While the Duke Was Sleeping

England's Sweethearts #1

by Samara Parish

In this whirlwind regency romance, a woman with a secret identity and a rakish bachelor find themselves unable to resist each other—perfect for fans of Netflix's Bridgerton.
  When Adelaide Rosebourne must impersonate her mistress for a few days, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be a difficult task, even if her mistress’s supposed fiancé is in a coma. All she has to do is wait until he wakes up and then convince him to retract the proposal—thereby securing a tidy reward. What she doesn’t count on is the arrival of the duke’s brother and his damned inconvenient interest in her affairs. But does it really matter? She’ll be gone before he finds out the truth. Rhett Montgomery knows two things—that he is woefully unprepared to take over the dukedom, and that the woman who claims to be his brother’s betrothed is not who she says she is. No debutante swears so fiercely or kisses with such recklessness. Investigating is what any good brother would do, isn’t it? As long as he doesn’t start falling for her charms as well.
 

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2025

About the author

Samara Parish is an award-winning author of historical romance. Her debut novel, How To Survive A Scandal, won the Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year (RuBY) award in 2022.

How To Deceive A Duke and How To Win A Wallflower both released in 2022. You can download the series epilogue - https://samaraparish.com/rebels-serie...

Her short story, The General's Daughter, is available for free when you sign up to her newsletter - https://samaraparish.com/newsletter

She is always looking for an excuse to procrastinate, so she'd love it if you asked her a question!

As an Australian army brat in the ‘80s, Samara grew up moving from city to city—always with plenty of book boxes (to the movers’ annoyance). She reads anything that lets her escape - in particular romance, YA fantasy, and epic fantasy, although she has been known to read the occasional blockbuster suspense novel, even though she is a total sook who has a tendency to shriek at anything slightly scary.

When she's not writing or reading, she's walking her dogs or trying to tame her out of control harder. She lives in Canberra with her husband (a true romance hero) and her menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the Duke was Sleeping by Samara Parish
England’s Sweethearts series #1. Historical romance.
Adelaide Rosebourne agrees to impersonate Lady Cordelia after she runs out on her wedding and blames it on Adelaide. They want to travel to the continent but woman aren’t welcome on any of the ships at port, Adelaide finds a small town on the map where she thinks they should be able to lie low. But Cordelia doesn’t truly understand the staying hidden concept and signs the rental agreement with her real name. Not more than three days later, Adelaide returns to the cottage with supplies to find a Duke knocked out on the floor and Cordelia upset that he’s decided they will be married and he’s already sent the announcements. The Duke’s not dead but he’s not waking up either. And here comes the family. Adelaide takes on the role again of the betrothed trying to find a way out for them. Finding Rhett Montgomery is part of the family and already being attracted to him makes the whole deception that much harder.

Oh, getting flung into a dirty Thames sounds so nasty. I’m so grateful that I live when and where the rivers are a resource and mostly cleaned up.
The take-off’s from the movie were fun to track and see what was similar and how it played out. The science to try to wake up the Duke, or just keep him alive was interesting and smart and I understand Adelaide having that knowledge but had to wonder how Frank knew some of it.
Captivating and delightful.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased an audiobook copy.

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a historical romance spin on the movie While You Were Sleeping, this book is it (complete with moments and character name). This is the second book I’ve read from this author and I think they just maybe aren’t for me, the first book I read was their debut a few years ago and I decided to give this new release a try. The stories are fine, maybe a little bit too much to the plots added in. This author also writes closed door romances, so if that’s your jam this one is that too!

I grabbed the audiobook from the library, the cover colors and smiling couple is super cute!

[abi]

DNF @ 27%


Not really feeling this

[Jeannine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a “While You were Sleeping” retelling set in 1893 England. In this case, we don’t have a working class heroine, who pretends to be engaged to an unconscious man, we have a lady’s maid, Adelaide (Della) who has switched places with Duke’s daughter, Cordelia. Cordelia has just fled her own wedding and the two are hiding out in a small village outside of London. They rent a cottage from a different Duke, Peter, who recognizes the runaway bride and somehow decides to be engaged to her. Cordelia pushes him and he hits his head as he falls down. And now we have the set up

Unconscious Duke’s brother, Rhett, has arrived home from travel abroad and had met Della on the London docks. Suspend your disbelief. It kind of works.

