How to Capture a Duke (Matchmaking for Wallflowers Book 1)

I received this book free from one of the book sites. I do not remember which one! This is my honest review.
I had difficulty getting into the story, at the beginning. Just as I was beginning to enjoy & engage with the characters, a gratuitous sexual scene popped up. There really was no need for it either. After skimming over that & reading further, I held some hope for the story.
The characters met again & are on the floor of a cottage in another gratuitous sex scene.
There are times that sexual scenes will be introduced in a story and will make some sense (even though I tend to skim), but these added nothing! They detracted from what could've been a decent story. I don't care how many books someone has authored, gratuitous sex that isn't even relevant really ruins a book.

I read it last week and already don't remember it. It wasn't realistic. The author tried and failed to make this book enjoyable.
The idea of a gently born girl pretending to be a highwayman was funny but the follow through didn't work. The Hero oscillated between tough, and manly and a blubbering idiot. just because he was missing a leg (war injury) wouldn't make him in flux like that.
Also this book had a huge pet peeve of mine - turning the characters modern. A female archaeologist-love it. But an archaeologist who just discovers it by chance and is brilliant-fake.
Also they are "comprised" and he doesn't offer her marriage even after he realizes she didn't trick him. Finally she rides off into the sunset (before he decides to chase after her) with her cousin who is now (amazingly) good on some bizarre attempt at female empowerment. It just didn't work for me. I like feminist women as my protagonists but not by modern standards (sleeping around, traveling the world, being criminals).

Romance is the name of the game in this book. This book delivers what we all want more romance and excitement in our life. Overall I am very well pleased with this book and the excitement it has brought me. This book had me unwilling to put it down until I turned the last page as I was so enthralled with the plot.The author of this book knows how to deliver the good in this romance novel. Would I recommend this book to other people? Yes I would including friends .I absolutely think this is great book. All opinions are my own and they are not influenced by anyone but myself.If this review helped you at all please vote yes below.

I never leave any reviews, but this one deserves a warning to all! Beware of this gibberish. The plot was intriguing and I went along with it, but by end of chapter 4 I could not go on anymore. This girl kidnaps the hero with a knife, he can't do anything against her bc he is missing a leg and then next chapter he does run away from her all of a sudden remembering he can move! Then there's the whole scene where she announces to a bunch of tavern drinking crowd that she is pregnant and dumped and then the rest of the village learns that and they all go on a merry way to catch the guy. In early 1800's in rural England! Just completely unbelievable dialogues and situations more fitting for 1980's than the regency times. Don't waste your time. I always finish my books, but I can't make myself continue with this one

Oh what fun! Action, humor, tragedy, romance... seduction. The perfect guilty pleasure. Bianca Blythe paints lovely pictures, brings characters to life and tells a captivating tale all in a most charming, witty and poetic narrative voice. A rousing good read from a steaming young author. You'll cringe, you'll smolder, you'll laugh out loud!

Such a delightful read about a young woman who is mistaken for a thief. When all she was trying to do was warn a carriage away from a possible collision with a fallen tree. I would recommend to anyone who loves good page turners.

I had high hopes for this book but i was completely disappointed. Completely unbelievable how short of a time it took them to fall in love and how they suddenly realize it. I cant even continue., it was just so bad. The only reason i finished this book was out of shear stubbornness and determination.

Fiona's passion for artifacts, her social awkwardness, and her self-taught education made her one of the most charming historical heroines I've had the pleasure of getting to know. She is fearless even when she is uncertain, relentless even in the face of social adversity, determined when she probably shouldn't be. But her love for archaeology doesn't mask her despair over losing her parents several years before and the knowledge that her ailing grandmother will soon leave her as well. The heaviness of Fiona's grief is but a thin undercurrent in this story. It isn't dwelt on long or explored in depth. Yet it is what pulls Percival deeper into her.

For all that Percival wants to do right by his deceased cousin, the former Duke, he's the most uncomfortable Duke I've ever met. I don't mean his leg, which he lost in battle, but his acceptance of his new position. It was plain from the beginning he was struggling with his new role, and it was also obvious he was doing everything his cousin would have done. Where did that leave him? Trying to fit into a pair of shoes a few sizes too big. Meeting Fiona derailed the pre-designed plans laid out for him by his Aunt. That fateful meeting also prompted him to follow his heart and make his own choices. After all, this was his life now. Why not live it to his heart's content instead of someone else's?

The constant back and forth between Percival and Fiona was amusing, at first. His insistence she release him. Her refusal to do so. His attempts at escape or trying to get help. Her thwarting him at every turn. But those moments grew fewer and fewer as the story went on. They were no longer strangers when it turned. They were...acquaintances looking for acceptance or approval. Perhaps it was because they were strangers at first that seeking those things from each other made sense. I loved that they opened up to one another, spoke about what weighed so heavily on their hearts and minds.

The kisses and intimacy occurred at just the right moments in this story, but the emotional connection they made before then is what had me hoping they didn't mess up. For both, to me, it was their chance to be really, truly, blissfully happy with themselves and with life.

This is a beautiful and rich story. It's light and amusing yet evocative and thought provoking. It's well-written and descriptive with characters who are quite...amazing. Percival and Fiona have great depth to them, layers that are peeled back one at a time throughout the story until the real them showed through.

Ms. Blythe is an author to watch. If you haven't read this, I hope you do.

Received from author for an honest review

I had high hopes for this book, but found myself disappointed in the hero and disbelieving in the romance. The premise is great: Fiona has told her family that she has a fiancé because she was too shy and nervous during her Season and never wanted to do it again. She’s waiting for her grandmother to die before revealing the embarrassing truth. But, while out digging for Roman ruins, she kind of sort of accidentally holds up a carriage with a handsome Duke inside. She may as well recruit/force him to portray her imaginary fiancé, right?

I feel the need to point out that Fiona has red hair and hates mushrooms, just like me! I had no idea that redheads were so scorned in British society:

“Red-headed women with freckles were never destined to possess elegance.”

“‘How do you think my hair turned so red?’ ‘Blood!’ Graeme gasped. ‘I always knew redheads weren’t trustworthy.’”

“Kisses were things girls with glossier hair and freckle-free complexions whispered about. They didn’t apply to Fiona.”

Anyway, moving on from my personal issues, Percival is the new-to-the-title Duke. He’s returned from the war missing a leg, and now his aunt wants him to marry his dead cousin’s fiancee, because pedigree, and also he’d never find a better woman what with his wooden leg and all.

Percival is a spineless jellyfish, okay? When Fiona kidnaps him, he worries about being late to meet his aunt. Then, even when he realizes that Fiona might be a nice girl in need of help, he still tries to escape instead of summoning up his noble blood and doing the right thing. THEN, even when he realizes that Fiona’s uncle is a louse of the highest degree, he STILL doesn’t want to stick around to serve some righteous in-your-face Dukeness. (I don’t know what that would look like, I just know that it would be awesome and that Percival did not do it.)

