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The Duke Hunters Club #1
All You Need Is a Duke
She needs to wed... And he's going to find her a husband.
When Margaret Carberry’s mother drags her upstairs at a ball, Margaret does not expect her mother to tie her to the bed and lock the door. Unfortunately, Margaret’s mother has taken it upon herself to declare Margaret compromised—whether or not Margaret wants to resort to such tactics to snare a husband.
Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington, is surprised to encounter a half-clothed woman sprawled upon his bed. He is even more shocked to discover her identity.
Margaret Carberry is renowned as an incorrigible wallflower, not a seductress, no matter how appealing her bare flesh is against his bedding. When Margaret declares she won’t go along with her mother’s scheme and will find a husband on her own, Jasper vows to assist her, lest Margaret’s mother concoct another method to arrange a compromising situation. Jasper is certain of one thing: he has no desire to marry.
As Jasper works to match Margaret to a fellow duke, the prospect of a forced marriage with her lacks its earlier loathsomeness. Perhaps he missed his chance for true bliss.
When Margaret Carberry’s mother drags her upstairs at a ball, Margaret does not expect her mother to tie her to the bed and lock the door. Unfortunately, Margaret’s mother has taken it upon herself to declare Margaret compromised—whether or not Margaret wants to resort to such tactics to snare a husband.
Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington, is surprised to encounter a half-clothed woman sprawled upon his bed. He is even more shocked to discover her identity.
Margaret Carberry is renowned as an incorrigible wallflower, not a seductress, no matter how appealing her bare flesh is against his bedding. When Margaret declares she won’t go along with her mother’s scheme and will find a husband on her own, Jasper vows to assist her, lest Margaret’s mother concoct another method to arrange a compromising situation. Jasper is certain of one thing: he has no desire to marry.
As Jasper works to match Margaret to a fellow duke, the prospect of a forced marriage with her lacks its earlier loathsomeness. Perhaps he missed his chance for true bliss.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
March 9, 2020
A Duke for a husband!
Well this had a five star promising start! Wallflower Margaret Carberry is deceived by her mother, tied to her host's bedposts and left there in a compromising position, with her desperate mother ready to shout foul! The prize-- a Duke for her daughter, and for herself a non too shabby son-in-law. A heady ascent to the ranks of the ton for a family that's made its wealth in "trade."
Fortunately for Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington, Margaret shows more integrity than her scheming mother. Margaret's gutsy escape from the Duke's bedroom was hilarious, frightening and awesome, with a special thanks to the Duke's thoughtful butler.
Unfortunately from there on, although the situations as they developed had the bones to become hilarious or dangerous they mostly trailed of into insipidness. The fire of the first chapters was spent.
The Duke is a well meaning soul, definitely not a fribble, more a pleasant gudgeon, making all the wrong moves even as his heart was calling him to opposing actions as he pushed himself into finding a suitable husband for Margaret. To that end he holds a house party with all his dukely friends. Fertile ground for husband seeking with Jasper organizing the event.
I couldn't understand why Margaret didn't have more of a showdown with her mother. It's obvious her father would have supported her. This didn't tally with Margaret's first intrepid actions.
I'm also at loss to see how her friend, the engaged Lady Juliet was able to bounce around the countryside with Margaret when the need arose. I suspect that will become clearer in the next title in the series.
There are definitely moments of humor and charm in this "wallflower wins the day" tale, and as I said, the key plot points were terrific. Still for me they just didn't carry through with the same panache as the beginning promised.
A Victory Editing ARC via NetGalley
Well this had a five star promising start! Wallflower Margaret Carberry is deceived by her mother, tied to her host's bedposts and left there in a compromising position, with her desperate mother ready to shout foul! The prize-- a Duke for her daughter, and for herself a non too shabby son-in-law. A heady ascent to the ranks of the ton for a family that's made its wealth in "trade."
Fortunately for Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington, Margaret shows more integrity than her scheming mother. Margaret's gutsy escape from the Duke's bedroom was hilarious, frightening and awesome, with a special thanks to the Duke's thoughtful butler.
Unfortunately from there on, although the situations as they developed had the bones to become hilarious or dangerous they mostly trailed of into insipidness. The fire of the first chapters was spent.
The Duke is a well meaning soul, definitely not a fribble, more a pleasant gudgeon, making all the wrong moves even as his heart was calling him to opposing actions as he pushed himself into finding a suitable husband for Margaret. To that end he holds a house party with all his dukely friends. Fertile ground for husband seeking with Jasper organizing the event.
I couldn't understand why Margaret didn't have more of a showdown with her mother. It's obvious her father would have supported her. This didn't tally with Margaret's first intrepid actions.
I'm also at loss to see how her friend, the engaged Lady Juliet was able to bounce around the countryside with Margaret when the need arose. I suspect that will become clearer in the next title in the series.
There are definitely moments of humor and charm in this "wallflower wins the day" tale, and as I said, the key plot points were terrific. Still for me they just didn't carry through with the same panache as the beginning promised.
A Victory Editing ARC via NetGalley
April 17, 2021
Enjoyable, but fell flat in some places
This was a sweet and romantic read with some amusing moments of sly wit. The reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is that there were quite a few places where the dialogue didn’t flow and was disjointed, where it was difficult to follow what the author was attempting to convey.
I also didn’t get a sense of how the heroine fell for the Duke. It seemed to be on the page one second without having developed that. She never seems to get to know the Duke, his vulnerabilities or who he is beyond his pleasant and happy facade. I wanted the heroine to find out the Dukes insecurities compared to the more intelligent of his friends and this is never done and it could have added so much more depth and emotional connection to the story.