Peter and Rhett have three charming sisters who would be wonderful main characters in future books. His twin sister does not get much development here so here’s hoping she gets her time to shine

Della has had a very transient life and it’s craving a permanent home. She loves the family and they embrace her as an almost-sister. The retelling deviates from the original once Peter wakes up. Needless to say the right people wind up together.

The pace is fast. The reading is easy. There are parts where a history nerd expecting complete historical accuracy will be disappointed. But perhaps they can just enjoy the ride through this alternative version of 1893 where cars have keys and clutches and steamboats take weeks, not days, to cross the North Sea

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up

This historical romance (1890s) retelling of While You Were Sleeping was such a fun romp! It had some fun callbacks to the original (Peter, sister named Jac, references to leaning, she's mistaken for the guy in a coma's fiancee) but also some new aspects that I liked a lot and made the story its own (she meets the love interest before the fiancee situation, she's covering for someone else, etc.).

The romance was great and they were so sweet together but also the situation was hilariously tricky because she was "engaged" to his brother. I liked that she had no emotional connection to his brother.

If you're a fan of While You Were Sleeping and are looking for a fun read, definitely pick this up!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
---
3.75 stars rounded up. Full review to come, but how “well endowed” the MMC was was talked about A LOT & then to have like half a spicy scene? Criminal. All talk. No game. Smh.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It was fine. I enjoyed the nods to While You Were Sleeping, but I felt like the relationship building between Della and Rhett was lacking. I'm just not a fan of insta-love I guess.

The book has some funny moments, but some of the scenes came off as way too silly. Those attempts of them trying to wake up Peter? A little too much in my opinion. One of the things I really liked was the relationship between Della and Cordelia. I enjoyed the fact that they were able to remain friends and I would really like to see where Cordelia's story goes.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date: 2/25

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have watched "While you were Sleeping" so many times. So, I was really excited when I read the blurb for this regency retelling. It was the perfect blend of doing justice to the plot of the movie, while managing to have enough different wrinkles to be its own story.

I loved all the characters (even Peter in the end) and would be interested in a book telling Cordelia's story.

Definitely recommended.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Samara Parish's Rebels with a Cause series, so I was excited to get a NetGalley request to review While the Duke Was Sleeping, the first in a new series. However, now as I sit here trying to put my feelings into words, I can best describe it as disappointed.

Now don't get me wrong, While the Duke Was Sleeping isn't a bad book. Far from it. But I didn't find it as humorous as I think it was trying to be. I had a hard time liking the situation that Della found herself in. I think the whole story could have been shorter instead of introducing new and even more ridiculous ways of trying to wake the duke from his coma. And then when the duke does wake... I was just shaking my head.

I did like the romance between Della and Rhett, but I felt it got overshadowed with everything else going on. And since it's a romance, I knew things would work out for them, but honestly, I found myself not caring how they got there and hoped it would happen sooner rather than later.

In the end, I walked away from this book wishing it had been better as I really did high hopes. And maybe that is part of the problem... I really had high expectations and I didn't feel the book lived up. I'm not entirely sure if I'll continue this series, but seeing as I'm not clear on how the series will connect to the book, I'll just have to wait and see...

[Sharyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author, and apparently there is a movie, While He Was Sleeping that I haven't seen. There were some laugh out loud scenes that I really enjoyed.
The book starts with a run away bride, an obnoxious Duke's daughter, Cordelia and her look a like ladies maid Adelaide. For a reason I couldn't really fathom they switch dresses and we next find Adelaide in a huge wedding dress at the docks trying to book passage on a ship to France. She literally collides with a man and they fall into the Thames.
He is Everett (Rhett) Montgomery the infamous brother of a Duke. He is smitten by this beautiful, foul mouthed woman, who has simple underwear under this huge gown.
When next we meet the woman again they are in Berwick in a cottage hiding from Cordelia's father. The mayhem begins here, when another Duke (yes they seem to be just strewn about, this makes 3) has recognized Cordelia, summarily announces they shall marry, and she pushes him, he falls over a cat, hits his head, and is in a coma.
Cordelia bribes Adelaide to pretend to be her, and off she goes to be by his side.
The Duke has a large, noisy family of 4 sisters (who I presume will feature in future books) and a brother, who you guessed it, is Rhett.
Will the Duke wake up?? Will Rhett figure out who Adelaide really is. Will Cordelia fess up??
Read the book to find out. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the EARC.
The opinions are mine alone.

