A story of personal development
Emma was reluctantly being compromised at a ball and Alex stepped in to assist her which ended in him declaring that they were engaged in order to save her reputation. The main issue was that he only wanted a marriage in name only given that he lost his first wife in childbirth and is still grieving her death
I liked both Emma and Alex although at times they did both frustrate me with some of their actions. There is a lot of focus on their emotions and Alex’s conflict between his late wife’s memory and his growing feelings towards Emma and whilst I understood the need for this, at times it did become a bit much and it was hard to get to know Alex as a character because of everything else that he os dealing with. Emma doesn’t have as may obvious complications but I found it harder to bond with her as well given that the different points of view meant that we didn’t always spend that much time with her and when we did, huge portions were missed or treated more as anecdotes which I did struggle with at times
Even with all of this though, I did still enjoy this book and was very quickly pulled into the story and I did forget about my cup of tea a few times as I was so engrossed in the story
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a historical romance full of emotions and character development which will catch your attention from the very first page

This Regency romance is Sophia Williams debut novel. Heiress Emma is though to be about to become victim to a rogue ruining her reputation and claiming her wealth. Duke of Harwell, Alexander, steps in and claims to be her fiancé. He is not thrilled to do this as he has already been married once. His wife died and he is scared to love again but will do so to protect the young heiress.
They enter into a marriage of convenience with the agreement that they both remain independent. They travel to his estate and meet Alex’s young sons. Slowly despite Alex playing hot and cold and Emma excusing his behaviour a friendship then romance slowly develops. Will they be able to create a perfect family or will past experience thwart their HEA.

I don’t really enjoy historical romances as romances but I do enjoy reading them (as long as they are well researched and understand the social prejudices and strictures that restricted the lives of upper class women during the Regency period) as historical novels. I found this book did incorporate and understand the problems women faced despite being rich and the fact that they could face ruin if their virtue or honour was questioned so much do that in order to protect themselves they were prepared to enter marriages of convenience. Both Alex and Emma have strong characters and I like how the author develops them over time as they interact with the boys and between themselves.



I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When young heiress Emma is found to be at risk of a rogue ruining her reputation, all to be able to claim her wealth, Alexander, Duke of Harwell can't allow it to happen. Though he's adamant he won't remarry, to save Emma he proclaims they are engaged. Neither is too happy about the engagement, but are willing to go along with a marriage in name only, as long as they both retain their independence. However, once they arrive at their country estate, and Emma meets Alex's young sons, their feelings for each other become too much to contend with, and Alex soon realises that he might have met his match after all.

This was such an enjoyable book, and the way that Emma and Alex's romance blossomed and grew was perfect for their story. Their first meeting was when their engagement was announced, so they had to get to know each other first, with the pressure of the upcoming marriage on their shoulders. Their friendship and then romance was wonderful, and it all grew naturally. Nothing was forced, and though they tried to fight the attraction, being a true family was too strong to compete with, and the ending was the sweetest ever! A wonderful regency book.

I do love a Mills and Boon regency romance and this book was no exception. The glamour and constraints of that period of time for the upper classes were well described and the duke and his family were a delight, especially when our heroine appeared on the scene to make all their lives complete. A bread light read.

A good, well written debut historical romance set in the regency era.
Whilst the story is set to a marriage of convenience, I liked the way the characters came together and forged their romance in their own way. Historical romances can sometimes be stuffy or quite formal, in this story, I didnt find that to be the case at all - both characters were overall likable and I look forward to seeing the next story by this writer.

How the Duke Met His Match is a marriage of convenience story about Alex and Emma. The two of them meet in circumstances which propel Alex to offer Emma marriage and after much thought, she accepts. Both of them have their own reasons for agreeing and love has absolutely nothing to do with it.

I found the premise of this book to be interesting and I always enjoy reading a marriage of convenience story. But on this occasion the book didn't live up to the promise of the premise. I found Alex's thoughts repetitive and his dithering began to grate because he would literally take one step forward with Emma and then one step back. Emma should have fought him a bit harder after his hot and cold treatment of her. I didn't like the fact that she accepted it and often excused it. That being said, I thought some of the scenes in the book were really well written and the author shows promise. Thank you NetGalley and Mills and Boon for an ARC.