Integral to the plot was the Hero’s attempts to find her a husband so her mother wouldn’t continue to contrive compromising situations for her daughter. There is quite a bit of OM in the story, as the heroine takes seriously the need to marry someone and the hero seems completely out of reach. This would have been a beautiful opportunity to make the hero jealous, to awaken his possessive passions and to create within him agony and confusion over the heroine possibly going to another man. However, his response to other men courting her is tepid at best. And it was disappointing.
The single love scene was also rushed and about 3 paragraphs long and the author failed to capture the intensity of the moment, what the MCs were experiencing emotionally as well as physically. One moment the hero is kissing the heroine and the next he is “thrusting inside her.” Wait! How did we go from kissing her to already fully inside her?! And then it’s over. It was an impotent scene that left me feeling cheated and dissatisfied.
To sum up, this story needed some editing, some clarification in certain dialogue scenes. It needed to show the heroine becoming closer to the hero, uncovering his secret vulnerabilities, it needed more emotional connection and intensity and passion.
Hero’s past isn’t mentioned very much, and this is something I DID really enjoy about the story. The hero WASNT a manwhore. Heroine is a virgin. There was no OW drama, but quite a bit of OM as already mentioned. No abuse, no cheating. And a HEA with epilogue only a few weeks out.
This was a sweet and romantic read with some amusing moments of sly wit. The reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is that there were quite a few places where the dialogue didn’t flow and was disjointed, where it was difficult to follow what the author was attempting to convey.
I also didn’t get a sense of how the heroine fell for the Duke. It seemed to be on the page one second without having developed that. She never seems to get to know the Duke, his vulnerabilities or who he is beyond his pleasant and happy facade. I wanted the heroine to find out the Dukes insecurities compared to the more intelligent of his friends and this is never done and it could have added so much more depth and emotional connection to the story.
Integral to the plot was the Hero’s attempts to find her a husband so her mother wouldn’t continue to contrive compromising situations for her daughter. There is quite a bit of OM in the story, as the heroine takes seriously the need to marry someone and the hero seems completely out of reach. This would have been a beautiful opportunity to make the hero jealous, to awaken his possessive passions and to create within him agony and confusion over the heroine possibly going to another man. However, his response to other men courting her is tepid at best. And it was disappointing.
The single love scene was also rushed and about 3 paragraphs long and the author failed to capture the intensity of the moment, what the MCs were experiencing emotionally as well as physically. One moment the hero is kissing the heroine and the next he is “thrusting inside her.” Wait! How did we go from kissing her to already fully inside her?! And then it’s over. It was an impotent scene that left me feeling cheated and dissatisfied.
To sum up, this story needed some editing, some clarification in certain dialogue scenes. It needed to show the heroine becoming closer to the hero, uncovering his secret vulnerabilities, it needed more emotional connection and intensity and passion.
Hero’s past isn’t mentioned very much, and this is something I DID really enjoy about the story. The hero WASNT a manwhore. Heroine is a virgin. There was no OW drama, but quite a bit of OM as already mentioned. No abuse, no cheating. And a HEA with epilogue only a few weeks out.
March 6, 2020
All You Need Is A Duke
The Duke Hunters Club Series #1
Bianca Blythe
https://www.facebook.com/biancablythe...
Release Date 03/10/2020
Blurb :
WHEN MARGARET CARBERRY’S mother drags her upstairs at a ball, Margaret does not expect her mother to tie her to the bed and lock the door. Unfortunately, Margaret’s mother has taken it upon herself to declare Margaret compromised—whether or not Margaret wants to resort to such tactics to snare a husband. Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington, is surprised to encounter a half-clothed woman sprawled upon his bed. He is even more shocked to discover her identity. Margaret Carberry is renowned as an incorrigible wallflower, not a seductress, no matter how appealing her bare flesh is against his bedding. When Margaret declares she won’t go along with her mother’s scheme and will find a husband on her own, Jasper vows to assist her, lest Margaret’s mother concoct another method to arrange a compromising situation. Jasper is certain of one thing: he has no desire to marry. As Jasper works to match Margaret to a fellow duke, the prospect of a forced marriage with her lacks its earlier loathsomeness. Perhaps he missed his chance for true bliss.
My review :
When a desperate wallflower seeks a Duke’s help to avoid her mother’s scheme, their close proximity will awaken unexpected feelings...
It has been a few months since I have read Mrs Bianca Blythe’s work and here I got everything that made me love her books.
Funny moments, kind characters, witty dialogues...
Margaret is like many debutante, a wallflower and it suits herself perfectly. She knows she is not at her place in a ballroom as the daughter of successful trader, she is seen as only a big bank account and nothing else to vouch for her. All her life, she has been dismissed for her interests far from fashion and lofty bloodline. If not for her crazy mama, she would never have truly meet the duke of Jevington. So as she was able to save them both from a doomed union, she dares ask him his help to secure a groom-to-be, and she is even more stunned when he goes wild in his assistance to reach her goal.
Jasper, like many peers, looks like he has dedicated his life to partying and enjoyments. But all this hide his own scars, he had it all as a young man but lost everything, since he likes to stay in the fringe of life, devoted to help others. So when Margaret after rescuing from a very unfortunate fate, requires a bit of help, he is determined to thank her ten folds by setting her in one party with all the bachelor dukes.
This is a sweet and funny tale of two people who have to accept their worth and decide if they might have it with the other. Jasper despite his lofty title never saw himself as a must-catch, he has his self doubts and they refrain him from acting plainly, but in close contact with Margaret, as she does not react with him as many women seing only his title, he is for once able to get close to a woman who has no expectation from him as she herself does not believe he could be attracted to him. It is their own insecurities and kind personalities that will mend the fence for them.
4.5 stars for an entertaining and pages turner tale, the bodyguards rescue is quite hilarious.
