If the Duke Demands

Capturing the Carlisles #1

by Anna Harrington

A LESSON IN SEDUCTION . . .

Miranda Hodgkins has only ever wanted one thing: to marry Robert Carlisle. And she simply can't wait a moment longer. During the Carlisle family masquerade ball, Miranda boldly sneaks into his bedchamber with seduction on her mind. Soon she's swept into rock-hard arms for the most breathtaking kiss of her life. But when the masks come off, she's horrified to find herself face-to-face with Sebastian, the Duke of Trent-Robert's formidable older brother.

Shocked to find Miranda in his bed, Sebastian quickly offers her a deal to avoid scandal: He'll help her win his brother's heart if she'll find him the perfect wife. But what begins as a simple negotiation soon spirals out of control. For the longer this reformed rake tries to make a match for Miranda, the more he wants to keep her all to himself.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Regency, Audiobook

330 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 28, 2017

About the author

I fell in love with historical romances and all things Regency—and especially all those dashing Regency heroes—while living in England, where I spent most of my time studying the Romantic poets, reading Jane Austen, and getting lost all over the English countryside.

When I read my first Regency romance in 2012, I was hooked and longed to create my own independent and spirited heroines and dashing heroes. The best part of writing historical romances is falling into history—to live in the world of Regency England through my characters, with dazzling balls, beautiful dresses, and gorgeous houses that I would otherwise never be able to experience. I love the period’s rich history and find that all those rules of etiquette and propriety can be worked to the heroine’s advantage…if she’s daring enough to seize her dreams.

In addition to earning my degrees in the U.S., I have studied theatre in London, Mexican history in Guadalajara, and Spanish in Ecuador. I am an avid traveler and have enjoyed visiting schools and volunteering with children's organizations in Peru, Ecuador, Thailand, and Mexico, and I have amassed thousands of photos I unleash on unsuspecting friends who dare to ask about my travels.

I love to be outdoors! I've been hiking in Alaska, the Andes, and the Alps, including one week spent dangling off the via ferrata in the Italian Dolomites, and I love whitewater rafting (when I don't fall in!). I earned my pilot’s license at Chicago Midway (To all the controllers in Chicago Center—I greatly apologize for every problem I caused for you and Southwest Airlines), and it is my dream to one-day fly in a hot-air balloon over Africa.

I adore all things chocolate, shamelessly dive into ice cream of any flavor, and guzzle Kona coffee by the gallon. A Doctor Who fanatic (everyone says my house is bigger on the inside), I am a terrible cook who hopes to one day use my oven for something other than shoe storage. When I'm not writing, I like to spend my time trying not to kill the innocent rose bushes in my garden.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why the fuck is the average rating for this book like 4.3 when I spent 75% of the book wanting to bash the stuffings out of the main love interest with a rusty one-pointed morning star?

But ugh. Since everyone loves it, allow me to present MY version of it.

If The Duke Demands - Khanh's Version

*Main Characters*
Trent: duke, main love interest. Stodgy and with a stick in his ass bigger than the Washington Monument

Miranda: an orphan who runs an orphanage, in case the author hasn't made her life tragic enough yet. She also does things like rewrites Shakespeare so that Hamlet contains pirates. 19th century manic pixie dream girl

Robert and Quinn: Trent's siblings and major fuckbois

Lady Jane: Trent's aspired future duchess. She is very chill. Perfection. Like a Polar Pop.

Lady Diana: Robert's love interest. Her hair is the color of afternoon light on a field of wheat

Act---oh, who the fuck are we kidding. Let's just get on with it

*ahem*

Miranda: Oh my god oh my god. Tonight's my chance to totally bone Robert, the man I've loved my entire life. And how better to do it than to sneak into his room and seduce him? HE'LL TOTALLY SEE ME AS A WOMAN THEN. What could possibly go wrong.

Trent: *sighs mournfully* I am so burdened by the ducal office. It sucks. All this responsibility. And I feel such GUILT, you know? Because I practically killed my dad and all. And by killed my dad I mean I wasn't there to say goodbye to him after he was injured in a tragic accident that nobody could have foreseen. And to make it worse, I killed my dad/failed to say goodbye to him because I was in bed with an actress! To compensate for my failure, I will be totally perfect and marry only a respectable woman and not do shady shit like meet a chick for a tryst in her room at all.

Miranda: **as Lady Rose** Well, hellooooooooooo!

Trent: Damn, bitch! Gimme some of that pussy!

*bow chicka bow wow*

Trent and Miranda: OH FUCK WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?

Trent: I've known you since you were 12. What the fuck?! Who could have foreseen that at age like 19 or something that you'd be a woman and have a woman's body?! What the hell?! Who could have foreseen this?

Miranda: OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THIS THROUGH. Ok, we'll both forget about this, ok?

Trent: Yeah, I mean totally. I need to find a REAL duchess, and totally not you, cause I know my dead dad won't approve. So how about we help each other? I'll halfheartedly help you win my brother Robert, who is courting the lovely Diana, whose hair is the color of starlight upon a blade of grass in midsummer.

Miranda: Deal! In return, I'll help you find the perfect duchess despite the fact that I'm a simple country girl who has no idea who the fuck is in the aristocracy and no idea how the fuck to conduct myself in the Ton

Act whatever
Miranda: OH MY GOD WE'RE IN TOWN. I'm gonna flitter about being an unpredictable little lady and everyone will love me because I'm just so fucking special and delightful!