This book is written with a light touch, as you can tell from the red hair quotes above. Fiona’s horrible uncle is hilariously obtuse while putting down Fiona. “I must divulge the poor character of my niece. I cannot wait. My conscience will not permit it!” And every time Percival tells people that Fiona kidnapped him, they just nod and smile, all, “Love feels that way, doesn’t it?”

At the end of their three-day adventure (and I think two of those days were Percival thinking escape thoughts and not caring about Fiona), Percival goes back to his life and his aunt and his possible fiancee. Fiona is sad, and pissed, and her reputation is ruined. But she pulls herself up and plans an awesome future for herself as a spinster, and it’s seriously like, go, Fiona! You don’t need a man or a castle, you do you! Of course Percival has thoughts and realizations and returns because this is a romance and he’s supposed to, but I think Fiona would have been better off without him.

Rating: C

How to Capture a Duke, is the beautiful introduction, to Bianca Blythe's new Matchmaking Wallflowers series! If you love Regency historical romances, filled with intrigue, then this book is perfect for you. You should give it a chance! I didn't know what to expect because this author was new to me, what a nice surprise!

December 1815, Yorkshire. It tells the story of Fiona, a bluestocking and archaeologist, who is intrigued by a Roman site, where she spends most of her time. Her grandmother feels, that Fiona, needs to find a husband soon, so, Fiona concocts a plan to “steal a husband”! Suddenly, a charming man, named Percival, stumbles in her life! Who is this man? Will Percival play Fiona's game of mistaken identity? Will her elaborate scheme, backfire on her?

Some phrases are so cute! Fiona “I would be most appreciative if you could tell them that we are betrothed”. And Percival to answer “You want me to pretend to adore you”.

How to Capture a Duke, is well written, filled with love, intrigue and lots of twists and turns. I strongly recommend this new Regency author Bianca Blythe. I'm looking forward to read her next book!

* I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

***I received this book for free from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review, which was first posted on book blog Will Read for Feels.

As much as I like my Regency romances fraught with peril and intrigue and peppered with feisty heroines and rakish rogues, I’ve also recently come to enjoy the lighter side of love among the Bon Ton quite a bit. I’ve loved reading books filled with LOL moments over the adventures of the ladies and lords featured therein.

I had a chance to check out a recent release by author Bianca Blythe, the first in her Matchmaking for Wallflowers series, How to Capture a Duke. This book was written in that spirit of mixing hahas with happily ever afters. Promised a dashing duke for a hero (I’m a confessed Georgian romance elitist) and an archaeologist heroine, I of course cleared some space for it on my TBR list.

It’s clear within the first chapter or two that this book is a Regency romcom in written form. The heroine finds herself in a pickle when she lies to her family about having a fiance who’s a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars and, following the French emperor’s capture, suddenly needs to produce him. As luck would have it (or perhaps it’s just that no good deed goes unpunished), she finds herself accidentally in possession of a gentleman hostage who fits the bill quite nicely.

She manages to talk him into playing her fake fiance for an evening, but what what she doesn’t know is that her handsome hostage is actually a duke recently returned from the war after unexpectedly inheriting the title. The deception gets extended past a single evening, but lies can only be maintained for so long, and things go spectacularly awry for both hero and heroine.

I actually quite enjoyed a lot of the characters in the book, particularly the motley crew of allies Fiona gains during her impromptu and unintended kidnapping. Fiona herself is fun, refreshingly unwilling to adhere to society’s dictates, and fairly indomitable—the kind of person who doesn’t just make lemonade when life throws her lemons, but makes a veritable lemon meringue pie of the situation. In fact, this book has a bit of a role reversal from the usual historical romance—it’s Fiona who’s the intrepid rogue in this story, while Percival, despite being a duke, is the one struggling under the weight of society’s and his family’s expectations.

There’s a lot to recommend this book, and it’s a pretty entertaining read. I liked it, but just didn’t love it. Upon reflection after ending it, I suppose I had two reasons for not scoring How to Capture a Duke with more than three stars. One was that some of the callous buffoon characters were more callous than buffoonlike, but they never really got much of a comeuppance. I also felt as though, during the course of the novel, we saw a growth in Fiona and Percival’s mutual admiration and caring for each other, but I wasn’t entirely convinced of deepening feelings of love.

This novel is a traditional Regency which the author mistakenly decided to make a bodice-ripper.

The traditional part is an excellent tale. The atypical heroine loves archaeology, wears dowdy dresses, and finds herself pretending to be a dashing highwaywoman (What fun!) The hero is indeed a dashing war hero who has inherited a dukedom. Their discourse is witty, their adventure is fun, and the writing is on-point. (Yes, broccoli was known in England in 1720. I looked that one up.)

Loving the sweetly written (and researched) traditional romance, the author's decision to include graphic love scenes is sad, The scenes were out of character and poorly done. Love scenes are incredibly difficult to write well, especially in period. It can be done, but the tone must be perfect. With my four-stars I urge the author to continue writing traditional Regencies.

How to Capture a Duke is a light-hearted romance with numerous mishaps and misunderstandings. Fiona, who has made up a fake fiancé to please her Grandmother, and Percival, whom she kidnaps and forces to be said fake fiancé, seem destined for each other. Not only does Fiona kidnap Percival, she steals his family's jewels from him to force him to do as she requests in impersonating her fiancé. Percival begins to like and enjoy Fiona despite his frustration with having to stay with her to get his jewels back. Along comes the extended family members who make matters worse. They constantly disparage Fiona, which makes Percival want to defend the Fiona he has come to know in a very short time.

The family members are unkind about her desire to be an archeologist and her blue-stocking life-style. Percival is new to his Dukedom due to the death of his cousin. The cousin died saving Percival's life at Waterloo in which Percival lost his leg in that battle and suffers from some self-doubt. The cousin's Mother, the Dowager Duchess, plans on Percival marrying the wife she had picked out for her son. Percival truly begins to enjoy Fiona and does not want to leave even after she returns the jewels.

Eventually, his brother, along with the local magistrate, comes to rescue Percival. Fiona is arrested as the highwaywomen who kidnapped a Duke. More confusion reigns! It is all very entertaining and you will love it. How to Capture a Duke has the right amount of tenderness and entertainment when you are looking for a relaxing read. If you are looking for a super serious book, this is not for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the madcap events. And, found the characters developed enough for stress-free reading. Thank you Net Galley for sharing this book.