I was granted an advance copy by the author through Netgalley, and will purchase my own. Here is my true en unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
The Duke Hunters Club Series #1
Bianca Blythe
https://www.facebook.com/biancablythe...
Release Date 03/10/2020
Blurb :
WHEN MARGARET CARBERRY’S mother drags her upstairs at a ball, Margaret does not expect her mother to tie her to the bed and lock the door. Unfortunately, Margaret’s mother has taken it upon herself to declare Margaret compromised—whether or not Margaret wants to resort to such tactics to snare a husband. Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington, is surprised to encounter a half-clothed woman sprawled upon his bed. He is even more shocked to discover her identity. Margaret Carberry is renowned as an incorrigible wallflower, not a seductress, no matter how appealing her bare flesh is against his bedding. When Margaret declares she won’t go along with her mother’s scheme and will find a husband on her own, Jasper vows to assist her, lest Margaret’s mother concoct another method to arrange a compromising situation. Jasper is certain of one thing: he has no desire to marry. As Jasper works to match Margaret to a fellow duke, the prospect of a forced marriage with her lacks its earlier loathsomeness. Perhaps he missed his chance for true bliss.
My review :
When a desperate wallflower seeks a Duke’s help to avoid her mother’s scheme, their close proximity will awaken unexpected feelings...
It has been a few months since I have read Mrs Bianca Blythe’s work and here I got everything that made me love her books.
Funny moments, kind characters, witty dialogues...
Margaret is like many debutante, a wallflower and it suits herself perfectly. She knows she is not at her place in a ballroom as the daughter of successful trader, she is seen as only a big bank account and nothing else to vouch for her. All her life, she has been dismissed for her interests far from fashion and lofty bloodline. If not for her crazy mama, she would never have truly meet the duke of Jevington. So as she was able to save them both from a doomed union, she dares ask him his help to secure a groom-to-be, and she is even more stunned when he goes wild in his assistance to reach her goal.
Jasper, like many peers, looks like he has dedicated his life to partying and enjoyments. But all this hide his own scars, he had it all as a young man but lost everything, since he likes to stay in the fringe of life, devoted to help others. So when Margaret after rescuing from a very unfortunate fate, requires a bit of help, he is determined to thank her ten folds by setting her in one party with all the bachelor dukes.
This is a sweet and funny tale of two people who have to accept their worth and decide if they might have it with the other. Jasper despite his lofty title never saw himself as a must-catch, he has his self doubts and they refrain him from acting plainly, but in close contact with Margaret, as she does not react with him as many women seing only his title, he is for once able to get close to a woman who has no expectation from him as she herself does not believe he could be attracted to him. It is their own insecurities and kind personalities that will mend the fence for them.
4.5 stars for an entertaining and pages turner tale, the bodyguards rescue is quite hilarious.
I was granted an advance copy by the author through Netgalley, and will purchase my own. Here is my true en unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
April 6, 2020
Loved this very enjoyable story. Great storyline and I very much liked the characters. A very HEA.
5☆
5☆
March 8, 2020
3.5 stars
Margaret Carberry is different from the usual debutante, she is interested in things that are different, especially fossils. Unfortunately, she has a mother who is determined to see her married to a title, no matter how she achieves this. This brings her to the notice of Jasper Tiierney, Duke of Jevington. Jasper loves organising entertainments and decided a house party would be ideal for Margaret to find husband. However things do not work out as planned. This was an enjoyable read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Margaret Carberry is different from the usual debutante, she is interested in things that are different, especially fossils. Unfortunately, she has a mother who is determined to see her married to a title, no matter how she achieves this. This brings her to the notice of Jasper Tiierney, Duke of Jevington. Jasper loves organising entertainments and decided a house party would be ideal for Margaret to find husband. However things do not work out as planned. This was an enjoyable read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 21, 2023
A minha primeira leitura desta autora e confesso que gostei bastante.
A história em si é muito simples mas as personagens são adoráveis e damos por nós a sorrir com várias situações ao longo do livro e a querer que as nossas personagens falem.
Foi bom ter um duque que não se tem em alta conta.
Quero seguir esta série.
Uma agradável surpresa
A história em si é muito simples mas as personagens são adoráveis e damos por nós a sorrir com várias situações ao longo do livro e a querer que as nossas personagens falem.
Foi bom ter um duque que não se tem em alta conta.
Quero seguir esta série.
Uma agradável surpresa
March 24, 2023
Very unusual
Oh my goodness this was a good book. I am almost tempted to rate it higher actually. but the part about her and Mr Owens was annoying The heroine was so different too. I loved her uniqueness. I liked the duke too. He was very easy to like. She foiled an attempt by her mother to force him to marry her and I liked that. She then asked him to dance with her so she could maybe find another man to marry but he had a party for her. Kind of like The Bachelor show on TV. He invited six dukes, or five, and was going to get them to fall in love with her. But of course he is the one that is falling. It was very cute. Kissing only and safe! Free in KU too.
Oh my goodness this was a good book. I am almost tempted to rate it higher actually. but the part about her and Mr Owens was annoying The heroine was so different too. I loved her uniqueness. I liked the duke too. He was very easy to like. She foiled an attempt by her mother to force him to marry her and I liked that. She then asked him to dance with her so she could maybe find another man to marry but he had a party for her. Kind of like The Bachelor show on TV. He invited six dukes, or five, and was going to get them to fall in love with her. But of course he is the one that is falling. It was very cute. Kissing only and safe! Free in KU too.
March 13, 2020
Who would need enemies when her own mother has a scheme to make her daughter found in a compromising situation and forced to marry?
Obviously, the man chosen would not be just anybody, but a duke.
Jasper was unfortunate enough to find a half-naked woman tied to his bed.