Trent: God she's hot. How did I not realize she was so hot? But whatever, I'm here to court the lovely and cool-headed Lady Jane

Lady Jane: Ta.

Robert: OH MY GOD IT'S LADY DIANA, she of hair the color of spun golden candy floss upon a stick of diamonds

Miranda: MY HEART, IT IS BROKEN. But damn, Trent is so cute. How did I not notice how cute he is?

Trent: Oh god I know I'm supposed to be helping you get my brother but HHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNG damn girl you're hot. Let me put my hands under that skirt in front of all these people at a play! Let's hope nobody sees us and you won't get ruined cause I sure as hell ain't marrying you lol

Miranda: Oh, no! Trent! I can't! Why not, instead of doing it in front of a theatre audience, you try to finger me inside a moving carriage first.

Trent: Deal! And remember I'm not marrying you. I want Lady Jane. Right Lady Jane?

Lady Jane: Ta, Trent.

Trent: God. Lady Jane is so perfect, so lovely, so composed. But if only she responds to my caresses the same way that little improper sprite does. Let me kiss Lady Jane and be sure.

**one very proper kiss later**

Lady Jane: Ta

Trent: FUCK, she didn't even make me hard.

Act who the hell cares

Miranda: OH MY GOD all his wandering fingers have got me feeling tingly. I know I'm not a proper duchess for him but I want to give myself to him. TAKE ME, TRENT!

Trent: You know I ain't gonna marry you, bitch. But yeah, GIMME THAT PUSSY.

*The next night*

Miranda: Oh my god I'm so stupid. How could I possibly have done that? Given my virtue to someone who will never marry me and who has ruined me? Whatever, let's do it again!

Trent: YEAH! Get over here, gurl! You know I'm still not gonna marry you, right?

**The next night**

Miranda: WHAT HAVE I DONE? I've fallen in love with him out of nowhere. The only way to cure this is by fucking him again, cause surely he'll see that I'm right for him by proving that I have self-control and that I have the miens of a duchess.

Trent: I'm not gonna marry you, but I WILL have sex with you again!

Miranda: Ok. That's all I want *_*

**the next morning**

Robert and Quinn: OH FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK TRENT. YOU'RE FUCKING MIRANDA!!!!! Yeah! Yeah! You go bruh! Wait, what were you thinking?

Trent: BE QUIET MOTHERFUCKERS. If you reveal this to anyone I'll fucking cut your balls and your allowance off. I'm just fucking her. I don't love her and will never marry her.

Miranda: **accidentally overhears** WHAT? *burst into tears* THIS IS BRAND NEW INFORMATION

Trent: ....but I've been telling you this

Miranda: *WAILS AND RUNS AWAY*

Trent: ....

Ugh, I'm tired. Whatever, they had a happy ever after. Ugh, this book.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is worse than reading a most anticipated book and hating it from the beginning? Loving a book until the half mark and then having it go up in flames.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay, let’s start with what I loved:
✔ I love the mistaken identity trope, being in love with the wrong brother/friend and then realising it’s been the other one for you all along.
✔ Watching Miranda and Sebastian slowly fall for each other, noticing things they suddenly find attractive that they never noticed before.
✔ The unconventional Miranda in the beginning, who was energetic, caring and impulsive. I really liked her.
✔ Sebastian in the first half, who couldn’t stay away from Miranda, who only noticed her and no one else.
✔ The character growth was excellent in the first half.

Now the bad from the second-half that totally blindsided me and enraged me:
✖ All the character growth from the first half being smashed to smithereens in the second half.
✖ Sebastian kissing another woman with tongue (after he kissed Miranda several times), but it’s okay because he didn’t feel anything while kissing this woman. I mean how else is he going to tell whether he’s attracted to her if he doesn’t kiss her??!! And then he kisses Miranda soon after this.
✖ Sebastian continuously telling Miranda that she is wrong for him, that she would never be the perfect duchess he needs and pushing her away all the time because of this.
✖ When Miranda offers herself to him because she’s hoping it would prove to him that her feelings for him has changed and that he feels the same, Sebastian asks her whether she’s sure because if they do have sex she’ll be ruined and he can’t offer her marriage. Because he’s a real gentleman like that.
✖ Then of course after the amazing sex he realises he can’t let her go, so she can be his mistress. Right???
✖ And when his brothers find out about him and Miranda, he assures them that he isn’t going to marry her, and that she has no say in whom he chooses to be his duchess.
✖ Sebastian not realising on his own that he’s been an idiot all along, but needing his mother to show him the light. Because he’s not a thirty-year old grown man, who should be mature enough to realise his mistakes.
✖ Miranda's devolution into a complete doormat when she forgives him because he said he was sorry and she was better than him, and bla bla bla.

To say I was disappointed and angry with this book would be an understatement. I really loved the first half and the writing was so awesome and I was totally on cloud nine. Until I realised the light at the end of the tunnel was in fact a freight train.

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love a historical that starts off with the heroine accidentally kissing the wrong brother 😂

This was adorable! We’ve got a clash of the classes type of historical romance with a duke hero falling for his tenant farmer’s daughter. The beginning was hilarious with the mistaken identity. The romance is sweet, though Sebastian is frustrating when he gets so into his head that he HAS to marry someone proper and not a farmer’s daughter. He also absolutely could’ve groveled more at the end - Miranda took him back way too easily after the awful things he said.

