Review (ARC Version): The Duke Is But A Dream (Debutante Diaries 2) by Anna Bennett

Title: The Duke Is But A Dream

         The Debutant Diaries 2

Author: Anna Bennett

Release Date: July 30, 2019 (ARC Version)

Published By: St. Martin’s Press

Category: Historical– Romance – Regency

Type: Digital – Paperback – Audio

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Anna Bennett Website

Blurb: 

She’s a secret sensation.
Miss Lily Hartley is the anonymous mastermind behind the ton’s latest obsession: The Debutante’s Revenge, a tell-all advice column for young ladies. To keep her identity hidden, Lily delivers her columns disguised as a boy—which is well and good, until she lands in the middle of tavern brawl. As luck would have it, a devastatingly handsome duke sweeps in to rescue her.

He has no idea who she is.
Eric Nash, Duke of Stonebridge, discovers there’s a beautiful woman hiding beneath a lad’s cap, and, before long, he’s falling for the delightfully clever stranger recuperating in his house. He vows to help her find her home, even though he’s reluctant to part with her. There’s only one problem…

Neither does she.
Lily has no idea who she is. She could be a duchess or maid. Betrothed or married. There’s only one thing she does know—that her attraction to Nash is more than skin-deep, and it grows stronger every day. While Lily and Nash search to find her true identity, they just might lose their hearts to each other...

 By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.

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Favorite Lines:

“With each hour that passes, I discover more about my personality. Apparently, I am headstrong,” she said, impressively unapologetic.  ~  Lily

“A gentleman’s expertise on the dance floor often extends to other key areas as well.”  ~  Lily

Excerpt:

          Lily hurried to the guest bedchamber where she slept whenever she visited her sister and brother-in-law’s house, closed the door, and opened the trunk at the foot of the bed. Buried deep in a corner were an old pair of boy’s breeches, a dingy white shirt, and a jacket with patched elbows, along with socks, shoes, and a cap. 

          She unlaced her gown and let the deep green silk slide off her shoulders before removing all of her undergarments and tightly binding her breasts with a long swath of linen. She wriggled her hips into the breeches, which were vexingly snug across her bottom—but that couldn’t be helped. She remembered to slip the little sketch Fiona had given her into her pocket—for good luck. And a few minutes later, she stood before the full-length mirror, carefully tucking the last long strand of dark hair under her cap. 

          Her transformation was complete. A lad of fourteen or so stared back at her, smooth-faced and slight of build. As long as she kept her head down and her stride sure, no one would suspect she was a woman, much less the authoress of The Debutante’s Revenge. 

          And they definitely would not suspect she was Miss Lily Hartley, sister of the Countess of Ravenport and an heiress in her own right. 

          Enjoying the familiar ease and freedom of her breeches, Lily slung the strap of her leather bag across her body and hurried downstairs into the drawing room. “I’m ready to go,” she announced, expecting only Fiona. 

          But it was Gray who greeted her, albeit cautiously, as she entered. “Lily?”Her brother-in-law backed away slowly and tilted his head to see her face beneath the brim of her cap. 

          “It is I.”She pointed her toe, made a theatrical bow, then grinned up at him. “Nice to see you, Gray.”

          The earl chuckled and dragged a hand through his hair. “Good to know the Hartley sisters are up to their usual tricks. Though I didn’t realize you were planning on staying here till Fiona mentioned it just now.”

          “Oh, is it a problem?” Fiona and Gray had never treated her as a guest in the past, making it clear she was welcome to drop in whenever she chose. 

          “Not at all,” he assured her, but Lily sensed something was amiss. 

          Fiona wrung her hands. “Gray just informed me that he’d hoped to surprise me with a little trip. He wants me to accompany him to Scotland . . . but I’ve already told him it’s out of the question. You and I intended to have a couple of weeks of sisterly bonding, and so we shall.”

          Lily pasted on a smile so bright that no one would dream she felt a twinge of disappointment. “A romantic holiday in Scotland! Fi, what’s this nonsense about not going? You absolutely must. I insist that you march upstairs and pack this instant. I know you want to go, and I want you to go as well.”

          “But we were so looking forward to our time together, and there was a particular matter I wished to discuss.”

          Lily waved a dismissive hand. “We shall schedule a visit for another time.”She paused and searched her sister’s face. “Unless the matter is urgent?”

          “No.” Fiona worried her lip. “You’re certain you don’t mind?”

          “Of course not,” Lily said. She had The Debutante’s Revenge to occupy her, after all. In the months since she’d started the column, it had become much more than a pet project. It was a way to explore who she was and what she believed, as intertwined with her identity as her name or her family or her home. She was never truly alone when she was writing. 