I enjoyed this romantic story, where Alex rescues Emma from ruin in the eyes of Regency society in a marriage of convenience trope. It evokes the historical period's prejudices. The main protagonists are complex and capture the reader's heart. Bereaved Alex is frightened to love again after losing his young wife, and Emma wants to keep her independence even if it jeopardises her future. The attraction between the couple, aided by proximity and the conflicts to their happiness together, is believably written, making this an entertaining read. I like the romance and the main protagonists.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you to Mills and Boon and Sophia Williams for giving me an arc review copy of How the Duke Met His Match from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of the book. Additionally, congratulations to Sophia for this being her debut book.

Set in a classic Regency background, with all the glitz, glamour, and expectations of high society; How The Duke Met His Match is the story of Alex, Duke of Harwell, and Emma, who he meets when he steps in to save her from a fortune-hunter wayward scheme to get them caught in a compromising situation goes awry. A delightful marriage of convenience romance that brings together the trials of two strangers learning to co-exist in their marriage and new family circumstances. The story contains plenty of highs and lows, as they contend with; battling their blossoming attraction to one another, keeping-up appearances for the ton, and navigating the vicious gossip spreading like wildfire about their marriage.

I liked Emma’s heritage and backstory. Not the usual well-brought-up Regency lady, this gives her extra feistiness and boldness to her character. Alex was a likable and honourable gentleman, trapped in a struggle with grief and loss. While both were strong characters, they were pros at retreating from those pesky feelings of attraction leading to more distance, tension, and conflict between them. Given Emma’s feistiness at other times in the story, I thought she might have been a little more outspoken at this treatment causing more discord between her and Alex. That said, it didn’t detract from the quality of the writing or the engaging pace of the story.

Overall, an enjoyable read with a new twist on the old tale of a marriage of convenience.

I believe Sophia has another book due out next year, I will be looking out for her future releases.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for an honest review.

I gather this is a debut novel. In which case, congratulations to the author. I enjoyed this book and I think it demonstrates that this is an author worth watching out for. I thought the premise was good and the reasons for the marriage of convenience credible but then I began to get frustrated at the way Alex continually stopped them going any further and I was not happy about the way Emma simply ran away at the end. But apart from this, I liked it.

A very enjoyable read from a new Mills and Boon author! I really liked no-nonsense Emma and soft duke Alex, and I'm almost always a fan of a compromise/fake marriage, as well as governess plotline with a lovely caring father. This was a fairly light-hearted read, though it does deal with the subject of grief, and it was very nicely paced. I loved the chemistry between the pair, too. At times the dialogue was a little overly modern, but the characters were fleshed out nicely and the story very cute and romantic. I'll be looking out for more from Sophia Williams!

This was so so lovely. A gentle romance with tears, and beauty, children and snow ball fights. Emma is a great heroine,- feisty and true and kind. She deserves a happy ending and a chance at a happy home,

.3.5 stars

I know this is a new author but it didn't really work for me. I got confused in the scene when they were leaving after the wedding to go to Somerset were they travelling in a curricle (2 wheel) or a chaise (2 wheel) or a carriage(4 wheel). In two days whilst changing the carriage horses but the Duke's horse didn't seem to get much of a rest. Our heroine was supposed to be reading, probably not practical in a curricle and very dusty. The kittens were a bit twee and I got fed up with the will they won't they. The Duke got stuck in helping a coach out of a ditch and it didn't really seem to be realistic of the character or of theperiod. I didn't get why her father wanted her to wed an aristocrat and then if she didn't the money was forfeit. Wouldn't the cousin running the business be a bit upset about that. A bit was made of the Indian grandmother and then everthing seemed to fizzle out. Sometime the heroine was fiesty and IMO just plain rude and sarcastic. It's a shame because it sounded a reasonable premise.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.