Duels & Deception

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Duels and Deception is a sweet feel good regency novel that puts a pleasant smile on your face.

This novel was a lovely book. The characters were charming and relate-able while the different romances seemed to pull at the heart strings. Reading Lydia and Robert's dialogue always brought a smile to my face and the slow build of the romance was quite refreshing. While the side-characters are not mentioned too much, I found them all to be enjoyable, wishing for more scenes with poor Cassidy and finding myself quite fond of Shelley and her husband.

The mystery was quite mysterious, and here I must complain a bit because for about 40% of the book I had no idea where the book was heading or what it was to be about. I had to read the summary to understand, which lowers the quality of the book. Eventually I got the gist of it– who kidnapped her and why?! Once the mystery was introduced I had fun guessing who the main villain could be.

Another thing I'd like to comment on, Lydia starts the book out imagining shadows or people following her... I feel like this was never addressed in the end especially since Robert checked a shrubbery for her to no avail. I was beginning to think there was a supernatural element (lol) only for it to drop off, so I am still confused about that.

I wasn't entirely hooked on this book, but that fault lies with me and my preferences, and I do think this is an enjoyable book that others may find well done. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy historical fiction, details, really getting a feel for the life of the time, and those who want a break from insta-love.