          Besides, Lily intended to take advantage of her sister’s trip to surprise her with a new studio. She’d been conspiring with Gray, who loved the idea and had given Lily free rein to renovate the library whenever she was able. Now she’d have the perfect opportunity. 

          “What about The Debutante’s Revenge?” Fiona asked, her brow furrowed. “We’ll need columns for the next two weeks, and Sophie is staying in Brighton with her aunt. She won’t be able to help with the editing.”

          “Leave it all to me.” Lily strode to the desk, collected a couple of Fiona’s sketches, and carefully placed them in her bag. “You’ve already drawn beautiful illustrations, and I have two columns ready to go. I’ll simply deliver columns for this week’s and next week’s editions at the same time tonight. It shan’t be a problem.”

          “You see,” Gray said, pressing his lips to the back of Fiona’s hand. “Everything is settled. If we leave now, we can make it to a charming little inn before nightfall.”

          Fiona’s gaze flicked from Gray to Lily, and she nibbled her lip, clearly torn. 

          Lily rolled her eyes and smiled widely. “Go,” she said encouragingly. 

          “Very well.”Fiona threw up her hands. “I confess, I can’t resist the idea of a romantic trip to Scotland.”

          “No happy bride would,” Lily said, waving the couple away with the back of her hand. “Off with you now.”

          “Will you explain to Mama and Papa where we’ve gone?”

          Blast. Until that very moment, Lily had forgotten that her father and stepmother planned to leave for Bath the next morning. Mama insisted taking the waters would do wonders for Papa’s weak heart, even though he’d never looked healthier to Lily. She was supposed to inform her sister that their parents would return in two weeks. “Actually, they’ve decided to—”

          “Pardon the interruption.”Gray’s butler swept into the room and cleared his throat. “The coach is out front, my lord, whenever you and the countess are ready.”

          “Thank you, Burns.”

          “What was it you were saying about Mama and Papa?” Fiona asked. 

          Lily hesitated. If she told Fiona about their parents’excursion to Bath, she’d cancel her own trip in a heartbeat—just so Lily wouldn’t be stuck in town alone. “I’ll be sure to let them know where you two lovebirds are headed.”

          Fiona wrapped her in a grateful embrace. “I’ll make this up to you,” she vowed. 

          “I know you will,” Lily said cheerfully. 

          “Can I be honest with you about something?” Fiona asked. 

          “Always.”

          Grinning, Fiona tweaked the brim of Lily’s hat. “I feel like I’m hugging a chimney sweep.”

          “Interesting,” Lily mused. “Perhaps next week’s column shall be devoted to the subject of dressing as the opposite sex.”

          Gray groaned, but the hint of a smile played around his mouth. “I beg you to exercise restraint.”

          “Restraint has never been Lily’s forte,” Fiona said proudly. “It’s one of the many reasons I adore her.”

          Lily laughed. But Fiona’s assessment hit the mark. Ever since they’d attended Miss Haywinkle’s School for Girls, Lily had been known as the pupil most likely to stretch rules. To push the limits. Fortunately, her well-meaning but ever-vigilant family kept her wilder side in check. 

          But the next two weeks afforded a rare opportunity. While her father and stepmother stayed in Bath and her sister and brother-in-law toured Scotland, Lily would be left to her own devices in town. Each side of the family assumed she’d be looked after by the other, and Lily would be free. 

          Free to venture to places where proper young misses dared not go. 

          Free to mingle with people from other walks of life. 

          And, best of all, free to experience the passion she’d only written about. 

          Perhaps she wouldn’t rush directly home after visiting the Hearsay’s offices. She had the unique chance to see London through the eyes of a lad—and she’d sooner eat a toad than squander it.

Highlight:

          Nash growled inwardly at the cozy scene—his sister and the young woman laughing, sharing confidences, and plotting God knew what. In the short time since she’d arrived, the beautiful stranger had upended his orderly world. She’d drawn him into a tavern fight, apparently befriended his sister, and—worst of all—made him feel things. The sooner she remembered who she was and returned to her parents—or husband—the better. 

          Delilah tossed her blond curls, an unconscious habit that might have been charming if it didn’t usually signal she was about to spar with him. She slipped an arm around the dark-haired woman’s slender shoulders. “I was just saying that Caroline is a fine name. Temporary, of course, for I’m certain we shall soon know her true identity.”

          “Caroline,” he said, testing out the name, trying to reconcile it with her face. It suited her. “May I have a word with you, privately?”

          His sister squared her shoulders like a mother bear preparing to defend her cub. “She needs to rest, Nash.”