[Milly and Mac Dashwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former traveler and journalist, Adelaide Rosebourne now works as a maid to Cordelia, a duke’s daughter. When Cordelia flees her wedding, Adelaide helps with her escape by pretending to be Cordelia. This leads to a series of mishaps, but it also causes Adelaide to meet Rhett Montgomery, brother to a different Duke and a man of scandal and debauchery. When Rhett’s brother goes into a coma while proposing to Cordelia, Adelaide fully immerses herself in her portrayal of Cordelia so that she may secure a solid future for herself. What complicates this is that she also immerses herself with Rhett and his family, and she falls deeply in love with both.

This book is a retelling of While You Were Sleeping but is set in the Victorian era. Like the movie, there are great moments of humor, and it uses many mistaken identity tropes that work well. While You Were Sleeping is not my go-to rom-com, but I can imagine that those who adore this movie will find many allusions in this book. The plot is very much like a romp, and although the plot is fast moving, there are memorable slapstick moments, including Rhett and Adelaide’s meet-cute, which is quirky and fun.

While a certain amount of playfulness works well here, the plot seems a bit forced and even relentless in other moments. The last quarter of the book feels especially rushed, leading to a far too brief resolution between the couple. I also felt like I didn’t have a firm enough grasp of Adelaide’s identity. I would have liked to know her better before the plot twists. Lastly, while the chemistry between the characters seemed promising at first, it didn’t build or fulfill its great beginning. Their coming together seemed rushed, which is too bad since that culmination is a major motivator for romance readers.

Fans of the movie or those who love a fast-paced comedy of errors may love this book. This was the first book by Samantha Parish I have read, and although there are elements in this book that didn’t work for me, I did enjoy her humor and dialogue. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity. All of these are my opinions alone.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Adelaide Rosebourne must impersonate her mistress for a few days, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be a difficult task, even if her mistress’s supposed fiancé is in a coma. All she has to do is wait until he wakes up and then convince him to retract the proposal, thereby securing a tidy reward. What she doesn’t count on is the arrival of the duke’s brother and his inconvenient interest in her affairs. Rhett Montgomery knows two things that he is woefully unprepared to take over the dukedom, and that the woman who claims to be his brother’s betrothed is not who she says she is. No debutante swears so fiercely or kisses with such recklessness.
A retelling of the famous film set in late Victorian times, which had its own spin on the movie. A well written book which I enjoyed but I did have to suspend belief at times. I didn’t warm to Della but did like Rhett. At times hilarious, a light hearted romp if you don’t mind a female who lied
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

90s rom-com alert! 🩷🩵

Thank you to Forever for the complimentary advanced copy.

This book is based on "While You Were Sleeping," and is for anyone who loves Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman's chemistry. The movie has been one of my favorites for years which made the book extra fun! There are some differences, but the story definitely captures the spirit of the film, including the physical and slightly naughty comedy. Parish did a great job adapting the most memorable scenes. 

The language and antics in the book do lean more modern - the vibe is light on the historical and heavy on the movie inspiration. The romance burns very slowly too which is surprising given the amount of innuendo throughout. The book isn't precisely closed door, it's more of a slightly ajar door. That being said, 90s rom-coms are often this way with lots of dirty jokes but only delivering a few passionate kisses, so perhaps the choice was intentional.

If you're a lover of old school rom-coms and interested in historical romance this is a great choice. The book is light-hearted and I enjoyed it!

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

While The Duke Was Sleeping, by Samara Parish, there’s way too much to this hilarious book to give it a brief summary just know there’s a runaway bride with a new fiancé who’s unconscious a lady in waiting who just wants a home and a second born son, who believes for the first time in his life in love at first sight. This was such a good book I love how Adelaide got along with his family I am not big on historical books that are historically inaccurate but I’m going to be honest I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to let myself be worried with the fact she cursed like a sailor at a time when most women did not curse at all and they were other things but just know if you love funny romcoms that are really really romantic comedies then you will definitely love this book I am a big fan of Samara Parish’s romances and this one definitely lives up to the reputation she has made as a great author. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and I do hope it is one of the sisters. Kudos to Miss Parish for another great read! #NetGalley, #SamaraParish, #WhileTheDukeWasSleeping, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,

[Elizabeth McFarland · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the Duke Was Sleeping was so cute! This historical romance, a reimagining of a beloved 90s romantic comedy, is a must read, offering a delightful blend of humor, comfort, and familial affection.