But otherwise I really enjoyed this!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lesson I learned from reading this? ALWAYS LISTEN TO LISA'S RECS. She told me to read this months ago, but I just got to listening to the audiobook and this is by far a new favorite historical romance!!

In the beginning, Miranda is in love with Robert, a boy from the family she basically grew up with. She's the daughter of farmers, though, so she's low class. She decides it's finally time to seduce Robert as a gorgeous stranger by wearing a mask and showing up in his bedroom. That way, he will be utterly in love and won't be able to resist her when she reveals she's Miranda. The problem? She goes to the wrong room and accidentally attempts to seduce Sebastian. Miranda is mortified and Sebastian agrees to help her get Robert to love her if she helps him find a suitable wife. It's time for Sebastian to settle down and find a wife. Another problem? Sebastian and Miranda start falling FOR EACH OTHER.

The romance in this book was just perfect. I love a romance where the couple is trying to help each other with love and end up falling in love with each other instead. The moments where they find themselves super attracted to one another were so swoony and I loved watching them slowly fall for each other without even meaning to. Sebastian's mother decides to sponsor Miranda's season in London, so Miranda is just in awe of everything the wealthy people get, like going to the opera and dancing at balls. It was fun watching Miranda in love with that society and experiencing it for the first time.

I also absolutely love a different social class romance and this one had all of the angst because of that. And I adored Sebastian's family and how his mother had a role in the story as well. I couldn't recommend this romance enough and I cannot wait to read more from Anna Harrington!!

[Hannah B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some advice: Get yourself an enemy and then tell them this is the best book you’ve ever read and that they have to read it.

I fucking hate that man

The first half was good and then he kissed another woman with tongue, told the heroine she wasn’t worth SHIT several times to her face, and deep throated familial duty so hard it was coming out of his ass.

To be fair the heroine was entirely spineless. That second sex scene was TORTURE. He was explicitly saying throughout the scenes that he wanted to fuck her but not marry her bc she’d be a terrible duchess (but a great mistress) and everybody would hate her and YET she still thought he’d change his mind?? I can’t believe she went to him that second time. WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU

He was like “I can’t marry you ur garbage My dead father would’ve laughed you out the door and I respect him” and she was like “Even Now after you said you loved me and wanted me above all else and made me come out my eyeballs” and he had the AWDACITY to say “EVEN NOW.”

JAIL. YOUR HONOR THAT IS A JAIL-ABLE OFFENSE.

I once saw a movie where women had demonic vaginas that bit off dicks bc men are trash and good god I wish that was Sebastian’s reality.

[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfect book to relax with, although it didn't keep my attention the whole time.
But it was nice to escape from reality.

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS SO FREAKING GOOD AND YOU GUYS NEED TO READ IT. GRUMPY AND MISS SUNSHINE TROPE PLUS HERO HELPS HEROINE SEDUCE HIS YOUNGER BROTHER BUT FALLS IN LOVE WITH HER INSTEAD. HE DOESN'T WANT HER CAUSE HER STATUS IS NOT THE SAME AS HIS DUKE TITLE AND HE STRUGGLES WITH IT. I CRIED SO MANY TIMES. PICK IT UP.

[Crystal's Bookish Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review in next week's vlog

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

'If the Duke Demands' by Anna Harrington is book One in the "Capturing the Carlisles" series. This is the story of Miranda and Sebastian. Miranda thinks she is in love with Robert, who is Sebastian brother. Miranda has known Sebastian and his family since she was young girl. Which to Miranda it makes them think of her as a young girl still. But she is 21 years old and she wants Robert to notice her as a women. But Robert is looking to court someone else so Miranda tries to sneak into his room at night to show him that she is a women. But she accidentally goes into Sebastian room and at first neither one knows who the other but that doesn't last long. Once they realize who the other one is they break away and swear to never mention this to anyone. But the next day they do settle on a pack to help each other out with the up and coming season. Sebastian is going to be looking for a wife to be his Duchess and he has very high standards for this wife who will fit what he needs. Miranda has offered to help him with this if Sebastian help with getting his brother to notice that she is a grown women. But along the way, they find what they thought they wanted wasn't what their hearts actually wanted.
Ms. Harrington is one of my favorite authors. I love how she takes you into their story. I felt so sad for Miranda and sometimes Sebastian did make me made with his attitude.... but he came through for me in the end. There are some books you just wish you could rate more than 5 stars and for me this is one of those books!! Loved it! "My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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[Phoenix77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...


Due to some back-room shenanigans the pressure is off of me to deliver a concise, structured review for this story. Instead, I’ll share my rather plain spoken thoughts.



This entire story can be summed up in one word: Melodramatic. The character issues are overdone, the feelings they feel are all over the top and the scenes never seem natural. Even if I could get over the soap-opera feel of the story it was difficult to find a character that I enjoyed with the exception of the hero’s mother. Perhaps I’m getting too cynical towards superficial romantic stories. Oh well, let’s proceed.