          Caroline shot Delilah a grateful smile. “I’m not tired, and I don’t mind speaking with your brother.”

          “Would you prefer it if I stayed?”She cast a scolding glance at Nash. “He’s not nearly as ill-mannered as he’d like you to believe, but I am happy to act as a chaperone if you’d like.”

          Caroline patted Delilah’s hand. “I appreciate your concern, but I shall be fine. Besides, one advantage of not having a reputation is that it cannot suffer.”She winked at his sister like they were bosom friends, and the seed of a headache sprouted at the base of his skull. 

          “Very well,” Delilah said reluctantly. “I shall be just down the hall if you need me.”

          He quirked a brow as his sister breezed out of the room, leaving the door open a crack. She was clearly already attached to the stranger he’d brought home—Caroline. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be next. 

          As he sank into the armchair beside her bed, he grudgingly noticed the improvement in her appearance since that morning. She’d been beautiful before; now, her cheeks radiated a light pink glow and her eyes sparkled like emeralds. 

          “Delilah told me you are the Duke of Stonebridge,” she said without preamble. 

          “Does the title sound familiar?” He crossed his arms, thoughtful. “Maybe you’ve heard the stories about me?”

          “No.” She arched a brow. “But I’d like to.”

          He thought about the rumors—that he’d gone mad after the deaths of his twin and his father. That he never smiled anymore. That he was a shell of the man he used to be. “They’re only half true,” he said with a shrug. 

          “Is that why you didn’t tell me your title before?”Her mouth curled in a teasing, knowing smile. “You feared your reputation preceded you?”

          “You were fighting for your life when I introduced myself,”he replied earnestly. “I thought it best to dispense with formalities.”

          “Well, I’m feeling much better now.”She gazed at him, her expression suddenly serious. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here.”

          “It was the least I could do.” Given that he’d shoved the brute who in turn sent her flying across the tavern and into a table. “How did you decide on the name Caroline?”

          “Delilah suggested I choose something I liked,” she said, absently tucking a dark curl behind her ear. “It was the first that came to mind.”

          “And you don’t know why?” he probed. 

          “No.”She stared at her lap, her expression wistful and serious at the same time. “Earlier, I asked Delilah’s maid, Molly, to bring me a looking glass. I thought that if I studied my reflection, I would know my own face. That I’d remember. Do you know how odd it is to look at a mirror and see a stranger staring back at you?”

          He shook his head, sober. “I imagine it is unsettling.”

          “I believe you mentioned earlier that you found me in a tavern.” She looked up at him, her green eyes imploring. “Would you tell me more about what happened that night?”

          “For one thing, you were dressed as a lad.”

          Her eyebrows slid up her forehead. “I beg your pardon?”

          “When I met you last night at the tavern, you were wearing trousers, a boy’s shirt and jacket, and a cap.”

          One corner of her mouth curled in an intoxicating combination of disbelief and amusement. “I was disguised as a boy?”

          “From head to toe,” he confirmed. 

          She glanced around the room, clearly curious. “May I see the clothes I was wearing?”

          “I believe a maid whisked them away, probably to wash. But I’ll see that they’re returned to you.”

          The disappointment that flashed across her face quickly gave way to wonder. “Twenty-four hours ago I was in a tavern pretending to be a lad,” she mused, more to herself than to him. 

          He nodded, giving her time to digest the information. She tapped a finger against her lower lip, and he could almost see the wheels of her mind spinning as she tried to make sense of it all. 

          When she met his gaze, her green eyes flashed in an unspoken challenge. “I confess I’m far less scandalized by my manner of dress than I am intrigued,” she said smoothly. “What do you suppose that says about me, Your Grace?”

          It told Nash plenty. Bold, beautiful, and witty, Caroline had the power to make his blood thrum in his veins. Which meant she could also disrupt his comfortably predictable and largely isolated existence—making him forget the solemn promise he’d made himself. 

          But he hesitated for a beat, pretending to ponder her question. Savoring the heat between them. Wondering if she felt it too. At last, he arched a brow and said, “I wouldn’t dare hazard to guess.”

          She rewarded him with a warm, knowing smile—the sort that seeped under his skin and confirmed what he already suspected. If he wasn’t careful, Caroline might easily scale the towering walls he’d built around his heart.

Review: 

Lily has found her calling. The unknown authoress of the advice behind the wildly popular Debutante’s Revenge, she has gone to great lengths to protect the identity of herself and the two others in cahoots with her. In disguise to deliver the article, she decides to tempt fate to see what life looks like from the perspective of a young lad as her disguise indicates that she is. Unsettled by a stranger who seems to sense something off about her, she stumbles into trouble and ends up getting knocked unconscious, which results in amnesia and being cared for by the mysterious stranger who sets her pulse to racing. She has no idea who she is, but she is certain that the attraction she feels for Nash is like nothing she has ever experienced before and she means to indulge in whatever possible before the reality of her identity comes calling.