Lady's Maid Adelaide swaps places with runaway bride Lady Cordelia. They're trying to escape to France when they meet Rhett, a second son who's been living on the Continent. Adelaide keeps up the charade after Peter, the Duke, and Rhett's brother, gets knocked out and stays in a coma for a few days.

I loved how this one played out and the characters were fantastic!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might age myself here but I loved the movie "While You Were Sleeping" so I knew I would enjoy this book.
After her mistress fled her wedding, Adelaide Rosebourne is now posing as her as they hide out from her family. But things have gotten complicated. She has a new fiance and he's in a coma.

Now she must wait for him to wake up and hopefully convince him to retract the proposal.

Rhett Montgomery knows two things: He is not prepared to take over the dukedom and the woman who claims to be his brother's fiance is not who she says she is. No debutante swears so fiercely or kisses with such recklessness. As he seeks more information about Della, he'll try his best not to fall for her charms.

Thanks so much to the author and Forever Publishing for this ARC to review.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Forever for the review copy!

While the Duke Was Sleeping was a cute, lighthearted, funny historical romance. It got a little slapstick and repetitive in the middle for me, but overall I had a great time reading this. Recommend for people who like fluffy & closed door romcoms! (some spice in the epilogue)

🎧 Great on audio!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a long-time fan of the film While You Were Sleeping. So much so that it is a yearly rewatch for me in that time between Christmas and New Years. I went into this book with great excitement, and I was not disappointed at all. While I do think some moments read a little modern, that did not take me out of the story one bit. I absolutely loved it. All of the warmth and love that the family had and Della's deep desire for that love, along with the development of the romance, had me absolutely enthralled.

Rhett and Della were developed beautifully, and I do hope in the future of this series we see more of the family and perhaps a romance one day for Peter.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

[ColleenIsBooked · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has been a bit of a hit or miss for me with her previous series, but I did really enjoy the last book in the previous series. So I was hopeful the good vibes would keep going. Unfortunately, this book ended up being more of a miss for me. I can suspend my disbelief only so far before I just want to roll my eyes. The set up was a bit outlandish, but whatever. I have never seen the movie that inspired this story, so I didn't have any expectations in that regard, and I've come to understand that this set up is similar to the movie. It just didn't make any sense that none of the family recognized she was pretending to be Cordelia when at least a couple have encountered her at ton events, their personalities are so different, and Adelaide made no attempts really to act like her. The book also lost me at the very extra attempts at trying to wake Peter up, which I think were supposed to be humorous but were not my cup of tea. The main couple is also weirdly repressed in their sexual encounters when the moments surrounding them lead the reader to expect it to not be closed door scenes. There are a lot of, in my opinion, weird sexual inuendoes and references that don't make sense or don't go anywhere. It was strange. The relationship between the main couple was on the surface a good match and I was hoping I could find the chemistry, but I never really saw much. Rhett, the mmc, was confusing and confused. For some reason, he questions immediately if this woman is actually Cordelia and then forgets later on that he thought that? I don't get it. I would be open to giving the next book in this series a try, especially if it involves Rhett's twin and the estate manager Andrew. I just think that would be a fun pairing.

*Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC! All thoughts are my own :)*

Some additional things that are spoilers that I have to ask lol:
Why did Peter keep the naked drawings of his own brother locked in his desk? Why would he not just uhhh burn them?? Why was this book so horny with no payoff? Why did Rhett carry around the sculpture of his dick and then let her have it and then we don't see it used at all for anything? Why was the uncle a plot point? Why did Rhett stop thinking she was pretending to be Cordelia? The whole time he didn't think she was and then when she says she isn't he got mad?? That makes zero sense. Why would Adelaide agree to marry Peter when she already discussed with Cordelia that she would get paid enough to have her life be whatever she wanted after their farce? Why is Cordelia so against marrying Peter anyway? We never really got a resolution for that imo. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to let this stuff slide. It was weird enough to suddenly have there be a car and a bus lol

[Brittany Curtin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Cordelia ends up with a fiancé she doesn’t want and who is now in a coma, she convinces her lady’s maid, Adelaide to impersonate her for a few days until he wakes and convince him to retract the proposal and in turn she’ll get a handsome reward. When the fiancé ends up being the brother of a rakish bachelor who Adelaide has already had a steamy run in with, things get even more complicated. Especially as they starts falling for each other…

This book was so CUTE and FUN and CHARMING. I found myself laughing out loud and kicking my feet so many times. Della is such a fun and unique character and Rhett is just the perfect troubled, but charming rake. Some of the events are just downright silly and hilarious but I couldn’t put it down! I was a LITTLE disappointed there wasn’t more steam as there were so many instances that indicated we’d get there but I still think the story was so good

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Forever publishing and Samara Parish for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions in my review are honest, voluntary and my own.