As Duke of Jevington he knew he would need to have an heir, but marriage was not in his plans.
Thanks to Margaret's honesty, her mother's plan did not work.
Anyway, she knew she would need to find a husband. Her mother did not accept that she would rather study fossils than find a man with a title.
Jasper then offers to help Margaret on this mission, and through a country party she would have more opportunities to find the perfect candidate.
But would Jasper, after knowing Margaret's charm, be happy to see her in the arms of another man?
4 stars
Obviously, the man chosen would not be just anybody, but a duke.
Jasper was unfortunate enough to find a half-naked woman tied to his bed.
As Duke of Jevington he knew he would need to have an heir, but marriage was not in his plans.
Thanks to Margaret's honesty, her mother's plan did not work.
Anyway, she knew she would need to find a husband. Her mother did not accept that she would rather study fossils than find a man with a title.
Jasper then offers to help Margaret on this mission, and through a country party she would have more opportunities to find the perfect candidate.
But would Jasper, after knowing Margaret's charm, be happy to see her in the arms of another man?
4 stars
March 17, 2020
This is the first book I've read by Bianca Blythe and I must say I found it thoroughly entertaining!
When Margaret Carnerry's mother ties her to the Duke of Jevington's bed in a scheming attempt to get her daughter compromised and married, Margaret enlists the duke's help and manages to flee through a window right before a crowd of people, including a vicar, pile into the room.
Grateful for Bianca's consideration toward him and his intention to remain unmarried, Jevington offers to return the favor by helping her find the husband she needs so her mother will stop pestering her. He decides to organize a house party where his friends (all dukes) will be able to get to know Bianca and fall madly in love with her. It's a foolproof plan. After all, Jevington has arranged it so it's bound to work. What could possibly go wrong?
Well for one thing, Jevington might about to discover that he wants Bianca for himself. The only question is whether or not he'll figure that out before another man claims her.
This is a Regency romp that had me laughing out loud throughout. Highly recommended for a light and fun read.
When Margaret Carnerry's mother ties her to the Duke of Jevington's bed in a scheming attempt to get her daughter compromised and married, Margaret enlists the duke's help and manages to flee through a window right before a crowd of people, including a vicar, pile into the room.
Grateful for Bianca's consideration toward him and his intention to remain unmarried, Jevington offers to return the favor by helping her find the husband she needs so her mother will stop pestering her. He decides to organize a house party where his friends (all dukes) will be able to get to know Bianca and fall madly in love with her. It's a foolproof plan. After all, Jevington has arranged it so it's bound to work. What could possibly go wrong?
Well for one thing, Jevington might about to discover that he wants Bianca for himself. The only question is whether or not he'll figure that out before another man claims her.
This is a Regency romp that had me laughing out loud throughout. Highly recommended for a light and fun read.
June 10, 2022
Margaret Carberry's mother drags her off and ties her to the bed of Jasper Tiernay Duke of Jevington. This story is ridiculous. Mrs. Carberry has no respect for a Duke. Jasper doesn't act like a Duke> he caves into Mrs. Carberry demands to search his room in his house at his ball. They are Scottish commoner Mr. Carberry is a very rich Scottish businessman. Margaret has not been accepted into the Ton she is of common stock and new money. Margaret escapes her mother trap. Jasper is grateful for that. So he gives her a long weekend house party and invites 7 of his friends that are also, Dukes. He wants one to marry Margaret. Okay most House party's are for weeks even months, not long weekends. Especially when it take serval days to get to the destination. Only the Duke and Margaret and her family are invited. Just weird. If Jasper wanted to elevate Margaret he should have invited other female aristocrats to the party. So the gossip would spread that Margaret was being courted and accepted by Dukes.
The conversations between the Dukes are silly and very boring. There is basically no storyline. This is storytelling at its worse. Lilly the dog has more scenes in the story then the Dukes. This is poorly written and very boring. I am almost shocked I managed to finish it. It was Free on Amazon, so no money lost!!
The conversations between the Dukes are silly and very boring. There is basically no storyline. This is storytelling at its worse. Lilly the dog has more scenes in the story then the Dukes. This is poorly written and very boring. I am almost shocked I managed to finish it. It was Free on Amazon, so no money lost!!
March 8, 2020
The idea of this romp is cute, however, I did not find it all that entertaining. I've enjoyed other stories by Bianca Blythe more. I felt at times the effort at humor was forced. The epilogue contained the most "natural" humor and did bring me to laugh out loud.
When reading a romp I can suspend belief and allow for some extreme aspects and behavior in the story. I believe this story could be greatly improved with some diligent fine tuning. There are some contradictions / inconsistencies and repeated interruption of dialogues with irrelevant thoughts of the characters which were distracting. It reminded me of someone making up a bedtime story and losing the thread at times. I'm caught between 2 (OK) and 3 (liked it), so I'll round up to 3.
I read an advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
When reading a romp I can suspend belief and allow for some extreme aspects and behavior in the story. I believe this story could be greatly improved with some diligent fine tuning. There are some contradictions / inconsistencies and repeated interruption of dialogues with irrelevant thoughts of the characters which were distracting. It reminded me of someone making up a bedtime story and losing the thread at times. I'm caught between 2 (OK) and 3 (liked it), so I'll round up to 3.
I read an advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
June 9, 2020
All You Need is a Duke follows self proclaimed wallflower, Margaret Carberry, as she tries to adapt to London society, where she is made to feel unwelcome because of her father's occupation in trade. Richer than most debutantes, the stigma of being the daughter of a Scottish tradesman is undeniable, and it leads her mother to try and orchestrate Margaret being compromised by the handsome Duke of Jevington at his own ball. Margaret can't believe her mother would go so low, and when Jasper arrives in his room, she begs him to free her, and flees out of the window - just in time. She knows now that her mother will not relent, so she goes to the one person she can think of to help her find a husband, Jasper. Jasper was more than relieved not to find himself engaged, and agrees to host a house party in his Dorset estate, with the other eligible dukes, to help Margaret. There's a few candidates he can think of that would be perfect for her, including the bookish Duke of Ainsworth, but the more time he spends trying to make everything perfect for Margaret, he soon realises he doesn't want her to marry anyone but himself.
