces were inaccurate. The understanding of society, classes, education, training, and behaviors was also lacking. It would be impossible to pass off a servant as a highborn lady, their education, experience, conversation, behavior, and carriage would be completely different, they wouldn't be able to simply switch places.
The book, when I skimmed the parts that really bothered me, had potential. If the author had done some more research, made the plot less absurd, and worked on proper use of the English language, it would have been a very cute book. However, as it is, unless you are willing to suspend a lot of disbelief and are able to ignore major errors in the writing, you are probably not going to enjoy this book. I don't wish to be harsh, but I feel it is necessary to give a different opinion on this book for those like me.
This book was a bit too farfetched to be enjoyable for me. I felt like the rules of society were used when and only when convenient and then just thrown aside when no they hindered the desired storyline. I'm not amazing at grammar, but this book had some rather large "what is that comma doing there" moments.
So many problems with this novel. The big issues for me - the ones that completely bring me out of the story and interrupt my immersion in the scene- were editing and modern dialogue. There were also the tired romance novel cliches littering the pages.
The plot is straightforward and predictable. Lady Noelle doesn't want to be married to a notorious womanizer, but her father wagered and lost her in a hand of piquet. She meets an American on the street and after meeting him in secret, contrives to run off with him back to America. She convinces her lady's maid, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lady Noelle, to take her place. No spoilers, but the obvious ensues. The most obvious plot hole here is how she's supposed to act like she knows all the people Noelle knows. It's not even mentioned as a consideration until well into the charade, and then there's no resolution. It's just mentioned as a potential problem, and then nothing.
The characters were decently illustrated in terms of depth, but their dialogue harkens to the 21st Century rather than the 19th. Modern American slang abounds. It was difficult to remember this novel was supposed to be set in the 1800's. Nearly every time a character spoke, modern images filled my head - what people were wearing, etc. until some other comment reminded me of the intended setting. Also, Soren Johanssen from Boston? The name sounds more like he's from Northern Europe rather than Boston. If the author loved the name, fine, but the least she could have done is describe him as being a first-generation American born to Danish parents or something like that to give his character some credibility.
The editing was sorely lacking in both grammar and punctuation. Incorrect verb tenses are used. Object pronouns (e.g., her) are used instead of subject pronouns (e.g., she) and "then" and "than" are misused. Other similar sounding words are misused (e.g., instance instead of instant).
All in all, I didn't want to finish this book, but I wanted to find out if my suspicions were true. Indeed they were. I predicted the twist. Total bummer. Glad this was a freebie.
Wow! What a whirlwind! I seriously started this at 10:30 or so and just finished it in one sitting at 4 am! It was highly entertaining. However I kind of hated Noelle.. All the characters irritated me, just not enough for me to quit. The writing was a little odd I think.. But that could be Im just not used to it. Either way it definitely kept my attention and interest. There was so much happening, it was crazy! Part one was slow and I didn't like being in Noelles head those few times and was worried it would be like that the whole book..but It was only occasionally and it picked up. Big plus for this book? Pierce was a pretty great hero, I do have to say. Anyway I really don't know my complete verdict... It was good and I enjoyed it but probably not a re read type...
P.S. Please excuse the incoherent rambling nonsense, like I said its 4 am...
I really enjoyed this book. The reading moved along quickly and it was the perfect romance to read relaxing on the porch on a cool summer evening. Sometimes romance novels bore me because you can guess the ending or because the characters are all blah, but I like a book with a few side characters I don't particularly care for... It adds interest and gives me someone to despise :) The dialogue between the two main characters is witty and saucy! You know that perfect scene in a book where you are uncomfortable because the author nails the feelings dead on...well this book has it. I will definetly be reading the next one.
This was a delightful beginning to a promising series. I enjoyed the plot with its twist and turns and the plot thickened and changed along the way. There were times I couldn't put it down. The romance was lovely, if a bit sudden and left you at times sighing over the hero and at others heart broken for the heroine. Fun side characters really filled in the story and made it come to life. I'm excited to see that one of them will star in his own story next. I wished it could have been longer and am anxious to read the next one. Definitely recommended.
I wanted to give this 3 stars. I was fighting myself all the way through part 2 but I can't. It's more of a 2.6 stars so it's not a low 2 star, but I couldn't round up. I really do feel guilty for giving anything under 3 stars, but sometimes I must.
I did like Hope as the main character and the love story between her and Pierce was good and that gave it it's stars. However, the premises was flawed.
1. Her father and brother weren't in on it and they didn't notice Hope was not Noelle. Noelle's family was surprisingly absent from the story. I think more for convenience than anything else. Have the brother in on it. He and Hope as Noelle had a whole conversation about not wanting spouses chosen for them. Noelle could have brought him in on it. Or better yet have the father arrange it all because of the want of connection. It's just implausible that the Father and brother both had no clue at all. 2. Pierce and Elliott were two whiney babies! "Oh, I had my heart broken! I'll never love again and all women are after titles and money! Humph" I get the jaded guy falling in love is a popular thropes, but having two in the same story was a bit much. 3. Kind of going back to the first issue is that no one noticed how similar Noelle and Hope looked alike? Like no one until Noelle took Hopes glasses off? 4. Spoiler:
Hope's mom being the midwife who wanted a child was a weak ending. It was like she had this idea but no ending and so she tacked one on at the end to tie the bow. Have Hope be a Bastard or the wife ran away faking her death.