All Fiona wants is to be left alone and allowed to dig for pottery shards and Roman coins. She is enamored of the history of the Roman occupation of her area of Yorkshire. There are a few things standing in her way to true happiness. Her beloved Grandmother is terminally ill. In order to please her Grandmother, Fiona has created an imaginary fiancee. He is Captain Knightly, he is a veteran of the war and his military duties have kept him away from Fiona. The other major problem is what will happen to her after her Grandmother's death. Her Uncle Seymour will inherit and he does not approve of Fiona, does not enjoy being around Fiona and does not want Fiona living in the castle which will soon be his.
Percival is a new Duke. His cousin died defending Percival at Waterloo. Percival lost a leg at Waterloo, but most of all he lost a cousin he dearly loved. He also became a Duke which is something he never wanted. Now he is in a carriage, hurrying back to London with some family jewels which should be presented to the young lady he will marry. His life is being planned by others and though he has never met her, the plan includes him proposing to and marrying the season's newest “incomparable”.
When Fiona realizes a tree has fallen in the road, and she hears a carriage speeding toward that tree, she attempts to stop the carriage and let them know of the danger.
Because she is dressed for digging, not meeting anyone, the assumption is made that she is a highway woman. She is after all holding a knife in her hand. When she realizes this carriage holds a handsome young man, she is willing to go along with the assumption.....maybe he will agree to go meet her Grandmother and pretend that his name is Captain Knightly.
The premise for this story made me want to read it. The plot held a great deal of promise. For me, there were times when the flow of the plot seemed to be interrupted.
The character development was very good. The reader gets to know Fiona and Percival and understand their motivations. The secondary characters are well done. They provide humor and texture to this story.
Fiona starts as a strong and imaginative woman. But, then she seems to surrender and become something less. If that were supposed to be because of the death of her Grandmother, I believe it should have been better illustrated. I wanted that strong woman to reappear.
Percival is a man who was wounded in a war. He obviously had courage, and I wanted him to show more of that. There were times when I felt he was not strong enough to stand up for himself. He is pushed around by family members and that was a disappointment for me. He is smart and funny and very supportive of people around him.
I enjoyed the book, but there were scenes where I wanted some different behavior from the characters.
This is the first book I have read by Ms Blythe, but I hope to read other books she has written.
I received this book from the author. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

I loved this story. I know some readers felt it wasn't completely believable for the era, but it had me laughing so hard I was crying. AND ITS FICTION PEOPLE. Surely people aren't under the impression that all these regency romances are true stories. They all are highly unlikely. This was entertaining and interesting. The H/h were human beings, the support characters mostly charming. The H is a war hero, unexpectedly thrust into the role of Duke , the h is a bluestocking who is mistaken for a highwaywoman. Their relationship begins with a deception, then they begin to find themselves attracted to each other. There are numerous twists and turns before the HEA. I greatly enjoyed it.

Biance Blythe has written a fun-filled historical which will not only make you giggle at the hilarity of the story but also shed a tear at some of the more poignant moments.

This was a fun book to read. The first half was filled with shenanigans and misunderstandings and hijinks. Fun. Fun. Fun. Then the second half of the book turn a bit of a turn as the hijinks turned into a horrible confrontation which made me SO angry. I think I stayed angry for a large part of the remainder of the book and then I felt sad, and then happy again. This story, which was supposed to be a lighthearted fun read for me turned into a roller coaster of emotions I was not prepared for. I didn't want that. I had just come off reading some very emotional stories and I was tired of being jerked around on an emotional chain. I wanted something to lighten my heard and make me feel good. This story managed to do that for the most part, but man, some things happened in it which really pissed me off. At one point, I got so angry, I had angry tears in my eyes. It's a good thing Percival redeemed himself in the end.

Let's talk about Percival then, shall we? He's your classically handsome duke, though a rather reluctant duke, only inheriting the title after the unfortunate death of a cousin. He's also a war hero. He's missing a leg and I rather imagined him like Alex Minsky (perhaps without all the tattoos!) in one of Michael Stokes' fabulous photos of veterans, only more handsome! Percival is coming to terms with becoming a duke and all the responsibilities it entails when he's accidentally kidnapped by Fiona who is mistaken for a highwaywoman. Percival finds himself enchanted by this refreshingly honest, funny and intelligent woman as escape attempts, misunderstandings and hijinks ensue. I felt a lot for Percival. He was being forced in a position he didn't want to be in but he was determined to do right by his title and the estate. He's such an honorable man. An rake and a rogue trying to do what's right. It did annoy me somewhat that Percival felt since he was missing a leg, he needed to be forced to do what others expected of him. I'm glad he managed to work through his own self worth to determine what was right for himself and what he needed to do for his own happiness.

As for Fiona, she's a delightfully fun heroine. She's your typical wallflower and bluestocking with a penchant for archeology, more at home digging in holes than in drawing rooms and ballrooms. I liked that about her. I liked how honest she was and how much she tried at all times to do the right thing. It slayed me, absolutely slayed me when she was treated very poorly and very unfairly at one point in the story. It brought angry tears to my eyes. I wanted to rail and yell and holler about how unfair and horrible everyone was being. If I was there, I would have smacked some sense into all those people. Nasty rabbits! Still, Fiona was a far stronger woman than anyone gave her credit for, even in the face of terrible loss. She went off and followed her dreams, and achieved great things. It made me very happy when the nasty rabbit had to eat crow at the end.

I think this is a debut novel for Ms Blythe and it is an excellent effort. I'm looking forward to other stories from her in the future ... especially now that I know what to expect from them. :-)

4.5 Stars for this fun, historical romance adventure.

Fiona Amberly is a wallflower, a bluestocking, a woman past her prime and unwed at the ripe age of 22. She fled London two weeks after her debut several years before as she's socially-awkward and graced with horrendous freckled skin and blood red hair. She's unfashionable and unworried about it. Mostly. She lives with her grandmother in a castle in Yorkshire, and professes to have a fiance, "Captain Knightley" who is off fighting for England against Bonaparte. But the war has ended and all of Fiona's family are expecting her fiance to collect his bride to be. Especially her ill Gram--who only wants to see Fiona properly settled. Meanwhile, Fiona's content to dig Roman artifacts from the grounds of the castle and properly document her archaeological finds.

Percival is en route to London with a bag full of jewels, including an engagement ring for a woman he's never met. He is newly settled into his title as Duke of Alfriston, which he landed because his cousin--the Duke--was killed in action at Waterloo while saving Percival. So, the title fits about as well as Percival's wooden leg. Having no desire to be paraded out to the <i>ton</i> in search of a wife who would accept his deformity, Percival allows the dowager duchess, his aunt, to arrange a marriage with his dead cousin's intended. And maybe, one day, they will grow to develop some affection toward each other.

While trying to stop a coach from running into a felled tree, Fiona is mistaken for a highwaywoman. She sees Percival is an attractive man, and well-cultured. And, if she can bring this gentleman to her home to meet her gram, once, perhaps everyone will believe that this stranger is Captain Knightley, and leave her alone in her personal life. Impetuously, she calls herself the Scarlet Demon, kidnaps the Duke, and the game is on.

This is a very cute, and a bit steamy, historical romance that starts out with hi jinks and hijacking and ends in passion. Percival is flummoxed regarding the mad woman who is taking him far from his intended target. In truth, he is uncomfortable around people, now, sensitive to his injury, and his ill-begotten title. He enjoyed being a rake, and now he has to be a nobleman, and live a life that is determined by his aunt, in the shadow of his cousin. Being around Fiona soon turns Percival's beliefs on their ear. He sees her as a shy woman, but well educated and passionate about her desires in archaeology. True, she's not "accomplished" by the usual measures, but Fiona's very attractive to Percival--she's a big gal, with soft features and red hair he'd love to lose himself in.

