A Clever Ruse

by Angela E. Johnson

She agreed to the ruse. Love was never part of the bargain.

Miss Rose Astley has never been engaged—secretly or otherwise. Unfortunately, the Duke of Pembroke announced her as his secret intended, and now all of Society is congratulating her on an engagement she most definitely did not accept.
Pembroke claims it was necessary to escape an unwanted arrangement. Rose admittedly understands his reasons but cannot fathom how she became his only solution.

The duke is far too charming for his own good, flirting as easily as he breathes, and blurring the lines between pretense and reality. With every dinner party, trip to the theater, and breathless waltz, Rose reminds herself of the rules they set. Even still, she did not anticipate how difficult it would be to keep her heart out of the arrangement discovering that in the Marriage Mart, nothing is more dangerous than a pretend arrangement that begins to feel too entirely real.

A Clever Ruse is a clean Regency romp with witty banter, a fake engagement, and just enough laughs to keep you reading to the very end.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Angela Johnson has a love of literature and all things Regency. Traveling and reading are favorite past times and help her form ideas for writing. Angela despises the snow when it is on the road, but loves snow when it falls romantically in the perfect scene for characters to fall in love. Be sure to follow Angela on BookBub for the latest releases and sales. https://tinyurl.com/5n6rkytm

Reviews

[Caro]

This is the first book I’ve read by Angela E. Johnson and I was pleasantly surprised by how good of a writer she is. Her writing, as well as the plot had me hooked from the start and I didn’t want to put it down.
Lucian and Juliana have great chemistry together. Their story was incredibly well written, always keeps you wanting to turn the page. The love is heartfelt and genuine; a very realistic relationship that progressed to romance.
Lucian’s personality, warmth, and charm made him such a standout character. Juliana is fierce but lovely and the secondary characters like both Juliana’s sisters and Lucian’s friends Pembroke and Berkeley are the perfect addition to this wonderful story. Even Lucian’s mother, his uncle, Juliana’s parents and the children from the orphanage added perfectly to the story and were layered individuals. The characters are clever, smart, strong and really draw you in. There’s great world building and extra kudos to the writer for writing a clean story. So refreshing that the energy was put into witty, engaging dialogues that make you smile!
Absolutely worth reading. I loved every page of this book and that’s not always the case. But this one is a story that keeps you smiling and I couldn’t recommend it more highly; it’s one of the good ones. For me, I will have to exercise patience and wait for the next installment of this series: book 2, “A clever ruse”, about the Duke of Pembroke and Rose. I am looking forward to reading about them, and hopefully book 3 will be about Berkeley! But go and get this book first. You won't be disappointed!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Catherine Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What madcap way will Rose find romance and marriage? I am really enjoying this series of witty women challenging the expected norm  of falling in love in regency England. In A Clever Ruse we follow Rose who is innocently embroiled in a secret engagement by the Duke of Pembroke. She agrees to go along with it but the road is not as smooth and straightforward as they would like and there is that wee complication of falling in love to deal with too.

This book was an engaging read filled with flirty talk, sweet romance and a wee bit of mystery. I found the plot flowed beautifully and I really did not want to put the book down. The characters were realistic with different  backgrounds and character flaws that added dimension to the story. I love the regency period and these books are so easy to read and have satisfying plots and endings that leave you wanting more. I am eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.

I loved this quote from within the book as it describes it so well "did love a book that drew her in and held her attention to the very last page - and that was exactly what" this book does.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Clever Ruse is Book 3 in the Madcops of Mayfair Series by Angela E Johnson. I found this clever story to be oh so much fun. Rose had never been engaged and after 3 seasons, she's a wallflower. When the Duke of Pembroke wants to get out of an arrangement, he announced that he was secretly engaged to Rose, which was a big surprise to her! What follows is outings, dinner parties, all to support the ruse. But, what about Roses heart? A Clever Ruse is a Regency rom/com at it's best. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Hannah Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful 3rd book with the Astley sisters! Lately I’ve had a hard time reading anything from the Regency period, but this was no chore to read. So sweet and swoony. Language and romance is both clean. You can help but fall in love with both Bash and Rose as they fall for each other.

-engagement of convenience

-slight mystery

-3rd in a series following sisters

-regency time period

-they fall equally

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Katherine R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked “A Clever Ruse” by Angela E. Johnson. The book was well written with lots of witty dialogue and endearing characters that were very well developed. The plot had plenty of twists and turns that kept me engaged in the story and made the book hard to put down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes clean Regency romance!