I recently discovered that this series is inspired by 80s movies, which makes me very happy. I guess this one was mostly inspired by Working Girl, but there are references to other 80s movies too. It’s clear the author is having fun with this idea, and I appreciate her frisky approach to writing. There was also a hilarious reference to Twitter that was probably the funniest paragraph of the book.
I loved Noel (the Duke who’s getting lied to in the title) in My Fake Rake, and I was super looking forward to a book featuring him as the romantic lead. For the most part, I enjoyed it. Jess was a good love interest, and I liked her backstory. I enjoyed her scenes with her family and the other ladies of the bazaar. It was nice to see lady characters bonding instead of competing.
The sex scenes were def not my taste, and I thought the poor lonely rich boy characterization of Noel was laid on pretty thick, as was his acceptance of his true friends’ constant trash-talking to “bring him down a peg.” The Union of Rakes came through in the end, though, and I still like their friendship as the basis for the series. I’m looking forward to the next, featuring McCameron, Waiting for a Scot Like You! ( )

A fun read and I laughed out loud at the Twitter reference. Some of my favorite tropes include lying about ones identity, sacrifice for family, more than appears to the eye, and martyrdom, but there are enough fresh details to keep it interesting. ( )

The false identity went on for much longer than I could really condone, and of course there’s maximum drama when it finally ends. So, this book wasn’t really written for me. But, I feel like it was done pretty well for that sort, so give it a try if that’s up your alley. Some people were a bit turned off over the hero’s sexual submissiveness (though he’s hardly a doormat), but I appreciate the variety. Like 95% of HR has a more dominant hero, so there’s plenty of others to choose from if that’s a necessary feature for you. I say more authors should go for a bit of sexual-dynamic experimentation if the mood strikes. ( )

Eva Leigh's latest historical romance asks "Would I Lie to the Duke?" and the answer is yes, yes Jess would. But it's for a good cause and everything works out, so perhaps we can forgive Jess and forgive the author for all the 80's earworms.

Jess is working as a lady's companion and needs to find an investor to save her family's floundering farm and soapmaking operation which was ruined in a fire. When her injured employer takes some time to recuperate in the country and leaves Jess in London for a few weeks, Jess pretends to be a wealthy widow and finagles her way into what is essentially an extended investors' conference. Noel, the titular duke, first meets Jess on Bond Street when she butts into a conversation to dispense some investment advice. He is immediately struck by her intelligence and when he sees her again at the "business bazaar" he is determined to start an affair. I appreciated that Noel was passionate about ethical investment and there's even mention of where sugar comes from and ethical consumption.

While I found My Fake Rake to be laugh-out-loud funny, Would I Lie to the Duke is sexier and more romantic. Noel doesn't have a tortured past, social awkwardness or any of the other classic hero trappings, but he's a genuinely good, fun-loving man who falls hard. There's a dash of femdom in this romance, with lots of Noel asking to be bossed around and reveling it just as Jess does. In some ways, Leigh gives Jess the better character arc and flips the more common Regency romance gender dynamics. Her readers expect this from her by now, but it's still refreshing.

Would I Lie to the Duke is second in this Breakfast Club inspired series and I look forward to the next installment and to the fourth and fifth men in the Union of the Rakes to get their HEA with each other.

Now I'm off to listen to Hungry Like the Wolf and watch Ladyhawke because Eva Leigh is a monster who inserted so many 80's references into this book that I've got a serious case of nostalgia.


***
If you'd like to purchase a copy of this book, please consider using one of the following links to support the site: Amazon  ◊  Barnes & Noble  ◊  Bookshop  ◊  Apple Books  ◊  Kobo


I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher for review and purchased my own.
( )

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

Historical romance. 2nd book in the Union of the Rakes series. Can be read as a stand-alone. Commoner poses as high society to keep her family business running. Falling is love wasn’t part of the plan. Nevertheless love happened.

Emotionally satisfying and beautifully written, this romance is heartbreaking and enriching. I fell in love with the Duke who had a soft heart and was essentially a nice and generous person. I fell in love with the heroine who was extremely intelligent in finance and business, who also had a soft spot for the handsome Duke. Their collision course was steamy, sexy and entertaining.

I’ve never read this author before and I was highly impressed by the engaging pace and likability of both the main and secondary characters. While historical romance is not generally on my list, I will definitely look for more books by this author.

Thanks to Avon and Kisscon for an advance paperback copy. ( )