The last thing Jenny Bamber expected when she became Susan Parsons' maid was to become her closest friend and support her scandalous secret romance. One fateful night, when Susan attends a ball, a letter arrives from her lost love. Jenny knows that the only way to stop her lady from making a terrible mistake is to risk it all and go to the ball herself. Trying to sneak in without being recognised, she catches the eye of a tempting Duke, who thinks she is a proper Lady. What kind of games will fate play?
Benjamin Dowding, the Duke of Beaufort, was never fond of balls. He is sick of society events, and all the ladies trying to impress him. Up until he sees a dashing lady...one that he has never seen before; a lady so smart and alluring, that he is willing to gamble his empire on her love. But the elusive Miss Jenny Burton proves harder to catch than he imagined. Who is this mysterious Lady, and why is there so much darkness around her? Will he eventually find the key to unlock her heart?
A risky game, a fateful attraction, and a masquerade that blurs the lines between two classes. An unorthodox match that wouldn't exist in the first place if it wasn't for the unexpected game of fate. Will Jenny and Benjamin manage to defy everything and make their two worlds one? Or will this romance be doomed forever?
How to Fool a Dashing Duke" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Henrietta Harding was born in Atlanta, but she moved to Europe with her parents at the age of 7. She fell in love with France, and especially Paris, a city that inspired and continues to inspire her a lot.
No one is born a romance writer, but she got a good start. She has been writing since she was 4 years old; while other children had just started talking more fluently she had already written her first poem! She studied French literature at the University of Strasbourg where she met her husband during her second year in college.
Henrietta makes her home in Boston where she spends her time writing her own enchanting historical romances, and chasing around her dog for long hours, without even noticing. She truly believes the most perfect heroes and heroines are imperfect, and she rather enjoys torturing them before giving them a well deserved happily ever after!
ADULT Historical Regency Romance💕 and Adventure Mayfair, London 1815 Jenny Bamber💃 has become lady's maid and best friend to the indomitable Miss Susan Parsons👸. Susan👸 is the middle daughter of wealthy parents and she is bound and determined She will marry👰 Lewis Leeson, the man of her dreams., He's the man who broke her heart💔 and left her high and dry a year ago. Her father disliked Lewis🐺, and is bound and determined She will marry Oliver Ramsbury, a dull and boring, but wealthy and decent young man whom she cares nothing for. Father and daughter clash over the two suitors.
While Susan👸 is at a ball, a letter finally comes from Lewis after a year of his absence! Jenny💃💋 knows how important it is she get the letter📨 to Susan👸, because Oliver is going to ask for her hand! Jenny💃💋 must get to The ball with the letter, so she borrows one of Susan's fine gowns and takes the family's other carriage to the ball, asap. While searching for Susan, Jenny💃💋 meets Benjamin Dowding🐺🍆⛲�, the wonderful Duke of Beaufort. He doesn't realize she is just a maid, because she is well educated and well spoken. Jenny💃💋 keeps up the ruse, even as the Duke🐺🍆⛲� wants to court her.
ARC Provided by Author Harding📚 via Amazon Free. Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The ruse takes up the better part of the book and dominated the story. Susan👸 is relegated to helping Jenny💃💋 in the forbidden romance💕 with the Duke, while she tries to dodge the attentions of Mr Ramsbury.
It reminded me of an old "I Love Lucy" or a 70s Sitcom 📺 where the two young women are hiding everything from everyone around them and the story becomes ridiculous. Of course it all eventually falls apart.
There were also some modern terms and words that didn't belong in the book. They really stick out.