Eldest son Sebastian Carlisle, who’s rather happy being a wastrel and man-whore, suddenly inherits a dukedom from his morally upright father. Weighted down by overwhelming guilt that he was absent from home (i.e. having snuggle time with his paramour du jour) when his father passed away, our new duke reforms his life to become the most upstanding example of a peer that London has ever seen. Flash forward two years and Sebastian has settled into a new lifestyle of abstaining from any enjoyable activities to focus on his title. His two younger brothers have also slightly transformed themselves from misfits into responsible adults (more or less) and middle brother Robert is even ready to settle down and start a family.

This news doesn’t thrill childhood friend Miranda Hodgkins who has always been in love with Robert from afar but never quite grabbed his notice. At a party held at the Carlisle home, Miranda decides to force Robert to finally see she’s no longer a little girl (she now has woman parts!) by hiding out in his bedroom in a slinky dress and praying that he’ll fall prostrate at her feet in love. Unfortunately this frequent visitor to the Carlisle estate accidentally picks the wrong room (she forgot her map at home?) and instead is almost compromised by Sebastian! Do they both admit it was a mistake and go their separate ways? No, because that would end the story in a logical manner. Instead Sebastian meets with Miranda the next day to propose a strange arrangement where she’ll try to help him find a “proper” woman to marry and he’ll try to help her chances with Robert.

Can you say Contrived? I knew you could…

So, as you can imagine, Miranda and Sebastian find themselves together more often than not to discuss how their scheme is working and they both start experiencing FEELINGS for each other. That would be great and fit nicely into a sweet, wall-papery romance story except that Sebastian’s guilt is a lot stronger than his new warm fuzzy emotions for Miranda. He will only marry a woman who will be the perfect duchess; someone who is poised, has the right connections, and will flawlessly handle the pressures of society. In other words, the antithesis of a chatty, exuberant country girl who’s only exposure to London is when she’s brought out for a season on Sebastian’s dime. Miranda falls for Sebastian as she works to show him how wonderful life can be if you stop living for your responsibilities and he loves her for how happy she makes him. Then that pesky GUILT comes out again and Sebastian does something so unforgivable that I barely kept myself from throwing my e-reader in disgust. Dick move Sebastian!

If the Duke Demands was a rather mediocre romance that starts out like the standard rom-com stories that I normally love but devolved into a mess of frustrating characters and strained moments. It only picks up when the only true adult in the whole story, Sebastian’s mother, has a long hard talk with her son. It’s a shame when I’m rooting for the Mom to step in a clean things up rather than those darn kids falling in love.

Le sigh…

**I received a copy of this book via the Publisher and NetGalley for a free and honest review.***

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am usually very careful when it comes to reading reviews for the books I haven't read yet. This is one of the books I should have read ALL the spoilers I could get. It would have saved me a lot of time.
Let me be clear, I don't mind feminine heroines. In fact, I like them. I don't mind them making mistakes either or being silly or stupid over a man (we can't all be all-knowing-no-man-can-make-me-crazy women). It happens in real life and people get over it and move on. I don't mind the hero being not very noble or pleasant at first either. It only makes the grovelling all the more sweeter. See Devil in Winter.
What I do mind is a heroine so spineless that there isn't a single moment in the story from the beginning to the last sentence in which she shows any character whatsoever. I won't waste my time writing anything about this any more. It'll just make me mad for wasting my time.

I was really in the mood for a historical romance. I rarely give up on an author after only one book, so I'll try something else later.

[niteskycs]

honestly, miranda and sebastian just bored me to tears. the whole i had a crush on your brother but accidentally kissed you trope in hr never does it for me.

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! My! Goodness! I absolutely, positively LOVED this book. Anna Harrington has done it again with the first book in a new series. We first met the Carlisle brothers in Harrington's book - How I Married A Marquess - whose heroine was Josie Carlisle.

This book is steamy, angsty, funny, loving -- what more could you ask for!!! I stayed up all night and read it straight through -- just couldn't put it down. I LOVED the banter between Sebastian and Miranda (Rose)!

Sebastian Carlisle is the Duke of Trent. He ascended to the title upon the death of his father about two years prior and he carries a lot of guilt because he feels that he never measured up in his fathers eyes AND he was in a place and activity (when his father died) that his father would have strongly disapproved. That one event has colored everything he's done since he's become the duke. He's lost all joy in his life and adheres only to duty -- and that is duty as he THINKS his father would have wanted it to be. You really like Sebastian from the beginning -- you just can't help it. You sometimes think he's a complete idiot, but extreme guilt can sometimes make you act like a complete idiot.

Miranda Hodgkins grew up with the Carlisles and was close friends with Josie even though their social status is very, very, very different. Miranda was orphaned at a young age and then came to live with her aunt and uncle who were childless. They treated her well, but since they had no children they had no idea how to cope with her. So -- she spent as much time with the Carlisles as she could because they were such a close, caring, loving family. Miranda's aunt and uncle were tenant farmers on the Carlisle estate. Miranda always feels she has to help everyone because she was so young and couldn't help her parents when they had the fever. However -- she's jubilant and loves life with her whole being.

Miranda THINKS she's in love with Robert (Sebastian's brother) and decides to make a play for him because she's fearful he's going to court another woman. She makes a huge OOPS and ends up in Sebastian's bedroom. Luckily - they both discover her mistake before things go too far.