This book was so enjoyable, and I honestly couldn't put it down. From meeting Margaret, I fell in love with her, and she was a fantastic main character. Not prepared to let others organise her whole life, she now is taking a stand for her own future, and is overjoyed that Jasper is helping her to choose her own husband. She's known since going to finishing school that her position in society is very different to her 'peers', and marriage to a Duke is asking too much, but she just wants to be happy, and have time to spend on her own pursuits, such as reading and searching for fossils. Whenever she's with Jasper, it's the time when she can truly be herself, and not be the shy and stuttering Miss Carberry that most people think she is. For Jasper, it's a slow burning kind of love, because he has never thought to marry, especially after the pain of losing his parents and sister when he was still at school. He wouldn't want to put himself in a situation that could be so painful again, and opening up to Margaret is one of the hardest things he's done. However, he's so far gone by the time he truly realises it, and it could be too late for him to convince her, but he does everything he can to bring her back. The chemistry between Margaret and Jasper was wonderful, and the moments they were alone were some of the best I've read.
This book was so enjoyable, and I honestly couldn't put it down. From meeting Margaret, I fell in love with her, and she was a fantastic main character. Not prepared to let others organise her whole life, she now is taking a stand for her own future, and is overjoyed that Jasper is helping her to choose her own husband. She's known since going to finishing school that her position in society is very different to her 'peers', and marriage to a Duke is asking too much, but she just wants to be happy, and have time to spend on her own pursuits, such as reading and searching for fossils. Whenever she's with Jasper, it's the time when she can truly be herself, and not be the shy and stuttering Miss Carberry that most people think she is. For Jasper, it's a slow burning kind of love, because he has never thought to marry, especially after the pain of losing his parents and sister when he was still at school. He wouldn't want to put himself in a situation that could be so painful again, and opening up to Margaret is one of the hardest things he's done. However, he's so far gone by the time he truly realises it, and it could be too late for him to convince her, but he does everything he can to bring her back. The chemistry between Margaret and Jasper was wonderful, and the moments they were alone were some of the best I've read.
March 8, 2020
A light-hearted Regency romance with both laugh out loud and cringe-worthy moments as Margaret Carberry traverses through the disasters set in motion by her over ambitious mother. Having been on the receiving end of Mrs Carberry's manipulations, Jasper, Duke of Jevington, takes precautions to avoid any further attempts by the determined woman. However, because he is a kind-hearted gentleman, his heart goes out to Margaret and he determines to help her find a husband to quieten her mother's demands. The story is amusing and romantic, is a standalone and comes to a happy conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
October 30, 2023
I loved this! Hit on some of my favorite tropes. Insecure wallflower heroine who is a bit plump to boot (not a BBW exactly, but there are a number of references to her generous figure). Dashing hero who made me laugh several times. A slight dash of angst and self-sacrifice and the heroine disbelieving the hero could care about her, just like I like. Solid read.
Reread June 2022: I forgot how much the hero makes me chuckle. He’s not stupid, but he is kind of goofy. A fun read.
Reread June 2022: I forgot how much the hero makes me chuckle. He’s not stupid, but he is kind of goofy. A fun read.
March 6, 2020
All You Need is a Duke is a book in the Duke Hunters Club by Bianca Blythe.
I found it a little slow to begin with despite the drama of a young woman being tied to a bed by her meddling mother in order to catch a Duke. But from the moment said Duke shows his appreciation to the young woman for getting him out of that situation that is when I really started to enjoy the story.
Margaret Carberry is the young woman whose mother insists that she marry a Duke. She is so desperate for that to happen that she comes up with the compromising situation plan that thankfully didn't work.
Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington is the very man that Margaret's mother tried to ensnare. He appreciates very much what Margaret went through to help him out and he vows to help her find her Duke, albeit not him. In order to do that he invites her to a small gathering at his home where she will meet friends of his, all Dukes. He hopes that one of them will appreciate Margaret's beauty and offer for her.
What Jasper doesn't realise is that the more time he spends pushing Margaret and the other Dukes together, the more he learns about her and the more he finds himself falling for her himself. Will he be able to sit back and watch her wed another man, or will he change his mind about never wanting to be married himself and offer her marriage to him instead?
I did enjoy the premise of this story, although parts of it did come across as a little unbelievable. I also thought the conclusion to the story was really lovely but it did happen a tad too quickly for me. Despite that, the characters were great, I loved all of the Dukes and I loved how Margaret interacted with them. Her mother was wicked but for all the right reasons, at least in her own mind, and her father was just delightful. There was another character, Owen, he was so horrible I just wanted to slap him. I love a book where there is a truly horrid character that you love to hate. You couldn't hate Margaret's mother because her heart was in the right place at least.
Although I found some inconsistencies in this book, I did enjoy it and look forward to reading more in the series.
I found it a little slow to begin with despite the drama of a young woman being tied to a bed by her meddling mother in order to catch a Duke. But from the moment said Duke shows his appreciation to the young woman for getting him out of that situation that is when I really started to enjoy the story.
Margaret Carberry is the young woman whose mother insists that she marry a Duke. She is so desperate for that to happen that she comes up with the compromising situation plan that thankfully didn't work.