How to Fool a Dashing Duke A Historical Regency Romance Book
A very good story about a young woman that is a lady's maid Jenny Bamber and she dressed a lady to deliver a letter to her closet friend Susan and she is meets Benjamin The Duke of Beaufort and they are attracted to each other so she poses and fall in love and he loves her but maids and dukes do not marry but fairytales do come true sometimes The characters are emotional and there is a good extended epilogue .A good enjoyable read
ONE INTRIGUING ADVENTURE!!! Brazen Beauty! Henrietta shines through like a beacon in the night shining brightly on this artfully composed piece of perfection, revving it up and laying out one heart pounding storyline and gripping plot wrapping this baby up sleek, shiny and tight. Quirky mishaps and surprising happenstance, showcase the taxing trials and pulse racing tribulations, stumbling through the crazy twists and wicked turns, testing them in ways they never saw coming. Pushing boundaries and crossing lines, exposing the strengths and weaknesses being weighed and balanced, booting this gem into the eye of the storm, breaking it down, slamming it into overdrive, catapulting it into a hissy with an eye-opening culmination. Shenanigans, escapades and mayhem rule the roost displaying the drama, turmoil, intrigue, deception, danger, simmering mystique and electrifying situations, along with a boatload of moxie and sass, you have one intoxicating masterpiece. Coiled, woven and knotted, exposing the explosive ups and agonizing downs, grounding in it's strength and awe-inspiring in it's depth. The attraction and chemistry sizzles through the pages, alluring and mesmerizing, exposing the thrilling emotions, binding them to one another perfectly. The characters are complex and authentic with depth and traits that blend and flow, transforming into genuinely relatable personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and depictions creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Amazing job Henrietta, thanks for sharing this little treasure with us.
Jenny Banner crashed a ball in order to get a letter to her boss, Lady Susan Parsons, from the man she loves before she becomes betrothed to a man she doesn't love. Benjamin Dowding, the Duke of Beaufort, briefly meets Jenny at the ball and believes that Jenny, who is dressed in some of her boss's finest clothes, is truly a member of the ton. And he is instantly enchanted with her. Jenny is also attracted to Benjamin but instead of telling him the truth, with Susan's help, she continues the charade.
I really enjoyed the various subplots in the storyline and enjoyed the way Ms. Harding had them seeminglessly intertwined them in this book. I really liked Jenny and I wanted to reach in the book to try to shake some sense into her. Obviously, I couldn't and I kept reading and getting more involved in the book. By the end of the book, I was emotionally drained.
I highly recommend this book. But be warned, this book just might take you on a emotional rollercoaster like it did me.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. My review is voluntary and honest.
Scullery maid to Lady's Maid and a Duke that has become disenchanted with the London scene
Jenny Bamber and Lady Susan have formed an unlikely friendship with each other considering that Susan's parents are very different in their beliefs than their middle daughter. When Jenny dresses in Lady Susan's finery in order to attend a ball to deliver Susan a letter before she commits to a betrothal that she doesn't want, she meets Benjamin Dowding the Duke of Beaufort. Benjamin was disenchanted with the years of socializing in London and was about to leave this latest ball that he'd forced himself to attend, until meeting Jenny and feeling an instant attraction. Susan comes up with a scheme to help her friend and the Duke become better acquainted. Imagine the heartbreak awaiting Jenny and Benjamin when he is invited to the Parson home and discovers that she is actually a maid in the household and not a Lady living there as a guest.
I wish I could say this story was entertaining, but it was just sad, even the ending was sad. The only positive thing in this story is the vibrancy of well written characters. It's a Cinderella story without the evil stepsisters, and without any hidden nobility of the woman, like Cinderella is the baron's daughter forces to slavery. Jenny is just a lady's maid and got caught up in a scheme where all she wanted to do was deliver a letter to her mistress at a ball. It's where nobility plays with the servants in a scheme where everyone gets hurt. The one thing that is well written in this book is the consequences of the Duke marrying a lady's maid. Such is the happily ever after of such a marriage. The extended epilogue explains all the consequences but makes them seem unimportant. Love may conquer all, but in real life all you may end up with is each other, no friends and being a social pariah.
This was a great story the way it was written, really. A story that the heroine goes from rags to riches, ladies maid to duchess. A very innocent task that the ladies maid did for her charge, that is to dress up in some of her Ladies clothes to give her (Susan) a note before she make the biggest mistake of her life, by agreeing to marry someone she doesn’t love when she can marry the man she has given her heart to. She (Jenny) only dressed up like a lady to fit in with the ton so she could get into the ball where her lady (Susan) was located. A Maid and a Duke got there happily ever after. I will caution you that some of the beginning of the story was pretty boring, but if you can get through that you will understand why I gave it 5* rating anyway. So different from other love stories I have read.