5. Pierce is a Duke. He is within the top line of succession. His wedding would have been a state affair. It could be done quickly, but it wouldn't be small.
There were just too many problems for it to be higher in stars.
Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington was a book that took me a while to buy into the story (it was one of those books that have been sitting in my Kindle for long enough that I've forgotten by the time I open it up). Anyways, after the initial introduction to all the characters (pretty much most of the chapters of Part One), I wanted to know more how Hope and Pierce's story would unfold. I've read other reviews about this book being focused too much on physical attraction and feelings developing way too fast, and usually I'd agree with them, but with this one, there was something about the story (yes, even with all the head-hopping and typos around) that hooked me and didn't let go till I finished the book during the wee hours of the morning. So, bottom line, this is a clean story (some heated kisses, but that's it), I enjoyed it and would re-read it. Recommend it to any fan of the period who would like to give it a chance.
I liked this book. I can't say I didn't like it because I really did. I just felt like there was a lot missing from this book that would've made it great? Plus there was sooo much going on, which was good but not when all of it gets resolved in less than 10 pages. It had to be a little more spread out for everything to hit.
And I'm just going to come out and say it, I didn't like Noelle at all, I'm with Pierce on that side of the argument. I can be understanding and I am understanding most of the time, but I thought she was incredibly childish and immature and blatantly selfish. She had a very Kitty Bennet attitude (she's lucky Soren wasn't a Mr. Wickham tbvh) and even though I can excuse a lot of her behaviour, I still can't scrounge enough emotion to like her. She was incredibly hurtful to Pierce and I just couldn't take it. I hateddddd it. Hated. It. But the book wasn't as bad as I thought it would be (considering the reviews), I actually liked most of it.
I wonder why authors who have not the slightest knowledge of speech, behaviour, and social skills in former times - here Regency - set their novels in these times. Here the language is contemporary, ladies around 1810 would never say "darling", and that goes on through the whole book. Behaviour: servants who jump in a conversation of h and H; hardly any footmen in a duke's household; no gathering before a formal meal, everybody just walks into the dining room;
There were a lot of inconsistencies, i.g. Noelle's husband mistakes Hope for his wife, but an hour later, Noelle's father does not notice the likeness of Noelle and Hope; Hope is to impersonate Noelle in social gatherings without knowing her acquaintances.
Most of all I hated Noelle's selfish behaviour. Hope was very accommodating towards her , but she kicks her out without any thought how she might survive on her own.
Noelle and her lady’s maid, Hope, look alike. So, when Noelle falls in love with an American, she has Hope trade places with her.
Hope reluctantly agrees, knowing she is to wed the duke of Kerrington. Pierce doesn’t want to marry, but from the moment he and Hope meet, something is special between them. From there it all gets messed up, then righted again.
Noelle is selfish and unlikeable, the Earl is awful for gambling his child, and Pierce is an idiot for taking the bet. Otherwise, I like him.
The writing is inconsistent, often slipping into the modern vernacular. Parts are added to the story, like the birthmark, conveniently, when no mention was previously made. Predictable, badly executed. Read it, wouldn’t recommend it.
I’m giving this four stars (though really 3 1/2 in my mind), but I have mixed feelings about this novel. There were rampant spelling/grammatical errors, and I really think that historical morals were not kept at all. But, the twists in the story certainly redeemed a fair portion of those issues. I admit, I nearly gave up reading this halfway through, but I’m glad I kept going, even as conflicted as I am.
Many twists and turns in this Regency novel with a lovely cover. Lady Noelle, who was won through a game of cards as the bride of a duke, changes place with her look-alike maid so she can run off with her true love. The maid and the duke fall in love when Lady Noelle unexpectedly returns. Then the fun begins. Somewhat fantastical in scenario but keeps one interested by wondering how it all turns out.
I liked the idea of switching roles between the lady and her maid. I liked the excitement of deceiving the Duke and the chemistry between the Duke and Hope. I disliked how quickly Hope took to the role of being a lady. I disliked that the writer didn't focus too much on Hope's new role as a Lady. It was too rushed in the end. We don't even know how the American found Hope at the Inn. It was average at best but it had potential to be better.
From the start of her life Hopes life has been a lie. When Noelle's father put her up as a bet on card game and Pierce won her. Noelle fell in love with an American. Where Hopes mother started the deceptions Noelle continued. Yet Pierce and Hope ended it. Can't love and hearts be healed
Full of spelling/grammar mistakes but an enjoyable story.
I read this book out of curiosity after reading the description on Amazon. It's a quick, simple read and I found myself really getting into it even though it had quite a few typos and grammatical issues. I want to read more from this series.
This was a tremendously warm and exciting love story. My wife and I think this one of your best yet. Thank you for an engaging story, Danny and Debbie Scott.
No cliffhangers. I really enjoyed the book. I don't give away any of the plot. I hate it when people give the story away. Read the book. You'll like it. I want to read more from this author.
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, imaginative, interesting and intriguing. It's not often I read a book that isn't about Shifters or Aliens. But this was a good read.
It is so refreshing to read a story line that I have not read several times before. Good characterizations no great surprises. Will be reading more from the same author in the future.