Jasper Tierney, the Duke of Jevington is the very man that Margaret's mother tried to ensnare. He appreciates very much what Margaret went through to help him out and he vows to help her find her Duke, albeit not him. In order to do that he invites her to a small gathering at his home where she will meet friends of his, all Dukes. He hopes that one of them will appreciate Margaret's beauty and offer for her.
What Jasper doesn't realise is that the more time he spends pushing Margaret and the other Dukes together, the more he learns about her and the more he finds himself falling for her himself. Will he be able to sit back and watch her wed another man, or will he change his mind about never wanting to be married himself and offer her marriage to him instead?
I did enjoy the premise of this story, although parts of it did come across as a little unbelievable. I also thought the conclusion to the story was really lovely but it did happen a tad too quickly for me. Despite that, the characters were great, I loved all of the Dukes and I loved how Margaret interacted with them. Her mother was wicked but for all the right reasons, at least in her own mind, and her father was just delightful. There was another character, Owen, he was so horrible I just wanted to slap him. I love a book where there is a truly horrid character that you love to hate. You couldn't hate Margaret's mother because her heart was in the right place at least.
Although I found some inconsistencies in this book, I did enjoy it and look forward to reading more in the series.
November 6, 2020
This was such a sweet fun read. Jasper is great and Margaret is a sweet unaffected heroine with lots of insecurities both due to her regular looks and her non noble birth. Her mother too doesn't make it easy for her.
I couldn't figure out her parents characters at all. Her mother is an extremely pushy woman wanting her daughter to snare the best of the best. I get her. But her dad- is so unaffected by anyone and anything . That's a bit strange. Lily, her dog is as all pets go -- lovable and the life of the book. But, she's conveniently forgotten towards the end. 🤔😪
As usual, no Historical Romance's nowadays are complete without their Historical inaccuracies. In this , Jasper's supposed to be terrible at Rugby 🏉 in biws college das prior to 1820 when the game first originated only in 1823. Sigh! Artistic Liberates can span across decades- I suppose.
However, this book is definitely one of the authors better books. Worth a quick one time.read. I do hope Margaret 's physically handicapped friend Daisy too has her own HEA .
Recommended:👍
I couldn't figure out her parents characters at all. Her mother is an extremely pushy woman wanting her daughter to snare the best of the best. I get her. But her dad- is so unaffected by anyone and anything . That's a bit strange. Lily, her dog is as all pets go -- lovable and the life of the book. But, she's conveniently forgotten towards the end. 🤔😪
As usual, no Historical Romance's nowadays are complete without their Historical inaccuracies. In this , Jasper's supposed to be terrible at Rugby 🏉 in biws college das prior to 1820 when the game first originated only in 1823. Sigh! Artistic Liberates can span across decades- I suppose.
However, this book is definitely one of the authors better books. Worth a quick one time.read. I do hope Margaret 's physically handicapped friend Daisy too has her own HEA .
Recommended:👍
March 6, 2020
This is a really great start to a new series and I enjoyed everything about it from the different characters and their sometimes strange or quirky personalities, actions, conversations and responses to the slow dawning on both of the main characters parts of their blossoming love for each other.
If Margaret's mother were mine, then I think I might have strangled her (smile).
I loved that Margaret's character shows that she is knowledgeable on most subjects, sometimes more so than the men the meets while she is still feminine and graceful and that Jasper is a man in love doing all the strange things that men seem to do when trying to fool themselves into believing that the opposite is true.
I love this author's sense of humor. She makes it very easy to enjoy her stories and I am happy to recommend this as a one to be read.
I read an Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) of the ebook and my review above is unbiased and given voluntarily.
If Margaret's mother were mine, then I think I might have strangled her (smile).
I loved that Margaret's character shows that she is knowledgeable on most subjects, sometimes more so than the men the meets while she is still feminine and graceful and that Jasper is a man in love doing all the strange things that men seem to do when trying to fool themselves into believing that the opposite is true.
I love this author's sense of humor. She makes it very easy to enjoy her stories and I am happy to recommend this as a one to be read.
I read an Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) of the ebook and my review above is unbiased and given voluntarily.
March 30, 2020
It amazes me on how family would scheme to make sure you married well, well according to them. So here we meet Margaret Carberry a wallflower whose interest are definitely different than her momma, so her crazy momma ties her to the bed, yeah you read correctly, luckily for Margaret she is saved from this spectacle from a well meaning Duke. And this part I found funny. The story starts from there. The craziness begins..Enjoy! A little slow for me.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
March 14, 2020
A bluestocking for a Duke
Margaret is a clumsy blues stocking with over zealous parents ( mother) who is determined ridiculously so to get her daughter a Duke! Bribing servants tying them her to his bed, too much! Margaret refuses to compromise Jasper and escapes! She solicits his help saying she needs a husband! Margaret is to appear intelligent but I had difficulty with that when she did not seem to understand when a man was insulting her!!!?? Nothing subtle either more like a mack truck! This story lagged at times and then picks up at the end! It wasn't what I expected but I like this author so I will look forward to reading more in the series!
Margaret is a clumsy blues stocking with over zealous parents ( mother) who is determined ridiculously so to get her daughter a Duke! Bribing servants tying them her to his bed, too much! Margaret refuses to compromise Jasper and escapes! She solicits his help saying she needs a husband! Margaret is to appear intelligent but I had difficulty with that when she did not seem to understand when a man was insulting her!!!?? Nothing subtle either more like a mack truck! This story lagged at times and then picks up at the end! It wasn't what I expected but I like this author so I will look forward to reading more in the series!
September 8, 2022
Not bad
I enjoyed the story. The only thing I couldn't get over was the dialogue. The Er.... and then a sentence was like in every conversation. It made the characters seem not intelligent. The weather threw me off. Was spring or winter? I don't think roses are in bloom in cold weather.
