Would I Lie to the Duke

Score: 5/5 Bookmarks

Steam Rating: 🍆🍆🍆/5

I read Would I Lie to the Duke, by Eva Leigh, as part of the Between the Covers Book Club and oh boy this was a fun one to discuss! This is the second in the Union of the Rakes series, and the third comes out in February! I thought it worked perfectly as a stand-alone novel, but I am for sure going to go back and read the first book!

Our heroine, Jessica McGale, runs a family business making high-quality honey soap. They recently suffered a fire though, and need investors to fix the damage and get up and running again. Jessica disguises herself as the wealthy Lady Whitfield, and infiltrates society, hoping to spread the word that the business is a good investment.

During this charade, Jessica meets the Duke of Rotherby, and there are instant sparks. The more they get to know each other, the more he opens up to her, making her feel worse and worse for lying to him.

This book will have you on the edge of your seat the entire way—will she get caught, will she save her business, is it all going to come crashing down?!?! Being a romance, you expect some sort of happy ending, but this book is far from predictable. There were so many fantastic twists and turns I didn’t see coming!

I absolutely loved Jessica’s character. She was strong, and smart, and savvy in a time when women weren’t expected to take their future into their own hands. Her dialogue was phenomenal, and I was constantly snort-laughing at the things that she either thought or said out loud!

And the Duke. Well, he’s swoon-worthy and all-round wonderful. He’s a really well-rounded character, being an alpha, but with depth and flaws and vulnerabilities. He has a group of friends (the Union of the Rakes) who have very different personalities but keep each other grounded and provide each other with the support they don’t get anywhere else in their lives.

We chatted with the author as part of our book club discussion and it was great to hear her take on this book, and the series as a whole. The whole series is inspired by ‘80s classics like The Breakfast Club, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Working Girl, Ferris Bueler’s Day Off etc. Once you know that you start to pick up on fun little nods within the books or the characters themselves.

The book is littered with pieces of hilarity that make the background of the book so rich. For example, Jessica and the Duke attend a bazaar where business owners can showcase their ideas for possible investment (think Shark Tank) and one man has an idea for sparrows to carry short messages (or chirps) to a central feeding area to be picked up, read and replied to. I very nearly spat my tea all over my book.

The author also told us about her research process, which generally has to be more rigorous when you’re trying to stick to some historical accuracy. For this book she learned all about the process for making soap, and actually had some honey soap commissioned, and then sent everyone in the book club a bar of it (it’s heavenly by the way)!

The sex scenes in this book are pretty steamy too, and be prepared for some dominant / submissive action too. There’s also a little bit of profanity (which I’m 100% here for) but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so you’ve been warned.

Would I Lie to the Duke gets all the stars from me, and I can’t wait to get my hands on book three!

Here’s the order of the Union of the Rakes series and a little about each book:

1. My Fake Rake

Lady Grace Wyatt is content as a wallflower, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than the complications of society matches. But when a handsome, celebrated naturalist returns from abroad, Grace wishes, for once, to be noticed. Her solution: to "build" the perfect man, who will court her publicly and help her catch his eye. Grace's colleague, anthropologist Sebastian Holloway, is just the blank slate she requires. Of course, they both develop real feelings for each other, how inconvenient!

2. Would I Lie to the Duke

Jessica McGale's family business desperately needs investors, and she's determined to succeed at any cost. Posing as “Lady Whitfield,” she infiltrates wealthy society and sees out investors—most notably the Duke of Rotherby. His influence and support could save her company, but Jess never expected the effect he'd have on her.

3. Waiting for a Scot Like You

Adjusting to life in peacetime isn’t easy for Major Duncan McCameron. Escorting a lady on her journey north seems like the perfect chance to give him some much-needed purpose. That is, until he learns the woman in question is the beautiful, bold, reckless Lady Farris. She makes his head spin and being alone together will surely end in disaster. Beatrice, the Dowager Countess of Farris, is finally free of a stifling marriage and she has no plans to shackle herself to any other man. Ready to live life to the fullest, she’s headed to a week-long bacchanal and the journey should be half the fun. Except she’s confined to a carriage with an irritatingly handsome Scottish soldier who wouldn’t know a good time if it landed in his lap. Get ready for adventure, secret barn dances, robbers, and an inn with only one bed!