Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a sweet historical fiction romance set in Regency England. Adeline moves to her father’s country home after he dies and her despicable half-brother inherits their father’s title. Adeline’s mother was from the Middle East and was not accepted by the ton, and Adeline is not accepted much either. Daniel is the Duke of Warwick and has retreated to his country estate to work on his inventions. When the duo meet-cute courtesy of Adeline’s pet pig, it starts them on the path of a fake courtship for the remainder of the Season; Adeline to avoid a forced marriage by her half-brother, and Daniel to escape his matchmaking godmother and finish his work.

I liked the interaction between Daniel and Adeline, especially how much he appreciated and encouraged her academic pursuits. Despite being a very staid and proper gentleman, Daniel would rather get lost in scientific experiments than drink, gamble and chase women. Because of this, Daniel is surprisingly progressive in his attitudes toward woman and non-aristocratic people. Adeline wants nothing more than to use her medical training to provide much needed care to those who cannot afford it, but oftentimes people are leery of accepting help from a Lady. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, so I was down for that part of the story. Unfortunately, there is also some miscommunication in the story as well, which is my least favorite trope. That didn’t override my overall enjoyment of the book, however, and the book is a quick and easy read to while away an afternoon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.