I enjoyed the story. The only thing I couldn't get over was the dialogue. The Er.... and then a sentence was like in every conversation. It made the characters seem not intelligent. The weather threw me off. Was spring or winter? I don't think roses are in bloom in cold weather.
Want to read
June 1, 2024May 2024
The premise seems completely bonkers, and it is free on Kindle. Sold!!!
The premise seems completely bonkers, and it is free on Kindle. Sold!!!
December 16, 2025
Nada como un romance de época.💌
November 22, 2021
Rated 3.5
March 12, 2020
All You Need Is A Duke is book one in The Duke Hunters Club by Bianca Blythe. I enjoyed it. There are so many hilariously funny moments. The heroine Margaret Carberry is not the typical Regency debutante. She is a shy, quiet and easily overlooked wallflower. I like how Margaret’s character develops and grows throughout the book. The hero Jasper Tierney, The Duke of Jevington is a delight. His affable personality hides a depth that Margaret helps uncover. There are a number of twists and turns in this story that I didn’t expect. A really great book. I was given a copy of this book.
March 10, 2020
This is the first book in a new series by Bianca Blythe and after reading this book I can not wait for the next books to come out. This book is about Jasper, a Duke who meets Margaret when her mother puts Margaret in a possible comprising situation. I remember reading about Jasper in a previous book And I could not wait to read his story and I was not disappointed. It is a nice sweet clean romance written by a wonderful author who I have enjoyed every book by her which I have read.
Merged review:
This is the first book in a new series by Bianca Blythe and after reading this book I can not wait for the next books to come out. This book is about Jasper, a Duke who meets Margaret when her mother puts Margaret in a possible comprising situation. I remember reading about Jasper in a previous book And I could not wait to read his story and I was not disappointed. It is a nice sweet clean romance written by a wonderful author who I have enjoyed every book by her which I have read.
Merged review:
This is the first book in a new series by Bianca Blythe and after reading this book I can not wait for the next books to come out. This book is about Jasper, a Duke who meets Margaret when her mother puts Margaret in a possible comprising situation. I remember reading about Jasper in a previous book And I could not wait to read his story and I was not disappointed. It is a nice sweet clean romance written by a wonderful author who I have enjoyed every book by her which I have read.
April 17, 2022
3.5
It had a promising start. Margaret Carberry is a wallflower in her first season.
While at the last ball of the season, her mother tricks her into the residing duke’s bedroom, and with the help of a maid, she ties her to the duke’s bedposts and leaves her there to be found by said duke. The mother orchestrates this so that her Margaret is able to marry a duke.
Things do not go as planned. Jasper, the Duke of Jevington, finds Margaret and unties her. And before the mother can find them together, Margaret escapes from the Duke's bedroom in a funny and very daring way.
The duke is grateful that Margaret did not go with her mother’s plans to trap him in marriage and offers to help her find a duke husband by inviting her and her family to his home where he also invites all his duke friends.
From the moment the family arrived at the estate, it went downhill. Some things just didn’t work in my opinion.
Like lady Juliet, Margaret’s friend. As she is engaged to a duke, she joins the family to the house party, but we see her in the carriage and then at the very end and that’s it. It didn’t make much sense. If a young lady in the midst of finding a suitable husband is surrounded by dukes, she would probably seek out her friend a little and the friend would help her out, but no. They never hung out and barely spoke throughout the days they were there. There was no point in her being there. I don’t know if this is going to be cleared up in the next book, but I’m not going to read it so this was a useless friend.
I also didn’t like how the duke and Margaret didn’t spend much time together. The only reason we know they like each other is because we are in their heads. Margaret is attracted to Jasper, but her actions don’t convey that. And as for Jasper, we see that his perception of Margaret changes, but he too doesn’t show it to her. They have one kind of deep conversation and that’s all. Aside from that, the few times they are together, it’s very light and superficial. There is no development.
I wanted them to bond on a deeper level. Margaret and Jasper did have some things in common, but after being mentioned once, it was skipped over. And it would have been nice if the book showed how just because they are not completely the same and she might be more suited to another, they were better for each other, despite their differences.
It had a promising start. Margaret Carberry is a wallflower in her first season.
While at the last ball of the season, her mother tricks her into the residing duke’s bedroom, and with the help of a maid, she ties her to the duke’s bedposts and leaves her there to be found by said duke. The mother orchestrates this so that her Margaret is able to marry a duke.
Things do not go as planned. Jasper, the Duke of Jevington, finds Margaret and unties her. And before the mother can find them together, Margaret escapes from the Duke's bedroom in a funny and very daring way.
The duke is grateful that Margaret did not go with her mother’s plans to trap him in marriage and offers to help her find a duke husband by inviting her and her family to his home where he also invites all his duke friends.
From the moment the family arrived at the estate, it went downhill. Some things just didn’t work in my opinion.
Like lady Juliet, Margaret’s friend. As she is engaged to a duke, she joins the family to the house party, but we see her in the carriage and then at the very end and that’s it. It didn’t make much sense. If a young lady in the midst of finding a suitable husband is surrounded by dukes, she would probably seek out her friend a little and the friend would help her out, but no. They never hung out and barely spoke throughout the days they were there. There was no point in her being there. I don’t know if this is going to be cleared up in the next book, but I’m not going to read it so this was a useless friend.
I also didn’t like how the duke and Margaret didn’t spend much time together. The only reason we know they like each other is because we are in their heads. Margaret is attracted to Jasper, but her actions don’t convey that. And as for Jasper, we see that his perception of Margaret changes, but he too doesn’t show it to her. They have one kind of deep conversation and that’s all. Aside from that, the few times they are together, it’s very light and superficial. There is no development.