Fiona has no illusions regarding Percival's interest. He makes it plain that he's betrothed, and she doesn't want to interfere in that. She doesn't fend off any of his advances, however, and that's okay for her. She never expected to marry, so having a bit of carnal pleasure with Percival is an illicit experience, one she will likely never have again. Did I mention Fiona's impetuous?

The end of the book is far different to how I envisioned it, and I liked that! When I picked up the book I expected it would be very like Tessa Dare's "When a Scot Ties the Knot" and there are some similarities, but the differences are vast. I loved how there was enough separation for lust to settle into something more warm, like affection. The dramatic ending was rather lovely, and I enjoyed getting swept away.

I really enjoyed this book, it was cute and Fiona's actions and Percival's responses were sometimes hilarious. Fiona wants to be an archeologist, in fact she is digging in her grandmother's orchard because she believes there may have been a medieval castle on that site. Fiona is unconventional, she really doesn't want to marry, she had one disastrous London season that actually only lasted two weeks. She doesn't believe that she is the type of woman that men want to marry. She is in trouble because she told her grandmother a lie, she lied and said she was engaged to a Captain who was in the war. Once the war was over, her family kept expecting the Captain to show up or to hear Fiona admit that she lied.
Percival lost a leg in the Napoleonic wars, inherited a dukedom after his cousin died in the war, and is resigned to do the best he can in his cousin's place. He is traveling to London with heirloom jewels to propose to a woman that he has never met, the woman who was supposed to marry his cousin.
Fiona is riding and sees a tree has fallen and blocked the road, she tries to stop a carriage that she hears coming. Fiona has a knife in her hand and the driver thinks she is a highwaywoman. This is where the story gets really fun, the interactions between Percival and Fiona are hilarious. She decides to try and persuade him to visit with her grandmother and get him to play the part of her fiancé. This book was so funny, Percival keeps trying to escape and Fiona either catches him or no one believes him when he says he was kidnapped. It took a while for these two to get together, but when they did, it was really sweet.
But Percival isn't sure if Fiona is as real as he believes she is. He also has to decide if he should marry the woman his aunt picked for him or follow his heart which wants Fiona.
There were only a couple of passionate scenes, but they were done really well. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Bianca Blythe.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

It was a lovely discovery!
After reading some reviews, I do know what to expect at some period of the book, but it didn’t bothered me.
For exemple, how was it possible for Fiona to capture a coach with a single knife. But the author was talented to narrate so smoothly it felt as it was possible. And their journey to Fiona’s house was just hilarious.
Then, at the end, their time appart was considered rather long, yes, it was but it was necessary to let them move and grew up to become their real them.
Now about the main characters, they are flawed with lot of insecurities.
Fiona was always judged by her appearance, too red headed, too freckled, too tall, too on the plump side, too smart for a woman, why she always felt like a failure and a laughingstock and choose to hide from the ton. But time is running down and she needs a way to escape the walls she built around her. Perceval was just supposed to be a tool to save her from her family’s expectations but he became more in short few days, freeing her from her shell.
Perceval Carmichael is like a prisoner from his new status, he never expected to become a Duke, like he has stolen his title from his late cousin. Plus he came back from war with a missing leg, but alive not like his cousin. He tries to adjust but it is like it is never enough, like he is still the one who not owned his wealth. Fiona turned his life upside down, she has no attentes from him, just to play her betrothed, so he fell free around her, she makes him fell really alive since a long time.

“But now he’d met Fiona, and life was more vivid. She’d cared so much for her grandmother that she’d gone to enormous extents to reassure her.”

“She’d shattered all his pre-conceptions. She’d been braver, more intelligent, and more passionate than the ladies of the ton”

They felt quickly in love but some misunderstandings and family meddling torn them appart, their love was too fresh for them to believe in it and fight for it, it was distance which helped them to clear their head and decide what was the most important.
A very good read I can only recommend.
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I really enjoyed this book! I had to read it in one sitting. I would recommend this book for sure. Fiona Amberly who is somewhat shy and with her coming out she only lasted a few weeks before she wanted to go home. Now she has made her grandmother think she is secretly engaged because her grandmother is dying and she wants her to be happy. Pressure is getting worse with her cousin and grandmother to bring her gentleman to them. Fiona only wants to work on her Roman ruins she has found so she starts thinking if she can find someone to play the part for just a little while she can get them off her back. While on her way to her sister she sees a tree that is down and a carriage coming toward it. Percival Carmichael, new Duke of Alfriston is headed to London to ask a lady to marry him that his cousin had plan on marring but has died leaving Percival with being a Duke and additional responsibilities. Also Percival was injured in war and lost his leg. So for him it just the easiest way to get things done by marring this lady. Also he doesn't want to let his aunt down. But his carriage is stop by a lady wheeling a knife and his drive and him think they are being taken by a highway women. So when Fiona realizes what they think she goes so far to kidnap him and take him to her grandmothers. The secondary characters were really good too and their was some funny parts. It is a all around good book.

This was the epitome of romance regency. Fiona and Percival were an unlikely pair who met in an unconventional way. It was fun watching them get to know each other and to finally find themselves attracted to each other. The way he surprised her at the end of the story was a riot. Being familiar with the rules and regulations of the regency era, there were moment that some of the characters made me angry. But there were also moments that gripped my heart, and I wondered if the author was going to give us HEA I was looking for.

It was sweet and funny, and all around entertaining. Some of the stuttering or interrupted conversation made it hard to distinguish between the characters, as both the heroine and the hero had the same habit. But in the end, the way they fawned all over each other and played their cute little bits was endearing. I think the author has a good grasp of the era and it a wonderful romantic storyteller.

I had fun with How To Capture A Duke. It’s certainly my definition of a Regency Romp, and so what if I actually found some events implausible – they actually fit right in with this story, this couple so I simply sat back, read and enjoyed this tale.

Fiona is not your average Lady. Seen by the ton as not the normal flavor of the month with her red hair and freckles, Fiona is left in the country to do as she pleases. Which is follow her dreams of becoming an archaeologist. Her chances of actually making that dream come true are somewhat in peril from her grandmother’s determination to marry her off before she is left alone after her grandmother’s eventual death. Always a good reason to wed, not. So Fiona has told a white lie, that she does indeed have a beloved who intends to marry her just as soon as he returns from the war. That should get her grandmother off of her case, for the moment. Unfortunately dear grandmother wants proof, as in an introduction by Christmas. Now Fiona is in a bit of a fix… one that delivers the most unlikely solution practically at her feet.

Percival has returned from the war alive, with a life changing injury which is more than can be said for his cousin who did not return. Which left Percival with a new title of Duke and even more life changes expected of him… like marrying a stranger. When it appears that the carriage he is traveling in is being attacked by a … highway-woman, all bets are off as to his future marriage.