Everybody in the Carlisle family loves Miranda, but they all think of her as an additional sibling and their mother thinks of her as another daughter. Sebastian's mother has begun to recover somewhat from the loss of her husband and Sebastian will do anything to help her in doing that. So, when she wants to give Miranda a season in London, he agrees to it. He and Miranda make a pact. He'll help her with Robert and she'll help him with his 'duchess hunt' since he's announced his intention to wed before August. Well -- you can imagine the close proximity they will have in London -- and the attraction is already there. They fight it, of course, but they can't win and we all know it.

I can't wait for the next book. I sort of thought it would be Robert's story since he was sort of courting someone throughout this book, but -- the preview of the next book included with this one shows that the next one will be about Quinton. The preview of it sounds really good too!!!!

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

[RachelReadsandSings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was LOVING this for about the first 70% or so. The premise was so fun and I really enjoyed Sebastian and Miranda together. Then, Sebastian started being an ass and eventually broke the heroine’s heart. I personally think what he did was pretty unforgivable, plus he didn’t grovel nearly enough IMO in order for Miranda to forgive him. Miranda deserved better.

[Nellab1984 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable & I like the writing..will read more books by this author

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mix of childhood friends to lovers, love for the wrong brother, and the Cinderella story. If you have read many historical romance before, you're familiar with this formula: Common girl fell in love with an aristocrat, said aristocrat loved her back but need to find suitable wife from peer, etc etc; or variation of such. That's the gist of the story here.

Though first in a series, If the Duke Demands connected with earlier series of the author's with couple of characters from that series made some appearance here. But worry not, this is my first Anna Harrington book and I didn't have trouble following the story.

Miranda and Sebastian were amusing enough characters, their unexpected attraction hilarious and inevitable to happen. Though I did question Miranda's persistence in chasing the wrong brother when I didn't see much good in Robert throughout the book. In fact, I found the other two Carlisle brothers to be rather callous and self-centered here! Contrary to repeatedly notion the siblings were close to one another - and to Miranda - I don't see much proof of that in this book!

The Duke himself was one bullheaded martyr set to sabotage his own happiness in the long run. While I could understand his personal feeling, after a while it began to grate on my nerves. His inner struggle felt prolonged and exhausting to read. That said, the tête-á-tête with a parent close to last chapter of the book raised up my point of the story a little.

For a new to me author, this is a lukewarm introduction for me. Considering how unimpressed I am with the remaining Carlisle brothers, I'm gonna wait and see whether to read the next installment of this series; time will tell.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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

This was my first book by Anna Harrington and I had heard such great things about her books. This one had a fun premise: heroine gets the help of the hero/a Duke to try and win over his brother/a second son but of course the hero & heroine fall for one another along the way.

But the last half of the book just kind of lost me. The reason for the hero and heroine not being together was because the hero’s late father would have wanted his son to be with a woman bred to be a duchess and not the heroine who is the girl-next-door and a tenant’s orphaned niece. But then the hero’s own parents were a love match and his mother’s father was a farmer. I don’t know it just felt like a weak conflict point and dragged on for so long. The hero was just so irksome, he continued to string along the heroine while reminding her they can’t be together (at one point while they’re in bed together). I do wish we had less of certain actions from him and more groveling.

Things I did like: the whole “let me teach you all the ways of seduction to land another man”, their chemistry, the whole opera scene 🔥.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our heroine Miranda is in love with the Dukes brother Robert, and decides she’s going to seduce him. Only she goes into the wrong bedroom - it’s Sebastian the Duke of Trent’s room, Robert’s older brother. Sparks fly between both until Sebastian removes Miranda’s mask and sees it’s his siblings childhood playmate from years back now a beautiful woman. I loved Miranda and Sebastian’s story! So much fun. Highly recommend it!

[Aririshikokuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost 5 stars..
I enjoyed reading this book and couldnt put it down.. It did give Bridgerton vibes. I think I found another fav author❤️

[Canan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben düküm. Düklüğe layık bir düşes bulmalıyım.🙄 He canım he🤦🏻‍♀️ Bu tantana delirtti bir yerden sonra. Her haltı yedi, hâlâ seninle evlenemem diyor. Ah seni seviyorum, beni mutlu ediyorsun, hep seninle olmak istiyorum diyorsun... Ama seninle evlenemem. Babamın istediği gibi bir düşesle evlenmeliyim.😐 Hay Zıkkım!

Bu takıntı dışında keyifli bir okuma oldu benim için. Carlisle erkekleri serseri, hovarda ve çapkınlıkları ile sosyetede adı çıkmış üç erkek kardeş. Babaları birkaç yıl önce sade bir baronken, düklük unvanı almış. Carlisle erkekleri vurdumduymaz ve endişesiz hayatlarından gayet memnundur. Babaları vefat edene kadar...Sebastian unvanı devralınca sorumluluklarını ciddiye alır. Daha oturaklı, daha az serseri takılır. Kardeşleri özgürlüklerinden vazgeçmese de bir çok konuda ona yardım ederler.

Yetim bir kız olan Miranda, vasileriyle birlikte, Carlisle ailesinin kiracılarıdır. Çocukluklarından beri ailenin evinde kendini rahat hissetmiş, Carlislelerle beraber büyümüştür. Hoş kalbini verdiği Robert onu bir türlü kadın olarak görmemekte ısrar ediyordur. Bunun değişmesi için bir plan yapar. Maskeli ve gizemli bir kıyafetle odasını ziyaret etmek! Yanlış kardeşin odasına girmese iyiydi ya neyse 🤭

Böylece hikaye başlar...