[Bookish Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hahahahahahaha 5 stars

I never read romance, especially not historical romance, but maybe I gotta start, because this was fun. Or I at least should pick up a bodice ripper every once in a while that is written by a smart woman who knows how to throw in those witty descriptions, slightly absurdist scenarios, and raunchy lines. Samara Parish understands camp (complimentary). I liked this way more than I thought I would, which is egg on my face.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review in Library Journal: https://www.libraryjournal.com/review...

[Tracy Emro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Adelaide “Della” Rosebourne, wants nothing more in life than a home and a family, but since the death of her father, she has had neither and when her work as an author of travelogues was no longer profitable, she decided to go into service until she could afford a cottage of her own, which is how she came to be the lady’s maid to Lady Cordelia Highwater, daughter of the Duke of Thirwhestle and fiancée of the Duke of Hornsmouth. When Lady Cordelia bolts on her wedding day, she drags Della into an adventure that will change her life. Cordelia demands that Della help her escape London, which leads to Della taking a dip in the Thames and meeting a man named Rhett, who affects her like no man ever has. When they are not able to secure passage to France, Della and Cordelia decide to lay low in the country until the scandal of Cordelia’s wedding dies down. But that plan is shot when Peter Montgomery, the Duke of Strafford proposes to Cordelia and she pushes him, causing him to trip and fall, hitting his head and falling into a coma. Cordelia insists that Della pose as her and makes the duke retract his proposal, offering her enough money to make her dream of a home of her own come true if she is successful. It seems pretty cut and dry, but that was before she meets his family, including his brother Rhett and falls in love.

Lord Everett “Rhett” Montgomery, the younger brother and heir presumptive to the Duke of Strafford has been summoned home from the continent, where he has been trying to find his purpose in life and having a very good time doing it. His return to England is marked by a dip in the Thames and a kiss from a beautiful woman named Della. Imagine his shock when a week later he comes face to face with the woman who has haunted his dreams and learns she is his brother’s betrothed! Rhett is sure she is not who she claims to be, but he can’t prove it. And the more time he spends with her, the more he wants her for himself. Rhett wants to trust her, but he has been used before and doesn’t know if he can risk his heart again.

While you were sleeping is hands down one of my favorite romantic comedies, so I was really looking forward to this Victorian Era retelling and unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about it. Overall, it was a cute retelling, that doesn’t follow movie exactly, although, there are key similarities such as “you are leaning” and “I object”. I found it disappointing that the author didn’t stay true to the era, the verbiage is very modern, the era’s etiquette is virtually ignored, and she incorporates things that didn’t even exist in 1893, like a car that has a clutch and needs keys. And despite the incredible attraction and sexual tension between Della and Rhett, this book was a very slow burn romance almost to the point of being frustrating to the reader. I did enjoy Della’s attempts to wake the duke, and his sisters were a delightful addition to the story – I definitely hope to read Meg’s story at some point. So, while this book wasn’t everything I had hoped for, it did have some amusing moments and was a quick read with a happy ending. If you are an historical purist, this book will annoy you, but if you can ignore the inaccuracies, this could be a fun read.

3.5 stars, rounded up

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the Duke Was Sleeping is a retelling of the 90s romcom, While You Were Sleeping that maintains all the things we love about that movie while reworking the things that are creepy.

Adelaide Rosebourne has longed for a place to call her own after decades as a nomad. This led to her taking a job as lady's maid to Lady Cordelia, a duke's daughter who is about to marry another duke. This will give Adelaide a large enough salary to be able to save and buy herself a house where she can put down roots. All of that changes when Cordelia jilts the duke on her wedding day and she and Adelaide go into hiding in a small English village. That English village is home to Peter, Duke to Strafford who decides that Cordelia falling into his lap is too convenient and he goes to her and presents marriage as a fait accompli. While he's there, he falls and is knocked unconscious. Cordelia panics and begs Adelaide to pretend to be her to get the duke to withdraw his suit when he wakes. Adelaide, or Della as she is known to Peter's family, goes to the family's home and poses as her mistress but when she starts to develop feelings for Peter's brother Rhett, things get complicated.