Eric Nash - Duke of Stonebridge - is at a loss. He knew something wasn’t right when he first spotted the lad. Coming to the young boy’s rescue, he inadvertently ends up responsible for his memory loss … no, HER memory loss. Having no idea who she is, he is compelled to provide safe shelter during her convalescence. His sister, Delilah, is quite a bit of help and becomes fast friends with their new houseguest in record time. Nash is both looking forward to returning “Caroline” to her home, but also dreads her departure. As the search for her identity continues, the attraction between himself and “Caroline” becomes impossible to ignore. Despite the fact that she could be anyone from any class, even married, they give in to their deepest desires knowing it might only be a fleeting romance. But the heart wants what it wants and once “Caroline’s” true name is revealed it seems there could be hope for them after all. But throughout Lily’s stay with Nash and Delilah, many secrets were revealed and the darkness that clutches at Nash’s heart may be too great a hold for Lily to break through.

Eeeeep! I wasn’t sure I would love this book as much as the first, despite my anticipation! But sheesh! What a fun twist to throw in! In the preceding book, Lily’s sister, Fiona, is offered an anonymous column in the newspaper. Her husband, Gray, had been the one to write the words that accompanied the drawing. Refusing to dabble in poetry for which he never claimed a talent for, Fiona enlists Lily as her authoress. Together, Fiona draws, Lily writes, and their longtime friend Sophie pairs the art and writing together impeccably. The trio has settled into a routine since the conclusion of the first book with their column becoming ridiculously popular. Of course, with such advice being given the members of society either love the column or abhor it; mostly the women seem to embrace it and the men thrust it about as a piece of garbage created with ill intent. God forbid the women think for themselves. *coughs* In any case, these ladies have evolved quite a bit since first we were introduced and I had a blast revisiting with them. The amnesia spin was brilliant and allowed so much more emotion to enter the plot. From the unknown inspiring both fear and hope; to wrestling with feelings as they grew to palpable heights; to the internal struggle of “to do or not to do”; the journey that Nash and Lily embark on is nothing short of enchanting.

True to form from one story to the next, Nash is the ever brooding gentleman, grappling with his internal demons and struggling to keep his head above water until he finds a lifesaver in Lily. She is the light to his darkness; a beacon in his raging storm; ever the optimist and finding the silver lining in every situation. Tragic circumstances thrust Nash into his fiercely protective nature over Delilah, but with Lily’s insight and kind-heartedness, she mends the tentative thread between brother and sister. Also brought to light was the introduction of Lily’s mother. While we had been given hints at parts of her mother’s life in the previous book making the reveal expected, I was pleased with the reunion and Lily’s strength in accepting what was presented to her. Of course, her time with Nash and his unwavering support was paramount to her making it through such an unexpected meeting. But before she has time to fully assimilate the news, she and Nash and whisked away on a new journey to save another. Just when you think you have things figured out, another twist is tossed into the plot. Ms. Bennett kept me guessing and engaged from beginning to end. I enjoyed Lily immensely in the first book, but I absolutely adored her when my time ended with her this time around. I love how Ms. Bennett creates these strong men who are nearly undone by tragic circumstances. Although they have risen above to the best of their abilities, or what they think are the best, they are suddenly poleaxed by the unexpected arrival of their perfect match who sets their axis on tilt. If I had any complaint at all (and this is a bit of a spoiler), it’s that the timing on Lily’s courses didn’t quite work out. Also, that Delilah was so intent on proving Nash wrong, and Nash so hell-bent on protecting her, that she ends up placing herself in danger. However, I did enjoy how Ms. Bennett worked that debacle out. Well played. I confess I am curious if the series will continue despite beginning with three women. That in and of itself spells trilogy. However, Delilah deserves her own story to be certain!

For those of you who have yet to experience the Debutante Diaries and the fantastic women surrounding it, you are truly missing out. This historical romance series is such a fun and enchanting experience. Those who love HR and HEAs will be in heaven within this book and series. While this setting may be the regency era, the characters (more specifically the females) remain relatable. Despite anything the women may have to endure whether positive or negative, the family that they create together is what endures. A true friendship that allows them the courage to forge ahead in making their own way in the world, always speaking freely to one another, but supportive no matter what. I cannot yet speak to the third book, which is up next, but you can bet I will be continuing my adventure with these delightful debutantes forthwith.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.