What follows is a delightful comedy of errors that I simply sat back and enjoyed. How To Capture A Duke was a fun, entertaining read. And sometimes that’s really all I want, to be entertained for a bit. I liked Fiona and Percival, a crazy beginning, a few misunderstandings but a fun romance.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Wow!! Not to often do I pick up a book and don't want to put it down until it's finished. How to Capture a Duke by Bianca Blythe was one of those books. It grabs your attention right from the start and holds it throughout the book. Of course I went online to order more books from this author only to see she must be relatively new. That's ok because I know she will have a lot of fans before long. This book was funny in parts but also had a really good love story and some hot scenes. I was given a copy of this book in return for met honest review. I gave this book five stars!

Fiona is not the perfect, delicate lady, she is intelligent, courageous and caring. After lying about having a fiancé she needs to scrounge one up in a hurry to introduce to her grandmother and then go on with her life, hopefully of being an archeologist, but things don't go quite right. Percival is a Duke and not exactly happy to fill the position but he could never have guessed the events that would lead him to his destiny. This story has twists and turns, humor and intelligence. It is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more.
I voluntarily received a copy for a free, honest review.

First have yourself mistaken for a highway woman holding up a coach.
Secondly decide to kidnap the handsome occupant to serve as your pretend husband to be.
Thirdly 'let the games begin', or rather runaway from you with excruciating speed.

I loved the premise of the story. Indeed the opening misunderstanding of the Duke's coachman believing that they'd been held up by highway persons was excellent. The situation that developed and the lengths Fiona Amberly (our intrepid Blue Stocking amateur archaeologist) kept being forced to go to, as one improbable situation piled up on to of another, was farcically humorous. But then something happened and the story fell into blandness. The hero, one Percival Carmichael, new Duke of Alfriston, become a tad dull. Ok, so his leg was plaguing him, but Golly Gosh Batman, couldn't he have been a tad more decisive.
I found his brother Arthur annoyingly overbearing and somewhat of a buffoon in terms of Percival's dilemma.
Fiona and Percival's story was plagued by the attitudes and plans of others, by bad timing and by Percival's annoying habit of giving in to others, accepting their pronouncements.
I am still wondering how these two ever achieved a HEA.
Despite my misgivings, I do want to read the next in the series.

A NetGalley ARC

Mistaken intents and identities begin a witty, kind and often tender story in Bianca Blythe's first book in her new Matchmaking for Wallflowers series, How to Capture a Duke. Two people both awkward in their own skins and vulnerable in their own rights are thrown together by fate in a situation that quickly spirals beyond their control. A fast growing gentle heat between this author's hero and heroine added a sweetness to their attraction. Ms. Blythe writes with an ease that shows her competence and focuses her audience completely on the story being told. Without a doubt readers will be taking notice of How to Capture a Duke and enthusiastically awaiting the tales to follow in this series!
*I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Fiona’s Grandmother is dying and worried about what Fiona will do when she is gone. Fiona then tells her Grandmother that she is secretly engaged and promises to introduce her to her fiancé by Christmas. Percival is the new Duke of Alfriston and after almost dying in Waterloo ready to do his duty and start a family. When Fiona stops his carriage to inform them there is a tree in the road, the fun begins. This was an entertaining historical read. The characters were interesting and it held my interest throughout. I would say the chemistry was okay. But overall, I liked it.

How to Capture a Duke is an ok light read, It was just fine though I did not really like the hero to me he seemed rather weak, he let himself be pushed around by everybody, and I'm not talking about his disability it was just his personality. The heroine was ok. But the relatives some were just terrible.
I'm not sorry I read it, especially because I got it free with my kindle unlimited.

I liked Fiona girl had a backbone, "she steeled herself from his charm. “And what? Fall for you? We both know just what that ring in your parcel is for, and it has nothing to do with me. Do your duty, be a dutiful duke. I’ll do my duty here.” I liked this book, Percivil was a little rough around the edges but he was a good man.

This was one of those novels that started off strongly, and managed to keep the momentum going until the very end. There were unexpected twists that kept things interesting throughout, and the writing was strong enough and fluid enough to capture the readers attention and keep you glued to the pages.

As for the characters, I found them to be complex enough to be interesting, but not so overly done that I found them to be unrealistic. The fact that Percival was not only physically flawed made him stand out among the other male characters that I have read in other novels. I also enjoyed the fact that despite the circumstances surrounding how they met, she was able to convince him to stay and help her with her plan.

This book definitely did not lack for details. The author was able to paint a vivid picture of Fiona's castle home as well as the surrounding areas. I felt as though I were a part of the story, not merely reading a novel. I also felt that the author made a wise choice setting it up the way that she did. It was just the perfect length to not only introduce you to the characters, but to set up the initial meeting and allow you to see the Hero and Heroine together before they arrived at the castle. As their relationship blossomed, you could almost feel the chemistry and attraction that they had for one another. It wasn't like the romance happened overnight, but rather the author took the time to develop it in some depth.

All in all, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys a good historical romance, and I definitely plan to read more by this author myself.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I love historical romances, and had great hopes for this one. But, it just fell short, didn't it? They met, got off to a rocky start, then fell in love. Good place to start winding up the story. But, no. We're just beginning. Now comes miles and miles of round and rounds. Tedious. Nerve wracking. Unenjoyable.
The language, and the tone of the story were not very period accurate, which is always a problem for me.
All in all, I found How to Capture a Duke, to be very disappointing as a romance, as a historical romance, as a relaxing afternoon get away. Just very disappointing.

Aside from the mmc and fmc both having the same stutter stop, this book was drawn out with so much wasted crap. Either this was an editing issue or things were said more than once consistently on purpose. I felt like this could have been whittled down to one if those Dime Store romances that top out at 189 pages instead the 271+ that this book claimed to be.
Back to that stutter stop. Both characters seem to have a serious problem communicating and often half speak. "I..." They both do it, and they both do it often. This couldbe considered a cute romantic quirk but not in this case because because the characters are too similar. It was as if I was reading the same person. They had no individual personalities, very sad to be reading the same person. They are both so out of control of their lives, I almost didn't care that there was a happy ending. I just wanted the book to be over.
I should stop clicking links on Facebook. Those links never send me anything good. At least I didn't find a bunch of typos, so two stars for that.

My personal favorite type of romantic novel. Funny, intelligently written, sweet and best of all, a comedy of errors. If you love when the lead characters end up in crazy situations that will leave you laughing so hard you can barely breathe, this is the book for you! One crazy situation after another leads these two to their very own happy ending!!

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author, Bianca Blythe, did a great job of creating 2 main characters who are flawed in their own ways, but do not see those flaws in each other. Something many in real life could learn from. There is plenty of action and wit in this well written book! It is very well written with a really good story line. Thank you for sharing your book with me!

* WARNING! this review really just for me. Spoilers abound*

Hero - lost his leg at Waterloo
Heroine - would be archeologist

She gets mistaken for a highway man. Basically kidnaps dude no one will believe him when he says he was kidnapped. She has terrible relatives save for her grandmother. He's a new duke.

Pretty funny book overall. The ending is why it's only getting 4 of 5 stars. She should have gone to Italy.