I often have a hard time with adaptations of beloved 90s romcoms because I love the source material too much. But I don't love While You Were Sleeping because of the creepiness factor. If Lucy were played by anyone other than Sandra Bullock, it would not work. She is so charming, she makes you love her despite the lies and weird, para-social relationship she has with Peter. Samara Parish made some major changes to the premise of the story in While the Duke Was Sleeping that got rid of the creepiness and made the heroine's motivation more accessible to the reader.

Adelaide actually meets Rhett before she encounters his brother. She meets him on the docks in London and they have a whole interaction where they are instantly drawn to each other before she and Cordelia head to the country. And she has no connection to Peter, beyond her deal with Cordelia to get him to call off the engagement, so the ickiness of pretending to be in love with someone with whom she's only had passing encounters is gone. What I loved about Adelaide's motivation to partake in the scheme with Cordelia is that it was very relatable. She needs the money so she can set up a safe, stable home for herself. She isn't trying to do anything to or for anyone else. This is about obtaining her security and happiness and I think that made her a more relatable, sympathetic character than Lucy is in the original movie.

Rhett is the kind of romance hero I will always love. Give me the rake who realizes he is dissatisfied with his life any day of the week. I love that the act three low moment was him learning from one of his tenants that he doesn't have everything figured out. Rhett spends so much of his life trading on his brother's title and his role in society to get out of scrapes, it was nice for him to learn from someone who has really had to make it on his own.

I haven't read much Samara Parish in the past– I think I've read one other book by her– but I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future. The next book in this series is based on You've Got Mail, which happens to be my second favorite movie of all time so I don't know if I'll actually like the book, but I will give it a chance when I would normally skip because of how well done this book was.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the Duke Was Sleeping is a very charming While You Were Sleeping retelling set in Victorian England.

After fleeing her wedding day, Adelaide Rosebourne's mistress, Lady Cordelia, not only convinces Adelaide to accompany her on the mad dash, but insists that she and Adelaide swap clothing...and identities. They fail so spectacularly at attempting to hightail it away from the "scene of the crime" on a ship to France, that Adelaide finds herself being rescued from the Thames by a handsome second son, Everette Montgomery. They share one passionate embrace before Adelaide bolts to safety, wondering if she'll ever be able to locate him again once this Lady Cordelia debacle is over.

Adelaide and Cordelia rent a cottage in a very small town while they come up with a game plan. The Duke of Strafford, who owns this cottage, gets wind that the infamous Lady Cordelia is staying on his property, and decides this is the perfect opportunity to avoid the London season and procure himself a wife locally, as one does. He stops by the cottage while Adelaide is out to tell Lady Cordelia he can send a betrothal announcement to the Times imminently if she agrees...and ends up tripping and bonking his head reeeaaaalllll good. When Adelaide returns and attempts to fix the SECOND debacle Lady Cordelia seems to have gotten them into, a series of assumptions and mistruths lead the Duke's footmen to believe Adelaide, who has been posing as Lady Cordelia afterall, is affianced to this unconscious Duke. His family insists they both stay at the estate while the Duke (hopefully) wakes from his coma. Adelaide reluctantly agrees with this and plans to tell the duke to call off the engagement upon waking...when she finds out she'll be living under the same roof as the Duke's brother--the very same Everette Montgomery who she smooched a sennight ago.

While the Duke Was Sleeping was a very fast paced read which you could probably tell by my lengthy intro--and I didn't even mention the surprise villain! There is *a lot* going on here, but the pacing was honestly really impressive. The tone is definitely more modern than your typical historical romance, but I am not a stickler in the historical accuracy department so I truly enjoyed how it was written. This book is also SO funny?! Everyone's desperation led to some absolutely hysterical (ok ok ok yes also definitely unethical) ploys to wake the Duke from his coma. I'm talking homemade smelling salts, loud music, plucking nose hairs, and essentially Weekend at Bernie's-ing this guy. It's a closed door romance, but still pretty sexy. Rhett has some sort of chornic twitching c*ck affliction that he probably should get checked out soon.

Overall, this was a 3.75 (rounded up to 4) for me! If you love 90s and early 2000s rom coms, I definitely think you'll enjoy it. I absolutely will be checking out the next book in this series which appears to be a You've Got Mail Retelling.

Thank you to Forever for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a Victorian retelling of While You Were Sleeping, with a differing social status/swapped identity theme as well, with a hint of runaway bride.