[Ivy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miranda, the heroine, is the poor village girl who has a genteel background and that gives her access to the uppity but kind and gregarious family of Sebastian, the Duke of Trent. She's an orphan and lives with her relatives in the village, where she also runs an orphanage. I liked Miranda, even though she has one too many TSTL moments in this novel. She has the monster of an infatuation with the H's rakish younger brother Robert but the latter is more interested in another woman called Diana and only thinks of Miranda in a sisterly, platonic manner. The clueless heroine devises a plan where she's gonna be a regency era Mata Hari and seduce Robert by dressing up in a courtesan's outfit and lying in wait for him in his bedroom. This girl's really got a lot of guts for a regency era village virgin. However, her seduction plans take a different turn when she ends up hiding in the H's bedroom. The H Sebastian sees the masked sexy redheaded seductress on his bed and his dick activates at the thought of some free sex. Sebastian has the same body type and height as Robert, the room is dark and Miranda is also horny so there's this major make out session that ends when the MC's recognize each other.

The novel then takes a somewhat bizarre turn because Sebastian agrees to help Miranda in her efforts to catch his brother Robert and she, in turn, is supposed to help him find a suitable wife for himself. This part made me laugh at how ridiculous the plan was because Miranda is just a village girl who has never been to London and knows nobody in the Ton. How on earth does Sebastian expect her to help him find his ideal duchess ? But I suspended my cynical disbelief and continued to read the story because I really have a soft spot for regency era duke H's and Sebastian is one sexy guy ! Sebastian's mother, the dowager duchess, then decides to sponsor Miranda's first London season and that's when the story line is hastened up a lot. The bulk of the novel is set during the London social season and Miranda tries her best ( which isn't much actually ) to keep her part of the bargain by scoping out all the hoity toity single simpering misses of the Ton. There are a couple of really annoying debutantes that Sebastian seems to be considering as his future bride, but none of them are able to set his breeches ablaze with lust; the only one who is able to do that is Miranda.

Sebastian's snobby stuffiness grows wearisome at times because he seemed far too obsessed with acquiring a "suitable" society bride and refuses to see that sweet and lovely Miranda is ideal for the job. Miranda also denies her own lustful yearnings for Sebastian and deludes herself into thinking that Robert is still her dream man. Things heat up because the MC's lips and other body parts keep coming into regularly scheduled contact and they eventually end up having spontaneous animalistic hot sex. This is where the story line annoyed me a lot ! After they consummate their relationship, both refuse to consider that they can actually have a meaningful connection with each other. Sebastian was the more aggravating of the two because he keeps having sex with Miranda while knowing and stating that he will not marry her. This attitude was really F up, especially when his own mother had taken a maternal attitude towards Miranda. He had basically "ruined" Miranda's chances for a marriage to anybody and he didn't seem to care too much because she wasn't suitable duchess material. Miranda was an even bigger idiot because she got herself so addicted to Sebastian's hot bod that she was willing to settle for a temporary sexual relationship. That's a really long way from being the former village virgin ingenue she had been...

Things come to a dramatic climax after Sebastian's brothers see Miranda leaving his bedroom in the morning and know that the MC's have been banging each other. Sebastian acts like a total asshole by shouting ( and Miranda is unfortunate enough to hear this ) that he has no intention of marrying Miranda. This humiliation is what finally brings the dummy heroine down to earth from her orgasmic highs. It's a little too late in the day for the heroine to grow some pride but she manages to acknowledge her stupidity and does behave in a very dignified and mature manner. She is no longer willing to be the hot duke's convenient booty call while he searches for his aristocratic duchess. It's only after Miranda dumps him, that Sebastian realizes finally that she is the love of his life. It certainly took him long enough and he does grovel and apologize for being a selfish asshole and tells her that he hasn't been able to even think of wanting another woman since the night he found her waiting in his bedroom. I liked this book, even though parts of it annoyed me and I cheered at the end when the pretty and endearing village girl got to be the duchess !

[jazmin ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good, one of my favourite historical romances ever

RTC

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

my carrd ❦

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen this book make the rounds on Youtube recently and I've been wanting to read it. Why you ask? The cover... it's stunning. Something about the light blues and yellows on it has totally captivated my eyes and made me want to read it that much more every time I've seen it.

I thought this was really good. Miranda is in love with Robert Carlisle. She has been around his wealthy and powerful family most of her life after coming to live with her Aunt & Uncle after her parent's death. She has grown up with Robert and his 2 brothers and sister. They have always just seen her as more like a sister, so she comes up with a plan to seduce him one night. She goes into Robert's room wearing a masquerade mask so he won't know it is her, and she will be able to show him essentially what he has been missing out on. However, it's his older brother Sebastian's room instead and they almost hookup before he realizes it's Miranda. The two make an agreement - he will help her get to Robert, if she will help him find a wife to become a Duchess.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Sebastian is confiding in his Mother. He is very adamant about how he cannot marry Miranda because she is essentially a poor farm girl, and that's not what his Father would have wanted. His Mother goes on to explain how she had a very similar status when she met her future husband, and that all they need is Love. Can't wait to read more in this series!

[Tori - Novel Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Once again I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book!! Miranda and Sebastian has such great chemistry that you see from page one!! This story is so good!!