Great plot, adorable characters who were believable and beautifully fleshed out and an overall well written book, even for the occasional dragging and seemingly forced "sex scenes". The factual errors surrounding the hero's wooden leg irritated me throughout the book, however, and had it not been so good otherwise, I'd have stopped reading it.

4.5 Stars!

Is it possible for one person to completely upturn her life in just three days? It is if you are Fiona Amberly. A woman bent on making a profession for herself in Archeology, Fiona has no desire for the ton or all the trappings. Yet, seeing her beloved grandmother so frail, all she wants it to make the older woman happy. Fiona invents a fiancé. Things go sideways when she agrees to produce him for her cousin’s Christmas Ball.

Percival Carmichael, new Duke of Alfriston, happens to be in the wrong place at the right time. When Fiona tries to warn Percival’s coachman of a tree lying in the road, she is mistaken for a highwaywoman. Fiona attempts to explain, but ends up using the idea to borrow Percival.

The tale gets even more interesting from there! Escape attempts, letters of pleas to relatives, and the happiness of an old woman come to play. With a start such as this, one wonders how in the world a love match could be made.

Bianca Blythe weaves her masterful love story out of the most unusual circumstance. I found myself laughing and crying at times in the story, well bonded with both of the characters. The novel does not lack a level of heat. The passion Percival feels within hours of their meeting was fascinating to read. Though he thought she was a criminal at the time, he was still able to connect with her physically and intellectually. For all of Fiona’s innocence, her passions seemed true from the first spark. I never imagined it would crescendo the way that it did, but it was simply marvelous.

I am eager to read the rest of the series. I have a feeling there is more in store for some beautiful wallflowers in the English countryside. If you are a fan of the novels of Julia Quinn or Tessa Dare, How to Capture a Duke will be the perfect read for you.

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book was terrible. It was disjointed, hard to read and filled with inaccuracies. The Elgin marbles were called the Elysian marbles. Conversations were difficult to follow. The story line might be ok but the writing wasn't. Don't waste your time.

She loves the country, loves its quiet, and loves to dig in the dirt for Roman artifacts. The pressures to marry (or is it because her criticizing Uncle so he can have the castle) are increasing. Grandmother wants her settled. (Don't all stories have a loved one?) Sooooo, she invents a fiance. Oh, no, Grandmother want to meet him. Ah, problem solved with very witty conversations from a good writer! Thank you, Bianca.

The situational humor will have you snorting your coffee! Two disparate people who have no expectaton of love become entangled in a comedy of errors. The twists and turns kept me too entertained (read: stayed up too late reading). Publisher's blurb gives decent clues, no spoilers here. Looking forward to more from this author!
Thanks, LibraryThing Giveaways!

What a great book! I loved it. It made me laugh, and kept me wanting to know what came next. Bianca Blythe did an amazing job staying true to the time period, while making it a timeless story (I mean, who hasn't wanted to make up a perfect fiancé at one point or another!). Well done, I can't wait to read another from this wonderful author!

Predictable Regency story with HEA, well edited with decent grammar, but really... If H's parents are BOTH ALIVE and traveling in America, how did H, cousin to the duke, inherit Dukedom over H's father, whom the reader can only assume was the brother to former duke's father????? That one small insignificant point lost me, but excepting that glaring inconsistency, I enjoyed the book.

Fiona hated Christmas She was currently at Anchaeological site. Her cousin is Lady Madeline Mulbourne . Fionna stopped her cousin’s carriage Madeline said she was going to see their grandmother and offered Fionna a ride but Fionna did want to get back to work the site will be snow covered soon. Fionna told her grandmother she was engaged even though the engagement is fake. Fionna could not please the ton. Fionna didn’t care about fashion. Fionna also had a curvy figure. Thay was also not fashionable. Madeline asked Fionna to attend her Christmas ball but Fionna said she couldn’t go. Fionna had already found some great artifacts and believed there was a Roman Palace in the area. But her uncle Seymour wouldn’t let her dig up the apple trees to further her diggings. Percival is the Duke Of Alfriston. He was just back from the war and handicapped. It is to get the jewels from his home and marry a debutant he has never met. Fionna stops a coach to let them know a a tree is across the road. The driver believes Fionna is a highwaywoman and takes off with her horse leaving the Duke to fend for himself. Fionna sees Percival and decides maybe she could talk him into meeting her grandmother. And pretend they are engaged.
I could leave or take this story it was good in parts and not so in others.I liked Fionna’s independant side and her wanting her own career and not just to marry because that is what women are suppose to do. Percival is a little weak acting considering he had been in the military and also got through his leg being ambutated off. I didn’t like how Percival let family come between him and Fionna . Also all of sudden he loves Fionna Fionna is suppose to be a virgin how did she know to do sexually what she did. Anyway a little disappointed but the good parts want to make me read another book from this author and see how it goes.

I would have liked the story to have less words with more extended moments of love, laughter and deep thought. the characters were engaging, endearing and interesting however, I felt the male love interest could have been a stronger lead.

I really liked this book! it moved well and had all the romance and Angst that a love story should have. A great start for a promising writer. I actually read the prequel fter this book and it was charming for a short story. maybe there will be a Wallflower book 2 with a pairing of Madaline and Arthur?? Just say'in....

There is something stilted and choppy about the conversations between the characters in this authors books. I feel as though I have missed some hidden dialogue or the words just don't match the situation. It was a good story line I just got tired of the wordiness of her writing. Love scenes were very weak also.

This is one of the worst books I have read in a long time. Nothing is logical or believable! The duke is a bit of a candy ass letting others making decisions for him when he should be making them for himself. Not a very clever guy!

I am an avid fan of Regency and other historical romance. I was very disappointed in this book. I love to have some humor in the story but this book went way beyond humorous and would be more in the farcical category. Some of the situations, like when the hero duke was trying to tell some villagers that he was kidnapped, the heroine turned it around on him and made it look like she was a pregnant wife that the hero was trying to abandon. I know that I have seen similar things done before so this was not a new twist. Putting this in with all of the other ridiculous things that are in the story made the humor in it fail.

I don't expect romances to be totally realistic. They are fiction after all and we read these stories with that in mind, but this story was full of highly, highly improbable occurrences; one after another. The author attempted to inject some issues for the characters that they needed to deal with, like the hero's war wound and survivor guilt, and the heroine's failed debut, but I just couldn't empathize, since this was a concentrated comedy.

This is an okay book if you only want to be amused, but this is not an interesting romance with characters that are well developed and have some depth.

Really enjoyed the loveable Fiona which had such a flair for being a daredevil adventurous on the spot even though her ideas was to please her grandmother, even though it didn't always turn out how she thought it would be.

I'm 25% in and do not see myself finishing this.

***Spoilers***
The storyline is just absurd. What lady of the ton goes out alone on horseback wielding a knife and if that wasn't bad enough, pretends to be a highway woman to kidnap some man to introduce to her grandmother. In what world would that plan even work out? I guess in this one since this story has a HEA I'm assuming. I don't like leaving books unfinished but I'm literally cringing and wondering how this psycho thought this plan would work. AND THEN he is actually a Duke. She's sitting here worried she might end up in jail for a bit, girl if only. I'm doubting that offense would only lead to a little jail time.