Will, there be just risk or will success follow? Now, this was a fun read Jenny is trying to save her mistress from making a big mistake but ends up landing it with a bit of hot water. Benjamin finds Ms. Jenny and the gambler in him wants to play the odds and win her heart. The author is right she wrote a book that did have some risk but also some success too. I liked the ins and outs of this piece. Knowing that a maid and duke cannot be together but a strong desire for them to really get together makes for great reading. I love it when an author can invoke emotion in the reader. I enjoyed the book and I am happy to recommend it.
This is another delightful story that has a brilliantly written plot. The characters are strong and overcome some unique challenges. The extended epilogue is as usual a beautifully written ending to the characters story's. This is a book that will suit anyone who loves steamy historical romances that have plenty of twists and turns. I read an ARC copy
This was a sweet Cinderella story. Jenny never expected a TDH Duke to notice her. Her sacrificial love for Susan produced benefits. I always enjoy stories were a noble married for love. Especially a Duke because he has authority to do whatever he wants. He was not going to go along with society and sacrifice happiness for the title. Loved the extended epilogue.
Lady Susan didnt want to marry the man her father chose, she loved someone else, but he has left England due to a scandal. So when a letter arrives her maid Jenny decided to dress up as a lady and take the letter to her. And at the party she is spotted by a Duke. So Susan devises a plan to help the Duke and Jenny be together. And then all of the planning comes out and the Duke is furious. So to see what happens next you must read the book.
She is a lady's maid who goes to a ball to save her lady from something and attracts the attention of a Duke. They have a strong attraction for each other. But it just isn't done to cross class lines. What do they do? Exciting, twists and turns, emotions and much more. I recommend it. I received a review copy and voluntarily review it.
Oh jeeze!!! I stood up all night reading this book!! I truly couldn't put it down!! Jenny & Susan are a mess. Their friendship was a true friendship, not one-sided. Benjamin is such a romantic. I hope Timothy has his own book. There is a story to be told about him.
A lady's maid goes beyond duty to save her mistress from a miserable fate. Unwillingly she attracts the attention of a duke. He goes through hoops to get to know her. When he finds out what her true station in life is, he feels angry and betrayed. This is a simple story. Not enough depth for me but others may find it charming.
I completely enjoyed this lovely book. Wonderful characters are given a difficult and stimulating plot to shine in. If you never grew up and still love fairy tales, you won't be disappointed in Ms. Harding's book. Buy and enjoy! Oh yes, don't forget to read the extended epilogue. You'll be glad you did.
A lady trying to help her friend lands in the right spot at the right time without planning for the surprise outcome. Great thing can come about without planning ahead sometimes. Read the book for a good read. I recommend this book as a great read.
Wonderful story with a story line that is my favorite, Cinderella has always been my favorite fairy tale In this case she was a beautiful lady s maid who pretended to be a lady In order to deliver a letter to her friend and that's when her fairy tale begins. Thank you �
How two different class of young girl show that there is much different yet the care for each other .
Story about two young girls one a maid other her charge they help each other with their gentle man friend's . The gentleman are in their own problems this is all about the difference in help an the rich but all ends well.
A sort of Cinderella story. Susan Parsons is sneaky and deceptive. She draws her maid, Jenny Bamber, into a complicated web that nearly destroys her. The Duke is a hormone-driven cad, in my opinion. Jenny throws her good upbringing to the wind.
I finished the story and the extended epilogue, but did not find the characters likable.
To try and fool a duke was such a scary thing to do. To fall in love with a duke and being a lady maid was a brave thing to do. To have all your fantasy come true and marry the man you love.
An original plot. A personal maid who is pretending to be a lady. Her boss is enabling her to keep up the fiction. What can go wrong? Take the challenge; read this quick, simple story.
Nice quick read..I'm ashamed to say I skimmed some parts just to get to the end. I new how it would end, but the ending was fanciful and unrealistic. Good for a book when you don't have to pay attention to the story.
The author does a great job developing the characters and the fact that the live between the lady and her maid was deep and led to the belief that love could survive between a Duke and a maid. Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Hard to put down!
Loved all the characters, story line, and ending. Jenny was very lovable and deserved a happy ending. Duke was dashing and a true gentleman that made the right choice.
I loved this book. It was sweet and found it captivating. It was well written. The characters were interesting and I could see them in my mind as real people.