Sebastian and Miranda decide to help each other during the London season and slowly they start to have feelings for each other. Problem? Different social classes. Sebastian is looking for something to be the perfect duchess no matter it might costs his happiness. My heart just breaks for Miranda and Sebastian but the ending was perfect.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Carlisle boys knew her as a child, she was like a little sister, but Miranda is all grown up now and she wants Robert Carlisle to see her as a woman, not the little girl she used to be. What better way to show him than to creep into his chambers in an alluring costume and seduce the man of her dreams? But even the best laid plans can go awry, but Miranda NEVER expected to enter the wrong chamber and find herself being kissed by the Duke of Trent, Robert’s older brother, Sebastian. Can you say awkward?

After vowing silence, Sebastian and Miranda make a pact, if he will help her to win Roberts heart, she will help him find a suitable young woman to be his Duchess during the Season in London. Sebastian has no thoughts of romance, only duty to his title. Miranda wants to be cherished by the man of her dreams. Can these two play cupid for each other and be successful or will they discover that as unlikely a pair as they may be, they fit together like a hand and glove?

Settle in as commoner Miranda takes London and a certain Duke by storm with her fresh beauty, charming wit and even her less than poised behavior as Cupid steps in where amateurs should never go and makes a surprising match for love!

Anna Harrington has taken the starch out of the stuffy London Aristocrats and sweetened their world with some well-place humor, a feisty commoner on a mission and a Duke trying to do what he thinks someone else would want. IF THE DUKE DEMANDS is historical romance as it should be!

Nothing says perfect couple like total denial and blindness to the facts. Miranda is wonderful, full of love, life and a woman who knows how to laugh, give of herself and stiffen her resolve when on a mission. She is also vulnerable and self-deprecating with a slice of sass. Sebastian had his shorts in such a bind, poor man, he was like a ship caught in a whirlpool of obligation, appearances and loneliness. I swear, if I heard him say he needed a proper duchess one more time, I was going to scream! Thank heavens when he let his guard down, he was perfectly human and a little unsure of himself!

Anna Harrington’s style handling historical romance with a carefree an FUN attitude was a delight!

I received this ARC edition from Forever Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Series: Capturing the Carlisles - Book 1
Publisher: Forever (February 28, 2017)
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Print Length: 368 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[♥ℳelody]

DNF @ 13%. No rating.

My borrow on this ends in 5 days and it just ain't happening. This might have been very premature on my part but I'm just gonna call it here because I know I won't come back to this. I've been having a really bad reading month and in a bad mood and every time I tried picking this up and continuing I could not get into it for some reason. This book was hyped like crazy on Booktube and maybe it is good but I just couldn't get into it. The writing felt very long-winded and too much exposition on background details like family businesses and whatnot. I don't really need to read 3 pages of inner monologues just to get to a point. Dialogue feels very sparse in comparison and that's a huge pet peeve of mine.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her eyes widened as an idea struck her. Sebastian's heart skipped in warning. Whenever Miranda got that look on her face, trouble always followed.

Bottom Line. This is my first book by Anna Harrington and I will definitely read her again. I really enjoyed If the Duke Demands and it ended up being a one-sitting read for me. I loved the leading characters (for almost the entire book), the chemistry was sizzling, the writing was good, and the relationship development was really enjoyable.

Summary. Miranda Hodgkins has grown up with the Carlisle boys—Sebastian, Robert, and Quinn—on their family's property in Lincolnshire. Her parents died when she was 5 and she was sent to live with an aunt and uncle who are tenants of the of the Carlisles. While she's always been like a sister to them, Miranda's feelings towards Roberts changed when she was 14 and he impulsively kissed her; since then, she's been nursing a tendre for the middle Carlisle boy and when the book starts, she's finally decided to act on it. Unfortunately, she mistakenly ends up in Sebastian's (now the Duke of Trent) room, but they don't realize the mix-up until they're able to establish that they're ... physically compatible ;-).

Miranda reluctantly confesses to Sebastian about her secret crush, and he vows to do what he can to help her, though he's also worried that Robert isn't right for her and she'll just end up hurt. The Carlisle brothers and their mother, Elizabeth, are leaving for London in a month for the Season and when Elizabeth says she wants to sponsor Miranda and take her with them, Miranda sees this as the perfect opportunity to try and get Robert to see her in a new light. However, while Miranda and Sebastian are doing what they can to subtly push Robert to notice her, their relationship develops into something more and a new dynamic presents itself that complicates everything.

Sebastian has vowed that he will choose a wife by August, and he's determined that she will be an Incomparable-type and essentially your cookie-cutter English Duchess—so why does he find himself increasingly attracted to Miranda, who is far too lively and vivacious than his supposed ideal and always getting into one scrape or another? Miranda is determined to make Robert notice and fall in love with her, and is exasperated by Sebastian the Duke, who since inheriting the title when his father passed 2 years ago has become even more autocratic, stuffy, and dictatorial than before—so why does she find herself increasingly attracted to the older Carlisle brother and deriving more joy from getting him to laugh than from any of her interactions with her supposed One True Love?