Read at your own discretion. If you can get past the quarter mark I'm happy for you, maybe it gets better.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a historical romance that was actually pretty good. I laughed and cried but at times I almost felt like the book was coming from a new author. It was really good but not amazing.

There were a few awkward scenes, but overall it was a really fun read! I must say that Fiona is a wonderfully entertaining main character. I will keep an eye out for more from this author!

**I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.**

Light hearted. Good characters. Original situations. Historical knowledge & accurate lifestyle. Both joys & sorrow, like real life. Shows how people can change & determination overcomes.

I really liked this book! it moved well and had all the romance and Angst that a love story should have. A great start for a promising writer. I actually read the prequel fter this book and it was charming for a short story. maybe there will be a Wallflower book 2 with a pairing of Madaline and Arthur?? Just say'in....

There is something stilted and choppy about the conversations between the characters in this authors books. I feel as though I have missed some hidden dialogue or the words just don't match the situation. It was a good story line I just got tired of the wordiness of her writing. Love scenes were very weak also.

This is one of the worst books I have read in a long time. Nothing is logical or believable! The duke is a bit of a candy ass letting others making decisions for him when he should be making them for himself. Not a very clever guy!

I am an avid fan of Regency and other historical romance. I was very disappointed in this book. I love to have some humor in the story but this book went way beyond humorous and would be more in the farcical category. Some of the situations, like when the hero duke was trying to tell some villagers that he was kidnapped, the heroine turned it around on him and made it look like she was a pregnant wife that the hero was trying to abandon. I know that I have seen similar things done before so this was not a new twist. Putting this in with all of the other ridiculous things that are in the story made the humor in it fail.

I don't expect romances to be totally realistic. They are fiction after all and we read these stories with that in mind, but this story was full of highly, highly improbable occurrences; one after another. The author attempted to inject some issues for the characters that they needed to deal with, like the hero's war wound and survivor guilt, and the heroine's failed debut, but I just couldn't empathize, since this was a concentrated comedy.

This is an okay book if you only want to be amused, but this is not an interesting romance with characters that are well developed and have some depth.

Really enjoyed the loveable Fiona which had such a flair for being a daredevil adventurous on the spot even though her ideas was to please her grandmother, even though it didn't always turn out how she thought it would be.

I'm 25% in and do not see myself finishing this.

***Spoilers***
The storyline is just absurd. What lady of the ton goes out alone on horseback wielding a knife and if that wasn't bad enough, pretends to be a highway woman to kidnap some man to introduce to her grandmother. In what world would that plan even work out? I guess in this one since this story has a HEA I'm assuming. I don't like leaving books unfinished but I'm literally cringing and wondering how this psycho thought this plan would work. AND THEN he is actually a Duke. She's sitting here worried she might end up in jail for a bit, girl if only. I'm doubting that offense would only lead to a little jail time.

Read at your own discretion. If you can get past the quarter mark I'm happy for you, maybe it gets better.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a historical romance that was actually pretty good. I laughed and cried but at times I almost felt like the book was coming from a new author. It was really good but not amazing.

There were a few awkward scenes, but overall it was a really fun read! I must say that Fiona is a wonderfully entertaining main character. I will keep an eye out for more from this author!

**I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.**

Light hearted. Good characters. Original situations. Historical knowledge & accurate lifestyle. Both joys & sorrow, like real life. Shows how people can change & determination overcomes.

This book started out OK but it made me uncomfortable. I did not make it past the uncle, aunt, and cousin showing up for dinner. I'm disappointed because I was looking for a clean Regency series to enjoy. Good luck to the author though, writing a book is not that easy.

I really wanted to like this book.. The heroine is a archeologist but unfortunately the book NEVER really explains anything else about that fact. Also the audible is TERRIBLE around chapter 27 it skips every other phrase...

This book this book was quite disappointing mostly because the hero is such a weak character . While the hero and is quite strong, the criticism against her is quite over-the-top. But the biggest disappointment is the hero who is obsessed with his handicap ( too much emphasis was made on this making him sound weaker). Just over all not a great book .

Loved the story!! It seems Fiona has gotten herself in a pickle and told her grandmother she was engaged to a military officer. Know with the war over how can she introduce an imaginary person. Perceval who has gained the title of Duke with the death of his cousin is on his way to propose to his cousins former fiancé, when they are away laid by a highway woman!! Fiona was only trying to get the coach to stop since a tree was in the road and she's mistaken for someone she's not!! Then all of a sudden a plan comes together and she's going to introduce Perceval as her intended to her grandmother. Too funny with all the blunders until the gig is finally up and the magistrate comes to arrest Fiona. A great story with a wonderful ending!!

I am exchanging a honest review for a copy of this book. The title says it all. Literally. Capturing a Duke by actually capturing him. Mistaken intents lead to a mess of things in this book. The characters were fun getting to know and the story was well written. The book reads smoothly and has all the elements a good Regency Romance should have. Misunderstandings are the lead role in how the book really starts. There was steamy and sweet attraction between the lead main characters.

I liked reading How to Catch a Duke. I did get confused at times when there were incorrect labeling of relations. Sometimes Fiona was referred to as her grandmother's granddaughter and other times she was referred to as her grandmother's niece. Also, her uncle was referred to at one point as being the grandmother's brother and then her son. The other thing confusing to me was how, exactly, Percival was actually next in line to be Duke? His father was still alive. His aunt is a doweger duchess who's son was to be or was the Duke but died in the war. Yet at one point the reference was made the last duke was Percival's grandfather....... ?????
Aside from those minor errors, the tale of Fiona and Percival is fun and romantic. I wish there were a bit more love scenes. Fiona is set to be a spinster. She's accepted that and doesn't care because she's an archeologist. She and her sister are close with their grandmother and have lived with her since their parents died. She doesn't want her ailing grandma to worry about her future so she invents a fiance. Through a terrible misunderstanding and mishap, Fiona takes Percival hostage so he can pretend to be her fiance. Percival is not yet comfortable being the Duke. He was injured in the war and lost a leg. He agrees with his aunt to marry his (dead) cousin's fiance. On his way to London is where he and Fiona's worlds collide. Through the course of this adventure, they fall in love.
**** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I Am sorry I had to return How to Capture a Duke. This was a ridiculous and unbelievable story. I don't want to say to much but I never don't finish a story. I did with this one!! The Blurb convinced me to buy it but the story was worth my time to finish it.

This book was not true to the period. I prefer Regency romances that are culturally accurate. There was way too much admiring of each other's bodies, thoughts of sex, sex, mention of sodomites, etc. A properly brought up young lady, especially if she were as shy as the heroine was supposed to be, would never have been having those thoughts.

If you're going to write about the aristocracy and the ton, it should be in a way that reflects those times, not modern instalove and wanting to jump each other's bones. 99% of the characters' actions were so scandalous they would have been disowned by their families, nevermind the ton. Either that or you should state somewhere in your blurb that this is not the usual Regency.