This has a rather bold, nomadic female main character, Adelaide Rosebourne (Della), who is lady's maid to her near look-alike, a spoiled duke's daughter, Cordelia, who decides to make a run for it rather than wed another duke. Della, spirits her away, and they have a rather interesting meet cute with the MMC at the docks, as Della tries to spirit her unasked-for charge away.

Rhett Montgomery is the second son and heir to a duke, and has been living a life of adventure and reckless abandonment gallivanting around the world for years after having had his heart broken many years before. His ventures have been so notorious that stories of his escapades have even made it back to the ears of his family and Society in general. Unfortunately that comes to an end
when his brother reels him in and cuts off his funds. He is welcomed back to English shores with an unexpected run in with a bold, beautiful spitfire on the docks, that ends with them both having a foul dunking in the Thames. He never expects to see her again when they part, even though he cannot get her out of his mind.

The last place he expects to find her again, is at the bedside of his comatose brother, introduced as the Duke's affianced!

A cute Victorian era remake of the movie with well drawn and interesting characters in Della, Rhett, and his sisters. Cordelia comes off as rather one dimensional initially as a selfish, impulsive, rather spoiled creature who starts to get interesting in the end, and I am left wanting to know more about the sisters and Peter and what their life paths will take. Della's interesting past makes her an intriguing and colourful personality, and I liked the chemistry she and Rhett had. Rhett came across as emotionally immature, wanting to run away from conflict, his feelings, and responsibility, whereas Della was seeking roots and a place to land after having nothing of the sort through her life. I found the uncle character quite slimy, and feel that his villainous potential was not reached, or fully addressed.

A generally enjoyable story with warm and familiar vibes because of the movie.

3.75 stars out of 5

[ChasingLeslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Employed as a lady's maid, Miss Adelaide "Della" Rosebourne is coerced into impersonating her mistress in the household of her comatose faux fiancé until he wakes up and retracts the proposal. Rhett Montgomery knows that the woman who claims to be his brother’s betrothed is not who she says she is, but a previous encounter has Rhett falling for her anyway.

This is the first book in the England's Sweethearts series. The story is a historical romance retelling of the movie While You Were Sleeping. The beginning starts differently, but much of the storyline will feel familiar to fans of the film.

Della is in a pickle. Her mistress has run from one wedding and now caused another suitor to fall into a coma. Della and Lady Cordelia look quite a bit alike, and Cordelia begs and bribes Della to fix the mess that Cordelia has fallen into. The Duke, Peter, had planned to propose to Cordelia before his accident and Cordelia needs Della to see that the offer is rescinded and NOT announced in the newspaper.

My favorite part of the story was near the beginning. Having run from her wedding, Cordelia swapped clothing with Della and then Della had a run in with none other than Rhett. The interaction was fun and kicked off the bonkers plot in a great way. The characters had chemistry and I wanted more of this energy throughout the story. I really wish the rest of the book had strayed further from the movie inspiration and that the coma and misunderstandings were cleared up sooner so the couple could have spent more time connected without the cloud over their heads. Parish is a light-steam author and there were attempts to add some spice in other ways that seemed completely out of place to me. There were a few things that kept me from totally loving this one, but overall I was entertained. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Tropes: Working Heroine, Class Difference, Look Alikes/Swap Places, Mistaken Identity, Forced Proximity, Sibling's Suitor, Nursed to Health (sort of)

Steam: 1

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember the 90's Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman movie "While you were sleeping"? Yes this book is definitely based on that with some added twists along the way! One of my favourite rom com movies of all time, I was very excited when I was offered a chance to read the ARC. Samara Parish had a lot of fun with this one as it is high on the comedy side. The meet cute/disaster is strong here, and the mistaken identity part is cleverly done. I loved Adelaide's character. She had a unique background and had a spirit that matched Rhett's. What I didn't make sense to me about Rhett was why he felt, in 1870, that he only had the clergy and military as an option for work and that he could do that... It didn't quite match the time period as it seems like the Industrial Revolution was well underway and there would have been more opportunities for work... It was also a bit weird to all of a sudden introduce a motor vehicle during this time. It didn't add to the story and is wrong for the time period. I'm usually not a stickler for these but it was a bit jarring and I actually had to look back to see what the time period was when there was no mention of railways or anything when that would have been the common transportation method. Okay back to Della and Rhett. I loved their chemistry, and his struggle with the fact that she is his brother's fiancee despite the circumstances. He also does end up growing a lot, especially with Della's support of him. Della is so competent. Her travels has made her resourceful, and it's a wonderful foil to Rhett since he has also had similar experiences but we aren't sure what he is doing with all his knowledge. I was a bit disappointed in him but he won me over eventually. I really enjoyed the story, their banter, yearning, and how the HEA came about. The pacing was great and I read it all in one sitting. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Steam: 🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and am leaving my review voluntarily.