I wanted them to bond on a deeper level. Margaret and Jasper did have some things in common, but after being mentioned once, it was skipped over. And it would have been nice if the book showed how just because they are not completely the same and she might be more suited to another, they were better for each other, despite their differences.
May 8, 2022
This was a good book, but it could have been so much better. It started out really good and the author had tons of opportunities to make this fun and interesting, but alas, it fell flat. I'm still not really sure how Margaret fell in love with the Duke. Attraction, sure, but there wasn't any real chemistry or love, although there was smoke opportunity to create it. Unfortunately, there really wasn't enough buildup for a convincing loving relationship. It was fun watching the Duke wrestle with his emotions while trying to pair Margaret with anybody else but him, though.
My biggest gripe with this story was lack of quality editing. Some areas just didn't flow or the author would get overly wordy here, but simplified and gloss over something there. It seemed very uneven. And I checked... somebody's voice (Margaret's or another character) "squeaked" 26 times in this book. That word was so overused it drove me nuts! It was incredibly distracting and pulled me out of the story every single time.
I may check out some of the author's titles but I'm not in any hurry. I have lots of reading choices and I wasn't thrilled with this one.
My biggest gripe with this story was lack of quality editing. Some areas just didn't flow or the author would get overly wordy here, but simplified and gloss over something there. It seemed very uneven. And I checked... somebody's voice (Margaret's or another character) "squeaked" 26 times in this book. That word was so overused it drove me nuts! It was incredibly distracting and pulled me out of the story every single time.
I may check out some of the author's titles but I'm not in any hurry. I have lots of reading choices and I wasn't thrilled with this one.
July 2, 2022
DNF @26%
I tried to give it a go. Even after someone misnamed one of the main characters in Sense and Sensibility. I thought, ok yes that would take less than a minute to double check but sure, not worth quitting based on that alone. The chemistry was absolutely lacking, the plot was just absolutely too contrived, the proliferation of dukes was over the top. And it's a bit much to expect that Margaret would have had absolutely no suitors whatsoever despite being an heiress, even if her father is in trade. There were just too many "nope" moments by 26%, and not enough to convince me to push on.
I tried to give it a go. Even after someone misnamed one of the main characters in Sense and Sensibility. I thought, ok yes that would take less than a minute to double check but sure, not worth quitting based on that alone. The chemistry was absolutely lacking, the plot was just absolutely too contrived, the proliferation of dukes was over the top. And it's a bit much to expect that Margaret would have had absolutely no suitors whatsoever despite being an heiress, even if her father is in trade. There were just too many "nope" moments by 26%, and not enough to convince me to push on.
November 30, 2020
DNF at chapter 16, I couldn't take it anymore. The writing was choppy, the Duke was a dolt, and Mrs. Carberry was unbelievably awful. Characters put in an appearance and never seen again; Lady Juliet is a prime example. Or perhaps that is just a set-up for next book in series, which I won't be reading.
March 14, 2020
Great Start, Likeable Characters
Regency romance is my favorite fiction to read, and I particularly like ones that have slightly inventive twists on familiar tropes as well as characters who are essentially good at heart. This book has filled the bill on both counts. The book starts with the familiar compromise Regency trope, but this compromise, oh my! Perpetrated at the hands of the heroine’s mother but derailed by the quick-thinking hero and heroine. I particularly liked the heroine, as I thought she was smart and honorable, even if her mother didn't want her to be so! The hero is a kind-hearted gentleman, but I found him a little weak compared to the heroine. Still, I found their path to an HEA to be a fun one to follow. The heroine certainly did struggle with self-esteem issues despite her inherent kindness and cleverness. The author wrote in deep perspective, and she managed to pull that off well for both the hero and the heroine. Theirs were entertaining heads to be in for sure! The only thing I didn't like about the book is that the author used what I would consider more of a contemporary romance device that just doesn't seem to suit a historical romance. Namely, she has an affinity before short phrases, short sentences, and short paragraphs. Sometimes a “paragraph” was just a word. I just don't like that as I think it makes for choppy writing in general. Historical writing, to my mind, requires at least a certain level of formality which that kind of device just cannot provide. I think historical language needs room to breathe, but that doesn't happen with choppy phrases and short paragraphs. But other than that, I enjoyed this story. If you enjoy Regencies that play around with the familiar tropes and love kind-hearted characters who are just doing their best, you will most likely enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
Regency romance is my favorite fiction to read, and I particularly like ones that have slightly inventive twists on familiar tropes as well as characters who are essentially good at heart. This book has filled the bill on both counts. The book starts with the familiar compromise Regency trope, but this compromise, oh my! Perpetrated at the hands of the heroine’s mother but derailed by the quick-thinking hero and heroine. I particularly liked the heroine, as I thought she was smart and honorable, even if her mother didn't want her to be so! The hero is a kind-hearted gentleman, but I found him a little weak compared to the heroine. Still, I found their path to an HEA to be a fun one to follow. The heroine certainly did struggle with self-esteem issues despite her inherent kindness and cleverness. The author wrote in deep perspective, and she managed to pull that off well for both the hero and the heroine. Theirs were entertaining heads to be in for sure! The only thing I didn't like about the book is that the author used what I would consider more of a contemporary romance device that just doesn't seem to suit a historical romance. Namely, she has an affinity before short phrases, short sentences, and short paragraphs. Sometimes a “paragraph” was just a word. I just don't like that as I think it makes for choppy writing in general. Historical writing, to my mind, requires at least a certain level of formality which that kind of device just cannot provide. I think historical language needs room to breathe, but that doesn't happen with choppy phrases and short paragraphs. But other than that, I enjoyed this story. If you enjoy Regencies that play around with the familiar tropes and love kind-hearted characters who are just doing their best, you will most likely enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
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