Praise. The book was overall great, so I'll just focus on few particular call-outs.
( 1 ) The chemistry was fantastic and the romance scenes sizzling. I get really turned off when there's a constant focus on their physical attraction to one another, and Harrington managed to balance that very fine line of building great tension between the hero and heroine, having them have increasingly sexy interludes together, but NOT making it seem like the relationship is lust-based.
( 2 ) I normally don't like any type of previous loves and going in, I was a bit wary that Miranda was so in love with Robert. The evolution of her relationship with Sebastian though is extremely believable, as is her slow realization that what she feels for Robert isn't really Love. Even though the book starts off with some handsy-pandsy between Miranda and Sebastian, that doesn't become the basis for their everything, and instead that's just one piece that evolves along with all other aspects of their relationship.
( 3 ) Nice change to have a hero who is not asshole (for the most part; see #2 below). Sebastian's internal conflict is really very well done and it truly is heartbreaking (again, though see #2 below). He is really kind and sympathetic with Miranda about her (unrequited) love for Robert, and it's sweet seeing how he tries to help her. Also of course makes for some delicious jealousy and confusion on his part when his feelings for Miranda start to change.
( 4 ) This book was quite angsty at times, which normally I hate, but I was so pleased by how forthright Miranda ended up being, which usually cut through a lot of the bullshit much earlier than other authors might have done. Again, that's definitely not always the case—sometimes I wanted to knock them both upside the head—but Miranda really puts herself out there and I loved her spirit and passion.

Criticism.
( 1 ) Robert is quite blah as a character; it's really not clear why Miranda would fall in love with him, he doesn't seem all that special or interesting (hopefully that doesn't hold true for his book as well).
( 2 ) Sebastian was so great for 70% (or something around there) of the book, but the Final Hurdle that is used in this plot really does not cast Sebastian in a positive light; he comes off as a pompous tool and especially given Miranda's openness and bravery, I couldn't help but be super pissed at how idiotic he was being. (There should definitely have been more groveling there at the end!).
( 3 ) The main problem in the end is Miranda's social status and it was all a bit iffy IMHO. Its noted several times that the Ton would only ever see her as a shopgirl, barmaid, etc., whether she had the title of Duchess or not, but Miranda is in the Ton during the Season NOW, and she's not having any issues, so ...? Seems blown out of proportion to me.

Excerpt.

Her shoulders slumped dejectedly. "But those are all acceptable ordinary topics for conversation."

"There's your problem." His gaze took a deliberate roam over her, drinking her in from the lace-edged hem of her pale green dress and matching velvet pelisse all the way up to her cheeks, which warmed of their own accord. He murmured, "You're not an ordinary woman."

Her lips parted slightly at his soft words, and once again, she found herself not knowing how to take him. Was he insulting her or complimenting her? Should she thank him or slap him? Heavens, the conundrum that was Sebastian Carlisle!

Recommendations. Here are my favorite books (or ones I really, really enjoyed) that feature a class difference where the hero is of a higher class:
* The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
* The Rogue's Wager by Christi Caldwell
* The Improper Bride by Lily Maxton
* A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran
* Till Next We Meet by Karen Ranney
* Seven Secrets of Seduction by Anne Mallory
* The Runaway Princess by Christina Dodd
* Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
* Slightly Married by Mary Balogh
* Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran
* Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

*This review is of an ARC provided by Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Chi preferireste essere, Sebastian?" lo incalzò Miranda, a voce bassa per non farsi sentire dai suoi, e un attimo prima che arrivassero, in modo da impedirgli di replicare. "Un duca con una duchessa che tutti rispettano... o un uomo felice?"

Per quanto all'inizio questo romanzo parta con qualche somiglianza con la serie dei Bridgerton (il padre della casata muore giusto all'inizio, lasciando Sebastian duca all'improvviso, con tre fratelli da proteggere e guidare, più una duchessa madre molto spigliata e simpatica...), se ne discosta poi abbastanza velocemente.

Qui protagonista è la figlia orfana di un fittavolo, che cresce insieme alla famiglia padronale e finisce per innamorarsi del secondogenito.
Per errore, tuttavia, tenta di sedurre proprio lui, Sebastian "the Duke", e dopo quella notte di equivoci niente è più come prima.

Vi dirò, Miranda mi è piaciuta molto nella sua azione pragmatica: mi piace quel ragazzo, non importa che sia nobile, non importa che punti un'altra, non importa che mi consideri una sorellina combina guai... Io vado là, gli faccio capire cosa si perde a ignorarmi e smuovo quella mente maschile che, come noto, è lenta a comprendere le cose che gli capitano intorno, anche le più ovvie.
Con Sebastian casca bene da una parte, visto che, insomma, passare da moglie di figlio cadetto a duchessa, non è questa gran disgrazia su cui rammaricarsi sino alla fine dei propri giorni, e casca male dall'altra, perché lui si sente simile a un prescelto, l'Erede gravato da responsabilità di sangue e lignaggio, e si fa parecchio attendere nel cedere e nel fare il suo dovere.

Nel complesso, mi sono piaciute molte cose di questa nuova serie: l'ambientazione, i fratelli, la duchessa madre semplice e lungimirante, Miranda e il suo approccio particolare a Shakespeare.
L'elemento meno convincente resta in effetti Seb, che necessita di pagine e pagine per farsi persuadere ad accettare la moglie che non aveva programmato e che scalfisce un po' il mood romantico della vicenda. Confido che i fratelli siano più cavallereschi.

PS. Se avete provato la sensazione di inserirvi tra personaggi già noti, vi svelo che i Carlisle erano già apparsi in How I Married a Marquess, la storia di Josephine e del suo marchese.