I immediately knew I was going to DNF this book when I got to the second chapter. This chapter was written from Rhett’s POV and I absolutely hated him. He was so full of himself that it physically made me cringe. He is also a complete womanizer. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I love a good book with a womanizer for an MMC and then he turns soft for the girl but ugh the way that Rhett was talking about women, it kinda just disgusted me. Here are some of his highlights:

“Married women, especially those who were shackled to old men, were more fun."

“He’d wooed women in France and Spain, Germany and Italy, even as far away as Russia.”

“Her red hair…could be Scottish or Irish. Her delicate features could be French. Her bod stance and wild gestures reminded him of Mediterranean women.” (this does NOT give me a good description of this woman)

Not to mention that they start kissing in the second chapter as well? Like where is the tension? The build-up? There is none. It doesn’t exist. And in historical romances, we all know that if you are seen with a guy alone, let alone kissing him in a dingy bar bathroom, you are ruined for life and need to marry him. I couldn’t believe that that had happened and we just breezed by it.

Despite the second chapter, I continued the book and tried to give it the benefit of the doubt. I read 3-4 more chapters before I called it quits for good. The book was incredibly unrealistic for the time period and written fairly poorly. And yes, I have read another book by Samara Parish and I rated it fairly high so it’s not a problem specifically with the author, just how this book is.

If you are looking for a historical romance with an FMC that doesn’t care about society’s rules, then this might be for you. It just wasn’t for me.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

London - December 1893

The spoiled Lady Cordelia is to marry a duke today in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Her dress is a concoction of silk studded with gemstones. Her lady’s maid, Adelaide (Della), is waiting to help her when she needs her. Suddenly, Cordelia flees the church and demands that Della get her out of there. They flee in a carriage and hide in an Inn. Cordelia demands that she change clothes with Della and then sends the girl out to find passage to France. It’s a good thing that they both favor one another in hair color and in their looks.

Everett (Rhett) Montgomery has arrived in London as his brother, Peter, the Duke of Stratford has demanded he return for Christmas. Rhett knows it’s because he wants him to stop his life of frivolity and settle down. That’s when Rhett sees Della looking for passage and they bump into one another and both fall into the Thames. He saves her but both are soaked and filthy. He finds a place for her to wash and change into clothes. She then kisses him and leaves. Cordelia and Della find a small cottage to rent outside London and Rhett is back with his family, where he finally gets clean and enjoys his sisters.

When Della and Rhett meet up again, it’s because she is impersonating Lady Cordelia. The story continues as Rhett is sure she is Della and not Cordelia. Yet both of them are attracted to one another and continue to play a game.

Perhaps it’s because I’m not familiar with “While You Were Sleeping” that at first I had a difficult time keeping up with the story. But it finally fell into place. I like this author’s books and look forward to reading more of them. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book swept me off my feet from the very start. A delightful blend of intrigue, mistaken identity, and irresistible chemistry, this novel delivers all the charm and sizzle you’d expect from a regency romance—with a heroine who has absolutely no intention of playing by the rules.

Adelaide Rosebourne is a wonderful historical romance lead: clever, morally flexible, and completely out of her depth in the most entertaining way. Posing as her mistress while the real fiancée’s duke lies in a coma? Delightfully absurd. Yet the author makes it work by giving Adelaide enough grit and vulnerability to keep her grounded, even when the plot thickens.

Enter Rhett Montgomery—reluctant heir, loyal brother, and the kind of suspiciously charming rake who can undo a lie with a single smirk. Their banter crackles, their chemistry leaps off the page, and while the plot leans heavily on familiar tropes (fake identity, brother of the fiancé, forbidden romance), the execution feels fresh and snappy.

There’s something delicious about watching two people try not to fall in love when the circumstances all but guarantee disaster. The stakes are personal and emotional rather than grand or political, which keeps the story tight and character-driven. Plus, the slow burn is chef’s kiss—with enough heat to keep you turning pages late into the night.
If you love a historical romance with secret identities, scandalous kisses, and just the right amount of emotional angst, this one’s for you.

Looking forward to the next installment!

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.