In addition, the characters were very one-dimensional, the instalove was so instant that it was simply unbelievable and then each of them spent the rest of the book pining for the other. (Well, the hero especially was rather bipolar, hating her one second and thinking she's a whore and wanting to marry her the next.) I ended up skipping through quite a bit of it. Rather boring and poorly written to boot.

I'm so glad I stumbled across this author. Ms Blythe is a fantastic writer. The story has so many layers. I laughed out loud and woke up my poor husband in the middle of the night since I couldn't put the book down. If you love Regency romance this is a definite must read.

How to Capture a Duke is a light-hearted romance with numerous mishaps and misunderstandings. Fiona, who has made up a fake fiancé to please her Grandmother, and Percival, whom she kidnaps and forces to be said fake fiancé, seem destined for each other. Not only does Fiona kidnap Percival, she steals his family's jewels from him to force him to do as she requests in impersonating her fiancé. Percival begins to like and enjoy Fiona despite his frustration with having to stay with her to get his jewels back. Along comes the extended family members who make matters worse. They constantly disparage Fiona, which makes Percival want to defend the Fiona he has come to know in a very short time.

The family members are unkind about her desire to be an archeologist and her blue-stocking life-style. Percival is new to his Dukedom due to the death of his cousin. The cousin died saving Percival's life at Waterloo in which Percival lost his leg in that battle and suffers from some self-doubt. The cousin's Mother, the Dowager Duchess, plans on Percival marrying the wife she had picked out for her son. Percival truly begins to enjoy Fiona and does not want to leave even after she returns the jewels.

Eventually, his brother, along with the local magistrate, comes to rescue Percival. Fiona is arrested as the highwaywomen who kidnapped a Duke. More confusion reigns! It is all very entertaining and you will love it. How to Capture a Duke has the right amount of tenderness and entertainment when you are looking for a relaxing read. If you are looking for a super serious book, this is not for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the madcap events. And, found the characters developed enough for stress-free reading. Thank you Net Galley for sharing this book.

This was the epitome of romance regency. Fiona and Percival were an unlikely pair who met in an unconventional way. It was fun watching them get to know each other and to finally find themselves attracted to each other. The way he surprised her at the end of the story was a riot. Being familiar with the rules and regulations of the regency era, there were moment that some of the characters made me angry. But there were also moments that gripped my heart, and I wondered if the author was going to give us HEA I was looking for.

It was sweet and funny, and all around entertaining. Some of the stuttering or interrupted conversation made it hard to distinguish between the characters, as both the heroine and the hero had the same habit. But in the end, the way they fawned all over each other and played their cute little bits was endearing. I think the author has a good grasp of the era and it a wonderful romantic storyteller.

Bianca Blythe is a new author for me and I must say that I am suitably impressed with her story. Rosalyn Landor is as usual totally professional and made listening to this audiobook a total delight.
We have Fiona, a keen Archaeologist and unmarried young lady stopping the carriage in which Percival, the new Duke of Alfriston is traveling to warn of a fallen tree in the road and she is mistaken for a highway woman. Of course she goes along with that concept and hell breaks loose.
I loved that both main characters were strong and loving in their own way and that they didn't just sit down and sulk if things didn't go the way they wanted them to but seemed to make the best of what was dealt them in life.
I found this story to be most enjoyable and very entertaining with quite a few chuckles that couldn't help themselves and will be quite happy to read or listen to others by this author.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

A very farsical read. While somethings were a bit far-fetched, I still enjoyed it. The Silliness made it a fun read. At first I was going to put it down. Then I became caught up in the fun. And of course I had to see it through to the end. I’m glad I did.

The story was charming and creative! I couldn't put it down once I started to read it. It kind of had a Lucille Ball quality to it with how big of a mess she was in and how to get her out of it. It has some steamy scenes and yet it wasn't trashy. I did enjoy this book and will continue with the series.
Things that I didn't like was how the era was never really consistent. "She had to get her makeup on?". " He still didn't have his hair waxed yet? " The acceptance of Thomas Jefferson in British society and reference to Waterloo and Napoleon, maybe it was not descriptive enough. It seemed weird like not steam link but not romantic era either.
Anyhow I did enjoy the book and will check out more by this author.

What a fun and creative storyline. I really enjoyed this book. It’s always surprising to see family members act so rudely to family - but I grew up being really close to my extended family. I loved the little elements expressing women’s independence and intellect, even if some of the women will hide behind their husband’s name to share it with society. I was explaining the plot to my husband and he would love to see this made into a movie - like by the director of Dr Throne. I agree it would be a fun movie premise.

It was a lovely discovery!
After reading some reviews, I do know what to expect at some period of the book, but it didn’t bothered me.
For exemple, how was it possible for Fiona to capture a coach with a single knife. But the author was talented to narrate so smoothly it felt as it was possible. And their journey to Fiona’s house was just hilarious.
Then, at the end, their time appart was considered rather long, yes, it was but it was necessary to let them move and grew up to become their real them.
Now about the main characters, they are flawed with lot of insecurities.
Fiona was always judged by her appearance, too red headed, too freckled, too tall, too on the plump side, too smart for a woman, why she always felt like a failure and a laughingstock and choose to hide from the ton. But time is running down and she needs a way to escape the walls she built around her. Perceval was just supposed to be a tool to save her from her family’s expectations but he became more in short few days, freeing her from her shell.
Perceval Carmichael is like a prisoner from his new status, he never expected to become a Duke, like he has stolen his title from his late cousin. Plus he came back from war with a missing leg, but alive not like his cousin. He tries to adjust but it is like it is never enough, like he is still the one who not owned his wealth. Fiona turned his life upside down, she has no attentes from him, just to play her betrothed, so he fell free around her, she makes him fell really alive since a long time.

“But now he’d met Fiona, and life was more vivid. She’d cared so much for her grandmother that she’d gone to enormous extents to reassure her.”

“She’d shattered all his pre-conceptions. She’d been braver, more intelligent, and more passionate than the ladies of the ton”

They felt quickly in love but some misunderstandings and family meddling torn them appart, their love was too fresh for them to believe in it and fight for it, it was distance which helped them to clear their head and decide what was the most important.
A very good read I can only recommend.
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English marriage traditions are a conundrum to me...one either marries out of duty and it's prearranged, or as in this story, one meets a member of the opposite sex and in three days a love so strong has developed. Hummm....

I thought this was quite silly. I woman with a knife is going to take control of a strong large man, over a period of hours. I don't think so. I could not get into the story to really be interested. Of course I was glad they "found" each other, it was the way it happened that made it unbelievable for me.

While the story was fine, I was irritated with the obvious failures in editing. At one time the Grandmother refers to Uncle Seymour as her brother. Then when she dies, he is grieving his mother. Similarly Fiona is referred to as the Grandmother's niece instead of her granddaughter. Then when Percival calls her "Fiona" it states this is the first time he has called her by her first name - but only the chapter before he called her "Fiona" when they were in the village. It just needs to be tidied up a little. Otherwise, the story itself was good. Sorry to be picky but the details are important.